Need help regarding hunting in Massachusetts

Will M

Will M

Active member
As I continue my quest to kill the 41 species of North American waterfowl one of my next stops will be for eiders. I have family in Massachusetts so I figured that is the most reasonable place to try to kill an eider. I so far through my research I haven?t been able to find anything on where you can and can?t hunt in tidal water. Here in NJ nearly all tidal waters can be hunted provided you are the required distance from buildings. We do have some closed zones that are clearly identified in our regulations. I was hoping someone here knows the ins and outs of these regulations and can give me the run down or point me to where I can find the information. Thanks!
 
There are some Mass members here who can probably give you more/better info than I can. I live in Maine but have family in Mass. I've looked into the rules a few times with the thought I might want to sneak out for a quick canoe hunt when visiting them, but have never actually done it.

Because Maine was once part of Mass, our coastal access law is pretty similar to theirs. Basically, you may legally fish, fowl, and navigate anywhere in the intertidal zone and anywhere on tidal waters.

However, that right is subject to several other sets of rules, including:
--State waterfowl and firearms rules. Mass firearms rules are a bit arcane, so study up to make sure you don't find yourself in trouble if you get pulled over for a bad tail light. They also have a much wider buffer zone around structures than many other states. In Maine that is 100 yards. I believe in Mass it's at least 500', and may be farther. It may also apply to public beaches, boat launches, and other public facilities.
--Town ordinances. Some towns may have ordinances with no firearms discharge zones. I don't know about Mass, but in Maine the intertidal zone is a bit of a gray zone for those rules. The town I grew up in had a no-discharge law, but did not enforce it on tidal waters--even well inland in a salt marsh. A town near where I live now is on a tidal river and does believe they can enforce the law in tidal areas. To be safe, check with the local police department about any town rules that may apply.
--Federal, state, and private refuge or conservation lands. The only one of these I have ever investigated in detail is the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, which does allow hunting, but only in some areas, and the rules are complicated with various zones, some of which allow only walk-in hunting; others allow only access by boat. Town or private conservation land may also have rules that apply. Whether they apply in the intertidal zone is questionable, but probably better not to be sitting 10 feet into the mud on the Aububon Society bird sanctuary blasting away!

No idea what rules may apply on non-tidal freshwater sites, but you probably won't be chasing eiders there!

FWIW, my sister lives in Marblehead on the north shore, and in the fall and early winter and they frequently see folks hunting eiders on the islands around Marblehead and Nahant, so it can be done. I've also seen a lot of brant along the shoreline down there if brant are on your duck bucket list.
 
Jeff,

I greatly appreciate the detailed reply. I had feared the many complications and gray areas we all face here in the north east would be present in MA. I?ve also been considering RI hoping that the laws may be a little easier to navigate
 
You don't have Eiders in New Jersey?, Reason I say this, is we here on Long Island have had a big influx of Eiders and Scoters in the bays near an inlet in the last two years. We're not that far away from New Jersey, you may have them around your more Northern inlets...
 
Gcs,

We do get eiders here in NJ. However they are inconsistent, very few adult birds and almost exclusively stay in the ocean or in barnegat inlet which is one of those exclusion zones I mentioned in my first post. My boat is not capable of traversing our inlets into the ocean but from my research the eiders up north consistently come into calmer waters so I think that?s my best bet. Also I just enjoy a change of scenery and a new adventure occasionally
 
I've hunted on the cape for more than 30 years. That area of MA is where I would head if I was you. MA politics are pretty blue, stay away from the Boston area. The hotels and restaurants on the cape welcome the business in the winter, although I don't know what effect covid had.

The areas I have hunted are Plymouth harbor (just north of the cape) Buzzards Bay, Barnstable harbor and nearby area, the Chatham and Eastham harbor/marsh areas on both sides and Wellfleet. The bayside has big tides, the ocean side is much more manageable. Do not plan to leave Chatham or Eastham harbor if you can't cross big standing waves. I suggest not going out north of Wellfleet unless you want to be confronted by antis.

If you ask the local clammers at the dock they will put you on the eiders. The eiders decimate the shellfish beds so the clammers hate them. Most years the eider and scoter rafts stay offshore until late December, go in January. Best chance to get full plumage bulls and maybe an outside chance at a King. I haven't looked at their regs this year, if you time it you can shoot blacks at first light, brant at low tide and eiders all day when the tide moves.

They do have lots of gun laws the big ones are- 1. Keep a trigger lock on the gun when you aren't actually hunting, even with gun in the case. Trigger, not cable. 2. Bring your ammo-no sales to OOS. 3. No Sunday hunting.

As a general rule you can hunt any tidal areas more than 500' from houses. I'd suggest staying 1,000+ to avoid an argument.

Most, but not all, boat launches have a fee or have various seasonal parking signs. The local police make a living writing tickets in the winter, even if you are in a spot that says no non-resident parking May-October you will get ticketed in January. Call the harbor master ahead of time to figure out where to park or pay. Every town has one.

Best of luck to you, if you want more info pm me.
 
Got me thinking, I have family in Fall River Mass, was just visiting them last weekend. Have never done a waterfowl hunt outside of NJ...
 
I thought CT was bad. Trigger lock? Woof.

Ive never hunted MA myself but knowing that I'd suggest Going to RI. Sunday hunting, Which we don't have in CT either. I think the tidal zone is the same as CT (250' from dwellings in tidal, 500' in non-tidal). I mostly hunt CT but even in westerly there are plenty of eider in December/January. I've never had any issues, even taking birds not far off of popular pedestrian beaches. You can certainly launch out of Barn Island for free in CT and drive over to RI, but I know there are public launches in RI as well.

Just my 2 cents.
 
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Nick Zito said:
I thought CT was bad. Trigger lock? Woof.

Ive never hunted MA myself but knowing that I'd suggest Going to RI. Sunday hunting, Which we don't have in CT either. I think the tidal zone is the same as CT (250' from dwellings in tidal, 500' in non-tidal). I mostly hunt CT but even in westerly there are plenty of eider in December/January. I've never had any issues, even taking birds not far off of popular pedestrian beaches. You can certainly launch out of Barn Island for free in CT and drive over to RI, but I know there are public launches in RI as well.

Just my 2 cents.
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I've hunted RI quite a bit, more so in the 70's and early 80's when we hunted broadbill at the top of the bay during the points system glory days. Too many guys there now, a couple years ago there were 7 rigs in front of the PT Judith walls. Two things about RI- you need a hunter safety certificate to get a license if you haven't had a RI license previously. Your license from another state won't do it. The other, which is really CT, is don't launch from CT to hunt RI or NY (Fishers Island) on Sunday, when you return you may receive an unpleasant reception at the launch.
 
So you're saying for folks who were grandfathered in before the safety course Youre SOL? Interesting. Agreed on the number of hunters though, even in the last 2 years. You have to go during the week or it does get crowded. I assumed out near the cape would be the same for weekends
 
I just checked, it appears they changed the law. As recently as a couple of years ago it was a major pita. This shocks me in mini-Mass, but is good news for OOS hunters.


http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/fish-wildlife/wildlifehuntered/education/hunter-faq.php

As for crowds, a couple of the popular spots on the cape can have several parties, but there's a lot more area than RI. Generally not a problem, although the proliferation of TDB style boats is bringing more people into the offshore game.
 
Gentlemen,

This is all excellent information. I hadn?t really considered CT, I?m not sure why I hadn?t, although it sounds like it really may be less stressful with not having the same crazy gun laws as mass. Sunday hunting isn?t really a factor for me as I?ll plan this as a three or 4 day vacation during the week to try to avoid the crowds
 
Ditto on making sure of the ramp and parking rules. I've done many fall bluefin trips on the cape and it's a great place, but the harbormasters don't fool around.
 
Are they town ramps or private? Will I be able to get in the water before first light in the winter time? I?ll spend a couple days scouting before I even attempt to hunt so I?ll have some time to check things out ahead of time but any information before I get up there is helpful
 
I believe there's a use permit needed out of some Chatham ramps now, I've launched out of Pamet harbor and it's a $10 fee paid once you return to the ramp. But with NJ plates they literally were asking for the money as we were winching the boat onto the trailer and didn't want to wait until we had even pulled up the ramp.
 
Thanks for the info Craig. While that?s annoying I?d rather that than come back to find they towed my truck because I used the ramp
 
Kevin Layne said:
Just curious as to how many species you have taken and which birds are left on your quest?
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Kevin,
Just noticed this reply. So far I have knocked off 24 species, all in NJ. I believe I have pretty much killed everything I can reasonably kill in NJ. If I could get ocean access I could also get eiders and white winged scoters but I think I?m better off going north. Covid killed my finger lakes trip last season so I?ll go this year to try to kill a red bNext year hopefully Florida for tree ducks and a mottled. I plan to spend the better part of a month down there. The western birds will be a little more challenging logistically.
 
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