Parker River, Mass., area

Lawrence Pyne

Lawrence Pyne

Member
My youngest son and favorite hunting partner is no longer living at home. The good news is he's going to a school in Newbury, MA that is surrounded by state and federal marshland open to hunting.

I have the WMA maps and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge hunting regs., and I plan on doing some scouting and exploring before I hunt. But I'm looking for general advice or tips on hunting this area

Is this area best hunted late in the season? Should I avoid hunting on Saturdays? What species should I expect to encounter? Are the inland, freshwater beaver floes worth exploring?

Any info that would help me make the most of my time with my son would be most appreciated.

Lastly, does anyone know of a duck hunting guide in this area? And is anyone interested in swapping a hunt for one in the Champlain Valley?

Thanks.
 
I've hunted up there quite a bit.........

Check out the Parker River refuge website for areas and regulations to hunt those areas. There is a game warden that patrols the area and if you are duck hunting out in those spots, he most likely will stop and check you. His name is Chris. Good guy, by the book, just have all of your stuff in order.
Best,
Nate Grace
Click to expand...

Yup, what Nate said!!!!!! Have met Chris each and every year I was up there hunting with Hank. Nice place to hunt. Even better place to eat seafood! Be safe and enjoy.
 
the state ramp is a great place and joppa flats is a wonderful place!! not all private- lots of area to hunt and the flats are storied!!
 
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For those of us "from away", how can we find information about where the closed areas are? Are there areas that are intertidal/hunted by boat that are closed? (I thought MASS has the same law regarding the right to fish/fowl/navigate in the intertidal as we do here in Maine.)

My sister is not living on the north shore, and I'll probably end up there for an extended stay at Christmas or Thanksgiving. I'm not looking for secret spots--just information on where I'd be illegal.
 
it is the same!! you can hunt right under any private island or bank- as long as your in tidal water!! have fun!! cashman is a launch and there is a small launch near the plum island bridge-
 
Thanks Kevin. But it looks like there are areas within Parker River NWR that are closed, even on the water by boat. Is that correct?
 
Lawrence and Jeff,

Moved here a few years ago. Happy to provide some advice or hook up for a hunt, though I have a newborn so advice is more likely doable! One thing to note is that on WMAs with pheasant (all 3 large WMAs near Newbury) it is technically illegal to enter the WMA to hunt before sunrise (Gotta love state chicken shooting displacing hunting for wild native birds). Another technicality to be aware of is the hunter orange law. During deer shotgun season waterfowl hunters must be wearing the regulated amount of orange unless they are in the blind. Chris is a good guy but he WILL write you up for this even if you are a mile deep in salt marsh. State EPO will also get you.


Areas A, B, and C can be good but C has easy walk in access and no regulations on requiring decoys, so that most noble of hunter, 'the jump shooter,' usually makes it a pretty miserable place to hunt fairly quickly. Nate is dead on about cold typically meaning better shooting.

Jeff, similar big tides but less rocks (in most places) than what you are used to I bet. The Plum Island side of the refuge is pretty much closed to hunting.

Any questions feel free to shoot me a PM.

Cheers,
Ben
 
Ben--no orange only when in a "blind"? How do they define "blind". Our rule is something like "must wear hunter orange except when hunting waterfowl from a boat or over decoys".

And thanks--as the late season approaches and our holiday plans solidify, I'll probably be picking your brain!
 
Jeff,
Exact wording is similar "all hunters, except waterfowl hunters hunting within a blind or from a boat, must wear..." 500 sq inches.

In my experience make sure you have one with you, wear it if you aren't sitting over your decoys, including if you are jumpshooting. They will ticket folks out on the marsh jumpshooting without orange.
 
the hunters orange is the same laws in Maine and Mass- here is the Maine Reg-


HUNTER ORANGE CLOTHING.......Anyone who hunts with a firearm during the open firearm season on deer is required to wear two articles of solid-colored hunter orange clothing (fluorescent orange) that are in good and serviceable condition and visible from all sides. One article must be a hat. The other article of clothing must cover a major portion of the torso, such as a jacket, vest, coat or poncho. The presence of a decal on an article of clothing that is otherwise solid-colored hunter orange does not disqualify that article of clothing from satisfying the requirements of this subsection. HUNTER ORANGE means a daylight fluorescent orange color with a dominant wave length between 595 and 605 nanometers, excitation purity not less than 85% and luminance factor of not less than 40%. (NOTE: Waterfowl hunters who are hunting from a boat, blind or in conjunction with waterfowl decoys are exempt from this requirement). Anyone who hunts any species with a firearm in the moose hunting district must still wear one article of hunter orange clothing.
 
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