Hunting is not for everyone but the people who like it-LOVE IT! Hunting is a fun and rewarding activity, but it is also very dangerous if you don’t take the proper precautions.
When hunting there are several precautions you have to take. You have to be at least 12 years old and from 12-14 years old. You must be accompanied by a hunter of 18 years old or older, but must all take the proper safety course. Taking a hunter’s safety course to become properly informed is the best choice. These courses have an online course you must complete.
After completing that, you have one in-person class to show the safe ways of handling a firearm. There is also the traditional, several-day, in-person class. These classes teach you how to safely dismiss an animal and so on. They also teach you how to properly carry any legal hunting firearm and secure it when not hunting. This class is very important because it makes sure you know the safe ways of hunting. Once you complete the class you will get a certificate and then will have to apply for your hunter’s license (FID). This might take a couple of months to come in. Once it comes in, you can officially begin your hunt, if in season of course.
If you are looking for new spots to hunt or even your first spot, Mass.gov has a website with dozens of places. There are specific dates for hunting and specific dates you can only use certain weapons. For all of Massachusetts, there is a part of the hunting season where you can use only bows. Then a time for paraplegic which is the smallest time. Then leads, shotguns, and primitive firearms. These are the dates that allow the designated weapons.
Archery– Oct. 7 – Nov. 30, 2024
Paraplegic– Oct. 31 – Nov. 2, 2024
Shotgun– Dec. 2 – Dec. 14, 2024
Primitive Firearms– Dec. 16 – Dec. 31, 2024
Along with these dates, there are zone restrictions that limit how many deer you can harvest per person. When hunting you want to walk against the wind so your scent doesn’t travel into the deer’s path. Deer have very strong noses and good hearing so it is best to be aware of where you step and the direction of the wind. You can set up a tree stand where you have the advantage of seeing farther and staying quieter. Although hunting is fun, you must be safe when out there.
