anyone hitting the woods september 15?

[Proline]

Be careful with Muzzleloader though! There is a huge gray area there. You can techinically possess the muzzleloader in Massachusetts with without the FID card. Thie issue is the powder and bullets. It is very gray and most conceed that it is not legal to possess the powder and bullets. In fact if you try to go to a Mass store and buy the ammo with out an FID card most will not give it to you. I checked on this last year becuase my buddies FID card expired before shotgun opened and he had to start from scratch on the process of getting a new one. I called a warden I know to see if he could use his muzzle loader during shotgun season without the FID. His recommendation was to not do it. The way it is written he believes it is legal but it is ambigous. Some wardens he said would haul you in. Police definately would haul you in. They dont know the details and Blackpowder guns.

[piebal]

Proline,
If you read the abstracts it states that you may not purchase powder or bullets without a Fid but it says nothing about possession being illeagel if the state tells you its illeagal then the state is violating are right to bear arms even wrose.I myself am fortunate to posess a class A license but most of my friends are not able to even get a FID. they simply go over the state line to purchase there needs, they also been approached by wardens and police and nothing happend. I think even law enorcement and wardens are unaware of the law themselvs

[Proline]

"I think even law enorcement and wardens are unaware of the law themselvs"

That is my point Pie. The problem is it is gray. I am not disputing if it legal but rather that if you meet up with a Cop or Warden who differs in opinion you are going to have a problem. Not saying your not going to get out of the charge but who wants to get the silver bracelots slapped on them and hauled into a cell or courtroom because someone doesn't know the technicality. I have not read the abstracts but if they do in fact say you can't purchase the stuff without an FID I think your in for a battle in court to produce a reason as to why you can possess it and not buy it. Especially if you are someone with a previous record. Either way, your going to hire a lawyer to get you out of it and that will cost some dough. IMO, why chance it. Hunt with a bow! Its more challenging anyway.

[woodsalta]

If you go into Dick's Sporting Goods, BassPro Shops, etc... all of them have the muzzleloader slugs, sabots etc out in front of the counter hanging on the shelves and the powder is behind the counters. Just my observation. When you get down to the register they ask for you FID/LTC. When I was younger I was told the FID allowed you to carry a shotgun or rifle but you were not able to own/purchase one. This meant that you could have the ammunition for the gun you were carrying in your possession. The LTC allowed you to purchase firearms and the ammuntion.

Class A LTC's should be the only LTC they hand out. If you walked into a store with a firearm strapped to you waist in plain view of anyone in this state be prepared to be swarmed by SWAT in a matter of minutes. They lock down schools after finding a spent .22 rimfire cartridge in a bathroom floor for crying out loud.

[Proline]

Totally agree Woods. This state is wacked. I remember a few yeas ago there was a high school kid who was on some sort of shooting team and loved shooting and they would not let him put a picture in his year book of him shooting. Unbelieveable. I had a picture in my year book of the very same thing. Unbelievable how how these liberals get a way with it. I for one never want to get old but dam, the day I retire is the day a for sale sign goes on the front lawn and I am out of this god foresakin state.

[woodsalta]

Proline,

I think you need to say what's really on your mind!!! HAHAHAHA!

I'm with you. If I can land a few of these jobs I'm looking at for the spring (Im a contractor) I might have enough to buy a little piece of heaven up north in Maine.

[Proline]

Hope it works for you Woods. I got one of the pieces of heaven in NH and thats where I am goin. Of course, there aren't as many deer there though!

[woodsalta]

Yeah, but you can ride your ATV or snowmobiles anywhere in the state and shoot your guns off your back porch! Ah.. redneck living.

There might not be a many deer up there, but the ones that are there are huge!

[piebal]

Well i think we all agree on one thing is that we live in a f'ed up state!! A state were they will go out on a limb to get our guns out of our hands. I will say this they will have to pry my cold dead delappatated hands open before i give my guns up!! everyone gets there 5th amendment rights voilated everyday in this state and theres not much we the people can do about it. if all goes well for me i will be in kentucky this time next year...I dont like this state anymore. to many librals!!...good luck this season guys...Pie

[heightman]

Scotty00,
Proline forgot to add a few things ...in this state they require you to take a hunter saftey course before you can get a hunting licence if you took a course in wisconson thats all you need to get a licence. The other thing is the gun laws are the strictest in the country if you brought guns in the state HIDE THEM!!! you need a special licence to carry permit!! DO NOT GET CAUGHT WITH THEM!!! You can purchase a muzzleloader without a permit and hunt the shotgun and muzzloader seasons. Im not trying to scare you but get educated asap!!! Everything proline told you about hunting in this state is spot on. Our heard is 100,000 head of deer and harvest about 12,000 a year between bow shotgun and muzzleloader.
P.S. massachusetts deer season dosent start till october 10 this year. If you wanna hunt in september you have a choice to hunt our neighboring states maine,vermont new hampsher and connecticut and i believe they all start september 15 or around.

I sent you a pm on your above post. I guess you did not recieve it, more than likely my own fault. As far as I know you do need a permit to purchase a mordern muzzleloader here in MA. Although Ma Wildlife does call mordern Muzzleloaders primative firearms, Ma general laws describe "primative" firearms as pre 1899 in design or relicas of such. That pretty much leaves out todays gun's. I may be miss informed on this and did just read several post about the "grey" parts of the law.
However you and several other posters seem to have alot more knowledge of the subject. Any further information you guys have would be helpful. All I can say is I bought both my T/C Omega and my ammo in NH. So most of the shotgun season as well a the blackpowder season will be spent with my T/C in hand, that is unless I am still up to the challenge of my OLD Bear Black Panther bow, which will celebrate it's 23rd year of hunting next month.