Wut?
Both Caught in Southie and 311 was alerted by a resident on Tuesday morning for two hunters in full-on gear complete with camo boat firing shotguns at birds close to the causeway at Castle Island.
Did they get lost on the way to the lake in the woods? That camouflage doesn’t really blend in with Boston Harbor and its environment.
See report below:
Good morning, I am emailing to report hunters firing shotguns at birds in significantly close proximity to the walkway by Head Island and Castle Island this morning at 7:30am. Attached are shots taken of them with the bird that they had just shot. They appear to have been firing close enough where, had they accidentally aimed the barrel towards the walkway, people could have been hit.
What on earth?
This can’t be legal, right? Here are the Massachusetts Migratory Game Bird Hunting Regulations.
But what the heck do we know, maybe it is? MA Dept. of Fish and Games are looking into it.
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
Its very much so legal. If you don’t like it then don’t watch. Its a way of getting good clean food.
Also tread lightly as posting MS numbers is borderline hunter harassment. https://malegislature.gov/laws/generallaws/parti/titlexix/chapter131/section5c
Hunter harassment is illegal! What these guys doing is not. Hunters have to purchase a lic, state duck stamp and federal duck stamp. All those funds go towards conservation. Those guys have probably close to $75k in gear boats guns and motors. They know what there doing
Law says no motor boat and wearing orange . I’m no puppy I’m A life long resident
Lol no motor boats in the ocean huh? And hunter orange is only required when upland hunting or shotgun season for deer. If you don’t have any knowledge about a topic please don’t comment about it.
Try rereading the laws because you are wrong across the board. Arm chair EPO with zero clue.
Sad, shooting sitting ducks!!
I can’t believe that firing a gun in this area is legal. Not only is hunting unnecessary and amoral, in this instance, stupid and dangerous!
You ma’am have some serious issues if you find hunting amoral.
Hunting is absolutely necessary. Sad, that something totally legal you call “unnecessary”. Just because you don’t agree with something, doesn’t make it amoral or stupid.
Catherine, you must not eat meat then?
Grew up doing this on the south shore and still do it to this day in Quincy Bay and Hingham Harbor. I have been in southie for 21yrs now and you wouldn’t believe how many hunters there are that live in the city. The range of a shotgun is not like a rifle or hand gun. These guys were lawful and have every right to do it. Btw don’t bother calling the cops if you want to tattle on anyone because they have zero jurisdiction. Call the Environmental Police and they will tell you that it’s legal and nothing they can do!
Yes, MA Dept. of Fish and Game are looking into it. I’m a life-long resident of Southie and I’ve never seen duck hunters shooting that close to the causeway.
No reason to look into it completely legal and you look foolish posting such a misleading article, educate yourself
So close to the shore in Boston Harbor? If it’s legal, I’d love for you to educate me! I’ve never seen anything like this in all my life in this area. It’s not an article – it’s a post about a 311 complaint.
I suggest you remove this post because you look silly right now. You have nothing to back up your speculations (other than your feelings being hurt) because you clearly do not know mass regulations and hunting laws. There are no violations here. The only one in violation is yourself for hunter harassment.
Pretty sure that discharging a firearm distance from a dwelling is a state standard of 500 FT. These men have acquired/paid the necessary licenses(MA hunting license, duck stamps, fed duck stamp, MA conservation fee….) many of us that hunt generally care more for wildlife and the outdoors than those yuppies that leave their dog shit bags on the sidewalks and toss their trash in the woods on their “Instagram nature hikes”. In the past 5 years I’ve donated in excessive of $4000 for wildlife conservation funds(Ducks unlimited, delta waterfowl, pheasants forever, national wildlife foundation). I’m someone who wants to preserve nature and wildlife. You let a population get out of hand and no hunting you drastically increase the chance of disease and overpopulation. But my side is always wrong in your eyes and you’ll only view one way so I don’t know why I bothered typing this long comment. Sincerely an avid waterfowler, deer hunter, fisherman, and someone that holds an MBA so I’m not just some “redneck” from the burbs
Wow Huntin Ducks N Bucks is a hero. It’s so impressive the money you’ve donated and the degrees you’ve earned. That gives you the right to do what you want. Idiot. Not a yuppie, don’t own a dog, just want the neighborhood to be safe.
Totally agree – sad how people are so quick to try to get others in trouble for exercising their freedoms and rights. I feel bad for these hunters. You should be ashamed of harassing them. I hope the environmental police educate you, perhaps you should be fined.
Oh the person in the picture has contacted Fish and game and filed a Hunter harassment complaint against you.
The complaint came from pure ignorance and I’m sure the officers educated the party involved. They may seem close to shore especially in the photos posted because they were probably retrieving a bird. Also this post is extremely close to hunter harassment which carried hefty fines. Especially posting the boats MS numbers which is by law illegal.
That was the tender. Hunters were in layout boats much further away.
Posting about someone doing something legal that you think has to be illegal while doing it in an illegal way, nice work.
Totally legal. Also bird shot isn’t even lethal past 40 yards. They’re over 500 feet from a house and 250 ft from a road. It’s best to be informed before assuming. Try eating duck also, good stuff.
You didn’t see this either, some Karen is giving you #fakenews and instead of researching it, you post for input on social media. Being unaware of state laws does not exempt you from following them and harassing a licensed hunter in any way IS ILLEGAL.
“This can’t be legal, right?” says it all. You posted this without knowing anything about what you were talking about. I see you’ve since added the “But what the heck do we know, maybe it is?” A real reporter would have called MA F&W and they would have told you that this is hunter harrassment. Posting the person’s boat numbers is like posting someone’s license plate and you are way out of line. I am one of the many sportswomen in MA who have contacted MA F&W about this article. I would advise you to take it down immediately and on social as well.
Ah this isn’t an article – it is a repost of a complaint made in a public domain 311.
While what the hunters are doing is legal showing concern and being ignorant of hunting laws is not harassment.
If they are 500 feet from a building or dwelling in use and 150 feet from a paved road, hunting is 100% legal. Hunting sea ducks in Boston Harbor is a well-established tradition, and people have been hunting in New England for generations.
Clear case of hunter harassment here. You should really consider taking down this post, as it’s really unfair to a couple of sportsman who were well within their rights.
I could see where you were confused. After all, people have only been hunting waterfowl in Boston Harbor since the colonial days.
Not Turing out the way expected huh Karen….how about instead of taking the time to harass someone- you actually go take a look to see if it’s Legal (which these hunters are). You are exactly what is wrong with society today – someone flapping their gums in hopes for some attention and the disrespect to others rights. Oh just because YOU have never seen it before doesn’t mean it has not gone on for ages – check you ego please.
Totally legal, borderline harassment, been there PROSECUTED that. 👍
Hunters need help, contact via this thread.
So jealous of those guys. Good for them! Looks like they had a great morning outdoors and bagged some nice Eider ducks to eat. Every winter, there are enormous rafts of sea ducks feeding on the muscle beds and bladder weed around the Island. Always thought it’d be a great place to hunt. I genuinely hope these guys don’t get into any legal trouble for simply exercising their natural and Constitutional right to gather food that is organic, non-GMO, steroid-free, wild fed. etc, etc. The first picture above is obviously a zoomed in version of the 2nd picture. In the unadulterated picture, the guys are clearly well outside of the statutory safe distance for hunting (but not actually shooting). People are obviously free to disagree with this activity, but try not to judge too hard. There’s a big country outside of Boston full of great Americans who would prefer to get healthy food for their family from nature instead of standing in line at Flanagans or Whole Foods…. depending upon whether the busybodycurtaincop photographer is a Southie Mouthie ,or a Yuppy-Foodie-Dogwithahumannamewalking-CondoDwelling-BlowinKarenfromCT. With all due respect to each wild species, of course!
The ducks died of Covid
Aww, sorry Maureen! I thought my comment was funny.
Motorized vehicles & boats: A person shall not hunt migratory game birds from or in connection with a motor driven land conveyance, aircraft or any kind of motor or sailboat used in concentrating or driving birds either for himself or for others. Further, no person may hunt from or by means of any motorboat or sailboat unless the motor has been completely shut off and/or sails furled and all progress has ceased. However, a hunter may pick up or retrieve dead or injured birds from a craft under power and may shoot injured birds from powered craft in coastal waters seaward of the first upstream bridge. Exception: Paraplegic hunters may take game birds from a stationary motor vehicle or other land conveyance
Driving: No person shall drive (herd) migratory game birds from or with the aid of a motor vehicle or other motor driven land conveyance or aircraft, or any kind of motor or sailboat us either for self or others.
Electric calls: No person shall take migratory game birds using pre-recorded calls or sounds or any electronic
Again you have zero clue what you are talking about.
You’re comments are literally comedy.
Only one in trouble here is the woman who posted MS numbers and pictures. She has altered the article but it’s too late.
What a pointless article. We should be focusing on the real killers out there – the unvaccinated
K Biden, go get your booster and leave the normal people to themselves.
Well, well, who knew hunter types could be so sensitive?? Also, no disrespect CIS, this is a local neighborhood social media site, not the New York Times.
Hunter types are passionate about the sport and protective because everything today is being taking away so they have every right to fight for it and stand up when someone is harassing two gentlemen for going about their lives.
“You can’t hunt within 500 feet of any DCR-designated picnic area, camping area, residence, service building, parking lot, camping structure, or designated swimming area.”
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/hunting-in-massachusetts-state-parks-and-forests
Depending on where they were this could easily be within 500ft of picnic areas, swimming areas and a service building. All of Castle Island, the Causeway etc is MA DCR property.
All you hunter harassment folks crying fowl and whining about education and harassment should consider that this blog might a good way for people in this neighborhood to understand what is legal. Lots of locals read it and Southie is an urban area where hunting is maybe not something that crosses a lot of people’s radar. Guns tend to be associated with something else.
I am all for responsible hunting and as a bystander this is not obviously right or wrong, I’d love to hear what the MA Environmental Police says. Maureen specifically says “Maybe it is? [legal].” Save the pitchforks and shotguns for somewhere else – all this blog does is post things happening around Southie. This is definitely not common and definitely worthy of a post.
Not to mention these hunters chose a spot where at any given time there are always other people (even in the worst weather ) and often tons of birders. Practically begging for attention. They’d certainly have mine if I happened to be around and I’m there almost every day. And honestly if it’s all well and good I wouldn’t mind hanging out and watching a bit.
Nice on “Crying fowl”
Comedy is real from you as they weren’t even hunting out of the boat.
It is nice to see that someone can read.
Also the colonial ordinance trumps DCR laws so it doesn’t count in tidal areas.
Hey Matt
Don’t be such a POS
Go back to the hills where you came from
Unfortunately for you that statement is incorrect.
I’ve lived in wonderful communities on both the south and north shores for my entire life and grown up hunting.
Maybe people like yourself are the issue? Seems you have some unaddressed anger issues?
Being born in Southie during the really violent &rough times ( yup THAT guy), I will say it isn’t the 1st time gunshots were heard up near the sugarbowl….don’t know the sugarbowl ( shugahh bowl) ? Well that says it all.
I’ve lived a block away from the beach in Southie since 1997 and I’ve never seen this either. Don’t know why the hunters are so shocked by the reaction of normal people. And “hunter harassment”?! Is that a thing now? It’s mentioned in every pro hunter comment. Man, didn’t realize hunters were so sensitive. Sounds like a key phrase these people are coached to say every time they argue their point.
Would it be legal for them to take out a few (or many) of the Canada geese? Would that it were so!!!!! Grinning Smiley Face here.
The ducks in question are native waterbirds, and they’re in big trouble. … Not only is duck shooting unsustainable, it’s also brutal: because shotgun pellets scatter widely, rather than making a “clean kill”, three out of four birds flies away injured. Many die slow, agonising deaths from starvation or infection.
Make killing ducks illegal.