§ 1 Definitions; rules of construction
§ 1A Division of fisheries and wildlife; board; members
§ 1B Removal of board members
§ 1C Conflicts of interest
§ 1D Reimbursement
§ 1E Meetings
§ 1F Director
§ 1G Director; powers and duties
§ 1H Bureau of wildlife research and management
§ 1I Damage by moose or deer
§ 2A Wildland acquisition account
§ 2B Deposit of revenues; interest
§ 2C George L. Darey Inland Fisheries and Game Fund; funding sources; appropriations
§ 3 Disposition of fines, penalties and forfeitures
§ 4 Powers of director
§ 5 Open seasons; rules and regulations
§ 5B Natural heritage and endangered species program; administration; advisory committee
§ 5C Obstruction or interference with lawful taking of fish or wildlife; remedies
§ 6 Acquisition of rights, privileges, lands and properties
§ 7 Wildlife sanctuaries; trusts
§ 8 Use of wildlife sanctuaries and preserves; rules and regulations
§ 9 Publication of order establishing wildlife sanctuary; posting
§ 10 Hunting or trapping within wildlife sanctuary; borders posted; adoption of regulations
§ 10A Nature preserves; designation
§ 10B Nature preserve council
§ 10C Release of nature preserves
§ 10D Consultation; rules and regulations
§ 11 Licenses; requirements; fees; trapper training courses
§ 12 Licenses; issuance; form; display
§ 13 Construction of licensing laws; archery or primitive firearm season on deer; migratory waterfowl season; certificates for veterans hospitals and schools for mentally-retarded
§ 13A Wildlands conservation stamps
§ 14 Hunter education programs; issuance of licenses to minors; target practice; confiscation of firearms
§ 15 Issuance of special complimentary certificate to officials of other states
§ 16 Loss or destruction of license; duplicates
§ 17 Retention of part of license fee by issuing officer or person
§ 17A Municipal processing fee for sale of licenses
§ 17B Notice of intent not to sell licenses
§ 18 License record books; payment of monies by issuing officer to director; surety bonds
§ 19 License to put fish or spawn into inland waters; permit to import live fish or viable eggs, certification, inspection for disease, and disposition
§ 19A Permit to import live birds or mammals; rules and regulations; inspection and testing for disease; certification; disposition
§ 19B Transporting mammals for purpose of euthanasia; putting animal to death by drowning prohibited
§ 20 Field trials for retriever or bird dogs
§ 21 Training of hunting dogs; field trials
§ 21A Unfair hunting practices prohibited
§ 22 Sale of fish and game
§ 22A Disposition of deer; rules and regulations; permits; fees
§ 23 Propagation, dealing, etc., in fish, birds, mammals, reptiles or amphibians; rules and regulations; licenses; fees
§ 24 Dealers’ licenses; sale for food purposes
§ 25 Possession of live birds, mammals, reptiles or amphibians; sale; tags; labels; accounts
§ 25A Quarantine of diseased fish, birds, mammals, etc.; order or notice; procedures; liability for expenses
§ 25B Quarantined animals; destruction and disposal
§ 25C Quarantined animals; prohibited acts; penalties
§ 26 Importation of fish, birds, mammals, reptiles or amphibians; shipments; tags; violations; seizure and disposition
§ 27 Taxidermists’ licenses; permits; accounts; shipments
§ 28 Fur buyers’ licenses; shipments; accounts
§ 29 Natural history associations and museums, zoos
§ 30 Permits for netting of carp and suckers
§ 31 Commercial shooting preserves; permits; licenses
§ 32 Licenses; expiration; loan or transfer; production for examination; suspension or revocation
§ 33 Prohibited acts; licenses, permits, applications, certificates, tags or seals
§ 34 Conviction for violations; surrender of license, permit or certificate
§ 35 Failure to carry license and wear it visibly; exception under automated licensing system
§ 36 Fishing, hunting, or trapping on private, posted land
§ 37 Killing of game by owner or tenant of land; reports
§ 38 Farmers; permit to trap and kill birds
§ 39A Berkshire county; watershed resources; natural scenic qualities
§ 40 Removal, fill, dredging or altering of land bordering waters
§ 40A Orders protecting inland wetlands
§ 40B Farmland advisory board; meetings; advisory duties
§ 41 Protection of fisheries from discharge of waste materials into inland waters
§ 42 Protection of fish in inland waters; pollution; alteration of flows or water levels; application of section; damages
§ 43 Poisons
§ 44 Deposit of garbage or trash on property while hunting, fishing or trapping
§ 45 Great ponds; public use; rules and regulations
§ 46 Measurement of ponds
§ 47 Riparian proprietors; enclosure of waters
§ 48 Draining of pond, reservoir or other body of water
§ 49 Ponds on state boundary; fishing
§ 50 Methods of taking fish; angling, nets and seines, pots, spearing, bow and arrow
§ 51 Taking of trout in coastal waters
§ 52 Taking of certain fish for bait
§ 52A Commercial taking of eels in inland waters; penalties
§ 53 Fishing with floats; toggle fishing
§ 54 Fish traps, nets and seines, hooks
§ 55 Forfeiture of net, seine, or other device; forfeiture of fish
§ 56 Special statutes relating to fisheries; alewife fisheries
§ 57 Sundays
§ 58 Shooting upon or across highway; hunting near dwelling
§ 59 Reservations, parks, public lands; hunting; state forests
§ 60 Weapons; careless or negligent use causing injury or death to another; report
§ 61 Weapons; careless or negligent use causing damage to property or livestock; tort liability
§ 62 Weapons; intoxicating liquor or drugs
§ 63 Loaded shotgun or rifle in motor vehicle, aircraft or motorboat
§ 64 Automatic firearms, machine guns or bows; use of tracer ammunition
§ 65 Hunting from motor vehicle, snowmobile, aircraft or watercraft
§ 65A Online shooting or spearing
§ 66 Shotgun shells, load
§ 67 Rifles, revolvers and pistols; caliber
§ 68 Hunting with artificial light; swivel or pivot gun
§ 69 Bows and arrows for hunting
§ 70 Hunting with rifle, revolver or pistol, or by the aid of a dog; primitive firearms
§ 71 Orange clothing while hunting
§ 72 Deer tags
§ 73 Hunting moose
§ 74 Bird nests and eggs
§ 75 Wild turkey
§ 75A Birds of prey
§ 76 Removal of mammal from hole, or from under ledge, stone or log
§ 77 Ferrets; possession and use
§ 77A Wild canid and felid hybrids
§ 78 Protection of property by owner or tenant; transportation of firearms to or from range
§ 79 Trap, net or snare; use restricted
§ 80 Registration and identification of traps
§ 80A Leghold traps and certain other devices restricted; punishment
§ 81 Suspension of open seasons because of fire hazard
§ 82 Dogs, running at large; protection of deer
§ 83 Sparrows and starlings
§ 84 Pigeons
§ 85 Transportation of fish or other animals into or out of commonwealth
§ 86 Property used for scientific experiments or investigations or for propagation
§ 87 Arrest without warrant; seizures; forfeitures
§ 88 Display of fish, game, and equipment for inspection
§ 89 Search warrants; seizures and forfeitures
§ 90 Penalties
§ 90A Suspended or revoked foreign licenses; penalties for hunting, trapping or fishing or failing to return license upon suspension or revocation of license
§ 90B Penalties for subsequent violations
§ 91 Limitation of actions and prosecutions
§ 92 Severability

Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws > Chapter 131 - Inland Fisheries and Game and Other Natural Resources

  • Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Bequest: Property gifted by will.
  • Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Devise: To gift property by will.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Interests: includes any form of membership in a domestic or foreign nonprofit corporation. See Massachusetts General Laws ch. 156D sec. 11.01
  • Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
  • Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
  • Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.