With fall hunting seasons under way, the New Bedford Guide reported this week that the Massachusetts Environmental Police are warning that harassing hunters and anglers is a crime that can lead to arrest and a lawsuit. That is accurate. Massachusetts has a specific hunter harassment statute, G.L. c. 131, § 5C, and it reaches further than most people expect.
The law also runs the other way. Hunters have their own limits near homes, roads and on Sundays. Here is what the statutes actually say on both sides.
What the hunter harassment law prohibits
Section 5C opens with a general rule: “No person shall obstruct, interfere with or otherwise prevent the lawful taking of fish or wildlife by another at the locale where such activity is taking place.”
It then lists seven specific acts. It is a violation to intentionally:
- “drive or disturb wildlife or fish for the purpose of interrupting a lawful taking”;
- “block, follow, impede or otherwise harass another who is engaged in the lawful taking of fish or wildlife”;
- use “natural or artificial visual, aural, olfactory or physical stimulus” to affect wildlife “in order to hinder or prevent such taking”;
- “erect barriers with the intent to deny ingress or egress to areas where the lawful taking of wildlife may occur”;
- “interject himself into the line of fire”;
- affect “the condition or placement of personal or public property intended for use in the taking of wildlife”; or
- “enter or remain upon public lands, or upon private lands without the permission of the owner or his agent, with intent to violate this section.”
In practical terms, that covers deliberately spooking deer away from a hunter’s stand, following a hunter through the woods, blasting noise or spraying scent to scare off game, blocking a trail, stepping into a line of fire, and moving or tampering with a tree stand, blind, decoys or traps.
The penalties
There are three separate consequences.
- Criminal. Under G.L. c. 131, § 90(a)(3), “Whoever violates section 5C shall be punished by a fine of not less than $100 but not more than $500, by imprisonment for not more than 14 days or by both.”
- Injunction. The Superior Court “shall have jurisdiction to issue an injunction to enjoin any such conduct or conspiracy.” A person or group who keeps doing it can be ordered by a court to stop.
- Civil lawsuit. “A person who sustains damage as a result of any act which is in violation of this section may bring a civil action for punitive damages.”
Environmental police officers “and other law enforcement officers with arrest powers” are authorized to enforce it.
What the law does not cover
The limits matter as much as the prohibitions.
- It protects only lawful hunting and fishing. Every clause is tied to a “lawful taking.” Someone hunting out of season, on Sunday, without a license, or too close to a house is not protected by it.
- It applies at the place where the hunting is happening. The statute speaks of interference “at the locale where such activity is taking place.” Speech, protest or advocacy against hunting somewhere else is not what it describes.
- It does not apply to the landowner. The last sentence says the section “shall not apply to the owners of the lands or waters or tenants or other persons acting under the authority of such owners.” A landowner can tell a hunter to leave, and can post the land.
- Intent is required. The listed acts must be done “intentionally.” A hiker who unintentionally flushes a deer is not committing a crime.
The other side: rules hunters must follow near homes and roads
Homeowners worried about hunting nearby should know G.L. c. 131, § 58. It says a person shall not “possess a loaded firearm or hunt by any means on the land of another within five hundred feet of any dwelling in use, except as authorized by the owner or occupant thereof.” The same section bars discharging a firearm or releasing an arrow “upon or across any state or hard surfaced highway, or within one hundred and fifty feet” of one.
So a hunter needs the occupant’s permission to hunt within 500 feet of an occupied home on someone else’s land, and a hunter who ignores that is not engaged in a lawful taking.
Massachusetts also still has a Sunday hunting ban. Under G.L. c. 131, § 57, “Every Sunday shall be a closed season,” and a person may not hunt birds or mammals, or carry a rifle, shotgun or bow in a place where they might be found, on Sunday, with exceptions for target ranges and trapping, among others.
What to do in either situation
- If you are a hunter being harassed, do not confront the person. Note the time, place and what happened, photograph or record from a distance if it is safe, and contact the Massachusetts Environmental Police or local police.
- If you are a homeowner worried about hunters too close, the 500-foot rule is the one to know. You can refuse permission, and you can post your land. Report a violation to the Environmental Police rather than approaching an armed hunter yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to harass hunters in Massachusetts?
Yes. G.L. c. 131, section 5C prohibits intentionally obstructing or interfering with lawful hunting or fishing, including following or blocking a hunter, scaring game away, stepping into the line of fire, or tampering with stands or traps. It carries a fine of $100 to $500, up to 14 days in jail, or both, and the injured hunter can sue for punitive damages.
Can I stop someone from hunting on my own land?
Yes. The harassment statute expressly does not apply to landowners, tenants or people acting with the owner’s authority. A hunter also may not hunt on another person’s land within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling without the owner’s or occupant’s permission under G.L. c. 131, section 58.
How close to a house can you hunt in Massachusetts?
On someone else’s land, not within 500 feet of a dwelling in use without the owner’s or occupant’s permission, under G.L. c. 131, section 58. Firearms may not be discharged within 150 feet of a state or hard-surfaced highway.
Is hunting allowed on Sunday in Massachusetts?
No. G.L. c. 131, section 57 makes every Sunday a closed season for hunting birds and mammals, with limited exceptions such as target ranges and trapping.
Can I protest hunting in Massachusetts?
The harassment statute is aimed at interference at the place where hunting or fishing is happening. It does not describe speech or protest elsewhere. Entering land with intent to interfere, or following and blocking hunters in the field, is covered.
Sources: Statutory text of G.L. c. 131, sections 5C, 57, 58 and 90 read at malegislature.gov. The Environmental Police warning was reported by the New Bedford Guide on September 27, 2026; the underlying agency statement was not available for review. Season dates and wildlife management zone rules are set by MassWildlife regulations, not covered here. General information about Massachusetts law, not legal advice.