Ma. Hunt Laws

[Shawnee McGrutt]

Hunters of Massachusetts ;

I have a dumb question for you.  Rifles are legal for deer?  I see muzzle loaders and shotguns are legal.  This question is for my son-in-law, he was told pistol or shotgun only for regular season.  That don't make sense to me.  Second part , if rifles are legal, which I assume they are, what calibers are to be used.
Thanks,  keep your powder dry
Shawnee

[Shawnee McGrutt]

I think I have them figured out; one can only use a shotgun ,bow or a front stuffer.  During shotgun you can also use a muzzle loader.  If I also read the laws correctly, even though they call it primitive firearms, one can use an inline muzzle loading gun.??   Am I right??  Also from what I read one can harvest two bucks off of one license, and as many does as you have permits for.  I hate to say it , but Massachusetts laws are not straight forwards as Maine law is.  You guys need a Harvard lawyer in your hunting pouch  . Seeing you can tag two bucks on a license I might have to go hunting with my son-in-law down there.  Now any good areas south of the Boston area to go hunting, I have seen a load of deer right behind their house in Weymouth, but don't think the neighbors or the law would find any humor in that.  In fact I saw more deer there then hunting on the 500 acres I access to, this season.  Some really good size bucks, must be all the good landscaping.
Thanks and keep your powder dry
Shawnee