A Popular Sport is Illegal on Sundays in Massachusetts

Massachusetts residents are passionate about their sports. That's an understatement for sure. Whether it's baseball, football, basketball, or hockey. Massachusetts fans are rabid especially when it comes to their home teams including the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, Boston Celtics, and Boston Bruins.

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Speaking of having a passion for sports, one sport that many people partake in especially this time of the year is recreational hunting. Massachusetts is currently in the shotgun season which will be wrapping up on Saturday, Dec. 9. The season when hunters can use primitive firearms (shoulder-fired muzzleloaders) when hunting deer and wild turkeys will open on Dec. 11 and conclude on Dec. 30.

Did You Know That Hunting Seven Days a Week in Massachusetts is Illegal? 

With the different seasons of hunting that are available along with the many individuals that partake in the sport, one would think that hunting seven days a week is legal but in fact, it is not. Massachusetts along with Maine are the only two states that ban Sunday hunting. It's one of those weird blue laws that is still on the books. The law is 140 years old.

Hunting Enthusiasts Throughout Massachusetts are Not Happy With the Sunday Ban and Have Been Trying to Get the Law Overturned for Decades 

As you can see from the video above, many hunters are not happy with the fact that Sunday hunting is illegal. Similar to what is presented in the video, in a November 2023 article by the Boston Herald, it's stated that some communities like the town of Dartmouth for example, are being overrun by deer. Daily vehicle crashes along with an uptick in the spread of tick-borne illnesses are occurring in these areas due to the Sunday ban. In addition, just like the video notes, the article states that farmers are also losing money due to deer interfering with their crops. It's also noted in the article that hunting enthusiasts have been trying to get the ban overturned since the 1960s to no avail.

Should The Massachusetts Law Be Overturned? 

What is Your Opinion on the Massachusetts hunting ban? Do you think hunting should be legal in the Bay State seven days a week or should Massachusetts keep the law the way it is? Some feel that hunting should be legal three or four days a week so families can walk safely with their children in wooded areas. What are your thoughts?