Hunting & Fishing Licenses

In 2012, the Town of Dunstable will be unable to continue as a Licensing Agent for the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. The DF&W has launched a new electronic licensing system called "MassFishHunt" for the issuance of licenses and permits. The DF&W will no longer issue "books" for agents to sell licenses and all licenses and permits and transactions will be done electronically. These plans include involving a third party agent with the ability to "sweep" the Town's bank account.

In addition to the possibility of being accountable for bad checks, our Town Accountant had concerns with the warrant process, the burden of additional record keeping for a separate account and overdrafts that might occur if there were a delay in making deposits. The consensus of our Board of Selectmen was similar. The licenses and permits will be available only online and in select locations.

We are sorry to lose this service, but there were too many factors that would actually cost the town to serve as the State's Agent. Please click here for the homepage of the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife to find a retailer or agent.

Hunting Regulations

Persons are prohibited from discharging firearms on property without the written permission of the owner pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 269 Section 12E. On property owned by the town, the board or other town entity having custody is the Conservation Commission, Town Forest Committee or Board of Selectmen.

Whoever discharges a firearm as defined in section one hundred and twenty-one of chapter one hundred and forty, a rifle or shotgun within five hundred feet of a dwelling or other building in use, except with the consent of the owner or legal occupant thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty nor more than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than three months, or both. The provisions of this section shall not apply to (a) the lawful defense of life and property; (b) any law enforcement officer acting in the discharge of his duties; (c) persons using underground or indoor target or test ranges with the consent of the owner or legal occupant thereof; (d) persons using outdoor skeet, trap, target or test ranges with the consent of the owner or legal occupant of the land on which the range is established; (e) persons using shooting galleries, licensed and defined under the provisions of section fifty-six A of chapter one hundred and forty; and (f) the discharge of blank cartridges for theatrical, athletic, ceremonial, firing squad, or other purposes in accordance with section thirty-nine of chapter one hundred and forty-eight.

Dunstable Bylaw approved at the Annual Town Meeting of April 13, 1981:

"No person shall fire or discharge any firearms or explosives of any kind within the limits of any highway, park, or any other public property except with the written permission of the Board of Selectmen; or any private property of another, except with the written consent of the owner or legal occupant thereof; provided, however, that this bylaw shall not apply to the lawful defense of life or property nor to any law enforcement officer acting in the discharge of his duties. Any person violating this bylaw shall be punished by a fine of not more than $100.00. The bylaw may be enforced under the non-criminal disposition provision of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40, Section 21D."