Patch Burlington, MA --The following is a letter to the editor:
Under Massachusetts law there is no hunting, either with guns or bows and arrows, on any land in the state unless the unit of government with jurisdiction over the land expressly says hunting is allowed. Therefore, it is illegal to hunt with either guns or bows and arrows in the Landlocked Forest until the body with jurisdiction – the Board of Selectmen – votes to allow hunting.
If the Board of Selectmen want to consider allowing bow hunting, then they need to keep in mind that the land is already being used for recreational purposes by hundreds of people every month during the spring, summer, and fall. These individuals, whether they are walking, biking, or snow shoeing deserve to know and feel that they are safe. That requires that everyone who uses the forest be courteous and considerate in order to have different uses be compatible.
To ensure that bow hunting in the forest is compatible with other uses, it would have to be strictly regulated by the Town of Burlington. These regulations should both protect individuals using the land for walking or biking and protect the Town from being sued by an individual who was injured by a bow hunter. Be assured that, in this day and age, a person injured by an improperly regulated hunter would sue both the hunter and the Town.
Thus, if the Board decides to give special permission for bow hunting in the Landlocked Forest, I believe it should set up a process for giving out Burlington-specific permits. This would allow the Town to determine how many people would be given permits, what types of bow hunting training they would need to undergo, what types of bows they can use, and ensure that individuals with permits know all of the state rules and regulations. For example, many people do not know that it is against state law to hunt with guns or bows and arrows on Sundays – even during hunting season.
Other regulations might include parking only in legal areas, no hunting within 500 feet of a dwelling, displaying of the Burlington permit in a visible place, and exact dates of the season and hours of the day when hunting is allowed (i.e. to prevent hunting at dusk when figures become indistinct). Only with such a system, enforced by the Burlington Police Department, would other users of the forest be safe and the Town protected from exposure to liability.
- Monte Pearson
Town Meeting Member, Precinct 3 Reported by Patch 3 hours ago.