FILED ON: 2/15/2012

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3946

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Twelve

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An Act expanding the powers of the director of Fisheries and Wildlife.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 5 of chapter 131 of the General Laws as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the second paragraph the following paragraph:-

The hunting of deer by bow and arrow shall be permitted on any date, including a Sunday or legal holiday, that the director declares as an open season for such hunting. Except as otherwise provided in the preceding paragraph, an open season declared by the director for the hunting of deer by bow and arrow, which open season period occurs in whole or in part, within the last 3 months of the calendar year, shall be for a period of not less than 7 days that shall be consecutive.

SECTION 2. Section 57 of said chapter 131, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting at the end of the paragraph the following sentence:- Notwithstanding, this section shall not prohibit or render unlawful, the hunting of deer by bow and arrow or the carrying on his person a bow and arrow for the purpose of hunting deer, during any Sunday declared as an open season for such hunting, by the director with the approval of the fisheries and wildlife board.