Mass is strict! In RI any resident is allowed ~1/2 bushel per person of shellfish (non-lobster)

Is that John from CHiPs? They have lobster in los Angeles?

So is it legal or illegal?

I'd say totally legal if you have a rec lobster liscence
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stripers love lobster.

more than any of you do. :D

A quick check shows that Nebe is right, at a minimum you need a recreational lobster license to "take" lobsters by any method. Also the lobsters have to meet minimum size limits and can't be v-notched.

Alsi in RI I have seen the DEM Cops on the beach after a storm, making people put back surf clams that did not meet the 5 inch minimum size.Pretty stupid if you ask me, but dems the rules.

I know it is off topic (but sort of related). I was told by someone if you hit a deer in the road in Massachusetts you can take it even if you do not have a hunting permit. Anyone know if that's true (not that I plan or would want to do it)

:topic:

Actually, you can't pick them off the beach at all, with or without a license--at least in Massachusetts. The only legal way of harvesting lobsters in Massachusetts is by potting, or by free diving. Free diving--more properly called free-handing--includes wading and harvesting them by hand--while they're in the water. You can't even legally keep one if you catch it on a hook and line. Pots have to include an escape vent.

And lobsters can't be harvested by any method at night.

Surf clams can be harvested without a license in certain towns--one would have to check the local shellfishing regs. No permit is needed to take a bushel of sea clams a day in Bourne, for example. All surf clams in Massachusetts have to have a minimum 5" shell length to be taken, even where no permit is needed. The state sets the individual species size limits for shellfish, and the towns regulate permitting and seasons.

If you hit a deer you can keep it, but it must be taken then, not later.
If you can't take it with you, some states have a "call list" for deer roadkill. They call the 1st person on the list to let them know thay have a deer. If no answer, call 2nd name, then 3rd, and on and on until they reach someone to collect the carcass.

This is for a fact true! All you need to do is call it in and its yours...

AGAIN!! We are not looking for opinions!!!:smash:

Why would you think you don't need a lobster license for collecting them? I don't think anyone is finding the specific law that says no because it's common since. What if a 75" tuna beached itself? As ridiculous as it sounds you aren't entitled to it. Best you could hope for is some serious officer discretion.

In Mass. the deer after being hit is supposed to be tagged. If the driver of the car doesn't want it then a passenger in the car that hit it can take it. Other than that occuribng the deer is supposed to be taken and disposed of by an official. After spending about 33 years as a police officer I told this kid that witnessed the deer/car crash he could have the deer, because the driver didn't want it. Then an officer who was working that shift started going up one side of me and down the other. He had gone out of his way to find out the regulations. Secured the deer tags. Then took most of the deer for himself when no one wanted it that could take it. He was an %$%$%$%$%$%$%$, first class %$%$%$%$%$%$%$. What he would is badger the driver of the car or just assume they didn't want and take it for himself. We had it our big time in the middle of route 18. Unfortunately he was right. There is only two people who can take the deer. Most towns dont have an officer who knows this chit. Most towns have an animal control guy who comes out and will take the deer to someone who needs it and will eat it.

The POS, who I argued with over who gets the deer, was a Sgt., and was just fired shortly before I retired. He was a real piece of work.

it baffles me that dead shellfish washed up on the beach wouldn't be free for anyone.

I watched a seagull on Narragansett Town Beach pick up a surf clam under the legal limit and carry it above the high tide line. I did'nt think they were that smart. Good thing he did'nt get caught.

lobsters as bait........
 

I would like to know the MA reg. that prevents you from using legal/ legally caught lobsters for bait???? A CMR # would do.......

Thank you.

I have yet to be able to find a law that makes it not okay.

your not allowed to take lobsters with out a license, so unless you have a reciept from a fish market, your breaking the law- if you find and use a baby lobster, or a lobster with a notch cut out of his tail, your really breaking the law.. But if you have lobstering permit, then you can use one for bait as long as its legal size to keep

Exactly what law do you speak of?? Does it apply to dead lobsters??

Seems like you're determined to not accept the multiple responses that say taking any lobster, dead/alive, without a permit is illegal. With the severely aggressive way lobster poachers tend to be handled, I'd take their word on it - that is unless Neptune himself came up to you and said you are destined for a 50lber if you use lobster tails as bait.

Yes and no. I am just wondering. Everyone has an opinion but I am fairly sure that it is fine based on my father in-law (retired harbor guy/old clam cop). I do agree with everyone here that it could go bad in any number of ways.

Call EPO? :huh:

You really are a fool. Best of luck to you with your lobsters. :hihi:
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Simple answer - so that poachers can't say "Gee officer, I just found it on the beach!" The fact that they may actually see it sitting there, and see you pick it up innocently doesn't matter to the law. The law is there to protect against poachers, so 'finders-keepers' gets ruled out in all cases.

They used lobster back in the 1800s because it was cheap and plentiful.They also fed pigs lobster on Cape Cod back into Colonial days.

On a related note, there was a law passed restricting the number of days per week servants could be fed salmon. Seems the servants were tired of eating so much salmon and protested.

Ha! How old are you?

Old enough to know rules and regulations and to listen to the 10 people who are telling me that it is illegal.
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Are the 10 other people retired clam cops? Do they have any facts? I love the speculation. Good luck fishin!

It would certainly catch me. why anyone would not put it in a roll and eat it is beyond me.

Let's say that you find a dead schoolie on the beach. Do you take it home? You didn't catch it. There are no laws that say you can't take it home. But what you do have to follow is possession laws. If the schoolie is over 28 you can take it home. With lobsters, the possession laws are A certain number of inches from the eye socket to the back edge of it's carapace. If the lobster is above legal size and you have a lobster liscence, you are allowed to possess them.

Also, the legal possession size for scup is a certain number of inces-9 I think. You are not allowed to liveline scup shorter than that..

So go-ahead and use lobsters as bait, but possession of them is illegal without a rec liscense
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