How to keep rabbits away from my garden, flowers, and trees in Massachusetts | Rabbit

How to keep rabbits away from my garden, flowers, and trees

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Put up a fence. Rabbits generally do not climb. A poultry wire fence at least 24 inches high with the bottom tight to the ground or buried a few inches in the ground will effectively exclude rabbits from your plants. Make sure the wire mesh is one inch or smaller to keep young rabbits out, too.

Use cylinders made of poultry wire or hardware cloth to protect valuable trees and ornamental plants. Make sure the cylinder is at least 20 inches higher than anticipated snow depths to provide year-round protection.

A dome or cage of poultry wire securely pinned to the ground will protect smaller plants and allow preferred flowers to get a start before the cage is removed.

Legal, Regulated Hunting in Massachusetts

Legal, Regulated Hunting in Massachusetts

The use of legal, regulated, hunting by licensed hunters can be useful for reducing local wildlife populations and can help reduce nuisance problems in Massachusetts. You can allow hunters on to your property, provide a place for them to park to access nearby forest, and/or give them permission to hunt within 500 feet of your residence. Please also keep in mind that each town may have additional by-laws that restrict hunting and the discharge of firearms.

Laws and regulations to be aware of

Regulations for Massachusetts

Killing of Wildlife by Owner or Tenant of Land

Under Mass.General Law 131, Section 37, a property owner or tenant of land may hunt or take by other means, except by poison or snare, any mammal which he finds damaging his property, provided that such killing is not contrary to any federal law or regulation.  Animals killed under this law, must be reported to authorities within 24 hours.

While we attempt to provide guidance about state and federal regulations pertaining to specific species and control techniques, we do not provide information about local jurisdictions (city, town, county, etc.) where regulations may be more restrictive, especially as it applies to discharge of firearms, transport of animals or use of trapping equipment. Contact your local city or county government to inquire further. No guarantee is made that information (or lack of information) associated with a species or control technique is completely accurate or current. You should become familiar with federal, state and local laws before beginning any wildlife control activities.

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