An adult has no course certificate. A hunting license held before which date still qualifies the adult?M.G.L. c. 131, § 14
At what reading level are the course materials and exams written?MassWildlife, About the Hunter Education courses page
Basic Hunter Education comes in two formats. How do their exams compare?MassWildlife, Basic Hunter Education courses page: Choose your format
By statute, what is the minimum length of the hunter education course?M.G.L. c. 131, § 14
Does a Basic Hunter Education certificate from another state count in Massachusetts?MassWildlife, About the Hunter Education courses page: Basic Hunter Education
Does a Certified Firearms Safety course make a person eligible for a hunting license?MassWildlife, Who needs Basic Hunter Education? page: Firearms Licensing
Does finishing only a bowhunter education course qualify a first-time hunter for a license?MassWildlife, About the Hunter Education courses page: Bowhunter Education
How many sections, each with a quiz, make up the online study guide?MassWildlife, Basic Hunter Education - Blended Format page: Next steps
How much of the blended course is the in-person field day?MassWildlife, Basic Hunter Education - Blended Format page: What you need
Show all 90 questions (81 more)
Basic Hunter Education and its exam, continued
How much time does a student have for the Basic Hunter Education final exam?MassWildlife, Basic Hunter Education - Blended Format page: Next steps
May a student bring a firearm or ammunition to the field day?MassWildlife, Basic Hunter Education - Blended Format page: Next steps
Section 14 says the course covers the hunter's responsibilities to whom?M.G.L. c. 131, § 14
What do MassWildlife hunter education courses cost?MassWildlife, About the Hunter Education courses page
What does a blended format student complete before the field day?MassWildlife, Basic Hunter Education courses page: Choose your format
What must a student aged 17 or younger have to attend a hunter education course?MassWildlife, About the Hunter Education courses page
What must a student in the in-person (traditional) format do?MassWildlife, Basic Hunter Education courses page: In-person (traditional) format
What quiz score lets a student move on to the next section of the online study guide?MassWildlife, Basic Hunter Education - Blended Format page: Next steps
What score passes the Basic Hunter Education final exam?MassWildlife, Basic Hunter Education - Blended Format page: Next steps
Where is the Basic Hunter Education certificate recognized?MassWildlife, About the Hunter Education courses page: Basic Hunter Education
Who must complete a Basic Hunter Education course before buying a Massachusetts hunting license?MassWildlife, About the Hunter Education courses page: Basic Hunter Education
Hunters aged 12 to 17 14
A 13-year-old and the accompanying adult hunt together. What bag limit applies?M.G.L. c. 131, § 14
A 16-year-old has a minor license but no Basic Hunter Education certificate. How may that minor hunt?MassWildlife, Hunting information for minors page: Youth ages 15-17
A 16-year-old with a Basic Hunter Education certificate hunts alone. What must be carried?MassWildlife, Hunting information for minors page: Youth ages 15-17
An adult takes a 13-year-old hunting. How many firearms or bows do the two use?MassWildlife, Hunting information for minors page: Youth ages 12-14
Does a hunter aged 12 to 14 need a hunting license?MassWildlife, Hunting information for minors page: Youth ages 12-14
How many hunters aged 12 to 14 may one adult take along?MassWildlife, Hunting information for minors page: Youth ages 12-14
On the Youth Waterfowl Hunt, what may the accompanying licensed adult not do?MassWildlife, Hunting information for minors page: Youth hunts and programs
What does the Youth Deer Hunt permit cost?MassWildlife, Hunting information for minors page: Youth hunts and programs
What is the youngest age at which a person may hunt in Massachusetts?MassWildlife, Hunting information for minors page: Age-specific license requirements
What license does a hunter aged 15 to 17 need?MassWildlife, Hunting information for minors page: Youth ages 15-17
What minimum age does MassWildlife recommend for taking Basic Hunter Education?MassWildlife, Hunting information for minors page
What must every youth complete to get the Youth Turkey Hunt permit or authorization?MassWildlife, Hunting information for minors page: Youth hunts and programs
Whose consent does a 15 to 17-year-old need to buy a hunting license?MassWildlife, Hunting information for minors page
With whom may a hunter aged 12 to 14 hunt?MassWildlife, Hunting information for minors page: Youth ages 12-14
Blaze orange, hours and Sundays 12
A deer hunter sits in a ground blind during the shotgun season. Is blaze orange still required?MassWildlife, Deer hunting regulations page: Blaze orange requirements
A turkey hunter uses a shotgun. What must be on the gun?MassWildlife, Wild turkey hunting regulations page: Required licenses, permits, and safety sticker
An archer hunts deer with a bow during the shotgun season. Which rules apply?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Archery
Do deer hunters need blaze orange in the primitive firearms season?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Blaze orange
How much hunter orange must be worn in the shotgun season for deer?M.G.L. c. 131, § 71
Is blaze orange required in the spring turkey season?MassWildlife, Wild turkey hunting regulations page: Blaze orange requirements
On which parts of the body is the 500 square inches of blaze orange worn?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Blaze orange
What are the deer hunting hours?MassWildlife, Deer hunting regulations page: Hunting hours
What does Massachusetts law say about Sundays?M.G.L. c. 131, § 57
What must all hunters wear on a WMA stocked with pheasant or quail during that season?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Blaze orange
When do hunting hours end in the spring turkey season?MassWildlife, Wild turkey hunting regulations page: Hunting hours
Whom does section 71 exempt from the orange rule?M.G.L. c. 131, § 71
Dwellings, highways and private land 12
A hunter carelessly damages a farmer's livestock. What does section 61 provide?M.G.L. c. 131, § 61
A landowner lets hunters use the land without charging a fee. When is the landowner liable for an injury?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Landowner liability
A stand that harms no tree needs written permission once it has been in place for more than how long?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Tree stands
A tree stand is fastened with bolts that go through the bark. What is required?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Tree stands
How close to a dwelling in use may a person hunt on another's land without authorization?M.G.L. c. 131, § 58
How close to a state or hard surfaced highway may a firearm be discharged?M.G.L. c. 131, § 58
May an arrow be released across a hard surfaced highway?M.G.L. c. 131, § 58
Private land is not posted. What does MassWildlife say about hunting there?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Ask the landowner
What does a hunter need to hunt on private land that is posted?M.G.L. c. 131, § 36
What must a dog owner not allow the dog to do?M.G.L. c. 131, § 82
What must a posted notice on private land bear?M.G.L. c. 131, § 36
Who may authorize hunting inside 500 feet of a dwelling in use?M.G.L. c. 131, § 58
Tagging and reporting 11
A deer is taken in the first week of the shotgun season. How is it reported?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Harvest reporting
A deer tag is detached from the license for a reason other than tagging a deer. What is its status?M.G.L. c. 131, § 72
A hunter reports a deer online. What is done with the confirmation number?MassWildlife, Deer hunting regulations page: Tagging, transporting, and reporting requirements
How may harvested game be reported?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Harvest reporting
In what state must the game stay until it is reported?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Harvest reporting
What does the wanton waste rule forbid?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Wanton waste
When must the paper tag go on a harvested deer, bear or turkey?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Harvest reporting
Which harvested animals must be reported or checked?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Harvest reporting
Which permit is required to take a deer with antlers under 3 inches long?MassWildlife, Deer hunting regulations page: Required licenses, permits, and stamps
Which stamp is needed to hunt deer in the archery season?MassWildlife, Deer hunting regulations page: Required licenses, permits, and stamps
Within how long must a harvested deer be reported?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Harvest reporting
Vehicles, methods and conduct 21
A hunter's shot injures another person. To whom is it reported, and when?M.G.L. c. 131, § 60
A license holder is convicted of careless use of a weapon that injured someone. For how long is no new hunting license granted?M.G.L. c. 131, § 60
At what blood alcohol level does section 62 bar hunting or carrying a firearm while hunting?M.G.L. c. 131, § 62
Besides the person who caused a hunting injury, who must report it?M.G.L. c. 131, § 60
For how long before a season is baiting deer, bear, turkey or migratory game birds barred?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Hunting prohibitions
For what hunting may dogs still be used during the shotgun deer season?M.G.L. c. 131, § 70
For which game are electronic calls prohibited?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Hunting prohibitions
In the shotgun season for deer, which of these may not be had in any wood or field?M.G.L. c. 131, § 70
Is it legal to drive deer, that is, to move them in a coordinated effort, while hunting?MassWildlife, Deer hunting regulations page: Hunting methods
May a person hunt a bird or mammal by the aid of a snowmobile?M.G.L. c. 131, § 65
To whom does MassWildlife say violations and hunting-related accidents are reported?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page
What does MassWildlife say about harassing hunters?MassWildlife, General hunting regulations page: Hunting prohibitions
What does section 63 say about a loaded shotgun or rifle in a motor vehicle?M.G.L. c. 131, § 63
What is "online shooting" under section 65A?M.G.L. c. 131, § 65A
When may a powered boat be used in hunting birds?M.G.L. c. 131, § 65
Which ammunition may not be used for hunting under section 64?M.G.L. c. 131, § 64
Which animals may be hunted with the aid of an artificial light?M.G.L. c. 131, § 68
Which of these is a "bird of prey" that may not be hunted without a special permit?M.G.L. c. 131, § 75A
Which of these is illegal when hunting turkeys?MassWildlife, Wild turkey hunting regulations page: Hunting methods
Which scent attractants may not be used or possessed while deer hunting?MassWildlife, Deer hunting regulations page: Hunting methods
Who may hunt with a crossbow under section 69?M.G.L. c. 131, § 69
How this list was compiled: Written from Chapter 131 of the Massachusetts General Laws as the General Court publishes it under https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIX/Chapter131 (sections 14, 36, 57, 58, 60 to 65A, 68 to 72, 75A and 82) and from the regulation pages of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife): General hunting regulations at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/general-hunting-regulations, Deer hunting regulations, Wild turkey hunting regulations and Hunting information for minors under https://www.mass.gov/info-details/. All were read on 2026-10-13; each question names its section or page. The course facts (who needs the course, the two formats, the 80% pass score, no time limit, the field day) are MassWildlife's own, read the same day on its Basic Hunter Education courses page at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/basic-hunter-education-courses and the pages it links (Who needs Basic Hunter Education?, About the Hunter Education courses, Basic Hunter Education - Blended Format); those pages are the published outline this page follows. They give no question count for the final exam, so none is given here. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from the text of the Massachusetts General Laws and the facts on MassWildlife's public pages; nothing is copied from the Massachusetts hunter study guide, a manual, an online course, a chapter quiz or an examination.
How it works
Unofficial practice for the final exam of Massachusetts Basic Hunter Education: our own questions from Chapter 131 of the General Laws and MassWildlife's regulation pages. Firearm handling is taught and practiced in the class.
Read the full guide
Rules that are Massachusetts's own
Every Sunday is a closed season. In the shotgun season for deer, hunters wear 500 square inches of blaze orange on chest, back and head. Nobody shoots within 150 feet of a hard surfaced highway, or hunts on another's land within 500 feet of a dwelling in use without leave. A deer is tagged at once and reported within 48 hours.
How long the exam is
MassWildlife publishes no question count for its final exam, so the 25 questions of exam mode are this site's own length. The pass mark is MassWildlife's own.
Hunters aged 12 to 14 need no license; they share one firearm and one bag limit with a licensed adult.
Spring turkey hours end at noon.
Questions and answers
Who needs hunter education in Massachusetts?
First-time hunters aged 18 or older, before buying a hunting or sporting license. A government-issued Basic Hunter Education certificate from any jurisdiction counts, and so does a hunting or sporting license held before January 1, 2007.
What score passes the Massachusetts hunter education exam?
MassWildlife says 80% or better, with no time limit. The same final exam ends the in-person course and the blended course.
Is the MA hunter safety course online?
Partly. In the blended format a student finishes an online study guide of 16 sections, then attends one in-person field day with hands-on practice and the final exam. The traditional format is entirely in person. Both are free.
How old do you have to be to take hunter safety in MA?
MassWildlife welcomes students of all ages and recommends a minimum age of 12. Students aged 17 or younger need written permission from a parent or guardian. Nobody under 12 may hunt.
Is this the official MA hunter safety test?
No. It is unofficial and not affiliated with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. The questions are our own, written from the General Laws and MassWildlife's public pages; none comes from the course exam or its study guide.