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In Massachusetts, the trapping of wildlife is governed by a framework of statutes and regulations that balance wildlife management, public safety, and animal welfare. A key source of law is Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 131 (“Inland Fisheries and Game and Other Natural Resources”), particularly section 80A, which broadly prohibits the use of certain types of traps.

Under Massachusetts law, a trap may not be used, set, placed, maintained, manufactured or possessed for capturing furbearing mammals unless it is a common mouse or rat trap, a net, or a box or cage-type trap (including live-capture models) that confines the entire animal and does not grip a body part. 

The use of steel-jaw leghold traps, padded-jaw traps, snares, deadfalls, colony traps (those designed to catch multiple mammals at once), and body-gripping devices (such as Conibear® traps) is generally prohibited in recreational contexts.

However, the law does provide narrow exceptions for protection of human health and safety: for example, in the case of beaver or muskrat damage to drinking water supplies, septic systems or pumping stations, a municipal board of health or the appropriate wildlife agency may issue an emergency permit that allows use of certain devices otherwise prohibited.

Trappers in Massachusetts must also follow regulatory rules found in 321 CMR 3.02(5) and related sections. These set out, among other things, required licensing, trap registration, trap labeling, allowable trap types (box or cage only), and reporting obligations for harvested animals. For instance, any trap used on land belonging to another person must have a valid trap registration number visibly cut into it or attached via a metal tag including the owner’s name, town, and registration number. 

Seasonal restrictions apply too: different furbearing mammals have specific open seasons for trapping, and harvest must often be reported or the pelt sealed. For example, the regulatory site lists that beaver may be taken by trapping from November 1 to April 15 of the following year, while mink and river otter may be taken from November 1 to December 15. 

Penalties for violating trapping laws include fines, imprisonment for up to 30 days, and forfeiture of traps and harvested animals. Under § 90 of Chapter 131, a violation of the chapter or rules may be punished by a fine between $200 and $500, or up to 30 days in jail, or both. 

In summary, Massachusetts’s animal-trapping laws emphasize humane and regulated methods (primarily box or cage traps), clearly prohibit more harmful or indiscriminate devices, enforce registration and reporting requirements, define trapping seasons, and impose meaningful penalties for non-compliance. These regulations reflect both wildlife conservation goals and concerns about animal welfare.