Boar Sticking Knives and MA Law

Broc Tuah

Broc Tuah

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I will be hog hunting with a knife.

Looking at buying an 8.5" double edge sticking knife.

I won't be carrying it around town, but, I will carry it in a bag and check it at the airport.

Reading the MA laws, looks like they mostly apply to carrying a knife or being in control of a knife.

So, if I have it inside my luggage, in the back of my SUV, does that mean I am in control of the knife?

Normally I wouldn't give a sh*t, I have driven around with bayonets I purchased and other stuff. But I thought I might as well educate myself on the subject.
 
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But curious about the knife laws here when it comes to a double edge knife.

This is the one I will use unless someone has a better recommendation. They shouldnt be over 8.5" so it doesn't go through and risk injuring a dog.

A hog hunting forum recommended this one:

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Broc said:
I will be hog hunting with a knife.

Looking at buying an 8.5" double edge sticking knife.

I won't be carrying it around town, but, I will carry it in a bag and check it at the airport.

Reading the MA laws, looks like they mostly apply to carrying a knife or being in control of a knife.

So, if I have it inside my luggage, in the back of my SUV, does that mean I am in control of the knife?

Normally I wouldn't give a sh*t, I have driven around with bayonets I purchased and other stuff. But I thought I might as well educate myself on the subject.
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No cop is going to know all this, so they’ll just bag you if you’re caught “BROWN GUY WITH GIANT LETHAL BLADE - SEND BACKUP!”

But here’s what I could find via the AI Lawyer in the Sky.

————

In Massachusetts, including Boston, the following laws apply to carrying an 8.5" double-edged sticking knife:

  1. State Law: Under Massachusetts General Law, Section 269 § 10(b), it's illegal to carry on your person or under your control in a vehicle any knife with a double-edged blade, among other types of prohibited knives.
  2. Boston Ordinance: In Boston, Ordinance 16-45 prohibits carrying on your person, or under your control in a vehicle, any knife with a blade in excess of two and one-half inches, with exceptions for activities like hunting, where the knife is used as part of the activity, or when transported directly to or from a place of purchase, sharpening, or repair.
  3. Retail Restrictions in Boston: Retailers in Boston cannot sell knives with blades over 2.5 inches to minors, but there is no specific law about carrying knives of this length for adults.
Therefore, in both Massachusetts and Boston, your 8.5" double-edged sticking knife would fall under the category of knives that are illegal to carry on your person or in a vehicle. However, in Boston, if you are transporting the knife directly for hunting purposes and it is not easily accessible during transportation, you may be compliant with the ordinance.
 
safetyfirst2125 said:
No cop is going to know all this, so they’ll just bag you if you’re caught “BROWN GUY WITH GIANT LETHAL BLADE - SEND BACKUP!”

But here’s what I could find via the AI Lawyer in the Sky.

————

In Massachusetts, including Boston, the following laws apply to carrying an 8.5" double-edged sticking knife:

  1. State Law: Under Massachusetts General Law, Section 269 § 10(b), it's illegal to carry on your person or under your control in a vehicle any knife with a double-edged blade, among other types of prohibited knives.
  2. Boston Ordinance: In Boston, Ordinance 16-45 prohibits carrying on your person, or under your control in a vehicle, any knife with a blade in excess of two and one-half inches, with exceptions for activities like hunting, where the knife is used as part of the activity, or when transported directly to or from a place of purchase, sharpening, or repair.
  3. Retail Restrictions in Boston: Retailers in Boston cannot sell knives with blades over 2.5 inches to minors, but there is no specific law about carrying knives of this length for adults.
Therefore, in both Massachusetts and Boston, your 8.5" double-edged sticking knife would fall under the category of knives that are illegal to carry on your person or in a vehicle. However, in Boston, if you are transporting the knife directly for hunting purposes and it is not easily accessible during transportation, you may be compliant with the ordinance.
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I found this info, but notice it says:
under your control in a vehicle
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What does "under your control" mean?
Is that defined somewhere?

That is the part that confuses me.

Also, I am not brown. LOL
And I won't be carrying it around the city.
 
Can’t specifically answer your questions, but I’ve traveled multiple times with several knives at a time in my luggage and in my gun cases. Never had any issues. Some were switchblades, some were large 9-10” folders and most were large 12”+ fixed blades. Still never had any issues or even one question regarding them.

Lock it up in your rifle or pistol case if you’re bringing one and act like it’s perfectly normal. None of those idiots is going to know the difference anyway.

Don’t get gored, those hogs are no joke.
 
Seems that 'direct control' relative to firearm carry is on your body. Knife in a vehicle? If in trunk or back of vehicle in locked case should be GTG. Of course IANAL.

As mentioned, mailing / shipping is the safe way to go. I will give you another reason: When working overseas I was given an nice 9" ceramic blade kitchen knife as a birthday gift from a friend. It was stolen or confiscated (maybe both?) out of my luggage. Can't remember my exact connections but probably Graz - Frankfurt - Boston Logan as I was in Slovenia and that's my usual route home. Graz is a nice medium sized and well run airport, so I doubt my knife was taken from my luggage there. Must have been the faggots at Frankfurt or Logan who took it. I think there might be TSA contracted inspectors for US bound luggage, even in Germany. Who knows but that was a really nice knife and I'm still pissed.
 
Mountain said:
Seems that 'direct control' relative to firearm carry is on your body. Knife in a vehicle? If in trunk or back of vehicle in locked case should be GTG. Of course IANAL.

As mentioned, mailing / shipping is the safe way to go. I will give you another reason: When working overseas I was given an nice 9" ceramic blade kitchen knife as a birthday gift from a friend. It was stolen or confiscated (maybe both?) out of my luggage. Can't remember my exact connections but probably Graz - Frankfurt - Boston Logan as I was in Slovenia and that's my usual route home. Graz is a nice medium sized and well run airport, so I doubt my knife was taken from my luggage there. Must have been the faggots at Frankfurt or Logan who took it. I think there might be TSA contracted inspectors for US bound luggage, even in Germany. Who knows but that was a really nice knife and I'm still pissed.
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I am not worried about it in a checked bag.
I check knives all the time when I go hike in LATAM, I never pay attention to blade size. I never lost one.

I just saw this one and got curious about what the law said. I figured I might as well learn something new.
 
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Out of sheer curiosity, could you not use a more conventional knife to do the same chore? Correct me if I'm wrong, but it is any more complicated than slashing through the front of the neck while the thing is hanging?
 
Picton said:
Out of sheer curiosity, could you not use a more conventional knife to do the same chore? Correct me if I'm wrong, but it is any more complicated than slashing through the front of the neck while the thing is hanging?
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From how I understood it, he wants the dogs to get it cornered in some brush and then move in and try stabbing it to death with a dagger. At least that’s how I read it. lol That’s why I said be careful those things are no joke to f*** around with.
 
Picton said:
Out of sheer curiosity, could you not use a more conventional knife to do the same chore? Correct me if I'm wrong, but it is any more complicated than slashing through the front of the neck while the thing is hanging?
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I will have to ask what the dude taking me prefers. But traditionally you want to stab the heart. Or cut through the back of one shoulder (basically cutting lungs and heart, like a good gun shot). A double edge blade makes sense.

The dogs hold it down. You approach from the back, grab its legs and turn it sideways or upside down. Then you use the knife.

There are plenty of traditional knives in the market, but when yostsrart looking at what they use in Australia (aparently stabbing hogs is a big thing there), they all resemble more of a straight blade, double edge, like the one I purchased.

Quick Google search:

SmartSelect_20231125_190519_Chrome.jpg
 
cams said:
From how I understood it, he wants the dogs to get it cornered in some brush and then move in and try stabbing it to death with a dagger. At least that’s how I read it. lol That’s why I said be careful those things are no joke to f*** around with.
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That is how it works.
 
I’ve heard of people using spears to kill wild hogs but not closing in and trying to wrestle the thing down with a knife. They’re vicious and very aggressive when cornered. Dogs will be going crazy as they’re trained to attack the hog, the hog will be going crazy as it’s trying to stay alive and kill you and the dogs and you’re walking into the middle of it with a knife. f*** that bro, go to a strip club or something.
 
mu2bdriver said:
What state will you be doing this? This definitely tops heli hog hunting.
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I got an invite for heli hunting, but the dude is now getting divorced, so I have to wait.

I am not sure I want to do it. When I shoot something, I make sure the shot is good and the has a quick death. From a helicopter I will probably get shots all over the place.

Also, I would need to figure out if they land it so I can retrieve the hog and eat it.

I get it, they need to be controlled, but I am not sure I want to kill them for the sake of killing something.
 
cams said:
I’ve heard of people using spears to kill wild hogs but not closing in and trying to wrestle the thing down with a knife. They’re vicious and very aggressive when cornered. Dogs will be going crazy as they’re trained to attack the hog, the hog will be going crazy as it’s trying to stay alive and kill you and the dogs and you’re walking into the middle of it with a knife. f*** that bro, go to a strip club or something.
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I think it will be fine. For every pic you see of a huge hog with big tusks, there are hundreds, or thousands, of other hogs killed that are much smaller. I am not expecting to go after a 400lbs beast. They can all cause damage, but it is fine with trained dogs.
 
Broc said:
I got an invite for heli hunting, but the dude is now getting divorced, so I have to wait.

I am not sure I want to do it. When I shoot something, I make sure the shot is good and the has a quick death. From a helicopter I will probably get shots all over the place.

Also, I would need to figure out if they land it so I can retrieve the hog and eat it.

I get it, they need to be controlled, but I am not sure I want to kill them for the sake of killing something.
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So much of it depends on the skill of the pilot and the platform (helicopter and weapon) you're shooting from. Most of them are depredation hunts and not game hunts so you simply go from one target to another.
 
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