Scope and Content: Massachusetts provided for the payment of bounties to its citizens for the killing of certain noxious animals from the earliest times until 1838.  Under colonial government, legislation beginning in 1630 (Nov. 9–Mass Recs 1: 81) sporadically mandated payment of a bounty for killing of wolves (and for a few years foxes) by the affected town or the colony.   The procedure begun in 1645 (May 14–Mass Recs 2: 103) provided for payment by the town and subsequent reimbursement by the colony (see also 1648 (Oct. 18–Mass Recs 2: 252, requiring producing the wolf’s head–subsequently to be buried–as proof of kill), 1653 (Aug. 30–Mass Recs 4, pt 1: 153), and 1662 (May 7–Mass Recs 4, pt 2: 42)) –Under provincial government, similar legislation (St 1693, c 6) required the town constable to cut off the wolf’s ears when providing a receipt to authorize payment of bounty by town officials.  St 1694-5, c 26 provided the prescribed form of certificate (printed and distributed by the provincial treasurer) subsequently to be filed by the town with the treasurer for state reimbursement (modified by St 1720-21, c 8).  There was additional provision for killing of wildcats (St 1728-29, c 9) and of bears and catamounts (St 1741-42, c 23), but these laws were of limited duration; they were renewed or revived, but not after 1756 (St 1753-54, c 15) –Under state government, similar procedures for payment of wolf bounties were revived, with wolf ears not only cut off but burnt (St 1782, c 39); bounties were later reinstituted for other noxious animals, but only at the town’s expense (St 1817, c 144), until state reimbursement was added by St 1835, c 102, for bounties on bears, wildcats, and foxes.  These laws, codified as RS 1836, c 54, were repealed by St 1838, c 38, which again left financial responsibility for bounty payments with the individual towns.
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