Shooting Laws

[bassislife]

In the laws it states that you can not shoot a animal within 500' of a building that is ocupied by humans or livestock.

This is a gray line question....

Can you duck hunt on a point of a lake when there is a seasonal cabin around 200' away that is clearly closed up for the season and it is NOT ocupied??

I e-mailed the DNR, but no response yet.

This is a great spot to hunt ducks but would like to know before I attempt it.

[BoxMN]

I asked a CO that exact question. He said the 500' law does not apply when waterfowl hunting over water. However, if the local ordicance of city/township/etc. has something (ala Hugo) then you must follow the local rule. But... the CO will not ticket you for it, it would be the local officer. That is what I was told, but my word won't hold up in court so find out for yourself. I was pretty surprised, but that CO assured me that is the law, and he said he was duck hunter too, and he is still amazed at how many landowners don't know the laws.

Good luck, please do check for yourself though, as well.

[bassislife]

Thats what I thought, but I will make the call.

What area did that CO work? Seems like you do get different answers from everyone you talk to.

Thanks

[Gordie]

I got the same answer that the 500 yrd rule doesnt apply to waterfowl hunting because the lake I'm on has got a sweet spot and the houses are 350yrds away and some are occupied but each year I check to make dure that its allright to hunt that spot with the dnr and once in a while I'll ask the county sheriff just to give to guys the heads up. they typically say contact the DNR.

[bassislife]

Just got off the phone with the DNR in St.Paul. They said the 500' DOES apply when hunting over open water.

However they said Ocupied means.... Someone living there or staying there at the time you hunt.

If you plan on hunting near a closed up cabin you will need to wait until shooting time to see if someone shows up to stay for the day! If not, you can hunt. If they show up you need to leave, or you will be ticketed!

[Finlander]

If you have permission from the people in the dwelling then it is leagal!

[bassislife]

That is correct!

[broken_line]

to they take a tape measure and measure it or what??? im sure they arnt smart nuff to carry range finders..

[BoxMN]

Yep, they carry range finders now. So do we, so we know exactly how far we are before they even get there. Onlyhad it happen once, and we were in the right.

Bassislife, that is funny, cause as others have said, we all get different answers from the authorities who SHOULD know and all be on the same page. You never know who to trust, heh. Good thing we don't hunt within 500 feet, but I was thinking it would open up more areas if we could.

Sigh... why can't they get us the correct info in an easier way...?... sigh...

[Neighbor_guy]

to they take a tape measure and measure it or what??? im sure they arnt smart nuff to carry range finders..

Yes. They will measure the "corral" rule as well. I have seen them do it. It is one of the things they are very peticular about.

elwood: btw 350yards is right around 1,050 feet, so you are well outside the 500' rule.

[chub]

As mentioned in another thread.....funny how the legality of things depending on who you talk to.

In this area, you will not be ticketed if you are 20 yards away from an occupied dwelling as long as you are hunting in the water and in vegetation. More than likely have some ticked off homeowners, but the law will leave you alone.

[Gordie]

Neighbor-guy My bad I thought it was 500yds for some reason and I had the DNR on the water at the time I asked him and he said it was perfectly leagle to hunt where I do. thanks for clearing up the nunmbers

[broken_line]

ahaha 10,001 laws now

[RumRiverRat]

The 500 foot rule does not apply when you are on the water.

[MinDak Hunter]

Minnesota Statute

97B.001 TRESPASS

Subd. 7.Taking with firearms in certain areas.(a) A person may not take a wild animal with a firearm within 500 feet of a building occupied by a human or livestock without the written permission of the owner, occupant, or lessee:

(1) on another person's private land; or

(2) on a public right-of-way.

( A person may not take a wild animal with a firearm without the permission of the owner, occupant, or lessee, within 500 feet of a stockade or corral containing livestock.

© A person may not take a wild animal on any land where the person is prohibited from entering by this section.

[Quackaddict9]

The 500 foot rule does not apply when you are on the water.

That's what the DNR told me last year through emails before I was cleared that I could hunt this particular lake...

I hunted a spot that is surrounded by houses around on a lake, only to get chewed on by a neighbor who is here for summer months away from his hometown Florida. He knows us pretty well and gave my name to the CO, the CO called my house and wanted to talk about it and did not think I did anything wrong. So I don't know I never got to talk to the CO. I would just avoid the situation and hunt somewhere where there are not many buildings or none at all, rather than getting in an arguement!

yea, I fired a couple shots and dropped two mallards

[chub]

^

^

^

What he said

[RumRiverRat]

Minnesota Statute

97B.001 TRESPASS

Subd. 7.Taking with firearms in certain areas.(a) A person may not take a wild animal with a firearm within 500 feet of a building occupied by a human or livestock without the written permission of the owner, occupant, or lessee:

(1) on another person's private land; or

(2) on a public right-of-way.

( A person may not take a wild animal with a firearm without the permission of the owner, occupant, or lessee, within 500 feet of a stockade or corral containing livestock.

© A person may not take a wild animal on any land where the person is prohibited from entering by this section.

This does not apply when hunting on the water.

[MinDak Hunter]

You are correct, the statute doesn't say anything about water. Thats why I posted it...

[RumRiverRat]

You are correct, the statute doesn't say anything about water. Thats why I posted it...

I see.

[dukhnt]

I have also heard you can hunt within 500' when hunting water. Wasn't there a story a couple years ago where a cabin owner was [PoorWordUsage] at the duck hunters hunting so close to his cabin. He ended up getting ticketed for hunter harrassment.

[cutter08]

Yeah me and my brother had a nice runnin with the lovely people on Bald Eagle in Hugo last year. I have hunted out there for years and i know the 500ft law that Hugo has in place. I have ranged it out and know the spots that i can and can not hunt. But the home owner on the lake that thinks the geese are her pets didn't find it to funny when she scared the birds off the shore right into our decoys. We shot 4 birds and she stood on shore for 5 min yelling I'm calling the cops before i said go ahead do you want to use my phone. Well she called the cops and before my dog had all 4 birds retrieved there was a cop standing on shore and told us to come over and talk. So i went over and showed everyone the GPS and that we have a range finder. All the lady that called the cops had was a home made map that a 2 year old could draw. The police man said well guys looks like your in the right have a good day and be safe. As i was walking away the lady said you have a beautiful dog there. I just laughed and said yeah he's a duck munching machine. I could just see her blood boiling. The look on here face was priceless.

If your going to hunt that close to houses then you have to be ready for confrontation. I think what helped us out was we were very polite to the officer and just told him that we know about the law and we had proof that we are in the right.

[BoxMN]

Hey Cutter, I think we might hunt the same spot occassionally, or else just across the bay We had the cop come out in a boat last year, I wasn't there that day, but my brother was. He asked if we knew about the 500' law and he said "yep, we are outside it, do you want to use our rangefinder?" He said, "nope, got my own." Then he ranged it, and said something like, "sorry guys, I am a duck hunter too, and when we get these calls we have to come and check it out, just wasting out time. You guys are fine. I am going to stop and do some landowner eduction on my way back. Sorry to interupt your hunt."

I don't want to tick off land owners, but when they buy in hunting terriroty to "get their own little piece of the country" and then complain about shotguns in the fall or manure smell, or tractors driving on the roads, that ticks me off.

Go get those geese again this year Cutter

[RumRiverRat]

Does Hugo have an ordinance that supersedes the state law?

Otherwise there is nothing the cop could do if you were withing 500 feet of the homes.

[MinDak Hunter]

Yup.

Hugo City Code

ARTICLE I. IN GENERAL

Sec. 50-1. Shooting regulations.

(a) Purpose. It is the purpose of the city council in passing the ordinance from which this article is derived to provide that the shooting of firearms within the city limits will not constitute an unreasonable nuisance to persons in the city. This section is designed to prevent nuisances caused by the noise created from the discharge of firearms, and to minimize the potential that projectiles discharged from firearms could injure individuals. The city council deems these regulations necessary to protect public and private property and to promote health, safety, order, convenience, and the general welfare of persons within the city.

( Firing of firearms prohibited; exceptions. No person shall fire or discharge guns or firearms of any kind within the limits of any city road, county road, public park, or other city property, or on any occupied private property except with the consent of the owner or legal occupant thereof; provided, however, that this chapter shall not apply to the lawful defense of persons or property, or in the necessary enforcement of the laws, or for trapshooting on premises owned or controlled by any duly incorporated social organization, or when ordered by the military authority.

© Hunting with firearms in certain areas.

(1) A person may not take a wild animal with a firearm within 500 feet of a building occupied by a human or livestock anywhere with the city.

(2) A person may not take a wild animal with a firearm without the permission of the owner occupant, or lessee, within 500 feet of a stockade or corral containing livestock anywhere with the city.

(d) Penalty. Any person violating the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Minnesota Statute 471.633 FIREARMS.

The legislature preempts all authority of a home rule charter or statutory city including a city of the first class, county, town, municipal corporation, or other governmental subdivision, or any of their instrumentalities, to regulate firearms, ammunition, or their respective components to the complete exclusion of any order, ordinance or regulation by them except that:

(a) a governmental subdivision may regulate the discharge of firearms; and

( a governmental subdivision may adopt regulations identical to state law.

Local regulation inconsistent with this section is void.