Road Hunting

[Musky Buck]

My feel is that if that's your option and the only way you can get out and hunt then fine, if you're able bodied enough I can steer you to public ground pheasant heaven, hey maybe that's the root of the argument, I took the time to sift through tons of public areas and marked the best ones etc., took years to do, able bodied road hunters are the ones who don't want to put much effort into doing what I did ? Is that where this is at ? Sweat vs no sweat ? Irrelevant to me, do what you must but it would take me 1 road hunting effort to realize cmon this in a sense aint huntin like my grandpa's taught me. But, I know it's a culture somehwere or we wouldn't be talking about it. Just grow out of being a road hunter and get that exercise like your doctor wants you to get anyway, that's a win win for you and the birds and the public's view.

[analyzer]

Well Musky, I can't speak for everyone, but for my son and I it really had more to do with the water. We had worked dozens of public spots over a couple year period, and "marked" as you say, the better zones, but the last time we were out there, we had to switch gears, because all of our traditional spots were underwater. We went for a 3 day hunt, and didn't even see a bird on Friday. It took us about 1/2 a day, to realize all of our old hunts weren't huntable, and another 1/2 day, to realize the strategy we were employing in the past wasn't effective with 2 guys and no dog. We matriculated to walking ditches next to cut corn on Saturday and found success so we stuck with that.

Regarding pelting vehicles, well that's just carelessness by the hunters. You have to have muzzle control regardless of where you're hunting. I've never fired a gun when any vehicle was remotely in jeopardy of being pelted. Ditches can be SAFELY hunted. Especially out there, where there is so little traffic.

Personally I think Deer Drives are more dangerous.

[CodyDawg]

Let me throw a new wrinkle on this topic.

Some MN gravel roads are owned by the state (in fact it may be most roads are). But SOME roads are easements that do NOT include hunting rights in the easement. So the landowner owns the land to the middle of the road. In these instances, it is ILLEGAL to road hunt AT ALL (if properly posted or ag land). Now you cannot tell if this is the case without doing quite a bit of work at the court house. Being that there is no other way to determine the legal ownership of the road ditch, doing ANY road hunting is taking a chance that you are doing it illegaly. So if you dont know if it is legal or not, it is surely unethical even by the definitions posted above. So from this point forward, the ethical way to road hunt includes knowing the ownership/easement situation of the road you are hunting.

Also, knowingly shooting at game beyond your effective range is legal, but certainly not an example of ethical hunting.

In addition, going afield with a gun that has not been properly sighted in is legal, but certainly not ethical. There are many, MANY examples of legal, yet unethical activities.

[pulleye16]

Let me throw a new wrinkle on this topic.

Some MN gravel roads are owned by the state (in fact it may be most roads are). But SOME roads are easements that do NOT include hunting rights in the easement. So the landowner owns the land to the middle of the road. In these instances, it is ILLEGAL to road hunt AT ALL (if properly posted or ag land). Now you cannot tell if this is the case without doing quite a bit of work at the court house. Being that there is no other way to determine the legal ownership of the road ditch, doing ANY road hunting is taking a chance that you are doing it illegaly. So if you dont know if it is legal or not, it is surely unethical even by the definitions posted above. So from this point forward, the ethical way to road hunt includes knowing the ownership/easement situation of the road you are hunting.

Also, knowingly shooting at game beyond your effective range is legal, but certainly not an example of ethical hunting.

In addition, going afield with a gun that has not been properly sighted in is legal, but certainly not ethical. There are many, MANY examples of legal, yet unethical activities.

You are 100% right on road right of ways! the only argument I'll give you is it can be very easy to find out. Making one phone call to county your hunting in can be all it takes. if the county does have private right of ways they can refer you to the individual township and then it's only one more phone call.

And road hunting isn't unethical, it's just frowned upon just like others on issues of APR, baiting deer, using ATV's for grouse hunting, etc....

The thing that we need embark on is that we all need morals and good common sense. Ethics can go away with the wind cause anyone can determine what is ethical and what isn't on their own mind sense. But common sense goes a long way...like ditch hunting can be perfectly safe and respectful if you don't shoot when cars are visible (not just near you), know where your muzzle is pointing, and respect land owners on opposing side. Again, Common sense goes a long way, and if people don't use it, don't blame the hunt, blame the hunter!