handgun

[GlassEyeangler]

is it legal for me to carry a holstered .22 pistol with me in the woods without a conceal and carry?

i've never done it before, but recently inherited one. my purpose would be to put an end to a wounded animals life instead of using a .30 30 at close range, or a knife (yuck!).

[nonteepical]

it would have to be legal caliber for deer if you are going to give a deer last rights.

you don't need a carry permit to hunt/target shoot or own a pistol.

[simplyhockey]

In regards to having a handgun while hunting it seems like the rules are written so it cannot

be concealed at any time correct? Not even in a pouch or holster if its concealed.

[GlassEyeangler]

is .22 caliber legal? i see nothing in the regs; however, i have old stereo instructions that are easier to understand.

i most likely will not bring it with, as i want it on my hip under bibs and jacket...sounds like way too much of a hassle.

[Archerysniper]

For a legal deer caliber it must be .220 caliber and center fire ignition.

Page 58 of the reg's.

[BobT]

In regards to having a handgun while hunting it seems like the rules are written so it cannot

be concealed at any time correct? Not even in a pouch or holster if its concealed.

Okay, here we go one more time.

THE WORD CONCEAL IS NOT PART OF THE LAW IN MINNESOTA!!!!! IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU CARRY IT CONCEALED OR IN A HIP HOLSTER!!!!! Minessota does not issue a permit to conceal. Minnesota issues a permit to carry.

The permit to carry does nothing more than allow you to carry a loaded and uncased handgun on your person in places otherwise prohibited. Such as in your car or on an ATV. There are still restrictions that apply even if you have a permit to carry. You do not need a permit to carry for purposes of hunting.

[GlassEyeangler]

i'm glad i asked this question because i just learned the difference between rimfire and centerfire. my pistol is a rimfire; therefore, not legal to take with. i also learned the difference of caliber via a chart, and see how a .220 vs. .22 are two completely different worlds. interesting reading and i learned something. thanks guys.

i do have to say it is listed very clearly in the regs...i just must have missed it.

good to know about the permit to carry, but in my case my handgun is better used as a home protection piece or target rather than giving a deer it's last rights.

thanks again!

[reinhard1]

i agree you cant use a .22 caliber to shoot deer in firearms season. however i dont see where you cant cary a .22 caliber handgun during firearms season. i carry mine every time. not to shoot anything but to signal if i need help with the deer. i shoot twice in the ground that i downed a deer and need help draging and three time's in the ground if i have an emergency. good luck.

[BobT]

i agree you cant use a .22 caliber to shoot deer in firearms season. however i dont see where you cant cary a .22 caliber handgun during firearms season. i carry mine every time. not to shoot anything but to signal if i need help with the deer. i shoot twice in the ground that i downed a deer and need help draging and three time's in the ground if i have an emergency. good luck.

For some reason I had it in my mind that it was illegal to be in possession of a firearm while deer hunting unless it was of legal caliber but searching the handbook I came up empty. It does define what is legal and does say you cannot take deer unless you use a legal caliber but I could not find any restriction about having a .22 on your person while hunting.

[reinhard1]

that's what i know also and i have done it for years just for the reasons i posted. good luck.

[TooTallTom]

BobT, I think simplyhockey was talking about carrying while in the woods WITHOUT a carry permit. And I do have it in my head that concealment is verboten under those circumstances. (But I wouldn't take that to the bank...)

[BobT]

We went through this whole discussion before. I did some pretty extensive research and posted my findings. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension addresses this question on their HSOforum and they too said that the law does not specify "concealment." The law only refers to a permit to carry and nothing more, nothing less. Whether you choose to conceal it under you coat or in your pocket is purely your choice and it doesn't matter if you have a permit or not. Minnesota does not care.

The only advantage to the holder of a permit aside from the extra training and schooling they received in order to get it is that they are allowed to carry (concealed or not) in public places such as in your car, ATV, or elsewhere where otherwise not prohibited such as banks, schools, etc.

While in the field or forest it is legal to carry a handgun (concealed or not) on your person for purposes of hunting or target shooting. Having a permit does not require you to conceal it either. That is a myth. Not having a permit does not forbid you from concealing it. This is also a myth. These myths have been getting spread around to confuse the issue for those who own handguns. In Minnesota we are free to carry a handgun almost as freely as we can carry a rifle with only a few exceptions and the permit allows us even more freedom to carry than not having it.

[TooTallTom]

While in the field or forest it is legal to carry a handgun (concealed or not) on your person for purposes of hunting or target shooting. Having a permit does not require you to conceal it either. That is a myth. Not having a permit does not forbid you from concealing it. This is also a myth.

I didn't see that prior discussion. Thanks for doing the research BobT. I did know that a carry permit doesn't require concealment, but I am glad to know that not having a permit doesn't preclude you from concealment (which is more along the lines of what the OP of this thread seemed to be asking).

[BobT]

I believe it was about a year ago....maybe two. One of the things that I think encourages the confusion is the wording on page 17 & 18 from the hunting regulations handbook. See quote below. Notice in the first paragraph it says, "Except those licensed to carry a concealed weapon, a person may not possess a firearm while bowhunting for deer." The important word here is “licensed.” This can be confusing because a permit and a license are two different things. I don't know for sure but I suspect LEO's have a license to carry as opposed to a permit to carry and this grants them the authority to carry in places like banks, schools, etc. A permit does not grant this much authority.

This idea of a license vs. permit is reinforced with this statement because they reference both. The “Concealed carry or permit to carry” provisions apply to certain hunting activities. Here we can see where the permit grants additional freedom by allowing the holder to carry their handgun uncased and loaded in a moving vehicle. This would be illegal without the permit.

Also note:

Page 3 of the handbook now states, “Persons with permits to carry and possess handguns may carry a handgun while archery hunting for deer.” This is a new change for 2011. It would seem appropriate they should now correct the wording on page 17.

I can drag you through the statutes that apply if you are suffering from sleep deprivation but in a nutshell:

In Minnesota, except for a few rare cases, we have about the same rights with regard to handguns as we do for rifles and shotguns. Like any rifle we must unload them and case them while in a moving vehicle. Like any long gun most cities have ordinances against discharge of handguns within city limits. Without a permit we can purchase handguns (with a permit to purchase), we can own handguns, and we can use handguns anywhere we can use a long gun. In fact, handguns of legal caliber are permitted statewide for deer during the firearms season and that includes shotgun only zones.

If you obtain a permit to carry, you gain a little extra freedom. With a permit to carry you are allowed to carry your handgun loaded and uncased, in your pocket, in a hip or shoulder holster, or just lying on the seat of a moving vehicle or ATV. With a permit you may carry it loaded, uncased, in your pocket, in a hip or shoulder holster in public places unless otherwise forbidden by other laws.

Forget the word concealed. It doesn’t apply either way in Minnesota where the average citizen is concerned.

Quote:

Handguns

Persons age 18 or older may carry a handgun in the woods and fields or upon waters to hunt or target shoot. Persons under age 18 may carry handguns for hunting if in the actual presence or under the direct supervision of the person’s parent or guardian, and if they meet firearms safety requirements (see page 14). Except those licensed to carry a concealed weapon, a person may not possess a firearm while bowhunting for deer. A person may take bear, elk and moose by archery while in possession of a firearm.

Questions regarding handguns should be directed to local law enforcement authorities.

The “Concealed carry or permit to carry” provisions apply to certain hunting activities. Persons with a permit under this law generally may carry their handguns uncased and loaded while hunting, and while traveling to or from hunting locations by motor vehicle under the hunting firearms transportation laws. However, possession of the handgun while 'shining' would still subject the possessor to the provisions of these laws

[rugbymn]

In fact, handguns of legal caliber are permitted statewide for deer during the firearms season and that includes shotgun only zones.

Thanks for the informative post. Unfortunately, I can't find a HSOforum that compares rifle calibers to pistol calibers.

Bottom line: I have my carry permit. Can I carry my .9mm while deer hunting?

[TooTallTom]

Thanks BobT. I read through the regs briefly last night, but would you post the links to the statutes just in case I can't sleep again tonight? I actually could've used them in the wee hours this morning, I'm kind of dragging PoorWordUsage today...

[BobT]

With all the research I did there was one gray area that was left. The law basically states that a person may carry a handgun in the field, forest, or valid shooting range for purposes of hunting or target shooting. This prompted me to ask the following question.

“Suppose in June I go to the area I deer hunt to do some scouting. There are no open hunting seasons during this time. I do not have a permit to carry. Is it permitted for me to carry my handgun with me for purposes of protection from potential predators even though I’m not hunting or target shooting?”

I submitted this question to the Todd County Sheriff who also passed it along to the local CO. I also submitted this same question to the St. Louis County sheriff and the local CO in that area. I got the same answer from all four sources. They recognize the potential gray area in the law but they didn’t believe any officer in the state would issue a citation based on that. In other words they did not view this as a clear violation of the law. For one thing, it would be pretty easy to indicate you were there for some target shooting.

[BobT]

You asked.

MN statutes regarding handguns. Note that these may call reference to other statutes I haven’t mentioned.

97B.031

97B.041

97B.045

97B.211

97B.621

97B.931

609.633

624.731

624.7191

Happy dreaming!!

[BobT]

Thanks for the informative post. Unfortunately, I can't find a HSOforum that compares rifle calibers to pistol calibers.

Bottom line: I have my carry permit. Can I carry my .9mm while deer hunting?

As far as I know, legal caliber is the same for both. It must be at least .220 caliber, center fire, single projectile, soft point or expanding bullet type.

Yes you can carry your handgun. If you are bowhunting you will need to have your permit with you. If you are firearms hunting it won't matter whether you have a permit or not. A handgun is a firearm. You don't need a permit to carry in order to hunt with a firearm.

[BobT]

One other thing. My reference to leaving a loaded handgun on the seat of your car was for expressing my point and not a suggestion. This would be a potentially dangerous practice. I could imagine having it slide of the seat and hit the floor when you step on the brake is not a good thing and could result in accidental discharge.

I shouldn't have to say this though as it would be a careless way to handle any firearm and a no-brainer.

[TooTallTom]

BobT, THAT'S where I was confused. I did some snooping around a couple of years ago about whether I could take a gun with me into BWCA (I did a pretty regular Spring solo trip then.) if I didn't have a permit to carry. And "gray" is about what I turned up. Retention was pretty low, apparently.

Thanks again for the knowledge.

[BobT]

Quote:

In Minnesota, except for a few rare cases, we have about the same rights with regard to handguns as we do for rifles and shotguns.

Based on the concerns from a fellow member of this site who I have a lot of respect for I would like to make certain to clarify my point a little more.

Without a doubt there are different rules with regard to possession of handguns vs. long guns and the possession of a permit vs. no permit. The thing is that when we are legally in the field or forest where firearms are allowed for purposes of hunting or target shooting, we don't have to do anything differently whether we have a permit to carry or not.

If you have a permit to carry you can leave a handgun loaded and uncased while you are in transport. This does not apply to rifles and/or shotguns. If you do not have a permit to carry, you must unload and case your handgun while in transport.

[swamptiger]

If I'm not mistaken, there are also some rules in certain areas of public land such as WMAs, against "promiscuous shooting". So I take that to mean I can't discharge 15 rounds from my Glock for no apparent reason.

[BobT]

If I'm not mistaken, there are also some rules in certain areas of public land such as WMAs, against "promiscuous shooting". So I take that to mean I can't discharge 15 rounds from my Glock for no apparent reason.

Different topic but yes you are correct. The WMA across the road from me is posted indicating no target shooting. This is why I included this in my statement. "When we are legally in the field or forest where firearms are allowed for purposes of hunting or target shooting."