Using a Rifle for Bear in the "Shotgun Zone"??

[B-man715]

Sorry for another dumb question.............

I will probally hunt with my bow again....But, if I choose to use a firearm can I hunt with a rifle??? (In the shotgun zone)

From what I got out of the regulations it sounds like I can.

(The restriction only applies for deer in November??)

Just trying to cover my bases..........

Thanks for the help

And I'm sure this won't be my last dumb question on all of Minnesota's laws

[jay83196]

Nope shotgun only down there, maybe handgun too I think in shotdun but not positive.

[candiru]

It looks like you can use the rifle. According to the regulation booklet the shotgun/slug restriction only applies to deer hunters. I looked on the map and under the deer laws. It says nothing about that restriction in the bear part.

[jay83196]

Really? Wow I never heard of that I always assumed shotgun for anything, I would send DNR e-mail get it in writing.

[Archerysniper]

Yup rifle only applies to the deer hunting.We use rifles for bear and Yotes in the slug zone.

[B-man715]

Thanks guys!

Just wanted to make sure I didn't miss some fine print somewhere........

Good luck to you all this fall!!

[mntatonka]

A little history lesson:

The shotgun only regulation was implemented as an experiment in order to help bring the deer population back up, and it has just stuck since then.

It's only a regulation for deer, no other species of game.

[jay83196]

I thought was because population of houses/people and for safety reasons, learn something everyday...

[bigbucks]

Even if it was for that, there isn't an army out hunting bears & they're not making drives. The shots are for the most part in the heavy woods, by stationary hunters.

[Gordie]

Whats funny is that a pistol can be used in shotgun zone any pistol and I have a friend that has a .308 Thompson Contender that he always talks about wanting to use.

[jay83196]

I agree , I just always thought that was the reason, if for no other reason I couldn't think of another other than rifle bulllets travel further and more people living in areas. I don't hunt shotgun I've never checked into it. I was wrong about the rule and the reason for it.

[bigbucks]

Hunted my whole life in shotgun zone. I still thought that was the reason, even though I knew you could use rifle for lots of other things. Figured it just had to do with how many people were afield at once, had no idea it was a variable they added to limit harvest.

[jay83196]

I thought cuz houses closer and often next to public land etc. I did email DNR and they confirmed it too...

[fr0sty]

Yep, I contacted the dnr via email a couple years back asking the same question. They said it wasn't because of human safety. The reason was to protect the deer #'s since rifles are easier to kill deer in open fields.

[matchset]

you can use a rifle! you can coyote hunt in SE Mn with a .223 you can hunt bear in shotgun zone with a .308 if you want. just can't use a rifle for deer.