Hunting laws

[Nels]

Whoa there,
I'm sorry you assumed too many things about my post.
I have only been pheasant hunting in Minnesota once, and it was on private land, and yes, we did ask permission from the land owner. So "seeing guys like me" and assuming I am already a road hunter is incorrect.
I have been a grouse hunter for 10+ years and have walked many miles on trails with no dog. I have never shot a grouse by "road hunting".

My reason for posting my earlier question, is because I do like to have a firm grasp of the regs. so if someone else suggests something, I can let them know if it is legal or not. Like I wrote, just wondering if any one can point out the rules for hunting along roadsides, because I could not find it this year. (The South Dakota Regs are very clear on this topic.)

Nels

[Guest]

Nels,

Thank you for responding to BlackJacks post in such a positive manner. It makes much better reading for all involved. Too often people jump on others without knowing all of the facts involved.

------------------
Paul
[email protected]

[Nels]

Can anyone tell me what the MN road hunting laws are? I can't seem to find it in this year's Hunting Regs. I know you can't be within 20 yards of a vehicle when grouse hunting, but what about Pheasants?. What about shooting along roadsides?

Thanks,
Nels

[Big Dave2]

I guess I also have a question on this subject. I was wondering what the laws are concerning shooting pheasants in a ditch. Can you walk a road side ditch and shoot? I would think that this may be considersd dangerous to shoot so neer a road but I think somewhere in the DNR HSOforum there is a section that gives pheasant hunting tips and it mentions something about finding them in ditches.
Just wondering,
Dave

[BLACKJACK]

Nels and Pwaldo,

Theres an old saying, 'if the shoe fits, wear it'.

Nels, in my post I did come down hard on road hunters because it gives all hunters a bad name. Just by asking about road hunting tells me that you're thinking about doing it. Correct?

Pwaldo, I don't understand why you deleted my post, I didn't call any names, I explained why roadhunting is bad for all hunters. If just one person reads it and it makes them think about getting permission from the local farmer vrs just blasting from the roadside, the post served its purpose.

Good hunting.

PS - Went out last night and got a couple of roosters, hunting a public area, not road hunting!!

[Capt'nJosh]

Hunting on public road rights-of-ways in South Dakota is just as legal as hunting the WMA that we enjoy in Minnesota. Following is an excerp from the SD GFP Handbook...

"Public road right-of-way are open for small game hunting without landowner permission except within 660 feet of schools, churches, occupied buildings or livestock. Only small game can be taken WITHIN right-of-way by hunters on foot. Both the hunter and the game must be within the right-of-way. Small game taken within the right-of-way but falling onto pricvate property can be retreived by unarmed hunters on foot."

The definition of the right-of-way is from the fence/property line all the way across the road to the other sides fence/property line.

I spent 23 years on a farm in SD and I can tell you that farmers do not frown upon people that legally road hunt there. If done properly it is ethical. Road hunting has nothing to do with people taking shots longer than they should or loosing birds. That would fall under that hunters personal desicions.

I too am curious as to what is legal in Minnesota.

Capt'nJosh

BJ - Congrats on the roosters! I spent a couple hours at a WMA with my pooch on Saturday but found it to be a circus with all the hunters... and I didn't see/hear a single bird or shot from anyone else that day. Hoping my luck will be better in SD this weekend!

[This message has been edited by Capt'nJosh (edited 10-15-2002).]

[Nels]

Black Jack,
First off, I want to say that I, too, would have preferred that your previous post hadn't been deleted. Personally I was not offended by it.
I guess that your definition of road hunting is somewhat different than mine. I cannot see how someone could drive along, slam on the brakes when they see a rooster, jump out of the car, uncase their unloaded gun (assuming they are being legal) and try to shoot the bird. This would not be safe, and probably not very effective.

As echoed by Big Dave: is it legal to walk the ditches? what would be so unethical about that? Is it unethical to drive around and scope out land for pheasants be it a roadside ditch, public land or a private cornfield? Can you post someone along a road if you are doing a drive through a public or private field? For someone who doesn't have a dog, walking a roadside can be a more efficient method, and allows one do find downed birds more easily.

And thanks Capt'nJosh, I have hunted with farmers from SD who use Roadhunting/ditch walking as just one method of finding/taking birds.

My main reason for the original post was to see if anyone can point out the MN regs, like Capt'nJosh pointed out the SD regs.

Thanks, and good hunting,
Nels

[Surface Tension]

Right of ways are not open to hunting in ag. country in Mn. Section lines are open to hunting in SD too but not Mn. So road hunting would be out of the question.

[Nels]

SurfaceTension:
Did you have much training for your occupation?

[Guest]

Here ya go guys...NO shooting from roads or road right-of ways(road ditches). Also, no shooting over roads(really hefty fine for this one)!

[MNice]

Here is the complete hunting reg's for MN.

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/hunting/2002_hunting.pdf

[Slugo]

I only seem to be able to find rules concerning right of way shooting in the big game area of the rule book.
We always walk road ditches in the morn and eve in Iowa.. Never thought about whether it was leagle or not.

[Surface Tension]

"Did you have much training for your occupation?" Nels: I went to a small college in northern Mn called FU.

[BLACKJACK]

Nels, glad you weren't offended, my intention was just to let you know that roadhunting just gives all hunters a bad name. Part of the problem is the definition of roadhunting. Mine is hunters driving along (usually with loaded guns) and jumping out and blasting. Yours is walking road ditches. I could see in SD, with the sparse population, where that would be productive.

Back to the rules definition and whats legal. Page 10 of the regs talks the 500 foot distance to buildings and animals. Page 49, under Big Game, specifically says that you can't shoot BIG GAME from the right of way. Their is nothing in the Small Game section that says that, so I think that Surface Tension is only half right, you can hunt small game in the right of way but not big game. Think about at the edges of the goose refuges in LQP and Rochester, the blinds are right in the ditch.

Time for someone to call a CO and get clarification...

[Surface Tension]

Yes I was referring to small game.
Heres 1 reason you can't ditch hunt ag. lands. You would be tresspassing. Unlike forest lands ag lands dont have to be posted so if its not public it completly off limits. Plus I belive RW accesses are different in ag country,where as the farmer has more control over them. If it public land you can walk the ditch.

[Nels]

I sent an email to the DNR. Hopefully they will respond in a timely manner, but I understand that might not happen with all of the recent budget cuts.

Nels

[This message has been edited by Nels (edited 10-16-2002).]

[seamonster1]

I spoke to a CO this Monday about this exactly.
He said that County road right of ways are open to the public- if the landowner receives assistance to maintain the ditch.
Most do so.
You must NOT shoot over the road or be standing on the road. You cannot retreive game if it falls into private property even if it is not posted. This includes all CRP land.
The CO stated that there are many public lands available- that ditch hunting in the true sense( walking) does not seem too productive. He stated that people usually drive around looking for birds- get out and try to shot. Again, shooting from or across a road is against the law and Dangerous!

I beleive several landowners on this post- are trying to discourage road hunting-NOT ditch walking which is totally legal in most places.