Is it legal

[Neiko]

I thought I remember from years past that you could not shoot a firearm so many days before the season. If I remember right it said while in posession of a deer license. Well I invited my dad who is 77 to come up and hunt with us and he accepted, which is cool because he hadn't hunted since I was 16 and that was 21 years ago. He use to hunt a lot but gave it up mostly because of my Mom's health. Anyway I want to go to the gravel pit and let him shoot a few rounds with his rifle to make sure he is good with it but want to make sure we are legal. I also want to try some different loads with my muzzleloader one last time.

[CrappieJohn]

I remember that. It was something like five days prior to and two days after the deer seasom ended that possession was prohibited. We had a nine day season here in the southeast corner.

With all the blended seasons we have now I don't think this is an issue. Where you are at and the gravel pit might become a problem. Around Rochester, if you don't own a farm or a large tract of land you must resort to gun/sportsman clubs with acceptable ranges to do this....shooting in any gravel pit will land you in some trouble. To be sure, vcheck with local ordinances where you intend to do this sighting in.

[Neiko]

It is a county gravel pit that everyone sites in at so I am hoping it won't be a problem. I plan on leaving the deer license at home and I will probably call the CO and ask him if it is alright.

[lunker651]

Are you guys saying that we can't have a firearm in possession 5 days prior to the deer season opener? It's weird, Cause last year when me and my brother was setting up a treestand at a place we were deer hunting the next day (Next day was deer season opener)and some how a ranger found us setting this stand up and he came up to us and ask us for our lisence and we were also in possession of a firearm and some shells too. He just check our lisence and the gun, he empty the shells that was in the gun, to be sure there wasn't any slugs. He didn't say anything to us that we can't be in possession of a gun 5 days prior to deer season opener. Maybe he didn't find any slugs in the gun and we had the right lisence and just let us slide, I don't know. I've never heard of this, I think I should call the DNR and check.

[CrappieJohn]

Lunker....We're talking about some wording in the rules from many, many years ago. With the way seasons over-lap and zone boundaries what they are it would be hard to enforce this anymore. I cannot recall the last time this was even in the pamphlet that shows the basic rules. I would not worry about it as long as you are not afield with slugs in your pocket while you are pheasant hunting.

So you know....you have to be either small game/waterfowl hunting or deer hunting when you are in possession of a shotgun during a deer season that has a shotgun only clause. It is against the law to carry slugs without a valid license for deer and/or to be in possession of standard lead or steel shot shells while carrying shotgun slugs of any kind. Gotta make up your mind what you are hunting.

[soldoncass]

read pages 28-29 of the hunting regulations. The reg. you are referring to has been in there as long as I can remember. The only thing that has changed ,I think ,has been the # of days. You can read them on-line at the DNR site, or in the book from license venders. Have fun!!