Party Hunting

[TRZ]

How far away from another person can you be and still be considered party hunting?

[eyepatrol]

2006 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations Handbook

Quote:

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PARTY HUNTING

• A "party" is defined as any group of two or more licensed deer hunters who are all afield; hunting together at the same time; and all using firearms (including muzzleloaders) or all using archery.

• A mixed group of firearms and archery hunters is considered two separate

parties.

• Any member of a party meeting this definition may kill a deer for any other member of the party who has an unused tag valid for that deer, except party members may not kill an antlerless deer in a lottery deer

area for: 1) a member of the party who is a resident under age 18; or 2) a disabled person authorized to take antlerless deer under a permit to shoot from a motor vehicle.

• Multi-zone buck license-holders may party hunt with regular firearms license-holders, except in Zone 3B and the muzzleloader season.

• All-season deer license-holders may party hunt, except by firearms in zone 3B.

IMPORTANT! The intent of the party hunting regulation is to prevent parties from shooting more deer than the available number of tags. The party hunting regulation requires that all hunters who intend to tag deer for each other be hunting together, in the field, at the time the deer are taken. Party members who are not afield hunting with the individual who takes a deer at the time it is taken may not legally tag that deer. Hunters may not lend licenses to or borrow licenses from other hunters.

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It's a bit vague in the rules in that it says "any group of two or more licensed deer hunters who are all afield". I would take this to mean any group of guys, two or more, who are hunting the same field, whether it be a 10 acre field, 100 acre field or maybe even a 1000 acre field....as long as it is the same one. BUT, don't take my word for it....call the DNR and ask what they have to say.

[TRITC]

basscatcher,

You cracked me up on that one; whether you meant to or not.

When they say "afield" they don't mean "a field" they just mean out hunting at the same time; whether that's in "a field" or two fields or a forest.

Don't take this the wrong way...but that was funny!

Nothin' but love.

TRITC

[eyepatrol]

Whatever I can do to make people smile!

I really don't have a clue what the DNR is saying with "afield". Heck, I could be "afield" way up in Roseau and my brother "afield" in Winona. It's all so confusing...

I just need to get out and hunt....my trigger finger is twitching!

[TRZ]

Thanks for the post from the rules, i had read that and just wondered if anyone had more insight, it is very vague. So if my buddy droops me off and hunts a mile away are we still a party? That is what i want to know.

[lawdog]

General interpretation of this has been, and I believe still is, that you have to be within a distance that allows you to be in direct personal contact with the other party (without radio or cellphone or any of that).

In short, you have to be within talking(yelling)/seeing distance of that person so no if you are dropped off a mile away as you ask, you are not a part of the same party.

[96trigger]

The last paragraph in the regs leaves for a lot of descrepency. You will have to use your judgement. As far as the reg reads, as long as you are both hunting together, you are OK. But you might want to call a CO.