Reason for MN law about rifles before and after deer season

by **sigcopper** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:54 am

I hate this time of the year since I can't take out my rifle and go coyote hunting. I was wondering why MN has a law prohibiting the use of a rifle (can only use a rimfire 22 or 17) 5 days before gun deer season and you must wait 2 days after the end of gun deer season. Anybody have an answer to this question? I've never been able to figure it out and the law just seems rather stupid to me.

by **Jmnhunter** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:06 am

just another stupid MN law; the law was probably made up so there isn't any suspicious activity before season to try to deter anyone from shooting a deer before season :-?

by **Chuck Smith** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:06 am

So people won't be tempted to shoot a deer before the season and after the season.

You have 48 hours (or something like that) to register you deer harvest after the season closes. So people won't be tempted to "shoot" a deer the day after the season and say they just did not have time to register it.

The before is so people are not tempted to shoot a deer before the season and wait to tag it opening day.

People do stupid things when they see antlers. This law is just trying to keep honest people honest and eliminate temptation.

Also in parts of the state (southern) it is illegal to hunt deer with rifles. So this way it will keep people from temptation of shooting a deer with a rifle if it is in the vehicle......ie....oh I was yote hunting and you have a dead deer in the back of your truck.

by **sigcopper** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:23 am

Wow. I guess if I was inclined to poach a deer I sure wouldn't register it. If I wanted to poach a deer with a rifle I'd do it in January or February when nobody is around. Just another stupid MN law. No wonder there are fewer MN hunters.

by **Fallguy** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:54 am

Jmnhunter wrote:just another stupid MN law

+1

by **People** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:56 am

You bring up a good point about registering it. If I was wanting to poach a deer I guess I would do it after hunting time was done or just do it with my junky pickup that has already 6 deer to its credit. When I drive it I do not even slow down any more. I have a few head lights in it ready to go.

The hunting reasons are probably correct I always thought it was because MN was an anti-gun state.

When Chuck Norris says "More cowbell", he MEANS it.

by **jrp267** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:45 pm

They think we cannot be trusted with anything. As though we are little children. Unfortunately people do poach but the rest of us should not be punished because we might commit a crime. Use a shotgun with buck shot. or dead coyote.

by **Chuck Smith** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 2:21 pm

They think we cannot be trusted with anything. As though we are little children. Unfortunately people do poach but the rest of us should not be punished because we might commit a crime.

The sad part is that is a majority of the laws out there.

by **TK33** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:09 pm

Wow that is a stupid law. Until I read this I thought that law only applied to the slug zones, which I deer hunt.

jrp you are exactly right. Unfortunately.

by **People** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:11 am

Talking to my relitives in MN your gun has to be cassed when it is in the car. That means you can not open the zipper and pull the rifle out. That would be an uncassed gun in your car. You have to remove the cased gun from the car remove the gun from the case and then put the case back into your car. That is crazy. I have a few relitives in WI and they said if you lean your rifle against the car they can ding you on that also.

You have to love ND if you get stopped the only thing they care about is a round in the chamber. The last time I was stopped I had my CAR15 with me and the guy asked if it was loaded so I rotated my rifle and showed him the action. After him seing my open bolt flag we had to talk for almost a half hour about shooting the National Match corse of fire.

On the set of Walker Texas Ranger Chuck Norris brought a dying lamb back to life by nuzzling it with his beard. As the onlookers gathered, the lamb sprang to life. Chuck Norris then roundhouse kicked it, killing it instantly. This was just to prove that the good Chuck giveth, and the good Chuck, he taketh away.

by **Fallguy** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:26 am

Yup ND rocks! I'll never leave it.

by **LeviM** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:38 am

New Law in MN, you do not have to case your gun anymore

by **blhunter3** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:47 am

Or your bow.

by **sigcopper** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:48 am

There are a few restrictions on an uncased weapon in MN and one should read up on them. You can't just drive around with an uncased weapon. For instance, if you travel into a town with a population of over 2500 you had best case it.

by **Jaybic** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 6:53 pm

I wonder if its possible to just simply answer a question without taking a stab at MN? I see some have that ability and others not.

Could it be that with all the people in the woods scouting, hanging tree stands,cruising backroads looking for deer, and sighting in guns that its not safe to have high velocity rifle bullets whizzing around? After the deer hunting crowds go home, then we can more more safely bust out the rifles? Anyone shooting a deer out of season doesnt give a schmidt about whether or not its legal to illegally kill a deer with a rifle and they certainly dont go "wait, I better not poach that deer 5 days before or 2 days after the season. Dang, I was just on my way out the door to poach a deer but I cant have my rifle out. Guess I'll skip it."

I wish we had the space here that you all do in ND but in this place(SE MN) its a law about safety and I have read enough "safety talk" on this very site to know that anyone that preaches safety and then is critical of a law that promotes that is a hipocrit or at very least uninformed.

I have hunted ND a great deal and you are very lucky to have the quality hunting opportunites that are available in ND but it will say this. If ND was as "close quarters" as it its here, you can bet your bottom dollar you would have the same type of law.

Too bad more folks dont live by the "if ya dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything at all".

Jaybic

by **sigcopper** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:06 pm

Ummmm....nobody took any pot shots at anybody. MN seems to have it fair share of rather odd to stupid laws, and I would have to say this is one of them. If I'm hunting private property and I know that I'm the only person hunting this property then I should be able to use a rifle to take a coyote. Nobody was taking pot shots at anybody here. This is a law that nobody can give me a clear answer as to why it is around. In reading the posts I would say that the answers are very inconsistent to say the least.

You mention rifle bullets whizzing around but right across the river from me in WI they can use rifles for deer. The terrain is the same and since across the river is Buffalo County, I would say there are more hunters there too.

MN compared to SD and ND has more rules as it pertains to hunting, fishing and trapping. Just my own observations.

by **bearhunter** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:00 pm

minn. has to go back to the drawing board and compleatlety revamp their laws. there are SO many that make you wonder ?????

by **R Buker** » Fri Nov 20, 2009 4:27 pm

I've discovered that the Minnesota legislature is pretty open to law changes if someone just takes up the issue. We were successful in getting the law changed so we can use lights to hunt preds. The next year we got it changed to use remotes to call preds and then thenext year we got a law changed to be able to use .22 mag and .17hmr during those days before and after the deer season. It used to be just a .22 LR. So.. anyone see any laws that need changing? Call your legislators.

Randy

by **Chuck Smith** » Fri Nov 20, 2009 4:46 pm

If any of you are readers of the Outdoor News.... Read up on the many "uncased" problems they had this past deer season. Even with the law....many thought it was an open invite to shoot out the window, have a loaded gun, etc. Like I stated it will make some honest people turn to the other side with the rifle law. People would be tempted.... I am out yote hunting and they see that monster... 24 hours before the season starts....hmmm some would be in an ethical/moral dilema. Or......I am out yote hunting in a shotgun only area....I see that monster buck at 300......again moral dilema for some.