New thermal MN hunting rig

[Ghost]

Furthermore if anybody noticed in their MN gun owners caucus survey, hunting with night vision/thermal here is a priority and this thread is meant to bring it to everybody's attention.

[Ghost]

Not thermal, Night vision scope.

Understood

[FJ540]

Furthermore if anybody noticed in their MN gun owners caucus survey, hunting with night vision/thermal here is a priority and this thread is meant to bring it to everybody's attention.

Been trying to get Cornish's two faced head out of his butt for 3 years on the subject. Nice to see the Caucus is following my lead.

[cobb]

But a person can use artificial light at night to hunt coyotes.
Restricted to Jan 1st through Mar 15th and can only use a shotgun with a handheld light which includes a headlamp or a shotgun mounted light.

[photogpat]

Furthermore if anybody noticed in their MN gun owners caucus survey, hunting with night vision/thermal here is a priority and this thread is meant to bring it to everybody's attention.

Been trying to get Cornish's two faced head out of his butt for 3 years on the subject. Nice to see the Caucus is following my lead.

^^^ That's why you get called a "meathead" my friend.

You DO understand the Tony is one of our strongest supporters in the Leg, right?
You also understand there are larger powers at work also, right?

[Ghost]

Took the scope out over the weekend but fields were barren. I only saw two deer but didn't have the camera ready before they took off. Never would have known they were there without the thermal, just a field of bushes. Hoping to really hunt this coming weekend.

[FJ540]

But a person can use artificial light at night to hunt coyotes.
Restricted to Jan 1st through Mar 15th and can only use a shotgun with a handheld light which includes a headlamp or a shotgun mounted light.

I presently don't own a shotgun. So you were saying?

[FJ540]

Furthermore if anybody noticed in their MN gun owners caucus survey, hunting with night vision/thermal here is a priority and this thread is meant to bring it to everybody's attention.

Been trying to get Cornish's two faced head out of his butt for 3 years on the subject. Nice to see the Caucus is following my lead.

^^^ That's why you get called a "meathead" my friend.

You DO understand the Tony is one of our strongest supporters in the Leg, right?
You also understand there are larger powers at work also, right?

Larger powers like God keeping Tony from seeing the err in his narrow mindedness on the right of the individual to choose the weapons and technology they choose for hunting unprotected animals after dark?

[goosed]

But a person can use artificial light at night to hunt coyotes.
Restricted to Jan 1st through Mar 15th and can only use a shotgun with a handheld light which includes a headlamp or a shotgun mounted light.

I presently don't own a shotgun. So you were saying?

No argument from me the law is foolish, but seems like owning a shotgun is a simple solution to using a light... Unless not owning a shotgun is your way of taking a stance?

[FJ540]

My not owning a shotgun is a personal preference. I don't hunt birds, and I don't hunt deer in the shotgun zone. I have no need for a shotgun given the numerous rifles I own.

What I don't get is why a scatter gun is preferred to a precision weapon, and why using artificial light is only allowed on the former because Cornish explicitly states "You'll shoot at eyes if you have a rifle." Well, if I'm going to shoot at eyes with a rifle and a light, what says I'm not going to shoot at eyes if I have a shotgun which requires less precision in directing my shot to hit it's intended target? It's a fallacious argument and circular reasoning.

We should be allowed to use whatever implements we're most adept at, and be held accountable for where any errant projectiles end up. Just using a shotgun doesn't preclude a bystander from being accidentally hit. And certainly doesn't make the shooter any more capable of identifying their target. SG's have an effective range well beyond the functional distance an hand held light is capable of casting a beam: which is another reason to allow night vision and thermal imaging - it's safer!

Further more, I don't think these laws should apply at all to private property. If you want to have stupid rules for night hunting predators on public lands, then go for it, but don't make me having a thermal scope on my rifle an automatic violation of game laws because some dufus in the legislature thinks the only function it serves is to poach game. That's exactly the same argument some folks here got on people about AR15's - it's not the rifle, it's the behavior. Last I checked, poaching was already illegal. So whatever high tech gadgets you use to accomplish it won't make it any more illegal.

[yukonjasper]

it is the range of the weapon that gives them pause. A shotgun loses its effectiveness very quickly, while a rifle bullet could go a mile in the darkness. That is the theory for deer hunting in the flat land minimal tree country. Once you let loose with the 308 or '06, there may be nothing to stop it from hitting the farmer in the combine taking in the last of his corn a section over.

Remember that laws are set up to protect the lowest common denominator from hurting themselves or others. Most people with common sense can go their entire lives without doing something stupid enough to harm others or themselves - the Dimwits are in a daily struggle..................

[FJ540]

And gravity always pulls down at 9.8m/s/s. The only way you're getting a 3000fps bullet into the next property is shooting UP. Something that weapon sighting system has no impact on unless improperly zero'd.

Once again, I think the safest option is to allow the use of the best technology to ID and direct munitions to their desired target, not cripple the hunter with overbearing regulations. Shall not be infringed comes to mind, but then there's no season for congress critters either.

[photogpat]

it is the range of the weapon that gives them pause. A shotgun loses its effectiveness very quickly, while a rifle bullet could go a mile in the darkness. That is the theory for deer hunting in the flat land minimal tree country. Once you let loose with the 308 or '06, there may be nothing to stop it from hitting the farmer in the combine taking in the last of his corn a section over.

Remember that laws are set up to protect the lowest common denominator from hurting themselves or others. Most people with common sense can go their entire lives without doing something stupid enough to harm others or themselves - the Dimwits are in a daily struggle..................

Reckless discharge is reckless discharge. Target shooting with a full power rifle in flat land can be equally as dangerous - and is perfectly LEGAL.

Discharging at an animal should be no different.

[FJ540]

Varmint hunting is traditionally done from the ground, and if elevated, the safety margin only increases, so let's discuss the physics of ground hunting yotes:

From a seated position the rifle is roughly the same height as the shoulder of the coyote. This means the bullet is going to be traveling more or less parallel to the ground beyond the initial 2" rise given to make a 200yd zero (most folks zero at 100, but we're going worst case scenario for the sake of argument). At 200yds the bullet has fallen that 2" already and continues it's trajectory towards the dirt, which it will encounter a little short of 400yds. Hmm, 400yds sounds familiar for some reason doesn't it? Oh yeah! That's how much distance you need for a trap field... Shotguns aimed in the sky.

From standing, or a bench, blind, pickup truck window (I bet it happens more than you think ), etc; the trajectory is shorter yet. So it only gets safer the higher the shooting position.

So remind me again how much safer using shotguns for hunting in the dark is?

You're not going to be spotting a dog at 200yds with a gun mounted optic. Even on snow with full moonlight, you'd need terrain to help you. And as Pat just said, ND is ND. Know your target and what's beyond: which is precisely my argument in favor of using the best equipment options available. It's safer than hoping your gun doesn't carry lethal energy when it hits someone you're unaware is present.


I failed to mention another reason I object to the SG stipulations, and that's that my land is an active tree farm. Every pellet into wood is money I lose in defects to my crop trees.

[Ghost]

it is the range of the weapon that gives them pause. A shotgun loses its effectiveness very quickly, while a rifle bullet could go a mile in the darkness. That is the theory for deer hunting in the flat land minimal tree country. Once you let loose with the 308 or '06, there may be nothing to stop it from hitting the farmer in the combine taking in the last of his corn a section over.

I grew up shooting rifles all the time in a state that didn't allow you to hunt deer with anything other than shotgun, muzzleloader and bow.

Is there anything saying I can't go hunt coyote at midnight under a full moon with a 50BMG? I believe I can, I just can't use a light, thermal or NV.