Varmint hunting in MN

[Holland&Holland]

• Crows may be taken without a license in season or at any time
when they are doing or are about to do damage.
• Electronic calls or sounds may be used for crow hunting.
• Crows may be taken with a legal firearm (shotgun not larger than
10 gauge, rifle, or handgun), bow and arrow, or by falconry.

Looks like I need to go out and buy a falcon.

I always have loved that line doing or about to do damage. "Your honor, I saw the look in his eyes, he was about to go on a corn field spree"...

Seriously though just a side note on the falconry comment. It is an odd thing but getting licensed to own a falcon puts many other goverment hoops to shame. In Minnesota you have to actually appretice with a master falconer who will sponsor your application, you have to build your own training facility, capture in the wild a young but mature raptor of one of 2 allowed types that are native to minnesota, train it, and then you get licensed and can buy or capture other birds for your sport! Talk about a process!

[Stradawhovious]

Here's another question I have that my ADD didn't allow me to find in the DNR regs.... I know there are designated shotgun/rifle areas for Deer, does the same apply for 'yotes?

[ttousi]

no firearms restrictions for the yotes.......... anything goes

[EJSG19]

If you really want to read it in the Reg's, its on page 25 and 45 of the PDF I posted earlier.

UNPROTECTED ANIMALS
Residents and nonresidents are not required to have a license to take
unprotected species including coyote. Nonresidents do not need a furbearer
hunting license in addition to their small game license to hunt fox.
Unprotected Mammals Weasels, coyotes, gophers,
porcupines, striped skunks, and all other mammals
for which there are no closed seasons or other protection are unprotected animals.
They may be taken in any manner,
except with the aid of artificial lights or by using a motor vehicle to
drive, chase, run over, or kill the animal. Poisons may not be used
except in accordance with all label regulations of the state Dept.

If I had a stick, I'd be whittling right now...

[Holland&Holland]

Here's another question I have that my ADD didn't allow me to find in the DNR regs.... I know there are designated shotgun/rifle areas for Deer, does the same apply for 'yotes?

Though if you start looking at public hunting land close to the twin cities some areas have restrictions on rifle and lead. Just a heads up on that.

[Stradawhovious]

Thanks for the heads up. Chances are I'd be heading up nordt, or west a spell.

[Stradawhovious]

They may be taken in any manner,

like....

or.....

Or even a javelin, as shown here by hammAR

This could get really, really fun

[kxu]

I'm glad to see some interest in whacking Varmints. I own some land near Morris and had a meeting on site with DNR guys to discuss how to make the land better habitat for pheasant and duck. In addition to some horticultural recommendations, they also strongly suggested we take up varmint hunting - skunk - ferrel cat - racoon - coyotes etc. They are major predetors on bird nests.

Their advice was to get a decent call and a blind. They indicated that with the population at large and virtually no pressure, the shooting should be plentiful and the prey unsuspecting. They stressed that it is definitely not rocket science.

I bought an electronic call and that is as far as it went. The time spent out there is pretty much limited to shooting our feathered friends and looking for deer.

Racoons are plentiful in Eagan, so if you want to set up a blind in my back yard and pretend your on safari let me know and I'll run an adult beverage out to you every once in a while for your trouble. I haven't taken care of it because I'm afraid the neighbors will freak.

Where in Eagan? You can hunt varmints in Eagan? I'm interested in taking some varmints in your back yard.

[Stradawhovious]

I would bet that there are some issues with discharging firearms in the city limits of Eagan, but I don't know for sure...... You may want to do a bit of homework on the legal dispatching of raccoons before pulling the trigger so to speak.....

[Holland&Holland]

Anybody know the regs on taking racoons in city limits? Obviously no discharge of a firearm and many cities have regs on discharging air guns as well, but if a bow is legal to shoot in the city in your back yard can you take racoons as pests? Or are there other alternative methods? I have a large one that is hanging out by the neigbors compost bin with 3 young ones. Causes heck with the dog, digs in the storage box on the deck, will charge you. I am about to take baseball bat to the thing...

[yukonjasper]

I'm pretty sure that firing a weapon is not legal within the city limits of Eagan, which is why the critters have lived this long. I would imagine the main reason for the high end air rifles coming with Compensators/Silencers is due to the Urban hunter needing some fire power that won't attract Neighborhood busy body / Police attention. Since I'm not sure I really want to invest in a $300 air rifle, I guess I will have to live with not filling my bird feeders and picking up garbage from any can I'm stupid enough to leave out over night.

I've considered borrowing a friends bow or crossbow and I do own a blow gun.............anyone know if you can buy darts that will carry poisons............. Sounds very 007..............

I live in close proximity to Lebannon Hills Park - critter heaven.............

[Dick Unger]

Buy a live ttrap, bait with cat food.You'll get a coon every night. Sometimes two. much easier than guns.

[Holland&Holland]

If you trap them in a live trap can you then dispach them? Or do you have to take them out to the country first?

[goalie]

I know of a certain air rifle that has dispatched over a dozen coons out by Lake Minnetonka. It was rather inexpensive at Sportsman's Guide, and a 40 dollar air-rifle scope was mounted on it. They are not silent, but they are pretty quiet, and they do shoot 900+fps per my chrono, if not quite the 1000+ fps advertised.

FWIW, I don't live over by Lake Minnetonka.

[JoeH]

If you trap them in a live trap can you then dispach them? Or do you have to take them out to the country first?

The DNR will allow you to dispatch the trapped critters in a humane way. Yes, shooting is still considered humane (if you can believe that). All firearm laws and ordinances still apply.