Shooting during hunting season

[cobb]

3 or 4 in my area were sighting in their rifles in yesterday afternoon, shots were coming from at least 3 different areas around me. As far as I know, I am the only one for miles that would have what is called a designated or recognized range. Wonder if they are unaware of the law or just don't care.

[Holland&Holland]

3 or 4 in my area were sighting in their rifles in yesterday afternoon, shots were coming from at least 3 different areas around me. As far as I know, I am the only one for miles that would have what is called a designated or recognized range. Wonder if they are unaware of the law or just don't care.

Not to be a jerk, and not directed at you Cobb, but more in general on this general assumption

It does just state Target Range, not designated, I can guess what would on the safe side constitute such a thing and am not volunteering to be a test case but throughout the years I have seen many many many violate this and have not seen a case where this has been vigorously enforced. Just courious as to what this really means? I mean if one has a lane in the woods where they typically hang a target and shoot at it or a gravel pit that is regularly used for target practice, is that a Target Range then?

[cobb]

I know many that have property and do not have any area that would be recognized as a target range, designated range, etc. I could see a cut lane or a gravel pit that has target residue as an argument. But what some do is put a target up in their harvested field , an open stretch along a river, even their back yards which are areas that without a target present could not be identified as any shooting area.

[Ramoel]

Same near my property in St. Louis County. Lot of people will be sighting in on private property tomorrow afternoon. Neighbors have even asked me for targets since I usually have a bunch printed up. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

It may be against the law but I have never seen it enforced around me.

[FJ540]

Shotgun is still legal for ducks, small game, and yotes. Without being present, you're making an assumption of wrong doing.

About the wording: the handbook is a truncated version of the statutes (it even says that right on it). Go look up the full text and it clarifies what constitutes a range.

[LumberZach]

Sorry to dig up a new thread, but this past deer season was the first I had heard about this so I did some searching.

So I see the part about possession, but I am curious to know if that translates to firing as well. And these restrictions start 5 days before firearms season, but do they last all the way through? Or is it just the few days before and the 2 days after? I am somewhat looking into the feasibility of talking a friend into buying some land for a private range, and I am wondering how deer season will play into that.

[crbutler]

The definition of a firing range under statute is:


Subd. 3.Shooting range or range.

"Shooting range" or "range" means an area or facility designated or operated primarily for the use of firearms, as defined in section 97A.015, subdivision 19, or archery, and includes shooting preserves as described in section 97A.115 or any other Minnesota law.

Further:

the FiReaRms DeeR season
(Note: This section does not apply to the Muzzleloader Season, see
page 89, except that muzzleloaders legal for deer may be possessed only by
persons with a muzzleloader or firearms deer license during that season.)
No person may possess a firearm or ammunition outdoors during the
period beginning the fifth day before the open firearms season and ending
the second day after the close of the season within an area where deer may
be legally taken by firearms, except:
• A person who has a valid firearms big game license in possession may
hunt big game during the open season with a firearm and ammunition
authorized for big game.
• Possession is also legal under these conditions:
> An unloaded firearm that is cased or in a closed trunk of a motor
vehicle.
> A shotgun and shells containing No. 4 buckshot or smaller diameter
lead shot or nontoxic shot.
> A .22 caliber rimfire handgun or rifle with .22 caliber short, long, or
long rifle cartridges, .22 magnum or .17 caliber rimfire.
> Handguns possessed by a person with a carry permit.
> On a target range or under a target range permit issued by a conservation
officer.
22


So an area that is marked as such and has development as a range should qualify (in other words if you put a backstop up and have a designated firing point that you are shooting from.) but to be safe, have your buddy get a letter from the local CO stating that it is a range...

In order to shoot you have to have possession of said gun and ammo.

The reality of this is that the DNR will probably arrest/ticket you for hunting without a license if you are not obviously target shooting and people are hunting on the property. The idea is to prevent unlicensed hunting. If you have a deer or other license, all is good as long as its legal for hunting. If not, the less developed the range (and the more like your activity looks like poaching) the more scrutiny you will have.

I know that some ranges shut down during deer season because the owner hunts on it. I also know that many ranges prohibit hunting on the grounds because they are worried that someone will use the property to hunt and get hurt by someone using the range to shoot.

If your buddy plans on hunting on his land, then you had best not be shooting on the range at the same time for safety reasons, not legality reasons- but similarly, you might have a hard time explaining to the CO that you were target shooting if they find a couple of untagged shot deer on the premises.

The restrictions last through the season, until 2 days after. (see above)- the idea is to prevent illegal hunting. Pretty much, if you are shooting a weapon that is legal for deer you will be assumed to be hunting deer unless you can show its a range or you are legally doing something else. (such as a carry permittee with his gun) If you approach it from that direction, it makes sense.

[LumberZach]

The definition of a firing range under statute is:


Subd. 3.Shooting range or range.

"Shooting range" or "range" means an area or facility designated or operated primarily for the use of firearms, as defined in section 97A.015, subdivision 19, or archery, and includes shooting preserves as described in section 97A.115 or any other Minnesota law.

Further:

the FiReaRms DeeR season
(Note: This section does not apply to the Muzzleloader Season, see
page 89, except that muzzleloaders legal for deer may be possessed only by
persons with a muzzleloader or firearms deer license during that season.)
No person may possess a firearm or ammunition outdoors during the
period beginning the fifth day before the open firearms season and ending
the second day after the close of the season within an area where deer may
be legally taken by firearms, except:
• A person who has a valid firearms big game license in possession may
hunt big game during the open season with a firearm and ammunition
authorized for big game.
• Possession is also legal under these conditions:
> An unloaded firearm that is cased or in a closed trunk of a motor
vehicle.
> A shotgun and shells containing No. 4 buckshot or smaller diameter
lead shot or nontoxic shot.
> A .22 caliber rimfire handgun or rifle with .22 caliber short, long, or
long rifle cartridges, .22 magnum or .17 caliber rimfire.
> Handguns possessed by a person with a carry permit.
> On a target range or under a target range permit issued by a conservation
officer.
22


So an area that is marked as such and has development as a range should qualify (in other words if you put a backstop up and have a designated firing point that you are shooting from.) but to be safe, have your buddy get a letter from the local CO stating that it is a range...

In order to shoot you have to have possession of said gun and ammo.

The reality of this is that the DNR will probably arrest/ticket you for hunting without a license if you are not obviously target shooting and people are hunting on the property. The idea is to prevent unlicensed hunting. If you have a deer or other license, all is good as long as its legal for hunting. If not, the less developed the range (and the more like your activity looks like poaching) the more scrutiny you will have.

I know that some ranges shut down during deer season because the owner hunts on it. I also know that many ranges prohibit hunting on the grounds because they are worried that someone will use the property to hunt and get hurt by someone using the range to shoot.

If your buddy plans on hunting on his land, then you had best not be shooting on the range at the same time for safety reasons, not legality reasons- but similarly, you might have a hard time explaining to the CO that you were target shooting if they find a couple of untagged shot deer on the premises.

The restrictions last through the season, until 2 days after. (see above)- the idea is to prevent illegal hunting. Pretty much, if you are shooting a weapon that is legal for deer you will be assumed to be hunting deer unless you can show its a range or you are legally doing something else. (such as a carry permittee with his gun) If you approach it from that direction, it makes sense.

Thank you, that actually helps a lot more than I had expected. Do normal hunting shooting hours then apply to ranges as well? I seem to remember a discussion that basically finished in saying that if you are not hunting or in an area that the neighbors will call the police on you, you can shoot all night long. - Biggest thing that brings this up is I was at a different friends house shooting out of the backyard around Christmas and it was getting past shooting hours. I wanted to keep going, but he said enough. We weren't in deer season, and I don't believe we could have been mistaken for hunting anything at the time. I was just curious on clarification.

[crbutler]

Shooting range hours are what they (the range) say they are.

In some locales there may be a township or county ordinance that has a time on it, or the range may have specifications in their CUP, but most private land types are trying to get along with the neighbors, not that there is a law saying any such time frame, unless they added one with the Range Protection Act. That being said, the neighbors can call the cops if the noise is a nuisance, and no one likes to explain to the police.

Legal shooting hours are a hunting term. They are defined in the hunting regs.

[FJ540]

Having a CO designate a range should be rather easy to satisfy this regulation.