S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
Anybody know when the bill will be voted on? Is this something that could happen for the 2020 season or would the vote be for the 2021 season?
Minnesota state wide rifle use
- Thread starter S.T.Fanatic
- Start date
sagittarius
5 year old buck +
Wisconsin went state wide rifle several years ago, but if a local township has a shotgun only ordanance, then the township law applies.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
After gaining some steam in 2020, legislation returns to remove shotgun-only zone for Minnesota deer hunters
Legislation authored by Minnesota State Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, and Sen. Jeff Howe, R-Rockville, would allow the use of rifles throughout the entire state during the regular firearms season if passed. Efforts have the approval of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association.
www.dl-online.com
bowhunternw
5 year old buck +
Hunting is bad enough in sw 1/3 of state dont see that improving it. Our house when i was growing up was shot by 3 slugs, slughunters in a corn field.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
Those are trigger management issues.
Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
That's insane.
Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
What does it say? It is behind a paywall.After gaining some steam in 2020, legislation returns to remove shotgun-only zone for Minnesota deer hunters
Legislation authored by Minnesota State Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, and Sen. Jeff Howe, R-Rockville, would allow the use of rifles throughout the entire state during the regular firearms season if passed. Efforts have the approval of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
Interesting. It wasn’t where I posted it from. Basically that it’s back in the legislation again.
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Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
Minnesota is ate up good ideas lately
Peeps
5 year old buck +
Maybe look at it this way. I used to hunt a shotgun only area. It seemed as tho guys wounded more deer with their slug guns than deer cleanly killed. I always had wounded deer coming past me and we always found dead deer laying around after season. It didn’t matter that it was a shotgun, guys still took field shots way way out and many were using smooth bore slug guns as that’s what they had. When it switched to rifle I noticed a drastic decline in wounded deer running around and located after season. Upon the switch guys got rifles with scopes. I’d rather have them cleanly killing their deer instead of wounding multiple deer that die later.
j-bird
Moderator
Indiana was a slug only state for a LONG time. Then they opened it up to "pistol cartridge rifles" and now most common centerfire rifle bigger than .243.... I have not seen much of a change in the way I hunt as most shots are still 100 yards or less. I will say that a slug puts one hell of a hole in a deer vs a 30 cal round. A slug also isn't as friendly to shoot or to introduce young hunters into the sport. I honestly think it has more to do with economics...retailers selling more rifles and ammo. We saw the same thing when the state opened up X-bows as well. Our DNR came right out and said they found no evidence from a management perspective to NEED rifles. But some other folks pushed it thru the legislature...which I wasn't a fan of....government types again passing laws they no nothing about!
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
^^THIS
I hope it passes. We have plenty of deer in my area. Some farmers still getting depredation tags to shoot unlimited deer year round. These high numbers are in pockets.
Houston, Winona, filmore, and wabasha, Counties have a lot of deer.
I know of 7 non retrieved deer in less than 700 acres that were wounded and died and I haven’t started my snare line or shed hunting yet.
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I'm pretty sure that the shotgun restriction was "government types again passing laws they no nothing about" in the first place. I have not, to date, heard an argument against rifle use state wide that is based on statistical evidence. All that I hear are anecdotes and emotional pleas. I hunt as far south west in Minnesota as Pipestone to up past McGregor in the north central part of the state and many places in between. The biggest impact that I see on deer density (aside from harvest limits) is habitat.
bwoods11
5 year old buck +
Statistical evidence would be obvious. A rifle shoots 100-300 yards farther than a slug gun. In farm country that means you can cover way more ground.
Everyone and their brother has a box blind now that sits on a strategic area.
They just added considerable more range. I’ve seen it first hand very few 2.5/3.5 bucks survive the 9 day gun season (Rut) in my area . Farm country with mixed cover.
This will make it worse. It you simply like venison, probably not a big deal. If you want a buck to survive beyond 2.5 years. It will make a bad situation even worse.
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