Hotspotoutdoors

Is it still legal to road hunt in Mn? If so what's the laws about it? Thanks

Yes and RTFM "Read the friendly manual" ie pick up a DNR hunting regs guide and read it. Call the DNR with your questions. If you do something wrong the CO will not be sympathetic with a "well the guy on the message board said it was okay" explanation. You can also search FM here. There have been multiple thread in the past discussing this topic.

Road hunt? Of course, now you can have your shotgun/rifle unloaded/uncased in the front seat with you while road hunting.

Pg. 21

"Under the following circumstances, a person may transport
unloaded, uncased firearms (excluding pistols) in a motor vehicle,
including ATVs:
• while at a shooting range with permission
• while lawfully hunting on private or public land or while traveling
to or from a site the person intends to hunt or has lawfully hunted
that day.

Firearms must be transported unloaded and cased:
• within Anoka, Hennepin, or Ramsey counties.
• within an area where firearms discharge has been prohibited.
• within the boundaries of a home rule, charter, or statutory city
with a population of 2,500 or more.
• on school grounds
• as otherwise restricted in game refuges, shining or night vision laws"

The law was put in place to give parties a chance to make drives and not have to worry about packing their cases w/ them when the driver picked them up after a long push. I don't think it was intended for people to drive around bird hunting w/ their shotty in their lap....

This law is so dumb IMO. The wording leaves it so wide open. A person can say that they're intending to hunt 2 miles up the road, etc... Seriously, how hard is it to take the gun out of the case?

I agree Matt

I was really suprised when they did away with the 60 ft from the vehiclle law and then the case law. You see the laws abused in the north woods constantly while grouse hunting.

I have yet to case my gun while in the truck this fall. Or the boat.

The clowns that are going to break the law and shoot out the window or whatever, are going to do it anyway. Law or no law.

Yes, but if there is a law then it is a lot harder for them to get it back into the case and unload it so it looks like they are perfectly legal. Now, without the law, if they are road hunting they can just unload it quick and say they are just going up the road to their spot. I really don't think its that hard to get your gun out of a case, if you are going on a deer drive, buy a gun sock for a whole like 5 bucks?, or make your own IMO.

So like many laws, the 25,000 law abiding people get hassled or inconvienced for the one, that drives around and shoots illegally.

Fact of the matter is, unless someone is caught in the act of shooting out the window(or whatever), it is a rare occurance to be flagged over to the side of the road and checked anyway. Case or no case, it's a moot point. There are those that choose to hunt that way, and I know a few of 'em, they did it when you had to be cased, and I'd be willing to bet they're still doing it.

I haven't paid alot of attention, but it doesn't sound like the sky fell when the law went into effect. I'd also be willing to bet that no more birds have been taken than normal either.

Isn't really worth arguing about. Uncased transport is legal in most instances now anyway.

I too was surprised that the distance rule went away.

I am also surprised that you're talking about the North woods that way. I've seen as many or more pheasant and deer hunters down South breaking laws as I have in N MN.

As for bird numbers, I think the loss of a few essential rules over the past few years has definitely increased the number of birds taken. No question.

Again, this rule was put in place for people going from spot to spot, not for road hunters. Yes, you can read it any way you want, and yes, it's technically legal, but it wasn't the intention of the DNR when they changed it.

I have done a lot of both grouse and pheasant hunting this year and I've seen it from both but a lot more from grouse hunters. I think its easier for grouse hunnters because grouse are more likely to stand still and they can run the logging roads all day in realtive seclusion versus open farm country where they are more likely to be seen by someone. I've come across quite a few vehicles on major forest roads with the doors open and engine running in the middle of the road this year but have not seen it much while pheasant hunting. I don't know about deer season because I generaly stay away while thats going on but read the CO reports and it sounds like their deer decoys have a lot of holes in them this year.

The original poster was asking about hunting from road right-of-way not about transportation of firearms. Transportation of firearms has nothing to do with road hunting.

Referring to the handbook, unless I missed something, I found no indications that the laws regarding the use of or discharge of firearms on a road right-of-way, across a road right-of-way, or from a road right-of-way while in the vicinity of a motor vehicle or not have changed from 2008 to 2009.

If you understood the law in 2008 then you still understand the law in 2009.

The law is what it states, that you don't need your gun cased while hunting under those circumstances. If it was meant for any other additional reasons, it would have been included.

How about get out and go for a walk and shoot a rooster the way you should? Lazy way to hunt.

Again, the original poster was asking about changes in the law. He was not asking about how we felt about road hunting. There is another thread that has been discussing these topics.

I didn't know they got rid of the 20 yards from the vehicle law. Seems like a mistake to me. I still feel some ethical responsibility to provide fair chase. When i see a grouse while road hunting i'll get out and make an effort to hunt it rather than blast it next to the truck.

That's fine. Someone else might feel some ethical responsibility to use a knife made out of bone instead of a firearm but should they be able to impose their preference on everyone? Not pointing at you bigfoot just making a general statement.

Ok, but when I'm driving to my next area to hunt and I see one scurry into the ditch, game on. Everyone is going to have their opinion on this subject, no need to claim yours is better than the other by calling that person lazy.

I agree!

Not very often if at all that I would road hunt....maybe on the way home after a full day of walking fields.

Love how some people on this site like to force their opinions on others though.....

Sorry, seems like the handbooks dont clarify laws all that good.

So are you guys saying that i can drive around with my gun uncased and unloaded and road hunt for pheasants? If i see one i can jump out load gun, and shoot it?

Hunters are definitely rule benders, however i dont want to. Every once in awhile i will road hunt my way back to the highway etc. However road hunting for me is, see bird and then go walk the ditch with my dog.
I just want to be sure because i have been with people that will "jump birds" they stop car, run in back, grab gun, load while running toward bird, shoot. These are usually the guys that dont have dogs in my case. Safety is number one for me and since i usually drive i make the ethical rules - If you can have an uncased gun, can a passenger have it in his lap/next to him, etc or does it have to be in the rear of the car?

With the exception of casing your firearm in the vehicle, were you able to see one, jump out, load gun, and shoot it before?

Would you be lawfully hunting on public land?

Isn't that the biggest problem/concern/issue with road hunting is trespassing, especially in pheasant county?

I guess that is what i am asking. I am not going for an ethical quiz here. I already said i dont do it, my favorite part of hunting is working with my dog. I just want to arm myself with the right info.

How about both circumstances, if i am driving around my own land or land i have permission to hunt, or if i just see a bird in the ditch, crossing the road etc. Can i "jump" the bird if it is in the ditch. Arnt most of the states ditches fair game?

If the ditch was fair game before, it is now to my knowledge. I haven't found any change in regulations of that type.

If it was legal to "jump" the bird before and you are hunting private or public land lawfully then what do you think?

I'm not sure what you're after here. Are you wondering whether the fact that you are transporting your firearm uncased that has something to do with taking a bird from the road?

Ask yourself the questions in regard to your scenario.
Are you in the act of lawfully hunting public or private land?
Are you traveling to or from your hunting area?
Is it legal to discharge your firearm from the road right-of-way?
Is it legal to discharge your firearm within the distance you are from your vehicle?
Is it legal to take game using your firearm from the road right-of-way?
Is it legal to take game using your firearm within the distance you are from your vehicle?

I would guess that if these are all answered yes, then you are probably okay. Want to get the right answer or an opinion from this site?

I'd recommend contacting the appropriate authorities if you still have questions.

I believe you are correct, however, I think where things can get cloudy, are if your hitting a "township" or county road right of way. After some heated confrontations many years ago, I try to stay out of those situations unless I know for a fact I'm in the right or have permission to hunt the property. Not a knock on road hunters. Just my personal preference. If your legal and enjoy it......have at it