States than did away with “shotgun zones”?

Modern Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Modern Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

03mossy

Administrator
Staff member
ADMIN
Global Moderator
*
Joined
Mar 9, 2007
Messages
3,339
Reaction score
1,511
MN has proposed new legislation that is in the very early stages to do away with the shotgun only zones. Right now the southern half of the state is shotgun only. Superkirby and I have been discussing how it would affect us and what we think the pros and cons are. I worry about the slob slug hunters (not all but there’s a group by me) I see with there unethical style of hunting now being able to shoot center fire rifles. Where I hunt opening weekend in southwestern MN it is very open and extremely flat. From my tower stand I can see miles in every direction.

To get to my question. For those of you that live and/or hunt in the Midwest states that have done away with shotgun zones what changes have you seen both good and bad?
 
NY has changed many counties from shotgun only to allow rifles. I have not heard of ANY issues, good or bad. It's been law for a couple of years now. I guess you could Google NYS DEC and get news on it. I too was worried about the slobs, or what we call "The 5 shooters". Opening day you will hear "boom,boom,boom,boom,boom". Sounds like the Bosnian war in the hills where I live. So far, so good.
 
I am in southern MN and I would just as soon they keep it the way it is.
 
Well in Southern Michigan we now see more CO's . The law is to allow straight walled cartridges of no more than 1.8 " of brass , along with shotguns and mz's . They bust many with 270 , 30-06 ,45-70 ,etc . Too bad they are Late for Poachers(locals) during bow season with guns just before our cf opener . Other than that not much difference . A hand loaded 450 bushmaster bolt action will reach 400yds loaded beyond book but under pressurre signs . A 45 Raptor even further while being pretty flat as well . My 45 Raptor custom pushes a 275gr barnes @ 2940 .
 
Last edited:
Slobs is slobs! don't matter if bow, crossbow, ML, shotgun, CF or whatever. Law doesn't matter to the unthinking. Here in VA the "farmers" are the worst, they get the 24-365 permits to shoot deer and usually use 17HMR or 223 and blaze away at all times of the day or year. After seeing what results from that I never miss an opportunity to "throw it in the face" of any of the CPO or other game wardens. It is a travesty and far surpasses anything any hunter does. I have seen piles of up to 50 deer dragged out of a field and left to rot in July and August. It's disgusting. And perfectly legal. Nowadays the CPOs will not talk or listen to me and I certainly let them and the DGIF know how many of us paying and ethical hunter feel about their uncaring attitude towards the resource. If you do some investigating you may find the agencies really DGAD about the hunters or resource. They are only interested in the $ income to the agencies and their salaries.

End rant!!! W
 
Here in newjersey i heard a rumor a few years ago they were going to allow a 30-30 for deer, pretty sure it was bs, however in the pine barrens you really need buck shot , as far as slobs they are everywhere. we have what they call the orange army during our shot gun week, it’s basically big clubs driving every piece of state land ,club after club beat the woods down for a week , its why we lease a farm, it goes on during the doe and muzzleloader seasons as well. you guys in the big open states are probably okay with changing the law to allow rifles. for such a small state our fish and game department does a stellar job ,but driving deer with big gangs scares the hell out of me, best left to scatter guns
 
MN has proposed new legislation that is in the very early stages to do away with the shotgun only zones. Right now the southern half of the state is shotgun only. Superkirby and I have been discussing how it would affect us and what we think the pros and cons are. I worry about the slob slug hunters (not all but there’s a group by me) I see with there unethical style of hunting now being able to shoot center fire rifles. Where I hunt opening weekend in southwestern MN it is very open and extremely flat. From my tower stand I can see miles in every direction.

To get to my question. For those of you that live and/or hunt in the Midwest states that have done away with shotgun zones what changes have you seen both good and bad?
worst thing I have seen is the antlerless seasons turned into a what I call bag limit for does. Center fire season hasn't been around long enough yet, but it will put hurt on inline MZ, forgot from Indiana
 
Last edited:
You MN guys may remember a couple of decades ago that in NW MN along the Red River, which borders North Dakota, was shotgun only. Basically it was from the Moorhead area all the way up to the Canadian border in Kittson County. I deer hunted in the rifle zone just to east of this area, for 35 years. It was not the end of the world when the DNR changed it to rifle use. I did not hear of many issues afterwards, but did hear of more clean deer kills in using a rifle over much more open farmland. The Red River Valley is like North Dakota, but with more trees. I agree that slobs will be slobs regardless of weapon used. I don't think I will go to using a large caliber rifle if allowed in my area because the terrain limits the distances I need to shoot. Besides, what was the point in me getting into muzzleloading if I can use a .30-06 at home? I am way beyond the point of no return to change up things now. I might consider a straight walled cartridge rifle if allowed, however.
 
Basically the newer shotguns are just big bore rifles. With rifled barrels and saboted rounds, your good out to 150-200 yards.

Where I hunt it’s so thick that I gun hunt at bow hunting distances.
 
Here in newjersey i heard a rumor a few years ago they were going to allow a 30-30 for deer, pretty sure it was bs, however in the pine barrens you really need buck shot , as far as slobs they are everywhere. we have what they call the orange army during our shot gun week, it’s basically big clubs driving every piece of state land ,club after club beat the woods down for a week , its why we lease a farm, it goes on during the doe and muzzleloader seasons as well. you guys in the big open states are probably okay with changing the law to allow rifles. for such a small state our fish and game department does a stellar job ,but driving deer with big gangs scares the hell out of me, best left to scatter guns
I was in on a couple of small drives, on private property, years ago. Im not going to do that again. It yielded a couple decent bucks and a big doe, but it just isn't the way I want to hunt.
 
No official update on these bills right now, for this change for you MN guys. With the MN Legislature taking a month long recess at home due to the Covd 19 situation, I don't see this happening this year. We will see by the end of the session.
 
Fat chance of that happening in Massachusetts. Massachusetts has been a "shotgun" state for over 100 years and it is not going to change any time soon. This state is a bundle of contradictions.

I can hunt small game and varmints with a 30-06 but not a deer. I can hunt black bear in September with my Redhawk in the 44 magnum but not for deer in December.
 
Indiana used to be shotgun, handgun and muzzle loaders only. About a 15, or so, years ago they opened firearms season up for rifles with straight wall cartridges, i.e. .44 mag, .357 mag and others. About 5 years ago they opened for other centerfire cartridges. The caveat is, they are only legal on private property.
 
Indiana used to be shotgun, handgun and muzzle loaders only. About a 15, or so, years ago they opened firearms season up for rifles with straight wall cartridges, i.e. .44 mag, .357 mag and others. About 5 years ago they opened for other centerfire cartridges. The caveat is, they are only legal on private property.
Ive seen those other "Indiana special" bottleneck cartriges .
 
You may have heard of the Hoosier .358. It was introduced as a special cartridge that met all of the Indiana regulations introduced a decade ago. However, IDNR has since approved many of the standard center fire cartridges, .243 to 30-06.
 
I'm from NY and for one don't like having shotgun only zones gone. For one thing I never shot a deer more than 100 a yards away. It's not a good feeling hearing a 300 win mag go off close by and you don't know who's shooting. I guess I'm just getting old like most NY hunters that I see.
 
Back
Top