Poor Sportsmanship Friday Night Before Opener

[c&amagn]

I sat out in my stand Friday Night before the MN Deer Firearms Opener which I've a few times in the past years just to see if I'd see any deer go by. (Of course without any fireams on my person.) I sat from 4:30 p.m. until dark and couldn't beleive my ears. I counted 35-shots that night, I'm sure some hunters were last minute shighting in their guns which of course is illegal to do anyhow so cloese to the opener but I'm sure some of the shots were taking deer also. What a Joke just to get a deer. Just my opinion.

[JDM]

What if they were waterfowl, pheasant, or grouse hunters? I hear duck hunters all the time from the place that I hunt deer.

[brittman]

To lazy to go look it up _ I'll ask.

I also heard high powered rifle shots Friday. Can you site in deer rifles at a private deer camp the day before the season starts?

[c&amagn]

No legal caliber firearm capable of taking a deer can be shot up to 5-days prior to deer opener except at gun ranges I do believe. I've been deer hunting for 23-years and know what high powered rifles sound like versus shotguns, sort of hard to hit a grouse the last 10-15 minutes of daylight in my mind in the woods. Hope there weren't any bow huntes near those grouse hunters in dressed in full camo that night. I mean I've alwasys heard a few shots that Friday night before opener like for those groups gettign camp meat and all but c'mon 35 shots within hearig distance. I was near Pine River, MN.

[Muthagoose]

I shot over 500 rounds in just rifle and prolly 350 in pistol last week.

If I was'nt sitting in the decoys I was target shooting.. Ya think maybe they figured I was'nt poaching. Pretty sure they did when I took out the 50 cal and the pistols...

Some mental giant came up with that one. I realize a 12ga isnt a "leagle caliber" but a slug will do the job ...

Just another well thought out MN law....

[bubs]

the rules state any caliber or shell except 22 long or short rifled cannot be shot five days before the deer season except shotgun with the pellet size of 04 bucksot or smaller while hunting small game or waterfowl. otherwise you have to be on a desegnated gun range. I know there are alot of people in my area that sight in on fri and there are some that hunt.

[DonBo]

Quote:

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otherwise you have to be on a desegnated gun range.

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Sounds like a gray area. Isn't a range, with target, behind my cabin considered "designated"?

[Kodiak]

why can you not shoot highpowers within 5 days of deer opener, what if you are a predator hunter?

[DeanoB]

I think the regulation pertains only to state and county land, as they can't tell a landowner it is illegal to shoot firearms on their land.

[DigitalFisherman]

I wasn't able to hunt opener but I know for a fact that the guys that I hunt with all had to sight in Friday evening. They were on private land (our own range) just north of Pine River... all are good sportsmen.