Legal to Relase a Bow, Legal to Hunt?

[Guest]

I'm wondering if anyone out there knows if it is true that as long as it's legal to release (shoot) a Bow then it's also legal to hunt Deer?

My Grandpa's house in in Mtka. and I called the police dept. to see if it was legal to shoot my bow for practice purposes--his deck is perfect height, etc. for this.

I was informed that I needed special permission from the Chief to do this. Also, if you can shoot a bow can you shoot a Deer too? Provided, of course, it's in season and you have a license

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Chells

[Mayfly]

Maybe i'm a complete idiot but that post makes no sense to me......Special permit to target practice with a bow???

[BDR]

It makes sense to me that you would need a permit to target shoot in your yard in the metro area. I really would't appreciate arrows landing in my yard, we know some people don't have common sense to be safe in metro settings.
I believe you can legally bow hunt on many areas of the metro edges, just call your local C.O.

[Willowmaker]

Most of the time you need the permit to practice in the metro. The shooting of a deer in the metro will only be alowed in harvest areas, not in your back yard unless it is one of those areas. You will also have to get a permit to do this. I do not think anyone would like to see a deer with an arrow stuck through it come into an urban back yard and fall over dead.It makes for bad feelings tward the bowhunter. Check with your DNR officer and he will be able to give you the right poop.

[TomBow]

There are various city ordinances out there concerning "discharging a weapon within city limits". Minnetonka probably has such an ordinance but "special permission from the chief" sounds a little fishy. I think whoever you talked to doesn't know and made that stuff up. It really depends on what your neighbors will allow, talk to them first and let them know what you're doing so they don't call the cops.

Shooting deer in Minnetonka is probably NOT allowed. If you shoot one and it travels far enough to drop on your neighbor's lawn, they may be quite upset, call the cops and you'd be in all KINDS of trouble. Find out who the wildlife manager for the area is and talk to them. Police departments are probably not the most knowledgeable about wildlife-related rules. Last year I hunted a metro hunt in the cities in a small area, the local police officer I talked to had NO IDEA the hunt was taking place! Best of Luck!

[huskminn]

Reading this thread prompted me to call the officials in Chanhassen where I live to find out about shooting my bow in my back yard.

I was advised that they do not issue permits to do that under any circumstances. The only possibility is if I lived in an area of Chanhassen that has some type of archery hunt, which I don't.

So, the officer told me, your bow is classified as a FIREARM in Chanhassen, therefore you simply can't shoot it--period. When I asked him about shooting ranges nearby, he told me that Chanhassen and/or Carver County has no archery practice ranges in any parks, etc.

I have never heard of anything so freaking ridiculous. Obviously, archery isn't taught in any school or summer park program, is it?

The longer I live here, the more I hate it. This is another idiotic regulation that will get added to the list of reasons to leave this place.

[Dave]

Just peaked in this Forum and read this thread. In Andover, we can't shoot a bow in our backyard but, we do have a nice archery complex; where you can target shoot. It's indorr and outdoor I think. There's also a path that goes through the wooded sections with targets as well.

[Guest]

It took a while to see some responses, thanks for your input.

I always take the the high road on sensitive issues and this one is certainly all of that

The last thing I would want is to have a Bow-shot Deer "Cack" on someone's property, legal or not. I can shoot a Deer in my backyard pretty easily as I am out just far enough with enough room to safely do so.

There is a PY class Buck in my Grandpa's backyard that I'm sure goes above 180--a perfect 14-pointer with MASS! He never will be chased by a hunter, and that's okay. I think it's every hunter's fantasy to think about taking an animal of that caliber and only driving 10 minutes from home to do so

My Buck will hopefully come from ND this year as I'm already losing sleep over one I kick-up every time I'm on a spot I like for Pheasants.

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Chells

[korn_fish]

you should check out the DNR building at the state fair. They have a wall of mounts from deer that were confiscated because of illegally shooting. One is from a guy that shot a PY class buck in his back yard in bloomington. He got arrested of course!!!!! which is fine in my book that he got arrested.

That record class buck in mtka sounds familiar, but then again, there are many record class deer that way.

[mnfishman]

I live up in Starbuck and I found out last fall that I cannot shoot by bow in my backyard either. I asked the local police where I can shoot and they said out of the city limits. They said to go to a WPA in just down the road and shoot there. I think I should probably call the local CO first before I try that...

[Guest]

Korn, I remember that Bloomington Buck story from about 4-5 years ago, right?

I'm going to Colorado to get my rocks off in Sept. Elk hunting, after that it'll all be an exercise

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Chells

[Canuck]

Just peaked at this thread and got real glad I live where I do. Every morning and I mean every morning I step out on my bedroom balcony, and shoot 3 arrows at the bag I have placed at 40 yds. I have been doing this for at least 3 months just to keep in practice. I wouldn't want to package everything up and drive any distance to practice. I am legally allowed to shoot deer here as I am not in a residential area, actually have horses. There are deer in the yard almost every day feeding on the salt lick for the horses or their watering bowl BUT if I shot one of those deer it would be divorce city but then I don't really feel it would be huntin as these deer have felt safe in the yard for many a year.

[jlm]

I think in MN you need to be a certain distance from a house or out building as well. Is it 100 yards or something like that. Shooting off your deck would be illegal. You should post some pictures of that monster buck, we would all like to see!