Multiple Firearms

[Rippinlip]

Could a person legally carry 2 firearms at once while hunting White tail deer?

I am talking a hand gun and a slug gun at the same time?

[Benny]

It should be legal so long as the extra gun is a legal deer caliber.You can't carry a .44 mag pistol and a 12 gage loaded with bird shot though, the shot gun must be loaded with slugs.

But if you have a Concealed Wepons permit it is legal to carry your CCW and your deer rifle but not legal to use the CCW to shoot deer with!

Benny

[Neiko]

Benny, even if your CCW is a legal size caliber you still can't use it to take a deer? That seems kind of dumb. What is there reasoning behind it?

[lcornice]

Quote:

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Benny, even if your CCW is a legal size caliber you still can't use it to take a deer? That seems kind of dumb. What is there reasoning behind it?

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If your CCW gun is not a legal caliber, it can't be used to take a deer. However, you can carry two guns in the field. We're going early antlerless hunting this year and I'm taking my encore pistol and muzzleloader. I've been dying to try the .260!

[FarByondDrivn]

You can carry two or three if you want (as long as the yare legal deer calibers or CC). I hunt with a few guys who carry 12 gauges as well as .44s or .357s. I did myself for a while but found I never used the pistol so I went to carrying only the pistol when walking drives in thick cover. Just easier to scramble throught the thick stuff if you can use both hands.

[BobT]

You can't hunt birds and carry a legal firearm pistol to take a deer if you're licensed for both? I wasn't aware of that. I'm going to have to look that one up.

Bob

[UdeLakeTom]

Had a CO check the shells in my vest to make sure they were slugs one time.....He didn't say anything, just pulled one out, looked at it and gave it back to me. The best thing was, two minutes later, his partner tried to run across a snow filled ditch and fell face first. Ditches filled with snow have a way of catching up real quick, needless to say I

got a good chuckle out of it. They were imported to the area and were real jerks about checking things out. Haven't

had any problems with any of the others though.

[lawdog]

I think Benny is a little off on this one. We often load a first shot of bird shot to drop roosters and then slugs behind it. We've been told by CO's this was legal. Generally the walkers don't shoot much for deer here and have a better chance of killing pheasants, but you can always drop that shot shell out if you can see a deer ahead...

[Froggy4371]

Lawdog,

I watched a guy get taged for that 2 years ago. He has a legal phesant license and deer license but you must choose one or the other to hunt at a time not both. because if a deer gets up and you want to shoot it you have illegal shells for hunting deer. Just a FYI.

[bigbucks]

I'm quite sure that's not legal either, although I did do it once, when I was doing the middle of a drive & had shot a lot of deer already with no intention of shooting another. I think you have really practical game wardens in your area.

Incidentally shooting a flying pheasant with rifle sights on a slug barrel presents it's challenges. Those tail feathers I cut off may still be drifting in the wind...

[lawdog]

In the past I've had more than one CO tell me it was legal. I work with the local CO now quite a bit and have gotten to know him pretty well. I'll ask him and let you guys know what he thinks.

[stmichael]

Hey Benny,

Sorry to hijack this post, but, I really hope that you are happy with the topper. How did the paint turn out? For what it is worth I am happy that we were able to work out the deal.

We should get together for a beer sometime, (that is if either one of us has the time)

Take care.

[lawdog]

Here is my question and what I got back (note I had to edit out other non-related parts of the email but this is the entire part related to this question)

>>> "Jeff" 10/11/2006 2:30:13 PM >>>

By the way, I have a rule question for you. We were told years ago by an old CO that we could load one shot shell in our guns to shoot pheasants while doing drives and that we could back that up with slugs to shoot deer. Just obviously had to not shoot that birdshot at a deer if one got up. Can we do this? Someone was telling me we couldn't hunt birds and deer at the same time and I don't see anything in the regs saying we can't.

CO'S RESPONSE:

Nice question. Easy answer is yes. Not so easy answer follows. You cannot assist a deer hunter unless you have a like license.

So, pheasant hunters with no deer licenses cannot drive or hunt a field with their buddy and his slug gun or bow or muzzleloader sitting at the end of the field waiting for a deer. And, it would be illegal for pheasant-only hunters to be intermingled with slug hunters walking a draw or field unless the deer hunters were loaded up with and carrying birdshot only, thus, pheasant hunting at the time.

To have a slug in the field during slug season, you must possess a deer (slug legal) license. So, if a hunter is licensed for pheasant and slug deer, and both seasons are open he may possess both slug and birdshot. Obviously, the birdshot rounds could not be fired at the deer and a slug cannot be fired at a pheasant (I think due to the .22 only rule for shooting pheasants with other than birdshot).

If everybody in the group is licensed for both, they could all carry either slug, birdshot, or both and hunt both at the same time. The same line of thinking also applies in muzzleloader season. If you understand this the way I explained it, you are an intelligent man.

ANALYSIS...

I was right we can do it as long as we are all licensed for both which we are.

[BobT]

Thanks, I submitted the question this morning and am now waiting for my reply. My question was worded a bit different. I had asked if I was licensed for both deer and small game if it was permitted for me to carry my .44 on my hip and a 12ga. in my arms loaded with bird shot for grouse. I hunt deer in northern MN.

By the response you received the answer to my question will be yes.

Bob

Bob

[DinnerPail]

Page 57 of the hunting regulations reads;

A rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, or handgun is legal for taking deer if;

* is loaded only with single projectile ammunition;

Count your self lucky if a CO tells you it's ok to have bird shot and slugs in the gun at the same time. I'm sure there are other CO's that will look at it another way.

[lawdog]

That's why you have to take the shot shell out (either by hand or by shooting it in the air) before you shoot at a buck. This is the third different CO who's told me its legal, NONE have ever said it wasn't.

[Sutty]

I have thought about doing this every year but I have always worried about messing up my rifled barrel. Do you use a bird barrel for the drive?

[lawdog]

Ya don't try to shoot bird shot through a rifled barrel...

[Sutty]

I suppose using a differant gun for the drive would be the easiest. I have an 870 express that has been gathering dust for several years...

[Benny]

I never said it was legal to take deer with it.

I said it was legal to carry it though!!

An yes if it is a legal caliber you can use it to take a deer, where is the differance between a deer legal caliber CCW vs and extra deer legal caliber gun?

If you carry a 9mm or a non legal caliber as a CCW you best NOT be shooting it at deer.

LawDog, your CO might be reading the law as he see's it, but another CO might now read it the same way.

It is up to the CO to tag you or not and as with the regular popo they are ALWAYS right in the field!!!

I would not take the chance just to shoot one or two birds that I could go out after deer season and bag any way.

Benny

[USPENAMC]

i have a dumb question?

lets say i shoot a deer and lets say for some odd reason i shoot real low and blow off both his legs I am carrying my pistol lets say a 40 caliber 9mm whatever but its not legal for deer.

the deer is on the ground suffering i dont want to shoot him point blank with a slug would it now be legal to use my handgun (which isnt legal caliber) to end the suffering? should i take out a knife and do what? i personally believe not being able to breath (such as drowning) would be a horrible way to die so i would not want to slit its throat

have i opened another can of worms here?

[lawdog]

Can't use it. If its not legal for taking big game, then its not legal. Its just that simple.

[Benny]

Hey Stmicheal, the paint job turned out ok.They didn't get the tape in up close enough by the windows in a few spots but you have to be looking for it to see it.

Topper fits fine, I need to figure out if I have it far enough foward though.

The rear door doesn't conform to the gate top to well.Do I have to remove the plastic protector or add some more weather stripping under the topper??

Benny

[Benny]

Lawdog is correct, you still can not use the non legal CCW to dispatch the animal.

Only if a CO said you can, and I doubt they would unless they are right there with you.

If they do it, it would cause them termendous paper work because they discharged thier weapon.

99% of them would allow it if they are present just because of that.

It would be best just to pump another .30-06 round in the head, just make sure the angle of deflection on pass through will not hit any one or a house.

Benny

[BobT]

Here's the question I submitted to the DNR.

***********************************************************

I own a .44 magnum pistol and a 12ga. shotgun. I deer hunt in northern MN near Mountain Iron. The question is this:

Is it permitted for me to carry the .44 in my holster during the firearms deer season while simultaneously carrying the 12ga. loaded with shot shells to hunt grouse that I may encounter. There are many occasions when I have encountered deer while grouse hunting and vise-versa and I know I could have had a good opportunity and thought that this might be a good way to cover two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Second part to this question is related. If I carry only the shotgun, can I have in my possession both slugs and shotshells while deer hunting so that if I encounter a grouse I can take it using the shotshells?

************************************************************

The response I received from Kevin Kyle was YES to both questions as long as I am properly licesnsed for both game. He also mentioned to be sure to use the right firearm for the right game.

Bob

[Benny]

Sounds like we have a our answer now.

If two CO's say the same thing and both are from different areas, I guess we have it.

Benny

[bigbucks]

I thought they passed a law 2-4 years ago that specifically said it was acceptable to dispatch a wounded deer with a .22 pistol.

I know guys that have done that forever, you guys probably do too. They never poach anything, they just walk up to the deer & finish it if it isn't dead, without blowing it's head off.

[riverrat56]

another spin off question to lawdog's answer, it stated you cannot have slugs with you while pheasant hunting if not licensed for deer or not deer season, what if I would happen to come acrossed a coyote loafing along a ditch and wanted to take a poke at it?

I ask because I do usually carry a slug or 2 in my little pocket on my vest for this situation and a racoon that was harassing my dog found out the other day......is it really illegal to have a slug with me while pheasant hunting?

[BobT]

I haven't been able to find any restriction to having slugs or rifles in possession during this time. Only that you are not allowed to use these for taking pheasant or hungarian partridge.

Bob