Legal distance

[Mike J]

What is the legal distance to shoot a firearm from a road? This question came up last weekend and no one could agree on the same answer. I searched through the hunting regulations book but found no answer. Thanks.

Mike J

[subzero]

The regs state that you have to be off the road right of way. Roads have different distances so the easiest way to judge is to be on the top of the ditch on the field side of the road.

[Mike J]

Great. Thanks for the info.

MikeJ

[Jeremiah Johnson]

the wierd thing is, you can shoot accross the road while small game license, but the road cant be a highway obviously

[BobT]

Here's the rules I found in our handbook regarding this topic.

Quote:

---

Page 28:

Grouse Hunting Near Motor Vehicles

A person in the vicinity of a motor vehicle may not shoot a firearm

or an arrow from a bow at a grouse, or at a decoy of a grouse

placed by an enforcement officer, unless the person is at least 20

yards (60 feet) from the vehicle and the vehicle’s engine is shut off.

This provision does not apply to a person with a disability who has

a permit to shoot from a stationary motor vehicle. This restriction

includes all motorized vehicles.

Page 58:

No person may discharge a firearm or an arrow from a bow on, over,

across, or within the right-of-way of an improved public highway

(including but not limited to federal, state, county, and township roadways)

at a big game animal or a decoy of a big game animal that has

been set out by a licensed peace officer.

---

Many believe it is legal to shoot off the road as long as your more than 20 yards from your vehicle. Page 58 seems to dispute this claim.

Bob

[CaptainMusky]

Quote:

---

the wierd thing is, you can shoot accross the road while small game license, but the road cant be a highway obviously

---

I don't believe this statement to be true. I was about 12 years old and I had some a-hole shoot across a county road and into a Game Refuge at a huge mallard that was flying right toward my dad and I. The pellets went right over our heads hitting the cornstalks behind us. He dropped the bird INSIDE the game refuge, and had the seeds to ask us if we were going to help him!!

We called the game warden and he received a citation, but I don't recall what all of the offenses were.

[riverrat56]

So can one hunt in the road ditch on a gravel road as long as it is a public right of way and not an easment?

By highway I asume the mean paved road, I seem to see people hunting road ditches all the time and walking on the road and I myself have done it once with bordering a WMA and shot a bird while standing on the road.

[CaptainMusky]

The road in my experience was a paved county road.

[tealitup]

Yes, thats the way I see it also.

[BobT]

It seems the word improved should be defined.

Bob

[Rip_Some_Lip]

You can stand on a road or shoot across a road as long as there arent any vehicles in your path for small game. I asked a C.O. once and he said that. It doesnt matter if it is paved or not as long as you are 500' from any house or livestock and it isnt putting motorists at danger. Take this with a grain of salt because it has been a few years since I asked him and it may have changed or another C.O. may view it different.

[monstermoose78]

You can shoot a grouse or pheasant or any other small game off I35 if you want too as long as your 20 feet away from your car or truck with it turned off. Just dont try shooting a deer off a road big game laws are different. Also think how it looks to non hunters if we are blasting poor little animals off the roads.

[BobT]

Okay, I see my error. Page 58 is referring to big game.

Bob