Shotguns Only in Minnesota

I just found your web site, www.nrahuntersrights.org after seeing it mentioned in the last American Rifleman. It's a great site with lots of info. Thanks.
 
Back to the subject "Why Shotguns Only?"  Here in Minnesota we have two firearms zones--the northern "woodland" zone is open to all legal firearms. The southern "farmland" zone, in which I own land and hunt, is tagged "shotgun only" but muzzleloaders and legal handguns are allowed also. According to the MN DNR the "shotgun only" rule was put into effect in the 1930s or 1940's when the deer populations were very low. Their idea was to restrict deer hunting to those armed with relatively inaccurate smoothbore shotguns shooting slugs, so lfewer deer would be harvested. Well, it worked! We have wonderful deer populations now. Thank you, DNR!
 
I have no gripe with muzzleloaders and handguns being allowed here. In fact, I sometimes use a muzzleloader, sometimes a handgun, but generally I use my old Winchester '97 shotgun and blackpowder slug loads. Since any legal handgun is allowed, there are hunters in the field using single shot handguns chambered for .243 Win., .270 Win., 7mm Mag etc. Yet, I am not allowed to use my 1873 Winchester .44WCF lever gun or my single shot Sharps .40-70SS. Either of the two have rainbow -ike trajectory compared to the centerfire cartridges used in some handguns, not to mention most of the new fangled muzzleloaders, shotguns and the ammo they fire.
 
Any attempts to communicate with the MN DNR on this subject have gotten few responses. One letter from the DNR said that it would be impossible for the field officers to enforce a regulation that allowed certain types of rifles and not others. I wrote back questioning that logic and, in the last response I received I was asked to quit bugging them about it since there was no way anything would be changed regarding this.
 
Obviously they are uninformed about ballistics, trajectories and firearms in general and have no desire to hear anything from which they may learn.
 
Thank you.
 
Sincerely,
T.K.
Long Prairie, MN

Comments

Ohio prohibits deer hunting with modern rifles and restricts handguns to straight-wall cartridges .357M and up. Modern muzzle-loaders are okay, too, but, while you can shoot deer with a .357 handgun, you can't use the same cartridge in a rifle. You can use rifles for other game and varmints, but not for deer. Had I checked Ohio hunting rules before I moved to the Cincinnati area from the west coast a few years ago to be nearer to my job, I'd have settled on the Kentucky side of the river. From Eric Rush on Monday, February 01, 2010 10:05 AM I believe that the vast areas of open land in Southern Minnesota may have something to do with that. A rifle bulled has the propensity of traveling great distances when unhindered by forested land. Something most farmers would appreciate avoiding. The modern shotgun and ammo is very accurate and very capable of taking large animals. An issue more for your safety than choice I believe. Thanks and have a great hunt. From Kenneth Mitchell on Saturday, November 07, 2009 9:37 AM You are so correct its sad,i also live up north here in Mn., and will go out with what I must use legal tommorow .Maybe someday soon we will be able to use what is right.Go up north of rt.95 for now.Good Luck this season.C.R. From chris rieck on Friday, November 06, 2009 10:04 PM Would you call that narrow minded? From Wayne on Friday, November 06, 2009 8:45 AM

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