- Air guns upward of .40 caliber are sufficient for deer hunting.air guns image by Sergey Lukianov from Fotolia.com
In the state of Minnesota, air rifle hunting laws follow the same rules as those of regular rifles and firearms. An air rifle is no less dangerous than a rifle. Hunters must be careful handling air rifles, never pointing the muzzle at anyone, loaded or unloaded. If sitting your gun down, make sure it's in a secure position and not leaning against something unstable. - All individuals intending to hunt, take, and/or transport protected animals with an air rifle in the state of Minnesota must purchase a hunting license and have it on the person while in the act. At least one piece of clothing above the waist must be blaze orange while hunting. An adult hunting deer with an air rifle must purchase a deer hunting license for $26, as of 2010. Youths ages 12 to 17 hunting deer must purchase a license for $13, and kids 10 to 11 must carry a free license. In the way of small game hunting with an air rifle, adult licenses are $19, kids 16 to 17 are $12.50, and a small game license for children 15 and under is free. Licenses specific to other animals ranging from moose to prairie chickens are required and vary in price. Lifetime licenses for deer and small game are also available.
- While transporting an air rifle in Minnesota, the firearm must not be loaded and must be in a case or locked in the trunk of a car. It's illegal to hunt a wild animal from a vehicle, unless you are disabled with a permit. Protected birds are restricted from being hunted at all times. These include swans, owls, hawks, bobwhite quail, herons, bitterns, grebes, loons, cormorants, eagles and any species of bird except those that are unprotected. The following protected mammals are restricted from hunting: gray wolves, antelope, caribou, wolverine, lynx, cougars and spotted skunks. All unprotected birds and mammals are legal to hunt with an air rifle, including: coyotes, weasels, gophers, porcupines, striped skunk, house sparrows, common pigeons, starlings, chukar partridge, quail, monk parakeets and all other mammals and birds. While using an air rifle, a deer hunter must be sure that she is within the shotgun zone by checking the deer zone map accessible at the DNR's website.
- If a hunter shoots another person with a firearm, he must immediately aid the victim and call the authorities. Youths ages 13 and younger hunting with an air rifle must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. A license my be purchased to hunt bears. Bears may be hunted with an air rifle, although only one bear is allowed to be taken per season in a quota area (two bears in a non-quota area.) White bears and cub bears are protected and illegal to hunt. Hunters must apply for one of 213 licenses, as of 2010, to hunt moose, whose population levels are low. For the same reason, hunting elk is even more regulated with only 11 permits being issued in 2010.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
