Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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For decades, about a third of the state fell under the so-called “shotgun zone,” which only allowed deer hunters to use shotguns loaded with single-slug shotgun shells, legal muzzle-loading long guns and legal handguns.  

The law was implemented in the 1940s to increase deer populations in the southern and western parts of the state. Using shotguns, which had a shorter range than rifles, resulted in less efficient deer harvesting because hunters were forced to get closer to the deer. 

But technological improvements increased the range of shotguns, and deer populations in the targeted areas grew, prompting the state legislature to repeal the law, which then opened statewide rifle use to hunt deer. 

Now, it’s up to the counties in the previous shotgun zone, which runs south of a line from Moorhead to Taylors Falls, to decide whether to allow the use of rifles in next year’s deer hunting season.

But concerns remain around the safety of the rifles for hunting. Clay County, in northwestern Minnesota, held a public hearing on Tuesday on whether to allow deer hunters to use rifles.

Clay County Board of Commissioners had three choices: maintain its previous shotgun rules, allow rifle use or allow rifles only to the east of State Highway 9.

The hearing room was packed with about 40 people, and most speakers opposed rifle use. Many were concerned about the potential for harming bystanders or other unintended targets.

“I've got a couple hundred cows around my place, and I’ve got a couple of pastures around there, and all of a sudden, if [hunters are] walking through there, they can shoot a cow, I mean, they wouldn't even see it if they're over half a mile away,” Clay County resident David Heng said.

Other speakers, though, were more open to the idea of allowing rifles or, at least, to compromise with permitting the firearm’s usage east of Highway 9.

“I think it addresses a lot of the concerns in there for people and the more populated areas, where you can have people shooting rifles and maybe not be so worried about the open country [compared to the] hill country,” Clay County resident Josh Noennig said.

He added that rifles could provide greater accuracy, giving hunters pause before firing. 

“I feel like when the deer isn't 10 yards in front [you], and you have that option to shoot at 100 or 150 yards, you have more time to make that decision, as opposed to just maybe pulling that trigger right away when the deer moves and, ‘Oh, something was behind it,’” Noennig said. “In terms of that, it does make it safe for hunting at a distance and gives you more time.”

Minnesota Deer Hunters Association Executive Director Jared Mazurek stressed that the ban on rifles in the shotgun zone did not have to do with safety. 

“In reality, this was all about limiting harvest in order to allow that population to recover to the point where we could then look at using rifles in the future, and we have reached that point,” he said.

The MN Deer Hunters are pushing for all counties to allow the use of rifles. Hunting zones can span multiple counties, so if one county has different rules from another, it could cause confusion among hunters, law enforcement and officers with the Department of Natural Resources, Mazurek said.

On top of that, many rifles have less recoil than shotguns, so they can be more accessible for youth.

“It gives individuals the opportunity to choose the weapon that they are comfortable with, to hunt the season that they are able to hunt, and to hunt in the way that fits them the best,” Mazurek said. “And if we can get more people engaged in doing that, I think we can at least stop this trend of hunter decline.”

And Mazurek notes that rifles have been permitted, including in the previous shotgun-only zone, to 

. They were forbidden for hunting white-tailed deer in the restricted zone. 

“So if you can trust the hunter to go on a coyote hunt on your flat agricultural landscape, why can't you trust that hunter to do the same with a white-tailed deer and make an ethical shot, clean harvest, and follow the firearm safety rules, right?” he said.

The DNR has asked counties to notify it of any changes to their firearm rules by May 5.

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Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval

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The state legislature repealed a law last year that banned the use of rifles for deer hunting in most of the state. Now, several counties, including Clay, are weighing whether to allow rifles during deer season. 

A large group of people sit inside a public hearing room.

Clay and other counties consider allowing rifle use for deer season

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