Property Ownership of Lakeshore and Duck Hunting

Does anyone know the MN rule of where your ownership of lakeshore ends? Are the cattails and surface muck considered your property still?

Here’s the full scenario. Our lakeshore has a big pennisula of cattails and bog/muck. We’ve had a couple duck hunters pull their boats into the cattails and hunt this area. Not a huge deal but I like hunting it and they do this without asking permission. I’m not planning on calling the warden to get anyone in trouble. Rather, if they by chance get out there before me on a morning I plan to hunt, I would like to know the official rules before having a conversation with them.

I believe it is off the high water mark.

My understanding is that if there’s water, its public.

Dry land is where the private property ends. In your case, if there’s water in the cattails/bog/muck, then its public.

Will be interesting to see what others say here. I think you’re doing the right thing by trying to find a good answer ahead of a potential problem.

Ask if you can hunt with them . Maybe they are cool dudes and you can combine spreads .

Call the MN dnr and just ask the question. They are pretty good about it. I would imagine its considered public but only one way to find out.

When in doubt call the local warden to get his take on it…I do it whenever I have questions about stuff like that…road right of ways(which can also be a call to the county offices), water entry points, etc…have all been figured out before there is an issue…I got cussed out by neighbors and ruined an opening day years ago…they were completely wrong but the local police got involved and forced us off the pond to chat…never again…it’s actually a pretty good idea to be on a first name basis with your local CO…

Get out there before they do.

Page 11 of the Hunting Regs – Water Access and Recreational Use:
What is lawful access?
A stream or lake is lawfully accessible if there is a public access, or if puvlic land or a public road right-of-way abuts the surface of the water…
What is recreational use?
Rec use…includes…hunting. It includes walking in the water in connection with such activities regardless of who owns the land beneath the surface of the water.

They can set up and hunt the cat tails. Trick we used to pull is put a lantern out there and claim your spot first.
We had a run in with some dink cabin owner tried telling us we couldn’t hunt in front of his place blah blah blah. He even threatened us so we called the dnr. He informed him that the property owner was in the wrong and the guy had a total melt down.

In your case I’d try to meet them at the end of there hunt and introduce your selves to them. We’ve met some great guys this way and team hunt 2 boats.

But when in doubt, a lantern always redirects people.

might just want to wake up earlier? HA!