SF 4062 Shotgun Zone Elimination

So I am wondering if this passed yesterday. From what I can see it passed for all bunt Olmsted and Dodge counties.

04/28/2022
Bill was passed as amended
vote: 70-59

Line 29.1 https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF4062&version=latest&session=ls92&session_year=2022&session_number=0

Thanks,
RVRDUX

I tried reading the text for it and I can’t figure it out.

It appears that way as the they removed all the language for the shotgun zone besides the two counties

97B.311 DEER SEASONS AND RESTRICTIONS.
(a) Except as provided under paragraph (c), the commissioner may, by rule, prescribe
restrictions and designate areas where deer may be taken, including hunter selection criteria
for special hunts established under section 97A.401, subdivision 4. The commissioner may,
by rule, prescribe the open seasons for deer within the following periods:

(1) taking with firearms, other than muzzle-loading firearms, between November 1 and
December 15;

(2) taking with muzzle-loading firearms between September 1 and December 31; and

(3) taking by archery between September 1 and December 31.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), the commissioner may establish special seasons
within designated areas at any time of year.

(c) The commissioner may not impose an antler point restriction other than that imposed
under Minnesota Rules, part 6232.0200, subpart 6.

Liking that portion of 3b

That’s interesting. Looks like item 2 above was added to allow the commissioner to set an earlier muzzle-loader season? The shotgun change surprises me. I knew it was being considered. I kinda like it, but am surprised they didn’t put in some other cartridge restriction for what is now the shotgun zone.

Never mind I see the latest amendment removed any elimination of the shotgun zone.
Thanks,
RVRDUX

My day job is far from a lawyer. What’s all this mean? Hunt with rifle?

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

My day job is far from a lawyer. What’s all this mean? Hunt with rifle?

I called DNR phone #. They had no clue what I was talking about. 🤷‍♂️

MNdrifter wrote:

They had no clue what I was talking about.

LOL

The shotgun use area is that portion of the state lying within the following
described boundary: Beginning on the west boundary of the state at the northern boundary
of Clay County; thence along the northern boundary of Clay County to State Trunk Highway
(STH) 32; thence along STH 32 to STH 34; thence along STH 34 to Interstate Highway 94
(I-94); thence along I-94 to County State-Aid Highway (CSAH) 40, Douglas County; thence
along CSAH 40 to CSAH 82, Douglas County; thence along CSAH 82 to CSAH 22, Douglas
County; thence along CSAH 22 to CSAH 6, Douglas County; thence along CSAH 6 to
CSAH 14, Douglas County; thence along CSAH 14 to STH 29; thence along STH 29 to
CSAH 46, Otter Tail County; thence along CSAH 46, Otter Tail County, to CSAH 22, Todd
County; thence along CSAH 22 to U.S. Highway 71; thence along U.S. Highway 71 to STH
27; thence along STH 27 to the Mississippi River; thence along the east bank of the
Mississippi River to STH 23; thence along STH 23 to STH 95; thence along STH 95 to
U.S. Highway 8; thence along U.S. Highway 8 to the eastern boundary of the state; thence
along the east, south, and west boundaries of the state to the point of beginning consisting
of Olmsted and Dodge Counties.

They removed and added new language

It got through the senate and was removed by the house?
Not sure what happens when the two groups don’t agree on something, but one side doesn’t like it or wants to use it as leverage.

It’s been a minute since 9th grade civics.

House just re amended it to any legal firearm state wide. Senate and house will have to agree to the same end bill before it can be passed. I doubt that the shotgun boundary will be the hang up as they seem to be on the same page.

Of course it would change. In the last year I bought 2 Hastings rifled slug barrels for the kids 870’s, a new 220 savage for myself, 3 vortex scopes, and have been buying sabots 2 boxes at a time as I find them for $18/box of five (up to 8 boxes). I think I will still have the kids use the slug guns for a few years around home regardless, but man what luck. You all can thank me for this change. 🤦‍♂️

Youbetcha wrote:

House just re amended it to any legal firearm state wide. Senate and house will have to agree to the same end bill before it can be passed. I doubt that the shotgun boundary will be the hang up as they seem to be on the same page.

The way I am reading it that amendment failed. The changes to the bill seem relatively minor so there seems to be a good chance the senate passes it as amended.

It seems kind of weird to have those 2 counties exempted. Particularly Dodge

that’s one senator (Senjem) who put the two county restriction in. It’ll go to conference committee now since the house & senate bills don’t match. We’ll see what they end up with from there.

MN Gun Owner Caucus thinks they’ll get it switched to statewide, so we’ll see.

MNdrifter wrote:

Of course it would change. In the last year I bought 2 Hastings rifled slug barrels for the kids 870’s, a new 220 savage for myself, 3 vortex scopes, and have been buying sabots 2 boxes at a time as I find them for $18/box of five (up to 8 boxes). I think I will still have the kids use the slug guns for a few years around home regardless, but man what luck. You all can thank me for this change. 🤦‍♂️

We’ve been able to shoot rifles in Buffalo County where I hunt for a long time. They definitely have their place, but the slug guns are awesome too.

I’d still bet half of the deer harvested are with slug guns near where we hunt. The biggest deer I’ve taken couldn’t be seen much beyond 70-80 yards to start with. There’s more margin for error with brush and whatnot with the slugs.

Hunting with a shotgun slug would put me at a major disadvantage where I hunt. The landscape where I hunt in zone 2 is fairly open. Its not heavy timber like it is up north in zone 1. Its broken country that has a mix of small stands of timber, brush, grassland, and agriculture. I can see 500+ yards in 3 directions when I get 20 feet up in a tree. I’d be so limited if I had to use a shotgun there instead of a scoped rifle.

gimruis wrote:

Hunting with a shotgun slug would put me at a major disadvantage where I hunt. The landscape where I hunt in zone 2 is fairly open. Its not heavy timber like it is up north in zone 1. Its broken country that has a mix of small stands of timber, brush, grassland, and agriculture. I can see 500+ yards in 3 directions when I get 20 feet up in a tree. I’d be so limited if I had to use a shotgun there instead of a scoped rifle.

And it’s no different in the rest of Zone 2, and even most of Zone 3. Stupid rule that needed to be changed 20 years ago.

buckybadger wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>MNdrifter wrote:</div>
Of course it would change. In the last year I bought 2 Hastings rifled slug barrels for the kids 870’s, a new 220 savage for myself, 3 vortex scopes, and have been buying sabots 2 boxes at a time as I find them for $18/box of five (up to 8 boxes). I think I will still have the kids use the slug guns for a few years around home regardless, but man what luck. You all can thank me for this change. 🤦‍♂️

We’ve been able to shoot rifles in Buffalo County where I hunt for a long time. They definitely have their place, but the slug guns are awesome too.

I’d still bet half of the deer harvested are with slug guns near where we hunt. The biggest deer I’ve taken couldn’t be seen much beyond 70-80 yards to start with. There’s more margin for error with brush and whatnot with the slugs.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to shoot that new 220! I’ve been shooting shotgun slugs at deer since I cut my teeth. Just had to laugh at the year I make a bigger investment, the rules change. Also, I’m much more comfortable with the kids shooting shotgun.

You may be more comfortable, but your kids are not.
Shotgun slugs kick like a mule.
There are much better choices for smaller shooters than a slug, and the milder recoil will make them shoot better.

Tom schmitt wrote:

You may be more comfortable, but your kids are not.
Shotgun slugs kick like a mule.
There are much better choices for smaller shooters than a slug, and the milder recoil will make them shoot better.

And cheaper shells to practice with.

Yea even if the slugs were cheaper, I still wouldn’t want to practice with them.

Rifles are also much safer than shotgun slugs, especially in woods and hilly terrain. The usual rifle bullets for hunting don’t ricochet nearly as much as a shotgun slug will, they tend to break apart much easier when they hit a branch or rock, whereas that 1oz chunk of lead from a shotgun will stay mostly intact and keep going.

For reference this shotgun zone thing was part of a MNDNR policy change bill SF2767 and was driven by the MNDNR
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF2767&ssn=0&y=2021

I’ve been following along due to other language in the bill (2 fishing lines on MN and Miss rivers).

The bill is in conference committee being combined by House and Senate for full agreement.

The other thing that no one is talking about is lead.
If they truly want to stop all lead, I believe they will need to get rid of shotgun slugs.
I don’t believe they can make a non lead slug for a shot gun.

Tom schmitt wrote:

The other thing that no one is talking about is lead.
If they truly want to stop all lead, I believe they will need to get rid of shotgun slugs.
I don’t believe they can make a non lead slug for a shot gun.

There’s copper slugs for shotguns, but they’re usually pretty spendy, like $18+/box.

Tom schmitt wrote:

I don’t believe they can make a non lead slug for a shot gun.

There’s a bunch of sabot/wads for reloading shotgun shells with pistol bullets….which means there’s a whole world of copper bullets to use.

Jimmy Jones wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Tom schmitt wrote:</div>
I don’t believe they can make a non lead slug for a shot gun.

There’s a bunch of sabot/wads for reloading shotgun shells with pistol bullets….which means there’s a whole world of copper bullets to use.

But I believe you would need a rifled barrel to make that work.
Maybe one of the gunsmith members can verify if a choked shotgun would be able to shoot a copper bullet.

Tom schmitt wrote:

But I believe you would need a rifled barrel to make that work.
Maybe one of the gunsmith members can verify if a choked shotgun would be able to shoot a copper bullet.

A rifled choke would help, but you’d definitely want a rifled barrel for best accuracy. Either way, at $18/box it’s not exactly affordable to target practice.