The Outdoors

By Scott Rall, Outdoors Columnist

The big deer hunting opener was Saturday, Nov. 9.  The firearms season runs nine days in southwest Minnesota, but that is far from the end of deer hunting for the season. Muzzle loader hunting starts a few days after the gun season and runs for a few weeks and bow hunters can continue until Jan. 1.

I was able to track down my local Conservation Officer (CO) Dustin Roemling for a short question and answer about a few questions I had and thought you might also want to know. He had a new CO in training with him by the name of Bobby Stringer. This guy will be on station in a few weeks and I was so appreciative of his extensive service to our county in the armed forces.

I asked about the issue of deer baiting. Baiting is illegal in Minnesota. Other states allow it but I, for one, am against it. For most folks, baiting is the placement of food or other attractants in order to get a deer to wander into gun range of a deer stand or other enclosure.

You can feed all you want as long as you don’t intend to shoot a deer in or near that area. Feeding deer is common and for the most part legal as long as there is not a specific feeding ban in your area. If you do put food on the ground it needs to be completely removed at least 10 days before the deer season starts. Removed means that every kernel of corn or apple needs to be cleaned up in a manner that makes it look like it never happened.

Deer baiting is a pretty serious infraction. The fines are plenty but the fact that your gun can be confiscated, and your license revoked for a year if convicted, seems like it would be enough to deter this practice. I guess some folks don’t treasure their guns as much as I do because there are always a few non-legal shooters who get caught for baiting every season.

Many of the deer attractants you buy in the stores are considered baiting. Pure salt blocks would not qualify as baiting but you better take a good look at the ingredient list before you toss a few of some sort of deer cocaine attractant in your favorite hunting spots.

There were just a few other things I wanted to make you aware of this hunting season. You may travel from one hunting spot to another with the gun in your car or truck uncased. If you drive through a town of 2,500 or more, you must case the gun in this situation. You may not travel with a loaded gun. This violation is being seen and can cost you a pretty penny if you choose to take a chance on this one.

Pheasant hunters have to dress like deer hunters during the deer hunting season. This is outer clothing above the waist (excluding sleeves and gloves) has to be blaze orange or pink and if you choose to wear a hat while pheasant hunting it needs to be orange or pink as well.

There is no cell phone communication legal for either small game or deer hunting. You must be able to use un-aided visual and audio communication for both. This goes the same for party hunting. Party hunting is when one person can shoot their limit but also harvest into another member of their party’s limit as long as the total is within the regulations. Members of a party hunt must also use un-aided visual and vocal communication to stay on the right side of the law.

Remember that when there is a youth in your deer hunting party, only the youth can shoot or utilize their youth deer license. There is no party hunting when filling a youth deer tag. I think this is one regulation that is badly abused. Youth deer tags are designed to help youth be successful and encourage them to get into and stay into an outdoor lifestyle. Youth deer licenses allow the youth to shoot a doe. Having adults purchasing a bunch of youth deer licenses so their party can have lots of deer tags is pretty unsportsman-like.

The last thing on my list for this week is the Turn-in-Poachers number. That number is 1-800-652-9093. Please put this number in your phone and use it whenever you see someone trying to steal the natural resources from other ethical and sportsman-like hunters. Poaching comes in many forms. Shooting before or after legal shooting times is a form of poaching. Taking over the limit is poaching. I could list 100 more, but you get the picture Use this number to help eliminate the bad apples from the bunch. The small percentages of illegal hunters make all good hunters look bad.

Be safe and be legal. I have never gotten a ticket for a game violation and I never intend to. Be one of the good guys or gals and have a great season chasing game this fall. For those bad apples, taking pride in game taken illegally is for losers-just so you know!

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If you have any questions, reach out to me at scottarall@gmail.com.