Stumping on Public Land

[Kopper1013]

Wapiti Chaser I think your right, on any given day on land that is clearly marked as target practice prohibited you'll be subject to how the officer chooses to view the rules/laws.
I personally deal with the officers about every bow fishing season cause people choose to call the cops on me, so I tend to be a little Leary of grey areas.

[PeteA]

Here in southern zone NY as long as something is in season and you are carrying the proper tags for the area you hunt you should be OK. I use frog hunting season in June as an excuse to be in the woods stump shoot.

[ronp]

quote:Originally posted by Wapiti Chaser:
Sounds like a "grey area" to me stump shooting with my bow is different than shooting trees and bottles with an firearm. Would most likely be up to the officer and if he likes ya or not. Kinda like driving over the posted speed limit    

It is illegal to target shoot on Iowa public land. The one game warden said that the round bails make really good targets to warm up on, at one area the guy who does the bailing leaves one there for that purpose. The other game warden has watched me stump shoot all the way across the fields going to and from my vehicle many times.  It is perhaps a no harm no foul judgment call.  However, on my own land stump shooting only allowed on the two grass areas at the gates during deer and turkey seasons.

[mbugland]

Gentleman, I greatly appreciate the insight... Might need to get the 16yr old a license, and let him start "hunting"..... And then go hunting I to the next season.  Groundhog does sound like fun though, so maybe we will do some legit hunting.  

As for land, I will make some calls during the week days to the local state park folks, and then try and get what I need in writing.  

Like most, I read target practice as smoke poles and shot guns... Not sticks and strings. But this is MD, who knows, a back quiver that holds over 10 arrows might be illegal, high capacity and all.

Thanks again all!

[Tedd]

I just drove through that Union Mills area in MD today on the way home. I thought man! I need to hunt here! I got home a read the regulations. Forget it. The regulations took the wind out of my sails. I got to the part where you can only hunt mon/wed/fri and only park in certain parking spaces. I never could figure out if the license was a draw or available to anyone. At least in the PA mountains you have the freedom to hunt and park where you want while not seeing any deer.

[Tedd]

Mbugland,
Are you saying the a park ranger left the note or just another park user?

[Deerchaser]

Like bretto, When I'm out stump shooting on Kansas public lands I'm always hunting rabbits or coyotes and have a predator call in a pocket somewhere and a broadhead in the quiver

[tracker12]

Mbugland
I would not shoot in the State Parks.  But there is plenty of Public hunting areas (WMA's) throughout the state of MD that I would not hesitate to shoot at.  I walk and shoot the public land in S MD all the time and have never been challenged.

Anther option depending where you live is to join one of the many archery clubs in the area.  The 12th Precinct near  Edgewater has several hundred acres to shoot on.

[mbugland]

It was not a ranger, just another user of the area... Figure they were out shed hunting. There was one pickup parked at the entrance when we got there.... They were coming out of the woods as we were going in. To avoid any question, we made it obvious what we were doing even at a distance... Shooting trash and  stumps coming across the first open field.

Tracker, I was looking into which areas are parks vs public land vs hunting areas. Kinda why I figured I would try and call a little more throughout the week..... Honestly, just realized that I shouldn't care much.  I go in to get a disc replaced in my neck in two weeks... So I got a couple months to figure out what I can legally do.  Honestly, I can't  wait to get back to MT, seemed to be much easier.... And I will have my own land to play with. I can't wait to walk through the woods and be more worried about  mountain lions that humans.

[Gdpolk]

I think the line of thought is that poachers don't ALWAYS make a kill. But if you're on hunting grounds out of season with a hunting weapon there is a good chance your poaching. Since the officer can't proove it one way or another, they make a no tolerance policy to make it easier to deal with the 1% of jerks out there. I get their line of thought and have been warned myself. I actually politely asked the officer to explain why I was being stopped because in my mind I couldn't see the problem with shooting a rotten stump.

[tracker12]

If you go on-line and search Maryland DNR they have a list of all the Public hunting areas with maps.

[Mark R]

In IL. its illegal on most if not all public land open to hunting to stump shoot, But you would have to read the whole book of regs. and site specific regs to be sure,that might take a couple of days

[McDave]

I guess this might be one of the few hunting/shooting related things that are easier to do in California than other places in the U.S.  Haven't heard of any problems stump shooting on public land, other than a few areas that are restricted. Just to be safe, I always carry my hunting license, and ground squirrels are always legal to hunt in Claifornia.

[joe vt]

I always carry a hunting license when I'm stump shooting in Vermont. There is 'no close season' on Coyote, Opossum, Skunk, and Weasel; therefore I can always say I'm hunting.

[Airbreather]

I am sure glad I live in Colorado. I can shoot firearm and bow anywhere in National Forests....

[Airbreather]

Of course I always do carry my small game tag...

[Medic85]

If fishing and frogging is allowed year round just say you're hunting bullfrogs.  Ive never cleared it down here either but that'll be my answer if I'm ever questioned.  There's nowhere else to realistically practice unless you have private property.

[Zradix]

Originally posted by Graps:
Here in Michigan we have to have a valid small game license and ware a piece of orange .
There are some areas that are closed to hunting at some times of the year but they are clearly marked .

You don't need all that here Graps. Hate to see ya going thru the effort needlessly.
Here's a quote from the dnr site...
"Target shooting is allowed year around on state forest lands and state game and wildlife areas unless specifically posted closed to entry, target shooting or the discharge of firearms at the site. A person that restricts their activity to target shooting is not required to have a hunting license.

State Park and State Recreation Lands are closed to target shooting except at designated shooting ranges.

Anyone discharging a firearm, whether for target or other purposes, is required by law to do so in a safe manner.

If you target or skeet shoot on public lands, please police the area when you are done so as not to litter."

[Zradix]

but... they do say at an artificial target in another section..so maybe walking thru the woods where a tree rat might live could make it hunting.