SF660

Purpose

To change how the regular firearms deer season is regulated by removing a statewide shotgun-only zone and allowing all legally permitted firearms to be used anywhere in the state during the regular season.

Main Provisions

• Adds a new subdivision to the regular firearms deer season rule stating: during the regular firearms deer season all legal firearms may be used statewide.
• Repeals a prior statute that defined separate firearm-use areas, including a shotgun use area and an all-legal-firearms use area.

What changes with existing law

• Eliminates the shotgun use area, which previously restricted deer hunting to shotguns (and certain other firearms) within a defined boundary.
• Removes the separate all-legal-firearms use area concept, so there would no longer be a statewide distinction between areas where only certain firearms could be used versus areas with broader firearm allowances.
• Replaces the old, area-based restrictions with a statewide allowance for all legal firearms during the regular season.

Potential implications

• Hunting regulations: Hunters may be able to use a wider range of firearms anywhere in the state during the regular season.
• Safety and enforcement: Law enforcement and wildlife agencies may need to adjust outreach, safety messaging, and enforcement practices to reflect the statewide eligibility of all legal firearms.
• Wildlife management and harvest patterns: The change could affect harvest dynamics and population management, depending on how firearm types and hunting effort shift with the new statewide permissiveness.

Practical notes

• The bill would supersede the previous boundary-based restrictions and the specific firearm category rules tied to the shotgun use area.

Relevant Terms regular firearms deer season all legal firearms shotgun use area all legal firearms use area Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 97B.031 Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 97B.318 firearms restrictions hunting regulations rifled barrels slug shells muzzleloading long guns handguns