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small game license?

I thought you needed a small game license anytime you are in the field with a bow and arrow even if you are just stump shooting and roaming around? Anyone?

Not that I am aware of.

I read some where that some guys were in the public woods stump shooting and was confronted by a CO for not having licenses as there are some game that can be hunted all year around. Just wondering. Guess I will call the law enforcement division tomorrow to find out for sure.

I think you need the license if you are carrying any kind of weapon. A few animals have no closed season.

I think you need the license if you are carrying any kind of weapon. A few animals have no closed season.

I have to agree MPDH. The reason I asked was a college student in the UP was stump shooting on government land and was told by a CO that it was OK to stump shoot with a bow and arrow but had to have a license if he was using a gun. That didn't make sense to me so I have been trying to find out for him before he gets in trouble. I have a call into the Law Enforcement division on this but haven't heard back yet.

Not sure this helps but the 2018 hunting digest states “ A hunting license is not required when target practicing or sighting in a firearm at an identifiable, artificially constructed target, and there is no attempt to take game. “

I spoke with a Lt in the law enforcement division today. He stated that when on public land and stationary as in camping or setting up to target practice at fixed targets no license or hunter orange is required BUT when roaming the public lands and target shooting or stump shooting you MUST wear hunter orange and have a valid hunting license.

The hunter orange part does not make sense. When I bow hunt on public land while small game season is ongoing, I do not wear hunter orange.

No Hunter orange only applies to a few animals when using archery gear. Predators, turkeys, deer during bow season, may be a few more, but everything else requires orange even if using a bow.

JL, that's because you are deer/turkey hunting that does not require hunter orange. I see the reason on a law enforcement end. Just because a person roaming the woods with a bow during an open season in July says he is shooting stumps doesn't really mean that he is shooting stumps. There are year round open seasons. If you are bow hunting deer in bow hunting season you do not need to wear orange and you can shoot all the stumps you want. I would think this law is for those that don't obey the law.

It is what it is I guess. I just didn't want this college student that I was checking on it for get into trouble. He has plenty of years ahead of him to do that.

I have had a CO tell me that stump shooting is considered target shooting, and is illegal.

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