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Legal Firearm Methods

Legal firearm methods used to hunt wildlife—except beaver, mink, muskrat, river otter, turtles and fish—are:

• pistols, revolvers and rifles propelling a single projectile at one discharge (may not be used for hunting turkey; must be centerfire or a muzzleloader for hunting deer)
• guns powered by spring, air or compressed gas (may not be used for hunting turkey. See Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet for regulations during the firearms deer season.)
• shotguns not larger than 10 gauge
• crossbows, which are classified as a firearm method
• shotguns with the magazine cut off or plugged to reduce the capacity to not more than 3 shells in the magazine and chamber combined. This restriction does not apply to shotguns used while hunting deer and during the Conservation Order for snow geese.

Legal firearm methods used to hunt deer and turkey are listed in the Spring Turkey Hunting Information booklet, available at permit vendors in March, and the Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available at permit vendors in the summer.

Fully automatic firearms are prohibited for all hunting.

Hunting Game Birds With Firearms

Shotguns are the only firearm allowed for hunting game birds (except crow). Pistols, revolvers, rifles and shotguns may be used to hunt crow.

Special Provision During the Firearms Deer Season

Except for the urban and alternative methods portions, other wildlife may be hunted only with a shotgun and shot not larger than No. 4 or a .22 or smaller caliber rimfire rifle. This does not apply to waterfowl hunters, trappers, or to landowners on their land.

Bows, which include longbows, compound bows and recurve bows, may be used to take wildlife during hunting seasons. Arrows containing any drug, poison, chemical or explosive are prohibited, but illuminated sights, scopes, quickpoint sights and hand-held string releasing mechanisms may be used.

Atlatls may be used to take wildlife during hunting seasons (except turkey during the spring and fall firearms seasons).

Slingshots may be used to take wildlife (except deer and turkey) during hunting seasons.