please share your state’s rules and regs for air rifles. our rules in SD are obviously set by uneducated people.
here are the SD RULES
here are the SD RULES
air rifle laws and regs in your state.
- Thread starter tsmith
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I am in NC, and I can find no prohibition of, or rules limiting the use or type of air guns. I believe that means they are considered either rifle or pistol, and as such are grouped with metallic cartridge firearms. That said, local jurisdictions have many unique laws, rules and regulations, so air guns may be addressed in some manner under local law. One down side, air rifles are illegal to shoot inside most city limits since they are considered a firearm for purposes of law enforcement.
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Translation: “Hunters may purchase a license and hunt the specified animal with airguns, BUT you need to spend around $1500 or more on an airgun to legally hunt them.” 1000 fps for rabbits and chipmunks?
FOH!! I’d be pissy too if I read that in my state’s regs. Texas is pretty relaxed when it comes to hunting with airguns. I’d look into a slug shooting Huben K1 with those requirements. Here’s a good resource to begin looking into airgun hunting regs in various states. https://www.pyramydair.com/airgun-map/
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In NYS when used for “hunting“ or “pesting” Airguns are classified by the DEC as firearms and all the rules apply.
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What about snake;s? i dont no if my 22 will make 1000 fps? im not sure if i have hunting pellets or target pellets? officer do you have a crony? and some starter fluid?i think i can get it up to a 1000?
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Here is the list of critters you can hunt in Ohio with an airgun.
Cottontail Rabbit
Cottontail Rabbit, Coyote, Crow, Fox, Groundhog, Opossum, Pheasant, Quail, Raccoon, Ruffed Grouse, Skunk, Squirrel, Weasel, Wild Boar.
Sadly Wild Turkey is not on the list. They would be a very easy kill.
Cottontail Rabbit
Cottontail Rabbit, Coyote, Crow, Fox, Groundhog, Opossum, Pheasant, Quail, Raccoon, Ruffed Grouse, Skunk, Squirrel, Weasel, Wild Boar.
Sadly Wild Turkey is not on the list. They would be a very easy kill.
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We can hunt small game in Pennsylvania with .17 through .22 caliber airguns making my FX Impact in .25 caliber illegal. Typical government regulations.
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Indiana
- Coyote
- Feral Hogs
- Fox
- Groundhog
- Pheasant
- Quail
- Rabbit
- Raccoon
- Red Fox
- Ruffed Grouse
- Small Game
- Squirrel
- Whitetail Deer PCP, .40 caliber or larger, capable of producing 400 ft/lbs of energy or greater. Arrow shooting airguns capable of producing 300 fps or greater. During youth, firearms, and deer reduction zone seasons only
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I am very fortunate. Idaho allows for the hunting of almost anything with an air gun. Game animals included. Even big game. The restriction for big game is minimum 35 cal for deer and antelope, 45 for anything else as I understand it.
At one time we had the legal right to hunt waterfowl with an air gun as long as it was 20 cal or smaller. But I am not too sure that survived Federal scrutiny. I have no interest in waterfowl with a air rifle so have not bothered following up.
Conversely, I spend a great deal of time in Eastern Oregon. From what I could glean out of their regulations, pests are it for air guns.
At one time we had the legal right to hunt waterfowl with an air gun as long as it was 20 cal or smaller. But I am not too sure that survived Federal scrutiny. I have no interest in waterfowl with a air rifle so have not bothered following up.
Conversely, I spend a great deal of time in Eastern Oregon. From what I could glean out of their regulations, pests are it for air guns.
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In Canada it is a bit more complicated even for reading about these:
Air guns are considered firearms, with both a high muzzle velocity (greater than 152.4 meters or 500 feet per second) and a high muzzle energy (greater than 5.7 joules or 4.2 foot-pounds).
These high-powered air guns are subject to the same licence and registration requirements as a conventional firearm. You will need a firearms license which you can acquire after successfully passing a written and practical test in designated training facilities/companies.
Now about the types of a firearms... in our case - 500 fps and higher and 4.2 foot-pounds and higher:
The definition of a pistol/handgun/restricted firearm is reasonably clear in the law, it is "designed or intended" to be fired with one hand. High-powered air pistols are classified as restricted if their barrel is longer than 105 mm or prohibited if their barrel length is 105 mm or less. The license is called RPAL.
The definition of a rifle is that it must be fired 2-handed, and the barrel over 18" and the LOA over 26" long. If you shorten the barrel OF A FIREARM to under 18", or the total length to under 26", it becomes a Prohibited Weapon. The license is called PAL.
I am not going to elaborate anything further what are the details and consequences of altering a handgun or a rifle out of the original manufactured state, (meaning changing barrel lengths for example - the pistol was built as a pistol and stays as a pistol no matter what length barrel you would want to mount). It is legally possible but the law is getting complicated going further.
And no suppressors or call it whatever guizmos that alters the sound in any possible definition ....
Hunting regulations? You need to study 2x10 hours in a classroom, and the book is pretty thick...
Air guns are considered firearms, with both a high muzzle velocity (greater than 152.4 meters or 500 feet per second) and a high muzzle energy (greater than 5.7 joules or 4.2 foot-pounds).
These high-powered air guns are subject to the same licence and registration requirements as a conventional firearm. You will need a firearms license which you can acquire after successfully passing a written and practical test in designated training facilities/companies.
Now about the types of a firearms... in our case - 500 fps and higher and 4.2 foot-pounds and higher:
The definition of a pistol/handgun/restricted firearm is reasonably clear in the law, it is "designed or intended" to be fired with one hand. High-powered air pistols are classified as restricted if their barrel is longer than 105 mm or prohibited if their barrel length is 105 mm or less. The license is called RPAL.
The definition of a rifle is that it must be fired 2-handed, and the barrel over 18" and the LOA over 26" long. If you shorten the barrel OF A FIREARM to under 18", or the total length to under 26", it becomes a Prohibited Weapon. The license is called PAL.
I am not going to elaborate anything further what are the details and consequences of altering a handgun or a rifle out of the original manufactured state, (meaning changing barrel lengths for example - the pistol was built as a pistol and stays as a pistol no matter what length barrel you would want to mount). It is legally possible but the law is getting complicated going further.
And no suppressors or call it whatever guizmos that alters the sound in any possible definition ....
Hunting regulations? You need to study 2x10 hours in a classroom, and the book is pretty thick...
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My guess, both your SD lawmakers and game wardens know very little about PCP air rifles. I expect, if you are using a rifle that is capable for the task, you will not suffer any violations. But worst case, they might place the burden on you to show compliance.
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Do you happen to know what the rules are in the Black Hills? My wife and go evey year and camp up there. She loves to pan for gold, I’d love to pan and take a rock chuck or two. I can’t find what the laws are pertaining to public lands up there. In Nebraska, prairie dogs are a pest of opportunity. As long as you have permission on private ground or if it’s public hunting ground. Shoot them all you like.
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I'm in the Black Hills & have talked to a local Fish & Game officer.
Told him I have PCP rifles that would allow me to swap from .177 to .22 or .25 in a matter of minutes & that I had a variety of tuning options for power levels.
Also told him I could set up the rifle to shoot ~1000 FPS with .177 but would prefer to shoot .22 slower but with ~25% more power than .177. He was absolutely okay with this & said he would never check unless someone was out there hunting with an inexpensive BB gun or something like that.
This was nearly three years ago. Same officer is still in the area but I have had no reason to talk to him since nor do I know if he's still the officer I'd be most likely to encounter in the field.
Regardless, the wording that the OP posted is still in place & applies to all of South Dakota, including the Black Hills.
Hope your future trips are successful for both gold & marmot.
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Don't think I would worry too much about the speed restrictions. And kinda doubt they would make any distinction between slugs and pellets. UNLESS you are caught in some other violation. Then those could and likely would be additional charges. Kinda how things are now, do one thing wrong and get multiple charges for it. Strange they chose to pencil in crow most states don't. Airgun hunting laws are kinda in Flux right now. 10 or 20 years from now they will have them more nailed down. But doubt they will be any less confusing or make any more sense than the laws regulating any and all other allowed methods of take.
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I've been chastised for posting what our laws say so I'll leave it to the individual to determine.
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Legislators are constantly faced with the challenge of regulating activities regarding which they have no knowledge. If it is a topic of sufficient importance to enough constituents, then some level of due diligence will be undertaken, and hopefully, reasonable decisions will result. Finance and environmental matters may be examples. Clearly, air gun regulation doesn't rise to that level of interest, and the SD regulation is the kind of result we see. I'm reminded of a George Carlin quote, "never underestimate the power of stupid people in large number". I'm not suggesting these lawmakers are stupid, that's just the quote, but poorly informed and without motivation might be accurate. Hopefully, reasonable thought and action by both air gun owners and law enforcement officers will compensate for poor legislation.Sometimes you wonder who wrote the law for air gun use, certainly not an Air Gunner......
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Sometimes you wonder who wrote the law for air gun use, certainly not an Air Gunner......
The problem here in Minne-SNOW-ta is that the law counteddicts itself and you end up in violation even though you did the research.
I.e. The DNR says you can take crow if property/agricultural damage occurs. Then the Register 624.xx.xxx.xx says crow can only be taken with a state issued license.
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Laws are often written to be contradictory. That way, they can be subjectively applied on a case by case basis.
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