Concealed Carry permits....the unintended consequences.

[vamo]

This seems more like an unintended consequence of loose varmit hunting regs than of carry permits. I think your mistake was calling DNR, they deal with natural resource issues. If someone is discharging firearms on to your property call the sheriff. It's not an illlegal hunting method so its out of DNR's jurisdiction, but firing on to someone else's land is a matter for the police.

 

[Deaf Smith]

I've been a long supporter for concealed carry laws and have carried for years.....but something happened this last weekend that showed the ugly side or loopholes people are using to support unethical behavior.

While deer hunting last weekend four of us were exposed to the new side effects of the changed Iowa law. One of the kids was in a wooded ravine when two pickups came down the adjoining property fence line blowing their horns and emptying handguns into the woods on our property.

Apparently a larger group of 15 vehicles (using 2 way radios) were hunting coyotes and this is how they scare coyotes into the open for taking with rifles.

We were in a position to use our vehicle to quickly block the drive of the neighboring farm before they left the property. This allowed us to identify the two trucks, get pics of the occupants and license plates with our cell phones. Naturally they denied shooting into our property and we turned it over to the DNR.

Strange as it may seem, DNR says if they have concealed carry permits, these coyote hunters can have uncased, loaded firearms in the seat next to them and can shoot out the truck window if on private property. If they are on a public road the only restriction is they can't shoot across or from the roadway. No hunter orange is required. Since we have no proof the rounds went into our property....nothing the DNR can do. They can't be charged with hunter harassment unless we can prove they knew we were in the area.

Apparently the new pastime (since concealed carry laws have changed) is to roam the countryside shooting from trucks. DNR says their hands are tied since the concealed carry laws don't specify handguns but include long guns. Unless you have irrefutable photographic evidence there's little that can be done to file charges.

Guess this is what they call unintended consequences.....

Check to see if the game laws allow you to hunt from a vehicle. If not then the CCW is meaningless as it is illegal.

Deaf

 

[locnload]

This sounds to me like a case of a DNR officer that has a burr under his saddle about mere "citizens" carrying concealed handguns. Making the public think this kind of stupidity and recklessness is a result of a law that allows the surfs to go about armed is a fast track to sour the uneducated voters against CCW laws. The guy is derelict in his duty.

 

[Duff_McGruff]

I won't quote Willie's entire last post but mostly, the part about DNR being spread too thinly is the main problem at least around here. They are severely underfunded to cover the areas they need to. I hunt pretty much every season of every species available around here (a lot of it on public land) and have run into a DNR officer exactly once in the past four years for sure.

 

[we are not amused]

Chasing and shooting coyotes from pickups, is hardly a new sport, and is usually accompanied by copious amounts of alcohol. It has long been a problem in my neck of the woods, long before concealed carry laws were passed. While I hasten to add that not all coyote hunters behave such, enough do so as to give coyote hunters a bad name in certain areas.

In this case, it seems that the DNR just didn't want to hassle with the case, much like the police in many cities don't want to mess with stolen car reports. Even if they catch the perpetrators driving the stolen car, getting a conviction is almost impossible.

In my opinion the various Game Warden's and the agencies' they belong to, are a very mixed bag when it comes to enforcing the law and safeguarding hunters and game. I have seen many different levels of enforcement, depending upon the who the people being charged are. It is enough to make one despair of law enforcement.

 

[r1derbike]

I believe some felonies charged to those drunk, stupid rednecks would slow them down, but as stated before, proving with physical evidence is hard, unless you've had several bullets go through your home, and cellphone or camera video.

I'm flummoxed that an activity this stupid is going-on, and for quite some time.

I live in wooded surroundings, and have discovered 3 illegal tree stands where hunters wait for deer to cross. They are bow hunters. The land belongs to Cooper Communities and referred to as "commons". No guns may be discharged in the city limits, and bows are excluded, last check.

I'm certain no permission was used to erect them, as I've not seen trucks parked beside the roads in our woods secluded neighborhood lately, and the stands are rusting nicely. I'm going to point-out the stands to some buds in law enforcement for documentation, then go to the property owners and inform them of the previous activity.

I'm all for hunting sports (coyotes here everywhere), but these deer stands are very close to homes. The coyotes are getting brazen. My wife was walking around our cul-de-sac and several of them were running through the woods and stopped dead in their tracks when they saw my wife (I was in the garage). They were sizing-up my wife and I jumped from my stool in the garage and charged the pack with my walking stick, swinging it as a weapon as I ran, and they scattered. This was my last attempt at running as my ankles, knees and hips rebelled for days. It sucks getting old.

A small toddler wouldn't have had a chance with the pack.

 

[scaatylobo]

Reckless endangerment

I live in a liberal state and yes we can and do have CCW's [ NYS,not NYC ].

That being the case,the law is very specific in stating that you may NOT hunt from a vehicle [ ANY vehicle ] and you may not fire a weapon [ any weapon ] from any vehicle.

I don't see any problem with ANY officer of the law stopping reckless action,and that sure as hell is the definition of reckless.

 

[HOOfan_1]

Chasing and shooting coyotes from pickups, is hardly a new sport, and is usually accompanied by copious amounts of alcohol. It has long been a problem in my neck of the woods, long before concealed carry laws were passed. While I hasten to add that not all coyote hunters behave such, enough do so as to give coyote hunters a bad name in certain areas.
.

Reminds me of the illegal kangaroo night hunt in Crocodile Dundee

 

[we are not amused]

Reminds me of the illegal kangaroo night hunt in Crocodile Dundee

I laughed like hell at that scene! And yes, a lot of the local coyote hunters behave a lot like those yahoos!

Not all of course! Some people I know who hunt coyotes are very responsible hunters, but a lot of coyote hunters have no respect for property or safety.