Shooting shotgun/clays on lake off a boat?

[jl82]

Ok, so i was on lake michigan today, and one of the guys said that a bunch of guys hunt ducks and birds off of their boat there. i am wondering, is there a law that prohibits using a hand thrower and shooting clays off of a boat if im a certain distance from shore? I think it would be a ton of fun while fishing to shoot some clays. The only thing i could come up with is that the clays are toxic to fish? Does anyone have a clear cut answer to this? It would be in wisconsin, kenosha specifically.

thank you!

 

[hoodfu]

There's a law in my state that says you can't fire a gun over open water. The problem is that you don't know where the shot is going to land. There could be another boat/person/diver that you're not aware of or can't see.

 

[devildog32713]

go find a private pond or something you can shoot over, seen tons of people do it, just no public though.

 

[FatPants]

Not sure about the clays, but you would definitely have to use steel shot.

 

[Tim the student]

I'd bet if nothing else, any LEO who didn't like it would get you for littering. A lot of littering.

 

[wishin]

I don't know how legal is in IL or WI waters, but if there's no federal law against it, I'd be inclined to be at the MI end of the lake, even though I don't know their laws either.

 

[jl82]

I spoke to the people at the wisconsin DNR today, and there answer was i am able to hunt as long as it is in a certain lake (lake michigan being one of them) and at least 500 ft from shore. However clay is not allowed for obvious reasons of littering, the fish would eat the pieces etc. However water fowl hunting is ok via a boat...

 

[General Geoff]

However clay is not allowed for obvious reasons of littering,

Modern clays are completely biodegradable, and will dissolve in very short order in water.

 

[jl82]

Modern clays are completely biodegradable, and will dissolve in very short order in water.

Well, thats what i read and what i was telling the guy on the phone, and yet he still told me it was littering one way or another. Im not going to take a chance, but believe me the hand thrower and a case of clays WILL be on the boat just in case i see someone else out there shooting clays...

 

[toivo]

Modern clays are completely biodegradable, and will dissolve in very short order in water.

Some are, some aren't. You have to buy the ones labeled "biodegradable," and they do cost more.

 

[andrewstorm]

the high seas shooter

I can tell you that the great lakes and the its connecting waters,are open to waterfoul shooting,in michigan anytime you are 3 miles off shore,the coastguard considers you on the high seas,and shooting is allowed if you are stinkin rich and shooting off the deck of a 100ft cruiser,while underweigh guns must be cased and unloaded,only after the forward motion of the boat has ceased may you load up and shoot clays.call your local coastguard post they will know fur shure