Can you shoot a coyote on the Interstate? What gun?

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johnbt

New member
What gun would you use at 65 mph, pistol, rifle or shotgun? ;)

Yesterday morning at 10:45 I was headed west on I-64 just past the Fishersville exit - about 2 miles or so before hitting I-81 at Staunton. This is in the Shenandoah Valley.

There were quite a few cars (for what used to be a really rural area when I was a kid in the '50s and '60s) and suddenly out of the median up ahead comes a coyote and we had to back off the gas a little while it trotted across both lanes, the shoulder and then up the hill into the trees. Yeah, there are still a lot of farms in the area and plenty of woods, but it was sunny and nice and it looked like it was out for a stroll, not being chased.

I guess shooting at them on the Interstate is a bad idea, huh? Heck, it's probably a federal crime.

John
 
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44 AMP

Staff
Not sure if its a Fed Crime....

But almost certainly a state crime. Every state I know of personally has some kind of law prohibiting "discharge of a firearm from a public highway", or within so many feet of a public road. It may be 50ft, it may be 500, but there is always some kind of limit.

You can ususally find it in the game laws, but I'm sure its somewhere in the general code as well. Also some things like "hunting from a motor vehicle" etc. Not a good idea, don't do it.
 
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scottl

New member
44 AMP is right..It's a crime.Here in Ky it's considered a form of poaching.You loose what firearms in your possesion when caught and loss of hunting rights.I'm sure there are other penalties but those are the one's I can think of.

And it doesn't have to be a paved road either.I know a fella who shot KYF&W's robo deer from the gravel road leading into his property.Fish and Wildlife were watching the deer busted him on the spot.
 
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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
I'm certain that shooting from the actual roadway would be illegal in every state.

In NY, you technically only need to be off "maintained highway" which includes areas that are fenced or mowed, drainage ditches, anything the state/county maintains. All you'd really need to do is park the car, get off maintained highway and you could shoot.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if you had company in a few minutes though...


"911, what's your emergency?"

"Yeah, uh, this guy just got out of his car with a rifle on Rt 81 and shot at something...."

Technically legal, but not wise.
 
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Gbro

New member
Here in MN it is only illegal to shoot from, along or across an improved roadway at a Big Game Animal or Decoy.
So then that means it would be legal to shoot a yote that is standing on the dotted line of a highway as long as one is not endangering anyone, night hunting coyotes(special reg), inside any city/municipal limits, not within 500ft. of a livestock corral and building occupied by humans, and not in or on any motor vehicle unless in possession of a disability permit as long as the vehicle is pulled off the right of way.
All that being said I do my very best to encourage able body hunters to not shoot from roadways, but to leave the road hunting to those that are unable to get off the road and hunt.

Other Restrictions
• No person may discharge a firearm or an arrow from a bow on, over,
across, or within the right-of-way of an improved public highway
(including but not limited to federal, state, county, and township
roadways) at a big game animal or a decoy of a big game animal that
has been set out by a licensed peace officer.
Click to expand...
• On another person’s private land or a public right-of-way, a
person may not take a wild animal with a firearm within 500 feet
of a building occupied by humans or livestock without written
permission of the owner, occupant or lessee of the building.
• A person may not take a wild animal with a firearm within 500 feet
of a corral containing livestock without permission.
Click to expand...

Back 15 or so years ago when the DNR 1st started putting out decoy deer the prosecutors informed them that they would not prosecute anyone for shooting from, across, down the right of way because a decoy is not a big game animal. Then the law was re-written to include the restriction of a decoy of a big game animal.
That first year my nephew, the son of a die hard road hunter, and a friend happened upon a decoy set out. The friend was always tinkering with his 742 jam-o-matic and when he attempted to shoot the decoy his rifle would not fire so the other partner in crime gave a not so bright statement like "let me show you how this is done" and blasted the decoy thereby bringing the warden/cameraman down upon them. The ticket was issued and then the warden asked the other PiC what he was doing and he said that he was just looking at the Buck/decoy.
They shared the fine and didn't know about the position of the prosecutors until later, but were still guilty of road hunting IMO. My nephew said his wife was going to flip out about this, and I told her to not forget to lash out at her father-in-law as he is the one who taught his son the finer points of road hunting.
And in digging out these quotes I found a couple things that I was not aware of in the MN regulations, therefore I thank you for this thread.
 
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357 Python

New member
In Virginia it is illegal to discharge a firearm within so many feet on a roadway. I believe the distance is 50 feet. In the coyote situation a call to the Virginia State Police or the Virginia Conservation Police (Game Warden) would have been the best choice.
 
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egor20

New member
For Virginia

Sec. 20-94. - Hunting prohibited near public roads.

(a)

Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this section, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this subsection, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Hunt shall not include the necessary crossing of highways for the bona fide purpose of going into or leaving a lawful hunting area.

(b)

It is unlawful to hunt any game bird or game animal with a firearm in the county within 100 yards of a primary or secondary road; except for those persons possessing permits issued for medical reasons pursuant to the provisions of Code of Virginia, § 29.1-521.3.
 
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Tbag

New member
You mean you can't just roll down your window and start blasting away, were are our rights going.:eek:
 
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jhenry

New member
You could run it over with 37" mudders and yell "whooeeee!"

That might be slightly less illegal.

Or, you could set up a genuine Acme Coyote trap. Beep Beep.
 
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egor20

New member
SwampYankee

Throwing a McD's soda at someone's car is considered a felony here;

Jessica Hall was freed from jail after serving one month in a Virginia jail for throwing a cup of McDonald's soda at a driver who cut her off on the highway. The crime was throwing a “missile” from a moving vehicle, a felony in Virginia.


I figure, I'd get the death penalty for shooting a coyote from the interstate :D
 
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johnbt

New member
"I thought there was something funny about those people in Virginia the last time I passed through... "

We'uns ain't funny, but the coyotes is. The nerve of 'em, jaywalking in broad daylight.



I admit it, I only mentioned guns because of the forum rule. :)
 
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DiscoRacing

New member
Cant shoot from the roadway...

... and have to be specific distance from the lined road

and from the vehicle itself

I guess you you can run fast...from the vehicle,,off the roadway...and still shoot it then maybe
 
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lamarw

New member
I have lived in a number of States (Alabama, Georgia, New Jersey, Virginia, Kansas, and Louisiana). In all these States it was against the law, but you would never know it by observing the bullet holes in rural area road signs. Especially true with deer crossing signs.

I would hate to face the consequences of such a violation. I cherish my right to legally own and/or buy guns and would hate to jeopardize it by such idiotic behavior.
 
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edward k

New member
In north dakota there is no law against shooting on a road unless it is posted on both sides. You cannot shoot from or on a motor vehicle. Was told by the head of fish and game we could sit between the roads of a 4 lane hwy and hunt. CRAZY WE tried to get road hunting law inacted and they would do nothing. Both safety and poaching would have been helped butno such luck. I will say in their defense that i have never heard of an incident where anybody has been injured by allowing this road hunting. I'm referring to North DAkota and nowhere else. ED K
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
egor20 said:
Sec. 20-94. - Hunting prohibited near public roads.

...

(b)

It is unlawful to hunt any game bird or game animal with a firearm in the county within 100 yards of a primary or secondary road; except for those persons possessing permits issued for medical reasons pursuant to the provisions of Code of Virginia, § 29.1-521.3.
Click to expand...
The logical question, then, is: Are coyotes "game animals" in Virginia, or are they pests/varmints? Or are they unclassified?
 
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