New Rifle Regulations for Deer Hunting in Stearns County

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- Deer hunters in Stearns County will now be able to use rifles after county commissioners voted to allow them.

Minnesota lawmakers repealed the shotgun zones across the state, which will allow deer hunters to use rifles in areas that were otherwise zoned for shotguns only.

However, the legislation allows counties to opt out of the new rules and keep their designated shotgun zones only.

Commissioners held a public hearing earlier this month, with a majority of those in attendance favoring the opportunity to use rifles.

County Commissioner Bob Johnson says at the end of the day, it's the property owners who will determine what is acceptable to them...

Commissioner Clark mentioned property owners. Ninety-seven percent of the property in Stearns County is private. And, those property owners have the right to tell people that they can or can't hunt on their land and what weapons they can use. And that's really important because the people really do get to decide.

Stearns County had been a shotgun-only deer hunting zone.

Commissioners voted 4-to-1 to allow rifles, with Commissioner Joe Perske the lone dissenting vote.