Legal Equipment

Legal Equipment

Firearm permit holders may hunt with any legal equipment during the firearm season. Muzzleloader permit holders may only hunt with muzzleloading or archery equipment during the muzzleloader and firearm seasons. Archery permit holders may only use archery equipment during the archery season, even during days that overlap the muzzleloader or regular firearm season.

FIREARMS

Legal firearms include centerfire rifles and handguns that are not fully automatic, using only hard-cast solid lead, soft point, hollow point, tumble-on-impact, or other expanding bullets; any gauge shotgun using only slugs.

MUZZLELOADERS

Legal muzzleloaders include rifles, pistols or muskets that can be loaded only through the front of the firing chamber with separate components and that fire a bullet of .40 inches in diameter or larger, using hard-cast solid lead, conical lead, saboted, or tumble-on-impact bullets.

ARCHERY

Legal archery equipment includes longbows, recurve bows, compound bows and crossbows. No bow, crossbow or arrow may have any electronic device attached that controls the flight of the arrow. Devices that may be attached to a bow or arrow shall include lighted pin, dot or holographic sights; illuminated nocks; rangefinders; film or video cameras; radio-frequency location devices; and draw-lock devices. Arrows used for hunting big game must be equipped with broadhead points that when fully expanded cannot pass through a ring 3/4-inch in diameter. Nonbroadhead arrows may be possessed while hunting but may not be used to take big game. Devices capable of dispensing chemicals may not be used.

ACCESSORY EQUIPMENT

Lures, decoys and non-electric calls may be used while hunting big game. Hunters may use blinds and stands. Range-finding devices and optical scopes or sights that project no visible light toward the target and do not electronically amplify visible or infrared light may be used. Horses and mules shall not be used for herding or driving big game. Firearm report-suppression devices may be used with proper permits. Handguns may be possessed during all big game seasons. However, only handguns specified as legal equipment for firearms or muzzleloader seasons may be used for big game hunting. Ethical hunters select equipment most effective for their capabilities, the game they hunt and the style of hunting they prefer. Hunters should consider muzzle velocity, kinetic energy, bullet type, recoil and accuracy when selecting equipment that is adequate for the game hunted