Looking for MT Law about shooting/hunting on your own private property

[Wind Gypsy]

Minnesota has a very specific law about this. Basically you cant discharge a firearm within 500' of an occupied dwelling unless hunting on your own property or you have written permission from the owner, occupant, or lessee of building.

I also live on 6 acres and one of my property lines is city limits. There is a neighborhood on that side and agriculture or unoccupied grass/forest on the other sides. I bought it thinking i might shoot a whitetail or turkey with archery equipment but upon closer reading I figured out i could use a firearm but shot direction would be more critical/limited.

 

[kiwi hunter]

Sounds like a county ordinance. Not sure I would feel comfortable blasting high powered rifle on a six acre parcel in Montana suburbs. I would be extremely surprised if there isn't a county ordinance restricting half mile limit given the nutty rate of growth in that state. Quarter mile is what ... seven hundred yards? People I know regularly shoot targets at 600 yards. What's another hundred yards?

I think the key is be discreet. Building a treestand is not discreet. Tell her it's for bow hunting and that should work. Sight your guns at a range, not the back yard. A solitary bang in hunting season can easily be written off as vehicle backfire. Add a suppressor and you'll be super discreet.

Just got to have a dig. A mile is 1760 yrds, so a quarter would have to be 440 yrds. If you had quessted a moose at that distance then a miss would be in order. Carry on.

 

[cgasner1]

Sounds like a county ordinance. Not sure I would feel comfortable blasting high powered rifle on a six acre parcel in Montana suburbs. I would be extremely surprised if there isn't a county ordinance restricting half mile limit given the nutty rate of growth in that state. Quarter mile is what ... seven hundred yards? People I know regularly shoot targets at 600 yards. What's another hundred yards?

I think the key is be discreet. Building a treestand is not discreet. Tell her it's for bow hunting and that should work. Sight your guns at a range, not the back yard. A solitary bang in hunting season can easily be written off as vehicle backfire. Add a suppressor and you'll be super discreet.

Deer wouldn’t make it off my property with a rim fire. Something something fuggin head

 

[OntarioHunter]

Just got to have a dig. A mile is 1760 yrds, so a quarter would have to be 440 yrds. If you had quessted a moose at that distance then a miss would be in order. Carry on.

Needed a coffee there. Oops.

 

[longbow51]

300 of some kind + suppressor. No tracking, little noise.

 

[elkfanatic]

Guess I'm lucky to live in Indiana. Here if your out in the country, have a safe direction of fire, and your not being stupid, shoot away. I've got 7 acres, two hundred yard range, large dirt piles, and no one for 1 1/2 miles to the west. I've had the cops called on me once when I had some friends over to do some shooting. Cops looked at my setup and told the caller I'm within my rights and being safe, if they don't like it, move to town where shooting isn't allowed. After that incident I built a well insulated shed lined with high density foam to shoot out of to mitigate some of the noise. Also got a suppressor. The sheds a little uncomfortable to shoot out of but doubling up on plugs and muffs makes it bearable. Makes it bearable for the neighbors too ,as I haven't heard any complaints and the one that called still lives next door ten years later. Sometimes you have to get creative. Above all else be safe.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Guess I'm lucky to live in Indiana. Here if your out in the country, have a safe direction of fire, and your not being stupid, shoot away. I've got 7 acres, two hundred yard range, large dirt piles, and no one for 1 1/2 miles to the west. I've had the cops called on me once when I had some friends over to do some shooting. Cops looked at my setup and told the caller I'm within my rights and being safe, if they don't like it, move to town where shooting isn't allowed. After that incident I built a well insulated shed lined with high density foam to shoot out of to mitigate some of the noise. Also got a suppressor. The sheds a little uncomfortable to shoot out of but doubling up on plugs and muffs makes it bearable. Makes it bearable for the neighbors too ,as I haven't heard any complaints and the one that called still lives next door ten years later. Sometimes you have to get creative. Above all else be safe.

Good on you. Although I too live in a rural area, it's too flat nearby and too many homes in the area for shooting on my property. I appreciate your sensitivity to neighbors' potential concerns, as it's likely neighbors who you may never hear from but who become firearms opponents because they are miffed at someone ruining their Sunday barbeque with offensive loud gunfire and uneasiness about where the rounds may be flying.
Thank-you for the extent to which you have gone to reduce that problem.

 

[Elky Welky]

Now that I feel more comfortable with the legality, I will contact a buddy that works for the sheriff's department and speak with him just to cover that base

This is wise. The first place to look is the Montana Code Annotated, then your local county ordinances, then, potentially, any HOAs. An attorney is going to know a little more about it than a Sherriff's deputy, but that is also a smart move. Skimming through this thread, I didn't see anyone actually cite the laws, so here's some links that would be useful to know:

https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0450/chapter_0080/part_0030/section_0430/0450-0080-0030-0430.html

https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0450/chapter_0080/part_0030/section_0510/0450-0080-0030-0510.html

I also think this report (note it is from 2006 and may be dated) is helpful and on point:

https://www.mtssa.org/ranges/privateproperty.html

And finally, this is a good HT thread to check out courtesy of @Nameless Range https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/no-shooting-within-a-quarter-mile-of-a-structure.289467/

Good luck!

 

[Tlrussell]

Your four corners are yours. The law is the law, that’s why we have em. Do what’s legal. Let ‘em piss up a rope.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Let ‘em piss up a rope.

As they cast the deciding vote for more gun control/restrictions/laws, bans, etc. Puff up your chest, repeat your me, me, me chants, and disrespect your neighbors. After all ... that's your right ... and you have NO responsiblities.

 

[wytex]

Some states have laws about your bullet crossing other folks property, that would be my concern. Keep your bullets on your land and I would say just shoot. If they cross your property line than maybe trouble, not sure on Montana laws.

 

[Tlrussell]

As they cast the deciding vote for more gun control/restrictions/laws, bans, etc. Puff up your chest, repeat your me, me, me chants, and disrespect your neighbors. After all ... that's your right ... and you have NO responsiblities.

“They” doesn’t exist.

If you choose to subvert the law by not legally exercising your rights “They” do not need to vote anything away for you. You have already surrendered your rights.

People accept and tolerate guns and enthusiastic participation in shooting sports and hunting in states like Montana because the citizens proudly exercise their rights.

I respect my neighbors. I exercise my legal rights. I’d think about that.

 

[Straight Arrow]

I respect my neighbors. I exercise my legal rights.

We are in complete agreement.
However, respecting your neighbors' peace and quiet by not firing loud firearms near their property can hardly be described as "subverting the law". Please think about that also.