Bismarck bow laws?

dean nelson

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Does anyone know the exact verbiage in Bismarck for bow and arrow shooting as well as hunting in city limit's? The topic came up today and no one really knew the true answer. Bows seem to fall into a gray area of everyone's knowledge base and the question was could you legally shoot a deer in your yard with a bow?! Many guys shoot their bows in their yards and the city of course has a hunting season in town on their ground ....but the question that stumped all of us is what exactly is the line the city has drawn in this matter? It's a bit hard to Google because you tend to get swamped by conceal carry laws.
 
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Ericb

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I seen to remember someone posting the law on that other site stating that it was illegal to shoot a bow in city limits.
 

dean nelson

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That's the thing ..what is (if there is one)the exact law? I know the game and fish doesn't have one for city's and that was the crux of our debate. Never went through the concealed carry program and that is our best hope for people knowing the finer details of Bismarck and it's weapon laws. Even then bows tend to fall through the cracks with many smaller city's. I know Bismarck has rules on guns and even more so rules on BB guns but I'm not familiar with any on bows. Now that has far more to do with never asking any question on them. But sitting on the deck as a few deer walked by the question came up would they be legal to shoot and those of us that tend to know the laws inside out came up with a universal giant shoulder shrug and the words I don't know???? Maybe??? Would have to think that the bows at the vary least may fall into some sort of law probably written for knives but that's purely a guess.

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Yeah know that one well and killed many deer since the early 90's from the bow range to riverwood to the trees along apple creek just off the runway. Hell even Lincoln oaks has there own season.... which was awesome until Cottonwood Park built the ball diamonds and the baseball diamond on their self in and they put in that damn bike trail. But this are a city property hunt and the verbiage I've ever seen never baned hunting in city limits it was just that your permits we're good for their ground.
 


Ericb

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After review the laws in Bismarck are very vague. Here is the thread I mentioned.
http://www.fishingbuddy.com/shooting-your-bow-town

The city ordinace specifies BB and pellet guns but not a bow and arrow.

6-08-06. BB and Pellet Guns.
1. No person may discharge in the city or carry
loaded in a vehicle a weapon that will expel or is readily
capable of expelling a projectile by the action of a
spring, compressed air or compressed gas, including any
such weapon commonly referred to as a BB gun, air rifle,
pellet gun or CO2 gun.
2. This section shall not apply to lawful discharg
 

dean nelson

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Yeah I had that dance with the cops on a half doz occasions growing up. That law came into existence sometime in the early 90's after a rash of BB gun damage to car windows. Having grown up within yards of the Bismarck city limits we spent most are summer days with BB guns in our hands wondering the woods. Tell you one thing cops don't like it when a 12 year old knows the legalese of the law better than they do. I once had a cop try to bust me for having an air rifle in city limits even though the only reason it was there is he ordered myself and my friend to come to his car which forced us to cross the city limits boundary. Luckily he was new and when he supervisor or I guess maybe just an older officer showed up he literally told him to stop being such a dick and sent us on our way.
 

fly2cast

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I called the City of Bismarck Attorney a few years back. According to the attorney the city considers a bow and arrow a "missile" which is banned. However, the city defines a missile according to North Dakota Century Code. In the North Dakota century code a missile is defined as certain thrown objects. Bow and Arrow are defined separately in the North Dakota Century Code. I told him that the City of Bismarck's doesn't properly define Bow and Arrow. He basically said that they would charge you with this part of the law regardless. My guess is that they would and if you didn't contest it, you would be fined. If you fought it you would win. After talking to him a bit I got the feeling that as long as this doesn't become a problem in Bismarck they would just keep the wording. If it does become a problem, they would change the wording. The city does not want you shooting bow and arrow in city limits. The deer tags are special permits that allow you to trespass on city land not special permits to shoot bow and arrow in Bismarck.
 

Lycanthrope

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So G&F is issuing tags to bow hunt deer in city limits, but you arent allowed to shoot your bow in city limits?

I talked to a cop once and he told me ANY missile/projectile in city limits is illegal, including paintball, slingshots and potentially even airsoft guns.... Im guessing this just depends a lot on who you talk to and how big of jerks they are on that particular day.

I found this in Bismarck parks ordinances PDF:
g. Carry or discharge any dangerous or concealed weapon, or any firearms, gun, air rifle, slingshot or other similar weapon, except for (1) the use of bow and arrow within a designated archery range or with a Special Herd Reduction Deer bow license or a special turkey bow license issued by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in Bismarck and a trespass permit issued by the Bismarck Chief of Police or (2) the use of approved equipment, such as BB guns, in Park District approved classes.

Also found this in bismarck PDF describing laws/punishments:
1. No person may discharge in the city or carry loaded in a vehicle a weapon that will expel or is readily capable of expelling a projectile by the action of a spring, compressed air or compressed gas, including any such weapon commonly referred to as a BB gun, air rifle, pellet gun or CO2 gun.
1. Offense, for which a maximum penalty of 30 days imprisonment, a fine of one thousand five hundred dollars, or both, may be imposed. For a violation of an ordinance enforcing the requirement of 40 CFR 403 relating to publicly owned treatment works or prohibiting shoplifting, vandalism, criminal mischief or malicious mischief, a fine of one thousand dollars, imprisonment of 30 days, or both such fine and imprisonment.
 
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dean nelson

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So most likely its technically legal but you better have a friend who is a lawyer.
 


guywhofishes

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As dumb as we are getting perhaps such laws are for the best.

Or maybe we have always been this dumb but instant news/access/media has the dumb examples shouted from the hilltops within 24 hours of being committed?
 

johnr

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I am not a smart man, and once shot a rabbit in my garden with a .22, my neighbor happened to be standing in his back yard when this went down. He only asked me if I got it, which I did, but could have been bad if the wrong person would have been around. I do not shoot in town any more, I enjoy being criminal free.
 

Lycanthrope

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I am not a smart man, and once shot a rabbit in my garden with a .22, my neighbor happened to be standing in his back yard when this went down. He only asked me if I got it, which I did, but could have been bad if the wrong person would have been around. I do not shoot in town any more, I enjoy being criminal free.

Ive shot rabbits in yard before also using CB caps, they make virtually no noise at all, much less than pellet gun, but make a barrel dirty quite fast. Prolly not worth risking 30 days in jail tho...
 

SeisMec

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Love living outside the city limits. I make sure that I have my general game and furbearers and then eliminate the varmints in my yard.
 

dean nelson

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I am not a smart man, and once shot a rabbit in my garden with a .22, my neighbor happened to be standing in his back yard when this went down. He only asked me if I got it, which I did, but could have been bad if the wrong person would have been around. I do not shoot in town any more, I enjoy being criminal free.

Make a small run they have to go through and then place a monofilament Slipknot snare and your rabbit problems will be over soon.
 


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