Question for Colorado AR hunters

Originally Posted By: ricky_arthurIt is 5 for hunting big game but there is no restriction for varmint or furbearer hunting.

3 on shotguns

Yep you can use a 100rd drum if you wanted
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3 shells for shot guns is only on birds and big game all others you can pull the plug and load up.
 
Thanks a lot. I knew the rule on shotgun shells was 3. In fact my buddy and I got checked a couple months ago by a DOW officer. Good thing I put a stick in the old Savage semi the day I bought it!
 
Actually, only 3 sheels allowed in a shotgun for all small game mammals as well as migratory, and none migratory birds, and big game.
I learned that you're only allowed 3 shells while coyote hunting this winter. Got the word straight from a game warden that was checking hunting licenses right before a calling contest.
And as has been stated, no limit on AR magazine capacity for predator hunting.
 
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ACTUALLY for furbearers there is no limit on the shells for shotguns! But there is the 3 shell limit on small game.

Not to be a A$$ but you should check up on the regulations yourself so you can enlighten the dumb game wardens that don't know the rules they are supposed to enforce!

Chapter 3 Article 1 section 300 Definitions

B:"Furbearers" means those species with fur having commercial value and which provide opportunities for sport harvest including mink, pine marten, badger, red fox, gray fox, swift fox, striped skunk, western spotted skunk, beaver, muskrat, long-tailed weasel, short-tailed weasel, coyote, bobcat, opossum, ring-tailed cat and raccoon.

Section 303 Manner of take

E. Furbearers

1. Any rifle or handgun.
2. Any shotgun

Nowhere does it state that you are limited to 3 shells! Yes I was wrong with my words by only saying birds and big game because there is a limit for SOME small game also.

CDOW Regulations
 
Yip, no where under the FURBEARER regs, BUT since you can hunt coyote with a small game license, that would put them under the small game regs. that say you're only allowed 3 shells in a shotty.

I wonder if a guy was hunting them with a furbearer license in the pocket, would you be allowed to have more than 3 shells in the shotty then?

It's a grey area for sure.
 
It does not matter which license you have! Coyotes are considered furbearers under Colorado regs. It falls under the same rules that allow you to use 5+ mags for them. It's not written anywhere so how are you going to break the rule if it's not written??? Ever notice how with small game/birds and big game then list what size of bullet caliber and everything you must use? Trust me guys I had my local GW tell me this because I was under the same impression you guys are.

Furbearer licenses are more for selling the hides.
 
204Gunner...I think the best thing for you to do is go to your local office of DOW and ask them directly. If you are hunting locally, those officers will be the ones making the contact in the field and the ones issuing the citation...or not.

Here in Grand Junction I was at my truck when DOW made contact with me (just about to leave to go do a stand). He asked if I had a plug and I said NO. He informed me that I needed a plug in the shotgun to hunt coyotes so I quit for the day. I was not cited. Wanting to confirm this, I stopped off at our local office and asked the same question of the Senior Officer in the office. He confirmed you do, in fact, need to have your shot gun plugged to hold a max of three shells.

I plan on taking a copy/paste transcript of this thread down to DOW on Monday and see if I can't clear some of this up. I guess if I were make a mistake one way or the other, I rather err on the side of caution than risk getting a ticket.
 
Be interesting to hear what they tell you Mark, because the GW at the local calling contest this winter got up infront of everyone and told us as a group that shotguns must be plugged because the coyote is hunted as small game and the small game regs. call for plugged shotguns only.
 
sharkathmi: Please do take it down there and bring a copy of the regs with you JIC they don't have them there for some strange reason.

The regs. clearly state which animals are considered what as I posted above coyotes are furbearers not small game. I urge you to question them on this.

Songdog: At this contest you entered was there a limit to how many coyotes one person could have?
 
The way that I understand it from talking with DOW in NorCo, if you are trapping coyotes you need a fur bearers license. If you are calling them they are considered small game. In fact I have never bought a fur bearers tag in CO and always have a small game to hunt coyotes.

It should be more clearly laid out so people are not unintentionally breaking laws.
 
the [beeep] "furbearer" license was nothing more than an attempt to pacify the anti-trappers a few years ago. All that it did was create confusion...
 
I'm still gunna go to DOW tomorrow and find out the skinny on all this...but I've had a couple thoughts...

To me it don't matter if it is 3 or 5 shells in the gun because at the speed coyote move out when spooked, if you don't have it down and dead in 3 shots, by the time you get to shots 4 & 5 the coyote will most likely be out of range anyway.

If I am able to talk to an DOW officer tomorrow (not just office personnel) I will post back in the evening.
 
Originally Posted By: sharkathmiI'm still gunna go to DOW tomorrow and find out the skinny on all this...but I've had a couple thoughts...

To me it don't matter if it is 3 or 5 shells in the gun because at the speed coyote move out when spooked, if you don't have it down and dead in 3 shots, by the time you get to shots 4 & 5 the coyote will most likely be out of range anyway.

If I am able to talk to an DOW officer tomorrow (not just office personnel) I will post back in the evening.

Very good thoughts about the coyote being out of range, but that would be the least of your worries if a DOW officer was IN range..
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"Press Hard -- There are 5 copies"
 
Well, I just got home and I did have the opportunity to talk with a DOW Officer today.
As it turns out, dmpowder is 100% correct in what he stated:
Quote:Chapter 3 Article 1 section 300 Definitions

B:"Furbearers" means those species with fur having commercial value and which provide opportunities for sport harvest including mink, pine marten, badger, red fox, gray fox, swift fox, striped skunk, western spotted skunk, beaver, muskrat, long-tailed weasel, short-tailed weasel, coyote, bobcat, opossum, ring-tailed cat and raccoon.

Section 303 Manner of take

E. Furbearers

1. Any rifle or handgun.
2. Any shotgunI did do a little highlighting for you in his statement.
I walked into the office and asked to speak with an officer. They called for one.
I just cut to the punch line and asked if I had to have my shotgun plugged to hunt coyotes.
Without hesitation, the officer said No. No plug is required for hunting furbearers in general. (Yes for small game mammals though)
I explained to him my previous experiences with the field officer and the former head officer of that office and he had no comment as to why they would tell me I did need a plug. We carefully dissected the verbiage of the law for about 20 minutes, referring to the definitions, etc and he felt it was clear that you do not need a plugged shotgun to harvest furbearers. He did say he would forward all this information to the Chief DOW law advisers (not the correct term, but you get my point) for review and perhaps some clarity and he would forward any comments by them to my email, which I provided.
So...in spite of my prior encounters with DOW Officers and what I was told at that time, it is now clear to me that no plug is needed.
Lastly...to dmpowder...thanks for setting us all straight on this as you were 100% correct in your information. I learned something today, as I'm sure others did as well.
Good hunting to y'all!
Mark
 
So at this point I'm sure that an Email bomb went out to all game wardens across the state that this is in fact "the Law" since apparently several of them didn't have thier facts straight....

Thanks for taking the time to verify it Mark. Apparently the game warden in dmpowder's area knows how to read and correctly comprehend the regs.
 
Yeah...so Songdog, do you know the game warden that told you 3 rounds? If so, do you plan on making contact with him to share the knowledge?
I have met deputies that didn't know owning a suppressor was legal and they were shocked to see the sheriffs signature (their boss!) on my form 4.
I think sharing the knowledge of our experiences back to the officers only makes it better for us in the long run.
 
Thank you Mark for checking that out. I just got off working 160 hrs in 2 weeks time and spaced out calling the DOW. While I do agree to some extent on the 3 shell thing but if you stack your shotgun like we do you need more then 3 shells.

Glad I was able to help some people out and I hope you pass it on to everyone that also thinks you can only have 3 shell max.
 
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