Deerhunter264
New member
my freind was telling me you can hunt certain grade road ditches is this true for iowa and illinois
can you hunt road ditches
- Thread starter Deerhunter264
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masterhunter
Moderator
Not sure but telephone poles make for some good treestand climbing.
davlandrum
New member
In Oregon, ditch tags are a very hard draw, you have to build up some preference points... 
I would be surprised if that was legal, at least what I am picturing. You mean like a road-side ditch?? A real road, not like a dirt road on a farm. Here you have to be X feet (I should know the number off the top of my hea, but it is Friday) away from any road to be legal.
I would be surprised if that was legal, at least what I am picturing. You mean like a road-side ditch?? A real road, not like a dirt road on a farm. Here you have to be X feet (I should know the number off the top of my hea, but it is Friday) away from any road to be legal.
simonkenton
New member
Here in NC you have to be 50 feet from a public road.
What is a grade road ditch? That sounds like a Yankee invention I don't believe we have them down here.
What is a grade road ditch? That sounds like a Yankee invention I don't believe we have them down here.
W. C. Quantrill
New member
Thoughts from a land owner.
First, I would recommend that you contact the Fish and
Game of the area you would like to hunt.
Then--
I would recommend that you contact the land owners there. Because, if I catch you hunting without permission, even in the ditch, I will certainly make contact with you. Realize that this most often falls under local law enforcement. In our area, the local LE has no use for Fish and Game and several counties have basically told the wardens to stay home. I guaren-dam-tee you that you would never ever get a hunter harassment charge on me in my county.
On the other hand, if you walked in like a man and asked for a place to hunt and you conducted yourself proper, then most likely, most landowners would not only give you permission but might take you to a place where you could hunt and get some game. On my place, I reserve the right to hunt. I manage my game, and as a result everyone wants to come in and shoot it. Funny how that works, eh? Oh, they want to do it for free, because they bought a license and that gives them the "right" to kill animals where they find them. So, you find mixed emotions in it. But I go back to my advice that you will be better off contacting land owners and obtaining permission before you get caught way out in the boonies by an angry landowner.............that way, you might not have to hunt the ditches.
Once I have filled my tags and I have all the hunting that I want, IF there is a good crop of pheasants, turkeys, or deer, then I may grant a person a hunt. But I will go with you, and show you what area you may hunt. It is also not a lifetime right, and it may vary depending upon the game crop. Each request to hunt varies by the individual and by the year and the game crop. I dont think that is unreasonable. Most of my neighbors have quit allowing people to hunt because of abuse of rights and poaching. It is getting more and more difficult to get a hunt anymore because of the slob hunters.
First, I would recommend that you contact the Fish and
Game of the area you would like to hunt.
Then--
I would recommend that you contact the land owners there. Because, if I catch you hunting without permission, even in the ditch, I will certainly make contact with you. Realize that this most often falls under local law enforcement. In our area, the local LE has no use for Fish and Game and several counties have basically told the wardens to stay home. I guaren-dam-tee you that you would never ever get a hunter harassment charge on me in my county.
On the other hand, if you walked in like a man and asked for a place to hunt and you conducted yourself proper, then most likely, most landowners would not only give you permission but might take you to a place where you could hunt and get some game. On my place, I reserve the right to hunt. I manage my game, and as a result everyone wants to come in and shoot it. Funny how that works, eh? Oh, they want to do it for free, because they bought a license and that gives them the "right" to kill animals where they find them. So, you find mixed emotions in it. But I go back to my advice that you will be better off contacting land owners and obtaining permission before you get caught way out in the boonies by an angry landowner.............that way, you might not have to hunt the ditches.
Once I have filled my tags and I have all the hunting that I want, IF there is a good crop of pheasants, turkeys, or deer, then I may grant a person a hunt. But I will go with you, and show you what area you may hunt. It is also not a lifetime right, and it may vary depending upon the game crop. Each request to hunt varies by the individual and by the year and the game crop. I dont think that is unreasonable. Most of my neighbors have quit allowing people to hunt because of abuse of rights and poaching. It is getting more and more difficult to get a hunt anymore because of the slob hunters.
L_Killkenny
New member
In Iowa you can hunt and trap in road ditches. Don't let anyone, INCLUDING landowners, tell you different. We do have regs on what guns you can use (i.e. Rifle vs shotgun). Walking road ditches for pheasant is very common and so it trapping in them. You have to be 200 yards away from driveways to trap and 200 yards away from inhabited buildings to shoot. Paved highways are off limits to all guns.
LK
LK
guntotin_fool
New member
Google the state conservation dept in the state YOU are going to hunt. Every state has different laws, some let you, some do with exceptions, some ban hunting within x number of yards of a right of way, etc.
There is NO blanket statement which is right, and people here making blanket statements are not only WRONG, but in many cases, encouraging your to break the law.
Hunting ditches in some states will get your truck, dog, and gun taken away if your out bird hunting, Some states its a felony to discharge a firearm over a roadway, so if your deer or pheasant does a j hook and heads across the road and you shoot, your going to jail.
So please, check YOUR state regs, and follow the law that applies.
There is NO blanket statement which is right, and people here making blanket statements are not only WRONG, but in many cases, encouraging your to break the law.
Hunting ditches in some states will get your truck, dog, and gun taken away if your out bird hunting, Some states its a felony to discharge a firearm over a roadway, so if your deer or pheasant does a j hook and heads across the road and you shoot, your going to jail.
So please, check YOUR state regs, and follow the law that applies.
What L Killkenny said is correct for Iowa, except the Paved roads. I Believe you can fire a shotgun shooting bird shot on paved roads to. The hunting regulations book doesn't say you can't and I've seen plenty of people doing it, but you can always call the DNR to make sure.
Deerhunter264
New member
when i say graded roads i mean like acertain grade would be a natinal highway and other like a dirt road and i know you cant hunt national highways. I wont do this but iwas asking to see if my freind was right
ty everyone
ty everyone
W. C. Quantrill
New member
Kansas for example has only one exception to the law that you can not shoot from a vehicle, from a road, or across a road. That exception is to kill a coyote, in which instance you may stop a vehicle on a country road and shoot from the vehicle at said coyote, or if no traffic is visible, you may shoot across a road. That is the only exception.
IF YOU GET CAUGHT shooting at anything else or trespassing, you go to jail, you bond, you see the judge, you loose your license, your guns, your vehicle, and you catch a record. Like someone else said, unless you go to the landowner and get permission to hunt specific pieces of property and get it in writing, verbal does not count and the county mountie takes you in.
IF YOU GET CAUGHT shooting at anything else or trespassing, you go to jail, you bond, you see the judge, you loose your license, your guns, your vehicle, and you catch a record. Like someone else said, unless you go to the landowner and get permission to hunt specific pieces of property and get it in writing, verbal does not count and the county mountie takes you in.
guntotin_fool
New member
Again, research the law in the state you are hunting in, Kansas is not illinois, nor is Iowa.
read the law, if you don't understand a passage, I have never met a CO or GW who will not be happy to explain it BEFORE hand. Likewise, I have never found a GW or CO who is happy to explain why what you did is wrong AFTER you have broken the law.
In Iowa they have a sworn CO who mans the phone when you call in with game questions, if you get an answer, get his name and the time, you can always use that as your basis for defense in court. I have never dealt with CO's in Illinois, but i can only guess they are the same.
read the law, if you don't understand a passage, I have never met a CO or GW who will not be happy to explain it BEFORE hand. Likewise, I have never found a GW or CO who is happy to explain why what you did is wrong AFTER you have broken the law.
In Iowa they have a sworn CO who mans the phone when you call in with game questions, if you get an answer, get his name and the time, you can always use that as your basis for defense in court. I have never dealt with CO's in Illinois, but i can only guess they are the same.