# Duck hunting - legal access rights?



## StiffNeckRob (Apr 19, 2007)

I did a search and tried my best to find the answers to these 3 questions first but don't have any luck or a clear answer. Thanks for the help in advance. All question are on the basis that you can hunt in that area (aka not in the city limits).

1- On a lake that has a public access ramp, but all of the shoreline (except the access area) is private property, can you legally hunt on that lake? If so, do you have to be 450' from the waterline or the nearest structure?

2 - On a lake that has public access, but also has a large amount (let's say it is 40% of the shoreline) of public hunting land (DNR/State/Fed) I assume you can hunt from shore or a makeshift blind on that are but what are the rules on the rest of the lake?

3- On a river, if one side is privately owned and the other is public and legally huntable do you still need permission from the private owner to float hunt? (Assuming you're taking deer on the public side or waterfowl hunting).


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## malainse (Sep 2, 2002)

StiffNeckRob said:


> I did a search and tried my best to find the answers to these 3 questions first but don't have any luck or a clear answer. Thanks for the help in advance. All question are on the basis that you can hunt in that area (aka not in the city limits).
> 
> 
> 
> 1- On a lake that has a public access ramp, but all of the shoreline (except the access area) is private property, can you legally hunt on that lake? If so, do you have to be 450' from the waterline or the nearest structure?


Too many variables to give a definitive answer. Please contact the DNR field office for the lake in question...Sometimes is not a "Clear Answer"  But, law is 450 feet from occupied building. Nothing in any statute that talks about distance from shoreline.



StiffNeckRob said:


> 2 - On a lake that has public access, but also has a large amount (let's say it is 40% of the shoreline) of public hunting land (DNR/State/Fed) I assume you can hunt from shore or a makeshift blind on that are but what are the rules on the rest of the lake?



As with any lake hunting rights belong to riparian owners. So, you cut the lake into a pie. Make a triangle of sorts along the shore of that 40% towards the center and that is the area you can hunt. But, still need to be 450 from occupied dwellings. Yes, no lake is a pie but you get the idea.




StiffNeckRob said:


> 3- On a river, if one side is privately owned and the other is public and legally huntable do you still need permission from the private owner to float hunt? (Assuming you're taking deer on the public side or waterfowl hunting).


No you do not need permission from the other side. But, you must be on the LEGAL side of the river as the riparian owns to the center of the river.

As with any riparian type question when in doubt contact the local DNR field office. Some lakes have a legal history and they will know if special situations apply on a given lake. See sticky at top of this forum "Locating a CO" for office locations/numbers.


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## dead short (Sep 15, 2009)




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## tuckersdad (Oct 30, 2010)

Thread of the river...


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