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Some hunters urge allowing rifles in Nobles County to increase harvest opportunity
Summary
At the Feb. 12 public hearing, several hunters and residents said allowing rifles would prevent missed opportunities to harvest deer and argued hunter responsibility can manage safety risks.
Proponents of lifting the rifle restriction argued that shotguns sometimes leave deer out of range and that rifle allowance would improve harvest opportunities. Leonard Ruesch said he was "in favor of rifle, choice never had before" and added that many deer "pass by due to out of range." Randall Polzine and others said safety remains paramount but that longer range shots are common and hunters should be trusted to place safe shots.
Supporters cited multi‑state incident data in broader strokes. Adam Middagh argued that population drivers such as winter severity and droughts often outweigh the effect of firearm type on deer numbers and referenced reports from Minnesota, Ohio and Indiana regarding rifle incidents as relatively rare. Commissioners noted these claims and scheduled the item for further board discussion on Feb. 17.
