Firing gun from boat - illegal?

Pirate Lady

Pirate Lady

Well-Known Member
Jun 2, 2020
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Chesapeake Bay, Middle River
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Sundancer 250 ‘91
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7.4 Bravo 1
Im sure states are different but….
Is it illegal to shoot from a boat? Throw rubber duckies in water as target practice. Anyone do target practice from boat?
There is a very old thread on THT, very short. One guy said it is legal in Mass. Not a lot of specifics about it on web, mostly about hunting not target practice.
 
Yes-and-no in Idaho. Granted, it was back in 2000, but the answer to a question about shooting deer from their boat was "You cannot legally shoot big game from a motorized vehicle of any kind and that includes boats. It is legal to shoot from kayaks, canoes, and other non-motorized boats, but it is not considered to be a safe practice.You can legally shoot waterfowl from a motorboat or sailboat. The engine must be completely shut off and/or the sail furled, and the boat's progress in the water completely stopped before you shoot." I think it might be fun to shoot clay pigeons thrown off the bow. First, you need at least a three foot swell...
 
Pirate Lady said:
Im sure states are different but….
Is it illegal to shoot from a boat? Throw rubber duckies in water as target practice. Anyone do target practice from boat?
There is a very old thread on THT, very short. One guy said it is legal in Mass. Not a lot of specifics about it on web, mostly about hunting not target practice.
Click to expand...

No where in the bay can you discharge a weapon. You need to be past the twelve mile limit off shore.

That said I had a friend that use to skeet shoot off of his Cabo on the LI Sound on calm days. Not the safest thing to do I would think.

But shot guns don't travel that far, pistols will travel miles (even black powder) and no where in the bay would it be safe. JMO.
 
Pirate Lady said:
Im sure states are different but….
Is it illegal to shoot from a boat? Throw rubber duckies in water as target practice. Anyone do target practice from boat?
There is a very old thread on THT, very short. One guy said it is legal in Mass. Not a lot of specifics about it on web, mostly about hunting not target practice.
Click to expand...
I do not know the answer... so all if the following really doesn't matter ;)

But, I can't imagine it would be legal to do target practice ANYWHERE in the bay. And I can't imagine anyone would even think it would legal, either - it's pretty obvious it's unsafe.

But... venture out offshore far enough (12 miles?) and it would certainly be safe. But I still don't know if it's legal. I wonder if there even IS a law, one way or the other, about that when offshore far enough?
 
This is not an easy google search.

Waterfowl hunting regulations have some rather clear language regarding the type of guns (must be shot guns) and ammo (has to be shot shells, no single-projectile shells) and it's gotta be a 10 gauge or smaller.

But I can't find anything saying you can't shoot at whitecaps on federally controlled waters with your AR15...interesting.
 
Stee6043 said:
This is not an easy google search.

Waterfowl hunting regulations have some rather clear language regarding the type of guns (must be shot guns) and ammo (has to be shot shells, no single-projectile shells) and it's gotta be a 10 gauge or smaller.

But I can't find anything saying you can't shoot at whitecaps on federally controlled waters with your AR15...interesting.
Click to expand...

I think all that pertains to hunting, 10ga and smaller. I don't think you can just go out and shoot a shotgun off of your boat and everything will be alright. Although somewhere ~500' is the limit that pellets will travel.

Shooting outside of hunting, I believe then falls to the state regulations of firearms of how and where they may be discharged. So shooting an AR at white caps, unless outside of the federal limit, would be a violation I would think. Because shooting one in your back yard will land you in jail.

If anyone can decipher this then have at it.
https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/guide/maryland-firearms-statutes-and-codes/download

Too many contradictory situations. But hey it's from the ATF.
 
What the last 2 posts showed why i asked. Rules are all about hunting. I honestly cant find any law that says you cant. And while everyone say’s about offshore ocean, old Admiralty laws from middle ages say anything below high tide falls within Admiralty laws, hence the reason salvalge laws apply for towing your boat from the middle of the Chesapeake 3 miles offshore.
Playing devils advocate here. I yet to find any law says you cant do it.
Reason they hung pirates till high tide washed over their bodies 3 times. Admiralty laws. Also why the Royal Navy hung from the yard arm. Beyond high tide Admiralty laws trumped land laws. Ya i been kind of a fan of this research.
upload_2023-3-22_15-7-24.jpeg
 
Pirate Lady said:
... I yet to find any law says you cant do it. ...
Click to expand...

Read the link I posted, it's all of the laws and is all about going to jail for just about anything when you fire a gun illegally. But trust me, if you can't fire a gun in your back yard, you can't fire a gun in public, meaning the bay.

But of course you can always prove me wrong, the bay isn't that wide but I am sure you wouldn't hear a few rounds going off. Just make sure the gun isn't pointed towards Kent Narrows or the vicinity. :rolleyes:
 
Wont do it. Just threw it out there, see if anywhere its legal.
Figured them good ol boys in Lusyana or points south might have different perspectives. Hey, i watched Swamp Hunters. Something like that.
 
SKybolt said:
Read the link I posted, it's all of the laws and is all about going to jail for just about anything when you fire a gun illegally. But trust me, if you can't fire a gun in your back yard, you can't fire a gun in public, meaning the bay.

But of course you can always prove me wrong, the bay isn't that wide but I am sure you wouldn't hear a few rounds going off. Just make sure the gun isn't pointed towards Kent Narrows or the vicinity. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Whaaat, you can't shoot in your backyard? Next thing ya' know they're going to want to take a guys guns away.;)
 
When i lived, grew up in Ohio, Ravenna, look it up. We used to sit on back porch Saturday mornings. Shoot out to nowhereville. Things are way different here in MD. Its illegal to shoot a BB gun in my county. If it weren’t for the winters id be tempted to go back.
oops, had a brain fart. Just no.
 
Woody said:
Whaaat, you can't shoot in your backyard? Next thing ya' know they're going to want to take a guys guns away.;)
Click to expand...

Talking to the wrong guy believe me. I just live in a neighborhood, like most do. Can't shoot your neighbors house now can you?
 
Only thing I find about that issue in NC is that you can't fire a firearm at animals, 4 legged or winged, is if the boat is moving and / or the engine is running or anything over 10 gauge.. Can't imagine firing off a 10 gauge in a little tinny duck hunting boat. Might capsize it from the recoil. Also can't carry a concealed and loaded firearm on a public dock or launch unless one posses a CCP.

Know a few that have "ranges" in their back yards, like 10 feet from the back door. Or shoot off the back porch.

Can't shoot inside "city limits" or withing 150 yds of another dwelling, without specific permission. But, if you are outside those limitations, and not specifically prohibited, have at it, down here, anyway.
 
Only advice I have is just dont shoot downward when in the boat! No Really, In Wisconsin 1970's Our Dads taught us gun safety and a good dose of commonsense. Us boys walked to the woods with Wrist Rockets, BB Guns and later 22's. These we mostly strapped over our shoulders. No one ever called the police on us or told us not to do it. Clearly these new laws take away our rights, and never address the good dose of commonsense. Imagine if more WOKE politicians get in office. That will be the end of using straws for Spitballs for ever! Dont even want to tell you what a Nun did catching you do that.
 
I am not aware of any laws in NC that prevent firing a gun from a boat, it's done routinely (ie duck hunting) - tons of duck blinds on LKN. That said, target practice with a high powered rifle over water is just not smart. Example, a friend of ours had a house on a cove on the little lake I grew up on in wester NC. One winter afternoon some kids were shooting at cans in the water across the cove (about 300yrds). Before our friend could get to them to stop it, a round ricocheted off the water, went through the wall of his house and embedded in a kitchen cabinet near where is wife was standing. So, shooting a shotgun over water is one thing, shooting a high powered rifle is just not smart - whether it is legal or not.
 
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