Hunting Regulations Question - Game Birds- Legal Means of Taking

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Rook

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I'm sorry if this question has been asked before. I used the search function with no luck.

Under the migratory game birds in the Oklahoma Hunting guide under Legal Means of Taking it says:

"No person shall take migratory game birds: With a shotgun capable of holding more than three shells, in the magazine and chamber combined, unless otherwise provided."

This means I can't use something like a Mossberg 500 for hunting migratory game birds, correct? So I have to go out and buy a $700 over/under or side-by-side to hunt doves? What does "unless otherwise provided" mean? What is the point of this? There's a daily bag limit anyway. Are they afraid you will shoot too many too quickly?
 

dennishoddy

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It means you can only have two rounds in the magazine, and one in the chamber. If your shotgun can hold more than two in the magazine must be plugged.
Typically, I use a pencil cut to the correct length.
 

Oklahomabassin

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The rule is something that has been put in place above the Oklahoma Wildlife Department, it is a Federal rule. You can use your Mossberg 500 with a 7 round magazine extension provided you have a wooden dowel or a piece of plastic coat hanger or something similar in the magazine tube to prevent it from holding more than 2 shotgun shells, as the chamber will hold the third round.
 

Rook

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I see. So sticking a pencil in the magazine tube renders the shotgun incapable of holding more than 3 shells and I don't have to buy a new gun just for dove hunting. That's good to know. I still don't understand the reasoning behind it, given there is already a daily limit. Is there a difference between hitting your daily limit with a gun that holds 6 shells versus a gun that holds 3?
 

Rook

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The rule is something that has been put in place above the Oklahoma Wildlife Department, it is a Federal rule. You can use your Mossberg 500 with a 7 round magazine extension provided you have a wooden dowel or a piece of plastic coat hanger or something similar in the magazine tube to prevent it from holding more than 2 shotgun shells, as the chamber will hold the third round.

Gotcha. So the daily limit is set by Oklahoma, and the 3 shell max is a federal law. That clears it up. Thanks guys.
 

Oklahomabassin

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I see. So sticking a pencil in the magazine tube renders the shotgun incapable of holding more than 3 shells and I don't have to buy a new gun just for dove hunting. That's good to know. I still don't understand the reasoning behind it, given there is already a daily limit. Is there a difference between hitting your daily limit with a gun that holds 6 shells versus a gun that holds 3?
Unless lucky on the first try, you will have to start long and trim until you find the correct length needed to "plug" magazine capacity to only 2, 2.75" shells. I would likely assume the rule is to help lessen the risk of a far shot just wounding birds allowing them to fly off and die later. Most dove hunters with a few years experience realize that if you haven't hit a dove by 2nd shot know the 3rd isn't going to help and any more than that is just wasting shells. Ducks and geese, the bigger your pattern, the more likely you are to hit multiple birds. The further away from the gun, the bigger the pattern. Therefore having more shots available could cause multiple birds dropped per shot potentially causing over harvest.
 

Rook

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Unless lucky on the first try, you will have to start long and trim until you find the correct length needed to "plug" magazine capacity to only 2, 2.75" shells. I would likely assume the rule is to help lessen the risk of a far shot just wounding birds allowing them to fly off and die later. Most dove hunters with a few years experience realize that if you haven't hit a dove by 2nd shot know the 3rd isn't going to help and any more than that is just wasting shells. Ducks and geese, the bigger your pattern, the more likely you are to hit multiple birds. The further away from the gun, the bigger the pattern. Therefore having more shots available could cause multiple birds dropped per shot potentially causing over harvest.


That makes sense too. Thanks again.
 

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