Latest Update: 07/31/17


Update (8/4/14): Alabama Law will not go into effect until Oct. 2014

Update (8/8/14): Florida considers allowing hunters to use suppressors

Update (8/26/14):
Revised the map to reflect Alabama's current status, until their law goes into effect.

Update (8/26/14, #2):
Revised map to show Georgia only allows suppressed hunting on private land.

Update (9/10/14): Florida: FWC approves broader use of suppressors while hunting, final vote in November.

Update (10/3/14): Alabama's law allowing suppressed hunting goes into effect.

Update (11/21/14): Florida Approves Suppressed Game Hunting Effective Immediately

Update (12/19/14): Govenor Kasich signs law allowing suppressed hunting in Ohio

Update (1/2/15): Map Reflecting Ohio's Status Created; Effective: 3/19/15

Update (4/24/15): Montana amends law allowing suppressed hunting of game and non-game animals.

Update (5/22/15): Minnesota becomes 40th states to legalize suppressors.

Update (5/27/15): Map updated to show MN suppressed hunting conditions.

Update (6/21/15): Vermont Legalizes Suppressor Ownership

Update (6/26/15): Maine Legalizes Suppressed Hunting

Update (2/12/16): Michigan: Suppressor Hunting Now Legal

Update (3/29/16): Iowa: Bill Signing Scheduled For Thursday

Update (4/27/16): Oklahoma: Suppressed Hunting Now Legal On Public Lands

Update (6/10/16): New Hampshire: HB 500 Signed Into Law – Suppressor Hunting Now Legal

Update (8/28/16): Changed the Legend Text for Clarity

Update (1/20/17): Call To Action - Illinois

Update (6/2/17): Call To Action - New York

Update (6/12/17): News - Hearing Protection Act Language Incorporated Into Comprehensive Sportsmen's Package

Update (7/15/17): News/Call To Action - Massachusetts: Suppressor Legalization Bill To Be Heard In Committee

Update (7/31/17): Call To Action - All States: Contact Your Legislators in Support of the Hearing Protection Act

Update (9/10/19): With Tinypic.com shutting down, all the historical "Hunting With Suppressors" maps are now lost. I've updated this post with the latest map (Effective: 6/10/2016).

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Hunting With Suppressors Map (Valid: 06-10-2016):

Georgia and Alabama have been added as allowing hunting of all animals (including Game) with a suppressor on private and public lands (July 1, 2014).
On August 1, 2014, Louisiana will allow Hunting game animals with suppressors.

Disclaimer: As always, please check with your Department of Wildlife as there may be restrictions that this map does not address. Nor can I guarantee that this map is 100% correct.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Storm,

Yep; Georgia added it this year,I love it,thank you Gov. Deal for signing this great piece of legislation.

I guess I imagined that anyone who legally owned a suppressor that fit their hunting gun would be able to use it while hunting. I don't own a suppressor, so this is just curiosity - but is there a theory why loud hunting would be preferable to quiet hunting?

I'm curious to the logic used in the pink states here to justify the restriction....if they allow suppressors, why not let people use them while hunting?

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:
[W]hy not let people use them while hunting?

“There’s no reason for it, it’s just our policy.”

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:
I guess I imagined that anyone who legally owned a suppressor that fit their hunting gun would be able to use it while hunting. I don't own a suppressor, so this is just curiosity - but is there a theory why loud hunting would be preferable to quiet hunting?

I'm curious to the logic used in the pink states here to justify the restriction....if they allow suppressors, why not let people use them while hunting?

From what I've heard, it was to prevent poaching. But that's like banning firearms in schools to prevent school shootings. I'm sure most of these laws go way back.

Just for comparison. Here's one of the first maps I did in April, 2012 compared with the latest August, 2014. In a little over two years, we've added North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Indiana, Wyoming and Oklahoma to states that allow some sort of hunting with a suppressor. That's a total of seven.

4/2012



8/2014

This is unbelievably nitpicky. In April 2012, Texas had decided to make hunting with suppressors legal, but the effective date was September 1, 2012.

It makes me sad that Texas took so long to make it legal.

Ohio is in the political process HB-234. I would expect it pass later this year. Any gun related legislation has gone easily through Ohio with the Republicans in control.

quote:

Originally posted by jcsabolt2:
Ohio is in the political process HB-234. I would expect it pass later this year. Any gun related legislation has gone easily through Ohio with the Republicans in control.

Let me know if it goes through and I'll update the map. I wish you the best of luck in this.

Did you want an update of the SVG file?

The 2012 map lists Ohio as illegal to possess a Suppressor which was not correct.

quote:

Originally posted by szuppo:
The 2012 map lists Ohio as illegal to possess a Suppressor which was not correct.

You're actually misreading the map legend. That classification "Unlawful to Hunt with or Possess a Suppressor" should be read as "Unlawful to Hunt with a Suppressor, OR Unlawful to Possess a Suppressor". Perhaps, this was bad grammar on my part.

This was a common mis-interpretation, which is why I increased the number of classes in the legend to distinguish between the two. I had initially combined them, because the focus of the map was hunting with suppressors, and these were states where you could not hunt with a suppressor, for either reason.

Congratulations to Louisiana on being able to hunt Game animals with suppressors, as of today.

Para,
Thanks for making this a sticky post. So the forum and firearms community can use this map as a resource.

Everyone,
I will be using this thread as a place to host and update this map as things change with regards to this issue. Anyone is free to copy, display, host, or use this map as long as it's in a positive way with respect to second amendment rights, hunting and firearms ownership.

Regards,
Storm

*** Update ***

I just found out from American Suppressor Association that the suppressed hunting law in Alabama will not go into effect until sometime in October. I am going to leave the map as is for the moment until I get a solid date.

Source http://americansuppressorassoc...ng-laws-take-effect/

*** Update - Florida ***

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will consider a proposal at its Sept. 10 meeting in Kissimmee to permit silencers, also known as suppressors, for shooting deer, turkey, gray squirrels, rabbits, quail and crows.

Video: Florida Considers Allowing Hunters To Use Silencers Suppressors While Hunting - GunsSaveLives.net

Florida may allow hunters to use silencers - Sun Sentinel

To reflect Alabama's current status in the no-go column, until their law goes into effect sometime in October, I've produced the latest revision of the map. I will update their status once I have confirmation on an effective date.




EDIT: It was brought to my attention that the map originally posted (http://i59.tinypic.com/k9v08.png) was incorrect, as Georgia only allows suppressed hunting on private land. I have confirmed this with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and revised the map accordingly.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Storm,

*** Update - Florida ***

quote:

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission unanimously approved a draft rule that removes the state's restriction on use of silencers for hunting game.

They'll take a final vote on the rule in November.

Florida Today: FWC OKs broader use of silencers in hunting

Sun Sentinel: Florida may expand use of silencers for hunting

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Storm,

*** Update - Alabama ***
Alabama's law allowing hunting with suppressors went into effect on 10/1/2014.

Source: American Suppressor Association: Alabama - Suppressor Hunting Now Legal

Thank you! What a useful tool for everyone, nationwide.

A lot of work went into this.

Thanks!!

quote:

Originally posted by roberth:
Thank you! What a useful tool for everyone, nationwide.

A lot of work went into this.

Thanks!!

You're very welcome, Roberth.

I'm glad people are finding this useful.