Canoeing the Mississippi River - Bringing A Firearm Questions

[Hanwei]

So, a friend of mine is doing a 3-month, 2500 mile (or something like that), canoe trip starting at the top of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, and concluding the trip in the Gulf... starting this August. Awesome.

He'll be doing this with a good friend of his.

Neither have any experience with firearms, really.

But he has come to me with one main question... and one or two followups.

"If I want to bring a firearm with me for safety... is that something I can do? If yes, are there any state or federal laws I need to watch out for to stay legal?"

I can certainly answer his questions regarding traveling/flying with a firearm (as I've done this many times) - getting from home to Minneapolis and from New Orleans back home.

But it's the whole having a firearm with you in a canoe while navigating waters on state borders, etc, where I'm unfamiliar with what laws would apply.

Neither of them have any conceal carry licenses from their home states (they are from free states).

If he wants to carry in the canoe, does he need to open carry?
If it's in a bag, in the canoe, is it considered transport? Or just off body carry?

They will be canoeing anywhere from 20-40 miles per day.

They will mostly be camping at night.

These are all of the states they will be hitting (I think):

Minnesota
Wisconsin
Iowa
Illinois
Missouri
Kentucky
Arkansas
Tennessee
Mississippi
Louisiana

My best guess is, aside from when they're in ******* Illinois territory, he'd be fine open carrying during the rest of his trip. Otherwise, if he's not carrying, just keep it in the dry bag.

Any thoughts or advice from past experience would be awesome.

Thanks Guys!

 

[WJM]

Scary... Have you seen the movie?

 

[Hanwei]

And this is why he wants a gun with him

 

[dragonballzz]

Is this where they play them banjos at?

 

[kalash]

Tell him to bring a crossbow

 

[Jason m]

I can't answer the multi state question, but when I take my canoe out I have a small floating case my gun gets put into, along with my cell. I have a small length of para cord that keeps it attached to me.

Jason.

 

[scatter]

MN, IA, and TN require a permit for open carry.
IL does not allow open carry at all.

Why not get a UT non-res permit before they go? Then they are covered everywhere but MN and IL.

 

[whacko]

Long gun or handgun? It makes a difference in many states and you didnt specify.

 

[wahsben]

Why do I hear banjos? I can't help with your question but I wish them a good safe trip.

 

[greencobra]

Tell 'em to stay home, this can only end badly.

 

[goodzilla]

So while traversing the IL border, if you "stay to the right", you're in Iowa and Missouri, and a-okay with the Utah permit. Just don't get pulled over by Illinois police and forced to the east bank. I don't know how you'd get around MN issue though. Other than putting in in Wisconsin, east of Minneapolis. Could you mail yourself a firearm for pickup in Wisconsin for the remainder of the trip?

ETA: I found this in a Minnesota fishing forum about being a Minnesota resident on the Mississippi River with a firearm it's a little thin but tells you where the MN Sheriff's head is on the subject. It sounds like if you're on the river bordering a state with a permit, you're fine as long as you don't land (obligatory IANAL, and this is web forum advice disclaimer):

We contacted the MN Sheriff’s Association to see how they would interpret this situation.

As far as the Mississippi or St Croix river, which border MN and Wisconsin, they indicated that the precedent they follow is that if a Minnesota resident has a gun permit they may carry all the way to the other states shore line and would be considered to have a valid permit to carry (by both states). If you would set foot on shore in Wisconsin, then you would not be in compliance if you did not have a Wisconsin permit (unless Wisconsin recognizes the MN permit to carry in their state).

 

[A Defiant Goose]

Times like these a 50 state reciprocity would be pretty cool huh?

 

[robjax]

he should actually look into each state's laws as they can vary by state. Illinois is a huge no-go if you ask me. no non-resident license I know of have reciprocity in Illinois.

Some parts of the Mississippi are totally in Illinois so your friend needs to be careful at those points and just cruise on through. I think one is 14 miles and the other is about 43 miles. He'll have to look them up himself.

I did ask in yahoo if there was any land parts of Illinois west of the Mississippi.....this is the response...

"Best Answer:Well, to be quite technical, almost all of the state is east of the river, but there is a very small segment of Illinois that is west of the Mississippi River, located at a latitude of 37.921N, and a longitude of -89.913W. (This location is just southeast of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri)

Found at that point is an island, containing two small villages: Kaskaskia (the first capital of Illinois), and Dozaville. If you look at an Illinois map, the area was once east of the Mississippi River, until the river slowly (and naturally) cut a path through the land to create the island.

Ironically, the only way to access this island is from Missouri via two roads intersecting with US Rte 61. "

So best to avoid that....

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/...any of illinois west of the mississippi river

 

[JZ1018]

They would need to stay in the main river channel. The barge canal north of St. Louis is totally within the state of Illinois.

 

[goodzilla]

he should actually look into each state's laws as they can vary by state. Illinois is a huge no-go if you ask me. no non-resident license I know of have reciprocity in Illinois.

Some parts of the Mississippi are totally in Illinois so your friend needs to be careful at those points and just cruise on through. I think one is 14 miles and the other is about 43 miles. He'll have to look them up himself.

I did ask in yahoo if there was any land parts of Illinois west of the Mississippi.....this is the response...

"Best Answer:Well, to be quite technical, almost all of the state is east of the river, but there is a very small segment of Illinois that is west of the Mississippi River, located at a latitude of 37.921N, and a longitude of -89.913W. (This location is just southeast of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri)

Found at that point is an island, containing two small villages: Kaskaskia (the first capital of Illinois), and Dozaville. If you look at an Illinois map, the area was once east of the Mississippi River, until the river slowly (and naturally) cut a path through the land to create the island.

Ironically, the only way to access this island is from Missouri via two roads intersecting with US Rte 61. "

So best to avoid that....

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/...any of illinois west of the mississippi river

eh, it's only about 10 miles, portage!

 

[rivet_42]

Scary... Have you seen the movie?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myhnAZFR1po

 

[AntiHippie]

Well, soon as I saw the title I clicked to make the obligatory Deliverance comments, but I see that's already covered!

 

[NeverMiss]

"you're gonna need a bigger boat"

 

[Hanwei]

Thanks for all of the responses guys! Yeah, the more I thought about it the more I realized that it's not going to be a simple thing.

I guess he'll have to settle for his machete/camp axe.

 

[wahsben]

What would really be cool is if the govt. honored their oath to uphold the COTUS and not infringe upon the RKBA.

Times like these a 50 state reciprocity would be pretty cool huh?

 

[Asaltweapon]

They would need to stay in the main river channel. The barge canal north of St. Louis is totally within the state of Illinois.

Ya that should be just fine in a freaking canoe. Canoeing in a shipping channel. You can't be serious. Do you know what a piece of plastic looks like on radar?

- - - Updated - - -

"you're gonna need a bigger boat"

THIS.

 

[scatter]

Thanks for all of the responses guys! Yeah, the more I thought about it the more I realized that it's not going to be a simple thing.

I guess he'll have to settle for his machete/camp axe.

NOOOOO!

I would never embark on a trip like that without a gun. Damn the laws. If I wasn't certain I was legal I would put it in a lockbox at the bottom of the dry bag, and never consent to a search by anybody.

I would try to figure out the laws in each state I would be in, especially where I would be camping (since laws vary by locality in some of those states), and I would do my best in advance to get as compliant as possible (e.g., UT non-res permit). But on a 2500 mile float trip, camping on the shore the entire way? I'm bringing a gun. Hell if I were doing that trip I would probably break down and finally buy that SUB2000 I've been wanting for about a year now, and put a good light on it.

 

[Hanwei]

Trust me... we agree completely. And if it were me going on this trip, I'd be doing exactly as you said you'd do.

But my friend just isn't going to go to the trouble. Neither he nor his friend are gun guys.

 

[scatter]

Well if he's not a "gun guy" and probably has no training, and is just looking to buy a magic talisman to protect him, it's probably better for all of us if he just relies on his axe and hopes for the best. Interesting topic though.

 

[Stape]

Would FOPA protect them? Seems it's a trip like any other passing through several states. Sure the transportation is a bit different but I think it should still apply and protect them in regards to lawful transportation between two points.

 

[scatter]

Would FOPA protect them? Seems it's a trip like any other passing through several states. Sure the transportation is a bit different but I think it should still apply and protect them in regards to lawful transportation between two points.

I don't think so. Their "destination" at the end of every day is the shore of the state they happen to be in. So a commie state could bust you up for having a gun without a permit.

But like I said, I would do it anyway. Without a second thought.

 

[beerjeep]

Having traveled this route many times, in my Mark Twain days, they need a marine radio.

They should learn about and pay attention to river levels as the perfect sand bar to camp on could be river by morning. They should consider ending above the Port of Baton Rouge. They'd be idiots to try to traverse the Port of New Orleans.

The nautical rules of the road are largely ignored on the Miss - where the biggest takes the right of way.

Suggest buying a Ruger 10-22 in Kentucky or leave/ mail one at/to Economy Boat Store in Wickliffe KY.

I've met and talked to people making the same trip in kayaks and wave-runners.

By the time they're South of Memphis, the view rarely changes.

Best of luck to them both!

Ya that should be just fine in a freaking canoe. Canoeing in a shipping channel. You can't be serious. Do you know what a piece of plastic looks like on radar?

- - - Updated - - -



THIS.

 

[Asaltweapon]

Having traveled this route many times, in my Mark Twain days, they need a marine radio.

They should learn about and pay attention to river levels as the perfect sand bar to camp on could be river by morning. They should consider ending above the Port of Baton Rouge. They'd be idiots to try to traverse the Port of New Orleans.

The nautical rules of the road are largely ignored on the Miss - where the biggest takes the right of way.

Suggest buying a Ruger 10-22 in Kentucky or leave/ mail one at/to Economy Boat Store in Wickliffe KY.

I've met and talked to people making the same trip in kayaks and wave-runners.

By the time they're South of Memphis, the view rarely changes.

Best of luck to them both!

Clearly you have seen the total lack of compliance on the water.
Lets not forget the accidents on the rivers where the pilot doesn't even know he hit a bridge never mind a little plastic floating buoy or fender.

 

[MAGA99]

tell your buddies to invest in solid chastity belts.

 

[Irish65]

I know my post count is low, therefore my credibility here is low. But I am familiar with the Mississippi in Louisiana.

The issue here isn't the guns.... Its the trip itself. Don't know about the upper reaches. But if they try to navigate the river below Baton Rouge in a canoe, they're going to drown. Really.