In addition to their blaze orange clothing, guns and other hunting gear, hunters are increasingly becoming technologically savvy. This includes the use of cellular phones and two-way radios. These devices can save lives, help find lost hunters and even allow hunters to chat with their spouses as they sit around a campfire at night. But, just because they're readily available doesn't mean they are necessarily legal for hunting or fishing in Minnesota, or any other state.

According to Minnesota hunting regulations, it is illegal to use radio communications to aid in the taking of game. For example, hunters cannot communicate the locations of wild game or use the devices while driving animals to other hunters. Conservation officers do encounter hunters using some form of radio communications to assist others in the taking of game animals. Misuse of cell phones, two-way radios and other communications devices can land hunters on the stand in a courtroom. Additional information about the use of radios while hunting can be found under general hunting information in the Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations Handbook.

- Rich Sprouse, DNR Division of Enforcement information officer