The discharge or carrying of firearms that are not encased or dismantled is permitted within the no discharge zone under the following circumstances so long as no innocent party is endangered unless otherwise prohibited by State or Federal law: (Prior Code § 5-2-3; amd. 2018 Code)
A. By law enforcement officers in the line of duty or military personnel in the line of duty or persons with a lawfully issued and currently valid permit to carry a pistol as defined by Minnesota Statutes section 624.714.
B. By any person to resist or prevent an offense which that person reasonably believes exposes himself or another to great bodily harm or death.
C. By a certified firearms safety training instructor while participating in a Department of Natural Resources approved firearms safety program.
D. By any person while participating in a Department of Natural Resources approved firearm safety program.
E. By any person for the destruction of diseased, injured farm animals or dangerous birds, animals and reptiles upon property defined as a farm by the zoning ordinance.
F. By any person on a rifle, trap, archery or target range established in accordance with the City's zoning ordinance or as part of a City sponsored activity.
G. By any person possessing, transporting or carrying handguns as specifically allowed by State law.
H. By any person slaughtering farm animals which they own or with the permission of the owner.
I. By any person target practicing with a bow and arrow with target tips only, BB or pellet gun with parental supervision under the age of eighteen (18), against a suitable backstop, at least two hundred feet (200') from all buildings, unless the buildings are owned by them or unless they have the owner's permission carried on their person. Bow and arrow target practice may also take place within the confines of a building if a suitable backstop is used.
J. By any person participating in a special hunting season, which season may not conflict with State law or regulations, established by the City Council for the purpose of wildlife management. The season shall be established by the City Council when, based upon competent professional advice such as a Conservation Office, a season is needed to reduce an animal population. The Council may authorize the use of single projectiles as part of the special hunt regulations set forth in the resolution.
K. By any person engaged in a City approved event reenacting a historic military engagement, or engaged in a periodic ceremony such as a funeral or Memorial Day observances where firearms have traditionally been discharged; provided, that only blank cartridges or shells are used which make noise similar to the discharge of a firearm without the firing or ejection of solid projectiles. In the case of a historical military reenactment, the owner of the property upon which the reenactment is to occur shall notify both the City and the Wright County Sheriff of the date, time and duration of the planned reenactment at least two (2) weeks prior to the proposed event. The City may approve or disapprove the planned event at its sole discretion, or may require the owner to comply with certain provisions as conditions of approval.
L. By any person issued an annual administrative archery permit to hunt specific property identified on the permit using archery equipment as allowed by State law and regulations subject to the following provisions:
1. The parcel or contiguous parcels owned by the person or with the owner's written permission carried on the person on which the hunt occurs shall not be less than ten (10) acres in area.
2. The property shall not be zoned R-4, R-4A, R-5, R-6 or R-7 District on the zoning map.
3. No person shall discharge an arrow within two hundred feet (200') of any public right-of-way, property owned by the City of Otsego, and all buildings unless owned by the person or with the owner's written permission carried on the person. (Prior Code § 5-2-3)