§ 16-43. Discharge of firearms.

(a)

It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully shoot or fire off a firearm within the limits of the city.

(b)

It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully discharge a firearm upon any city-owned or city-leased property within three miles beyond the city limits of the City of Miles City, including, but not limited to, Spotted Eagle Recreation Area, Frank Wiley Field, the city wastewater treatment plant and adjoining former lagoon area, the city water treatment plant property and pumping plant park, and the industrial site west of the city limits. This prohibition shall not apply to authorized users of the Miles City Police Department pistol range adjacent to the city water treatment plant, nor to shotgun users of the trap shooting range at Spotted Eagle Recreation Area during daylight hours. The following hunting exceptions apply: with permission obtained 24 hours in advance from the airport manager or the waste water plant manager/operator, archery for big game hunting; shotgun and archery hunting of upland game birds, spring turkey and waterfowl on city-owned property which is fenced outside of the runways at the airport, and hunting access is also allowed at the wastewater plant, providing hunting access to the river.

(c)

Any person who violates this section shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding $500.00 or by imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding six months, or both.

(d)

Firearms may be discharged in an indoor or outdoor rifle, pistol, or shotgun shooting range located within the city limits if the shooting range is approved by the city council.

(e)

Subsections (a) and (b) do not apply if the discharge of a firearm is justifiable under MCA Title 45, Chapter 3, Part 1.

(Code 1981, § 9.02.420; Ord. No. 1236, § 2, 4-10-12; Ord. No. 1250, § 1, 2-12-13; Ord. No. 1298 , § 2, 8-11-15)

State law reference

Firing firearms, MCA 45-8-343.