At one time years ago, all big game hunting in NY State was "shotgun only".. After pressure by rural counties...some areas started to allow rifles.
Some "Chicken Little" legislators were very apprehensive for a time; but once approved they found the accidental shootrings went down in rifle areas
The curious thing about trhe rifle law,. iks that allowable rifles are only limited to "centerfire'. Although most of us know better, I suppose it would be
legal to use a rifle chambered for .22 hornet, .380 or even perhaps a .25 APC... Fortunately, I have heard of no cases where that has been tried.
THe counties that still have "shotgun only" rules, are the counties which have sizeable cities within them. Yellow areas, rifle or shotgun.. and a
few still choose shotgun (with slugs only, of course)..
If your state has similar restrictions, do they run as ours do, to counties with cities in them ?