How many of you break the law on opening day,
- Thread starter nra_guns_winner
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spruilldog
New member
I used to do it...
The cousins thing that is.
Just kidding. I broke some game laws in high school like shooting to late or early and spotlighting deer. Never shot a deer at night but we would ride around shining a light looking for deer, and of course usually one was driving and the other was shining the light and drinking. I am on the straight and narrow now that I have a 15 and 13 year old that I like to hunt with. I want them to see at least one person who always does it by the book.
The cousins thing that is.
Just kidding. I broke some game laws in high school like shooting to late or early and spotlighting deer. Never shot a deer at night but we would ride around shining a light looking for deer, and of course usually one was driving and the other was shining the light and drinking. I am on the straight and narrow now that I have a 15 and 13 year old that I like to hunt with. I want them to see at least one person who always does it by the book.
globemaster3
New member
Are you serious?
I always make sure to follow every law I know of when hunting or fishing. 9 times out of 10, I've got one of my kids with me. What kind of example am I setting for them, or you setting for anyone, if you or I intentionally break the law? Either its OK, or its not.
Now, I am not talking about those gray areas that occur .01% of the time where breaking the law will prevent loss of life/property. In that case, I think you have to look at the bigger picture (ie I see someone theiving something on the property next door, I'll trespass to prevent it).
Now, accidents do happen and you have to answer the music. Like the time I dumped a small mottled duck during teal season. Sure looked the same to me, and it was at legal shooting light, but overcast made it darker and this little feller sure acted like a teal. Should I have waited until proper light to recognize and identify? Yep. And yep, got checked, and fessed up. It was a mistake I paid for, but it was 100% my fault and I made no attempt to hide it.
Since then, I've passed on shots other might have taken. Why risk it? I enjoy just being out there (until I have to pack up the dekes, then it stinks!
)
And exactly whats wrong with marrying your cousin?
I always make sure to follow every law I know of when hunting or fishing. 9 times out of 10, I've got one of my kids with me. What kind of example am I setting for them, or you setting for anyone, if you or I intentionally break the law? Either its OK, or its not.
Now, I am not talking about those gray areas that occur .01% of the time where breaking the law will prevent loss of life/property. In that case, I think you have to look at the bigger picture (ie I see someone theiving something on the property next door, I'll trespass to prevent it).
Now, accidents do happen and you have to answer the music. Like the time I dumped a small mottled duck during teal season. Sure looked the same to me, and it was at legal shooting light, but overcast made it darker and this little feller sure acted like a teal. Should I have waited until proper light to recognize and identify? Yep. And yep, got checked, and fessed up. It was a mistake I paid for, but it was 100% my fault and I made no attempt to hide it.
Since then, I've passed on shots other might have taken. Why risk it? I enjoy just being out there (until I have to pack up the dekes, then it stinks!
) And exactly whats wrong with marrying your cousin?
I have a book here written by a retired Arizona game warden that took care of an area I still enjoy hunting. He's as good a guy as I've known.
In the book, he refers to the last sunday of deer season as "doe Sunday". Does are mostly illegal to take in Arizona, and he always said if someone was going to poach a doe for meat, they'd wait 'till the last dat they'd hunt before doing it. Most seasons end on a Monday or Thursday, but many folks can't hunt during the week, so they'd poach a doe on the last Sunday.
I reckon he caught his share of doe shooters over the years by paying special attention to shots late in the day on the last Sunday.
Daryl
In the book, he refers to the last sunday of deer season as "doe Sunday". Does are mostly illegal to take in Arizona, and he always said if someone was going to poach a doe for meat, they'd wait 'till the last dat they'd hunt before doing it. Most seasons end on a Monday or Thursday, but many folks can't hunt during the week, so they'd poach a doe on the last Sunday.
I reckon he caught his share of doe shooters over the years by paying special attention to shots late in the day on the last Sunday.
Daryl
I used to break a few laws. Killin does on buck only days, not checking in deer if I can get away with it, hunting with a surefire light on my stablizer. (Dang deer always came in just after dark)
But now, I stay on the curvy and narrow. The most bending I do now is I may hunt the on the sketchy side of the boundry line. But nothing major.
But now, I stay on the curvy and narrow. The most bending I do now is I may hunt the on the sketchy side of the boundry line. But nothing major.
Another hunter ed instructor chiming in:
I hunt legally, because I've learned (and seen firsthand) that our actions, both good and bad, reflect on everyone that hunts; that's one of the BIG points I try to pass on to students that I teach, and I challenge each and every one of you to do the same for the future of our hunting tradition.
I hunt legally, because I've learned (and seen firsthand) that our actions, both good and bad, reflect on everyone that hunts; that's one of the BIG points I try to pass on to students that I teach, and I challenge each and every one of you to do the same for the future of our hunting tradition.
Yeah , time to come clean. I always load my shotgun by the truck before going to my treestand (before legal shooting time). I never shoot before legal time but cannot see clanking around loading my gun after spending all that time trying to be quiet getting to stand. Know of a hunter who got a broadhead through the kneecap because of some idiot. I see enough idiots in the woods with guns (shooting before legal time) but with a bow? Truely amazing - the guy should be banned for life!
I knew of two other people who broke laws fairly regularly.... One guy was in high school, so it's been some years, and the other guy has since passed, so he won't get in any trouble.
High school guy used to live in the UP of MI, most of it's rather remote, not much work, and they did in fact shoot for food. They would usually hunt legal though, but if they didn't see anything, they would set up a motion detector out back over the bait pile. There was a light always on over the pile, the motion detector went into the house into the bedroom to a lamp. So at 2am, light goes on, head to the other room where the 06 was and shoot from inside to reduce the noise outside, get the deer after light. From what I understand, this is fairly common up there, but like I said, from what I hear, the mostly did it for food.
The other guy, he was an old redneck who would go out with 2 other guys, one driving, one shining, and one in the back with a .22 shooting. He said they'd just shoot right between the eyes and they'd drop. Have no idea why he did it, personally, I think he just liked the idea of getting away with something.
Myself, I try to follow every rule, I have terrible luck and if I ever tried to push my luck, I'd get caught. Just not worth it, besides, for me, just being out there is fun. I don't think I would get the same satisfaction if I were "cheating". I have to say, if I ever NEEDED the food, rules be d***ed! I'll do whatever it takes then, but I'm not there yet!
High school guy used to live in the UP of MI, most of it's rather remote, not much work, and they did in fact shoot for food. They would usually hunt legal though, but if they didn't see anything, they would set up a motion detector out back over the bait pile. There was a light always on over the pile, the motion detector went into the house into the bedroom to a lamp. So at 2am, light goes on, head to the other room where the 06 was and shoot from inside to reduce the noise outside, get the deer after light. From what I understand, this is fairly common up there, but like I said, from what I hear, the mostly did it for food.
The other guy, he was an old redneck who would go out with 2 other guys, one driving, one shining, and one in the back with a .22 shooting. He said they'd just shoot right between the eyes and they'd drop. Have no idea why he did it, personally, I think he just liked the idea of getting away with something.
Myself, I try to follow every rule, I have terrible luck and if I ever tried to push my luck, I'd get caught. Just not worth it, besides, for me, just being out there is fun. I don't think I would get the same satisfaction if I were "cheating". I have to say, if I ever NEEDED the food, rules be d***ed! I'll do whatever it takes then, but I'm not there yet!
siv, It is a personal thing, It seems when I have a camera with me when hog doggin', fishing or gun hunting I have much less success... When I forget the camera at home I seem to nail my quarry with much higher frequency and quality...
Just a personal thing for me.
Brent
Just a personal thing for me.
Brent
Getting caught poaching up here is loss of hunting license, loss of gun, loss of vehicle used, plus jail and a fine. The warden service has a decoy robot deer that many an early, late or night hunter has lost their prize gun to. But I do remember growing up when my grandfather would get laid off from the railroad there would be venison hanging 1 in summer or 2 if it was winter, the wardens knew who was feeding their families and we never sold or wasted any of it. Naw I like to hunt and fish too much to loose my license.
Kreyzhorse
New member
With hunting under attack in this day and age of PC, I don't think we need any one breaking/bending the rules while deer hunting. I feel I represent the sport and I act accordingly which means following all hunting laws.
.41 rem mag fan
Inactive
Proud Dad
Last Sunday I was trying to get my 13 year old son on a whitetail buck. He still has a deer tag he can use in this area but he does not have a tag for an elk in this area though. Well guess what walks out in front of us 5 minutes after legal time to shoot (he reminded when it was legal to shoot
)? Two bulls, one of which I had a tag for but unfortunatley for him, he did not for the other. He drew up on the bull, realized what was going on and where he was and did not shoot. What a temptation.......... Nice 5 x 5 bull in your crosshairs, not more than 35 yards away. After we watched the second bull run away, he looked at me and said, "Grampy and you have always said, "One shot kill, do it legally and take every usable part home"".
I know Dad was proud and I am sure Grampy would be too.
Last Sunday I was trying to get my 13 year old son on a whitetail buck. He still has a deer tag he can use in this area but he does not have a tag for an elk in this area though. Well guess what walks out in front of us 5 minutes after legal time to shoot (he reminded when it was legal to shoot
)? Two bulls, one of which I had a tag for but unfortunatley for him, he did not for the other. He drew up on the bull, realized what was going on and where he was and did not shoot. What a temptation.......... Nice 5 x 5 bull in your crosshairs, not more than 35 yards away. After we watched the second bull run away, he looked at me and said, "Grampy and you have always said, "One shot kill, do it legally and take every usable part home"".I know Dad was proud and I am sure Grampy would be too.
guntotin_fool
New member
We might bend the hours a tiny bit. But I do not wear a watch when hunting. If I can see well enough to ID my target and the background. Then its legal shooting hours
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sourdough44
New member
I wonder how many load their guns before the legal shooting time? I know most don't want any noise just prior to prime time.
guntotin_fool
New member
Been thinking more about this one....
in someways, we may bend the rules a bit more, but we are never poaching or breaking the spirit of the law....
for example, tagging, in our state, the tag is supposed to go on as soon as you reach the deer. We don't do that, in fact we often don't tag until the last moment. Why? well if Joe is only hunting one weekend, and he has shot nothing, and his either sex tag is going to go to waste, well he will tag the buck that is hanging and haul it home, Dick may have shot that buck, but he now still has his buck option remaining. Dick has four doe tags, so if he had shot a doe, he would have tagged that...but why take away his buck tag?
Likewise if Joe is only hunting that first weekend, and its warm, he might tag all the deer we can put on his tags, so that he can report them and get them home to a cooler. why spoil deer.
WHile some contend that its illegal to load your gun while standing on flat ground, with a nice light bulb giving adequate light, versus trying to hold a cold bullet with cold hands and trying to load in a swinging tree stand, I disagree. we load then walk out the stands.
As I said, If I can CLEARLY see my target, and I can see its background, its legal to shoot in my mind. Because its my son and my nephew sitting in other tree stands around me, you better believe I will NOT shoot until I know exactly where that bullet is going.
WE never take too many deer, shoot off headlights, bait (which is illegal here), use a night sight, etc. We only take deer during season, we only take pheasants during season, despite that they are walking around our camp all summer and fall. We don't shoot predators, even when we sorely want to, except for Coyote, which are legal. Even red tail hawks, of which we have seven on our property, killing and eating our grouse and pheasant, we let live, reluctantly, but they are still there.
I view the regs as law, but also spirit of the law, where certain things are listed to prevent misuse, but at the same time, reasonable people, working in the spirit of the law, can find some flexibility.
in someways, we may bend the rules a bit more, but we are never poaching or breaking the spirit of the law....
for example, tagging, in our state, the tag is supposed to go on as soon as you reach the deer. We don't do that, in fact we often don't tag until the last moment. Why? well if Joe is only hunting one weekend, and he has shot nothing, and his either sex tag is going to go to waste, well he will tag the buck that is hanging and haul it home, Dick may have shot that buck, but he now still has his buck option remaining. Dick has four doe tags, so if he had shot a doe, he would have tagged that...but why take away his buck tag?
Likewise if Joe is only hunting that first weekend, and its warm, he might tag all the deer we can put on his tags, so that he can report them and get them home to a cooler. why spoil deer.
WHile some contend that its illegal to load your gun while standing on flat ground, with a nice light bulb giving adequate light, versus trying to hold a cold bullet with cold hands and trying to load in a swinging tree stand, I disagree. we load then walk out the stands.
As I said, If I can CLEARLY see my target, and I can see its background, its legal to shoot in my mind. Because its my son and my nephew sitting in other tree stands around me, you better believe I will NOT shoot until I know exactly where that bullet is going.
WE never take too many deer, shoot off headlights, bait (which is illegal here), use a night sight, etc. We only take deer during season, we only take pheasants during season, despite that they are walking around our camp all summer and fall. We don't shoot predators, even when we sorely want to, except for Coyote, which are legal. Even red tail hawks, of which we have seven on our property, killing and eating our grouse and pheasant, we let live, reluctantly, but they are still there.
I view the regs as law, but also spirit of the law, where certain things are listed to prevent misuse, but at the same time, reasonable people, working in the spirit of the law, can find some flexibility.
nra_guns_winner
Moderator
Wow I've gotten some great feed back on this one! As for shooting before daylight I can relate with a quick story. I was in high school so maybe I'd tagged three deer so far in my life. It was a nice cool dark morning. I was in my stand maybe 40 minutes before day break. I was on my fathers property, he had cattle and three horses. So anyway I'm spooked by one of those horses who was just being noisy, on the other side of some brush. At the time I couldn't make out what it was, I really thought it was a deer. Finally after what seemed to be 15 minutes it made a horse like noise and then I just felt like crap inside because I was fairly close to busting one of my dads horses. And yea after that morning I called and requested the horses be put up for a few days during gun season. I use to hear of cattle being shot during deer season and left dead or crippled up. Well this must be why.