HuntingNet.com Forums - View Single Post - PA Hunting hours what is the PGC staff thinking?

01-20-2007 | 10:13 PM

#32

R.S.B.

Typical Buck

Joined: Jul 2006

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RE: PA Hunting hours what is the PGC staff thinking?

Quote:

ORIGINAL: BTBowhunter

Quote:

yes, a lot are hunting ispast time now illegally but just think, now we are going to put hundreds more out there walking around and others in trees looking and saying,I WONDER IF THATS A DEER, I HAVE NOT SEEN A DEER ALL DAY AND WITH LACK OF DEER DO TO THE DCNR/PGC DEER ERADICATION PROGRAM,I BETTER SHOOT..UH OH, GUESS WHAT THAT WAS NOT A FAWN I SHOT, OH BOY, IT WAS HUNTER!!

this is type of hunters you are seeing now also, they want meat do to lack of deer..

the topic is the possible extension of the hunting day by 1/2 hour .... NOT THE PENNSYLVANIA HR PROGRAM!!! Dont hijack this thread and get it locked up too!

No data exists supporting the idea that that last half hour is any less safe than the first half hour. Or at least none has been presented other than opinions. ItIS a fact that the vast majority of states have hunting during that last half hour after sunset with no additional no safety problems. sunset.

Here are a few facts concerning the hunter related shooting incidents from last year.

21.3 % of all accidents were during a period of low light in the morning or evening.

12.8 % of all incidents occurred in the low light of dawn

6.4 % of all incidents occurred in the low light of evening

2.1 % of all incidents occurred in dark (morning or evening unknown)

27.7 % of all incidents were victim in line of fire when shot

23.4 % of all incidents were victim shot in mistake for game

51.1 % of all incidents involved one hunter shooting another hunter in either mistake for game of victim in the line of fire
[ul][/ul]51.1 % were shot with a shotgun
[ul][/ul]44.7 % were shot with a rifle
[ul][/ul]2.1 % were shot with a muzzle loader
[ul][/ul]2.1 % were shot with a bow
[ul][/ul]39 % were hunting deer
[ul][/ul]26 % were hunting small game
[ul][/ul]23 % were hunting turkey
[ul][/ul]2 % were hunting bear
[ul][/ul]There are presently more accidents occurring in the low light of the time period before sunrise then there are in the low light of evening. Low light evening accidents are already making up about half as many incidents as the even lower light conditions as occur in the low light of morning even though the low light of evening hunting ends a half hour earlier then the low light of evening. Therefore, it would only seem logical that the number of accidents occurring in the low light of evening would increase to a higher number if we allowed hunters to hunt into even lower light conditions then already occur when shooting hours end in the evening.

Since over half of all incidents are incidents where one hunter is shooting another hunter that they either didn’t see or had mistaken for game it is only logical to expect that number to increase if we allow more hunting time in low light conditions.

As I said before, due to the close distances involved in archery hunting and safety record during that season I could support the half hour later for that season. I could not support the addition for firearms hunter other then perhaps an additional 15 minutes for flintlock muzzle loader season.

Dick Bodenhorn

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