ORIGINAL: R.S.B.
I could pretty easily accept 30 minutes after sunset for archery hunting because things have to be close enough for clear identification to be in bow range. Even in the dark conditions that exist at 30minutes after sunset a person should still be able to tell the difference between a person and a deer once they are within bow range.
For firearm hunting though I am opposed to extending the shooting hours to 30 minutes past sunset because at that time of the day most hunters would be moving out of the woods while they and hunters still on stand would still be in the hunting mode. As the light diminishes there would be hunters watching movement, a hundred yards of more away, and trying to figure out what they were looking at. Some of those hunters would be in the final stages of desperation because they haven’t got their deer yet and this is their last chance. Some of those hunters would also convince themselves they were watching a deer and end up shooting another hunter.
You can argue that the light conditions are just as poor when shooting hours begin in the morning and you would be right about the light conditions. But, in the morning hunters have usually arrived on a stand long before light, generally with the aid of a flashlight, and everyone is just sitting and waiting for a deer to come past them. At that time of the day few hunters are moving around plus the hunters are not yet feeling desperate to get their deer since the day still holds much promise and hope.
Another factor is that researchers, that study the human eye or what the brain processes after the eye has seen it, have determined that the eye and brain adapt and process what ahs been seen more rapidly during increasing light (morning) then diminishing light (evening).
No matter how you want to view it, or whether you want to accept it or not, if we allow rifle hunters to hunt 30 minutes after sunset there will be more hunters looking at other hunters and trying to figure out if they are going to shoot or not. I don’t think that would be a very comfortable feeling for most hunters when those hunters are carrying rifles capable of shooting a person at a couple hundred yards.
I guess I could almost accept expanding the hours to 15 minute past sunset during the late muzzle loader season too though since the deer has to be pretty close for a shot with a muzzle loader and a person should be able to make the distinction between a person and a deer at the closer range even with slightly lower light conditions then are normal for that time of the year, especially when there is snow cover.
I did watch a hunter coming from the woods at about 20 minutes after the end of legal shooting hours during muzzle loader season though and I could see little more then movement and didn’t know what I was watching until they were within about a hundred yards. Granted there was no snow that evening and it was overcast, but I couldn’t even tell the person was wearing an orange vest until they were within about 20 yards of me.
There is a lot to be considered if a person really wants to make a wise decision on this one. I tend to think we are better off being on the conservative side with the regulations then we are by putting hunters at greater risk.
I know if it changes to 30 minutes after sunset during rifle season I will be coming out of the woods, before or after shooing hours, with a flashlight turned on. I also know that I will be looking a lot more closely at hunting equipment and I’ll bet I will be issuing a lot more citations for hunters using lighted sights and scopes. In fact I bet I will even be arresting more people for using a light to better see the deer while they are on stand and trying to make their shot, thus turning their hunt and kill into a major game law violation.
R.S.Bodenhorn
I have to disagree here. Since blaze orange is required for rifle hunters, I don't think that light would be diminished enough for a "desperate" hunter to confuse a hunter for a deer.