Newbie Needs Help
 

Hello everyone,

When do I know that it is okay to take out my rifle when I go out hunting?

I just passed my hunter's ed course. I do not have any friends or family that are hunters or even own guns. I have called CDFW in hopes of getting this question answered but they usually transfer me to another line and I just get voicemail.

Huh? I have no idea what that question means!

It is ok to take your rifle out when it is the hunting season. When you buy your license you will get a digest of seasons and bag limits with the license. Some seasons may or may not allow rifles, some require shotguns. To tell the truth, I am suspicious that you may be a troll because if you passed your hunter education course you should know the answer to the question you ask. If this is a legitimate post, I suggest you join a sportsman's club and meet people who hunt and learn from them.

We would probably need more specifics to answer your question. What state you would be hunting in could determine some of the answer. Also, where you're hunting, for what, etc. Congratulations on passing your Hunter Ed.

most states have shooting hours, you can carry your rifle to your hunting position but just don't shoot till legal hours, in my home state of wv its 1/2 hour before sunrise till 1/2 hour after sunset.rifles must be cased while in a vehicle till legal hunting time, outside a vehichle you can carry your weapon (loaded if ya like) but can't shoot till legal hunting hours.
RR

Some places like Ontario Canada requires transport in a vehicle unloaded in a case and if it is before or after legal hours the rifle needs to be carried in and out of the woods unloaded in a gun sock or soft case.

Some of the answers show how much difference there is between the states. Here in MI you can't even lean an unloaded weapon against a vehicle or lay it on the tailgate of a truck while you're getting ready to put it in a case. When I go to Wyoming it's just the opposite in that you can carry a loaded gun with one in the chamber in the passenger compartment! That's why I posted that I had no idea what you might be talking about, especially not knowing what state you live in.

I would think that sort of thing would be covered in the hunter safety class.

I thought that also but you never know. Some of the hunter safety courses are now only one day and there's a lot of material to cover.

I had a weird instructor for my Hunter's Ed course. Half of the class was rants on unrelated topics and the other half was videos. The online portion of my Hunter's Ed course didn't cover it.

Thanks you! I would be hunting in CA. Hopefully for wild hog or deer when the season opens.

As for more specifics, is it as long as I am in CDFW/BLM land during hunting hours that I can take out my rifle?

Do I need to check-in with any government officials before taking out my rifle?

Sportsman's club sounds interesting. Do you know any good ones in CA?

From the posts you have made it appears that you don't know much about hunting and from what you have said it sure seems like your hunting ed teacher didn't teach you much. I strongly suggest you try to hook up with an experienced hunter to get some field experience.

I would certainly second that suggestion!

That information helps. You don't need to check in with any government officials prior to taking out your rifle on public or private land. Refuges can sometimes be a different story so you'd want to look it up depending on the specific refuge.

In CA, hunting licenses are on a budget year calendar (July 1 through June 30th). Your hunter safety class should have given you a Hunter Safety Certificate with an ID # on it. You need that certificate # to obtain your first hunting license (see link below for more details). Once you have your hunter safety certificate input into the system (it takes a few days for the info to show up in the computer database online), you can buy a license at a sales office, licensed agent or online (they mail your license and tags to you if you do it online).

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Hunter-Education


If you haven't already gone through the process of registering your hunter safety certificate and don't currently have you hunting license, you're probably going to miss the drawing deadline for premium deer tags, elk, sheep and antelope. If you already have your hunter safety certificate entered in the system, you can apply for a license and premium tags online but the deadline is June 2, 2016 at midnight (tomorrow night). Here's the link for online licenses.

https://www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/InternetSales/

Now for the good news. If you haven't submitted your hunter safety certificate and it's not entered in the computer, don't worry. Go to the DFW regional office nearest you and bring your wallet (they will want to see your driver's license or some form of picture ID), checkbook and/or debit or credit card to pay for your license and tags. The staff will walk you through the process for your first license, etc.

Depending on where you live, there will likely be available general deer tags for your area. Most deer seasons are in September or October so you're not too late for that. Pig tags are good year round so you'll have plenty of time for that.

If you need more information, post further questions or feel free to PM me.

CalHunter

Go to the CDFW/BLM sites and read the hunting info posted there to get a better understanding of what you need to know or consider. Once you get an idea of season dates and reg.'s, double check upcoming season dates for new regulations. Then, if you have questions, you can be more specific. Good luck!

You know Cal, I think that a long time hunter/member like myself could call a spade a spade without getting warned?

Check your PM Inbox.

CalHunter I got your PM, I can't seem to respond/reply? I've had troubles responding to PM's before, I don't care for PM's. I'll try later, I just wanted you to know I'm not intentionally ignoring you, have a good one.

There is no single answer. As stated, it depends on which state.

As a general rule, you should keep your gun in a case until you reach the area you are actually going to hunt.

That said, lets take Colorado for example. It is not legal to shoot from a vehicle even in public lands on 4 wheel drive roads. You much exit the vehicle and get a certain distance off the "road". Not sure of the distance, so you will have to look that up.

It is legal in Colorado to have your rifle out of the case in your automobile and even have ammunition in the magazine, but NOT in the chamber. However, on an ATV or UTV, you must have the gun inside a case and COMPLETELY unloaded.

So, there is no single answer to your question, because it varies depending on the situation. Looks like you got some good info on CA. But I agree you should probably try and hook up with someone who has hunted where you will be hunting

You can take it out when & where it is legal. I.e. open season AND allows rifles. The areas I hunt in PA are shotgun only so the answer here for when can you take your rifle out for deer is NEVER. As others stated your digest should clarify the seasons & regs

Let us know what you figured out and how things work out for you.

What are you asking? (When do I know that it is okay to take out my rifle when I go out hunting? ) Your question is not clear enough for us to help you.


Clarify your question and read your regulations for the state you are hunting in, you can find the hunting brochure where you buy your license.