RE: Is this cheating?
 

Jeff, you talked to a GW, not all of them.

One GW's interpretation of a game law may not be the same as the next.

RE: Is this cheating?
 

Wash .... I was JUST GONNA TYPE THAT!;)

RE: Is this cheating?
 

Chris is going to be at our bow shop, tonight.....conducting a hunter's education course. I'm going to stop by and talk to him further about this (and he wasn't the officer in question, BTW). I'll get him to expound on this and I'll report back, tomorrow.

What would a GW do if he came upon you shed hunting and you were brandishing a sidearm? Would he HAVE to assume you were hunting? It's a fair question.

RE: Is this cheating?
 

I'm not sure how you guys relate with your GW's......but if I were ever cited for something he told me I was OK doing.......I feel sure he'd be a man and own up to it in court.

I'll ask him that, too.

I think this has succumbed to the ridiculous, though.

RE: Is this cheating?
 

Quote:

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intentionally shine a light upon a deer or intentionally sweep a light in search of a deer in these areas (map denotes counties covered by this statute).

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Intentionally;) sounds like a grey area to me.

RE: Is this cheating?
 

In Georgia that would be considered wildlife harassment and or spotlighting. I have a better suggestion. I carry and use turkey calls, moouth calls, to put the deer at ease in those situations. I only carry a red led light and never a 'white' light, usually attached to my hat to be seen , rather thna tro see.You wil be surprised at how well your eyes adjust to the dark if you give them time.

RE: Is this cheating?
 

Well, here's my two cents. First, I rarely go into the woods without a light. Around here, there are too many "weekend warriors" who don't hunt, but kill, and while the instances of bowhunters getting shot by other bowhunters is rare, it has happened too often for me to feel comfortable going in there in the dark. Hunting here starts a half hour before sunrise, so if I'm just walking to my stand, and not hunting or pursuing deer, then I'm legal, light or no light. If it's a full moon, and I'm hunting the one private piece of land I have permission to hunt, I may go in without a light, other than that, the brighter the light the better. As far as shining it into the deers eyes so you can get into your stand without spooking them, I can't say I would be against it as long as you don't try to shoot the deer in the process. That doesn't mean I would do it, but I may not be against it. I am more against those that go out there just to kill something and don't try to be humane, or go into the woods drunk, or poach or break the bag limit laws, etc, etc, etc. As long as it's not illegal where you are, I see nothing unethical about it. People use cover scents to keep from spooking deer. People wear camo to keep from spooking deer. people sit in camo-colored plastic tents to keep from spooking deer. Is there a difference? Again, to me, as long as you don't try to shoot the deer when you're shining the light on it, just think of it as "bright camo".

RE: Is this cheating?
 

I haven't read all of the posts so I am getting in on the tail end, but in our state if you are using an artificial light and get caught while possessing a gun you will get a citation for "spotlighting". If you are caught shining fields with an artificial light and no gun you get ticketed for "harassment of wildlife". Ithoughtthe game harassment law was stupid at first until I found out a lot of people would go out at night and find out where the bucks were and set up on them the next morning.

RE: Is this cheating?
 

I didn't read every post but I think I got the gist of it.
I use a light most mornings to get to my stand. When I have seen or heard a deer in the dark they were busy LEAVING the area, so I don't know if the original story is entirely correct. I don't think there was anything unethical about it if it is true. If a deer blows at me in the dark and I turn my head that way,(that's where my light is) and he stopsor just walks off, I'll try it again the next time. I've grunted at deer that I've spooked in the morning on the way to my stand to try and calm them. It's not much different.

One subject that has been brougt to light is the term "hunting or taking",
and legal shooting times.
I have friends who have been cited for coming out of the woods too far past legal shooting time during bow season.One of my buddies hunts WAY BACK In on State Game Landsand it takes him 40 min's to get out . I'm sure you've all been pinned in your stand waiting for deer to clear and got to your vehicle late.
While the officers think they're doing their job ,it falls on them to use a little common sense.I try to get to my stand at least a 1/2 hour before shooting time. Does that mean I have to worry about being cited. If you read the law literally ,I guess so.
The kids that were cited for shining a flashlight in the woods is absurd.
I'm sure they weren't armed. Again, COMMON SENSE was lacking w/ someone.

Every agency has a Barney Fife or two. But in that light , it begs the question...What do you do if you run into one?

RE: Is this cheating?
 

I stopped by our bow shop, last night, and as luck would have it....there was another officer there with my friend (who's also a GW). I started to ask him questions like....."what's the definition of hunting"......or....."what does immediately preparing to take game" was (and later, I did ask that one).....but I just came right out and asked......

"If I go to my stand at 3:30AM.....am I breaking any game laws"?

He honestly looked at me and said "It's DARK at 3:30AM. You can't HUNT in the dark. What could you be cited for"?

"Immediately Preparing" to take a game animal.....IS when you've pointed a weapon at that animal and intend to take it.

Now.....before any of you conspiracy theorists get going......if you're actually HUNTING at night....then that's a WHOLE NEW BALLGAME. Don't read ANYTHING into this scenario. I'm not HUNTING while I'm WAITING for legal light.

It also surprises me that EVERYONE seems to have taken the side of the teenagers in the light shining incidence. We have NO WAY of knowing what transpired, that evening. Still....on the surface.....(not reading anything into it)......they were breaking the law (and they WERE....ALL fined). I know for a fact that my son won't do it, now. It was a lesson he got to read about in the newspapers.....and I'm sure he isn't the only one that heard about it. If I get cited for speeding for going 3 mph over.....I might think about how I treated the officer.....to make him feel that strongly about it. In the end, though.....I WAS speeding, no doubt.