I probably would not knowingly violate the laws on legal shooting hours, but I wouldn't look down on or turn in someone who shot a little before or a little after legal shooting hours. My opinion is I have too much to lose by breaking such laws, even if I don't think it is a big deal and a poor law. I wouldn't want them, for example, to confiscate the rifle that my father built because I used it in a hunting game violation.

Where I hunt deer, Oklahoma, shooting hours extend from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sundown. This seems a very good standard. I find at 30 minutes after sundown I really can't see well enough any more (I can see well enough through my scope but not with my unaided eye), which is when I quit hunting. I took a doe this year at 20 minutes after sundown and my first deer three years ago was taken at 15 minutes after sundown -- legal, as I said above, in my hunting area in Oklahoma but is sounds like it would be illegal in some of your hunting areas.

Here is another perspective. About 10 years ago, I was sitting at my stand around 630 am. My stand was located in the pine tress where it is a little darker that the open woods. Anyways around 655, I heard some deer coming. I could hear them getting closer and closer. So I got my gun ready, I could see them running on the edge of the hill. I pulled my gun up and as I saw the silouhette come into view on my scope. I squeezed the trigger and I saw the white from the belly of the deer. I saw the fire come out the end of my gun. Right then and there, I was scared out of my wits. I knew I had hit a deer and it was down. But was the risk that important? I mean what supposed it was a couple of hunters walking? I had to fill out my tag with a flashlight. I had to gut the deer with a flashlight. I know shooting hours a guideline but to me the real shooting begins when I can see the fluorescent orange on my jacket very clearly( and I mean bright orange not orange). Even if it is after shooting hours beginit can still be dark enough to not being able to see your target clearly. I know we cant use the "seeing the orange very clearly on your jacket reasoning" but it is alot better explaining to the police how you mistaked a hunter for a deer.

The arbitrary shooting hours in Pa are ridiculous. Especially in the afternoon. They also dont consider cloud cover. Some days, if we want to stay legal,we have to virtually quit in broad daylight. On the other hand, on some some cloudy or rainy mornings, it's still not safe to shoot a half hour after legal time. It's a law that can make a poacher out of an otherwise responsible hunter if he happens to forget his watch[:'(]

I think the hours set for legal shooting time are set for 2 reasons. Safety and game conservation. It sounds like in some states, shooting time ends at sunset for deer. Any hunter knows that a deer can be shot easily 15 -20 mins after sunset. There's plenty of light. I would think that states with these rules are trying to keep the kill down for one reason or another.

As for shooting too early, the same apply's. If you are gun hunting, there's enough light to shoot 1/2 before sunrise on a close shot even with the worse weather. Shooting time should be 1/2 before and after sunrise for deer if safety is really the concern.

Now this year during DE shotgun. I heard shooting 1 full hour before sunrise and 45 mins after sunset. There was no moon this day. You are shooting at silloettes. No excuse for that.

Im with jersey on one thing, I couldnt look at a mount or remember a deer I killed without feeling guilty. About 10 years ago, I drew a Refuge stand on public ground that I hunt. It was a clear, full moonlite night. I didnt even need the flashlight to get to the stand. As I headed to the stand, I came around the corner of a field and there was this deer standing there, 15 yds away. The 1st thing I thought was, 'who let that horse out in this field?' If my gun was loaded, I could easily killed him. But, I never would have been proud of it and I dont need deer meat that bad.

So, to each their own. But remember breaking the law makes all hunters look bad, not just yourself. Keep it in mind next time you are tempted by the dark side.

Pa is a a half hour before sunrise (ok) till sunset (stupid). It certainly aint because they want to keep the kill down here!

I agree that a half hour after sunset is reasonable.

Oh, and how about this for stupid? Illinois is a half hour before sunset till a half hour after for bowhunting but if you hunt the gun season you'd better read the fine print.... Quitting time changes to sunset!

Quote:

ORIGINAL: aldo88

I mean what supposed it was a couple of hunters walking?....I know shooting hours a guideline but to me the real shooting begins when I can see the fluorescent orange on my jacket very clearly( and I mean bright orange not orange).......I know we cant use the "seeing the orange very clearly on your jacket reasoning" but it is alot better explaining to the police how you mistaked a hunter for a deer.

Exactly what I was going to say.

You have to remember that you can't depend on fellow hunters to follow the laws to the T either. "Naa, don't worry about it. Just put your hunter orange on when you get to your stand."

Just think about all the things thatlook like deer at dawn/dusk. Then add movement and the inability to see the hunter orange. Especially if they're walking downthe heavily used deer trail in thick brush where you're planning on seeing a deer. I hunt a shotgun only state and don't even want to think about brush busting buckshot flying before legal hours while I'm making my way to my stand.

I'm no saint though. The first year I hunted with a bow I had the perfect setup. I was on posted land. I did my homework and new exactly what trail this big buck was going to be using at first light. I was hunting from a makeshift ground blind and there was virtually no wind. Then about 30 minutes before legal shooting time (which makes it an hour before sunup) I heard it. The deer was making his way towards me. I brought my bow up and got ready for the shot. I could barelysee my pins (no tritium at the time) but I knew I could shoot instinctively if needed. Then he came out intoa small clearing where he had to cross a path about15yards in front of me. He wasbroadside with no idea I was there. This was a mature buck with a large rack and I could see his silhouette perfectly except for a portion of his vitals because of the tree that wasbehind him. I knew exactly where the vitals were though so I knew I could make the shot.This was going to be my first wallhanger. So I drew back and let the arrow fly. I immediately heard my arrow ricocheting through the tree's and the buck took off snorting away. Icouldn't believeI missed such a clear shot at such a close range.

Come sunup I realized a few things.

1. Being inexperienced and full of buck fever I made the mistake of putting my 40 yard (backyard fun) pin on him by mistake and shot over him.

2. The tree that was behind him wasactually about 2 feet in front of him after reviewing his tracks.

3.Just because the land is posted doesn't mean someone isn't going to teara fewsigns down and walk in.

4. If someone had walked in with their climber just before me and I didn't hear them that arrow could have been embedded in their chest.

5. If there was someone in a climber that was as inexperienced as I was I could have been the one with the arrow in my chest.

6. An arrow can be just as lethal as a bullet in some situations.

Sorry for the longwinded post, but if itmakes just 1 first year hunter think twice then it was worth it.

EDIT: Just wanted to add that I was about 17 at the time and new to the hunting world in general. Don't want you all to think this was last year or something because I said it was the first year I hunted with a bow.



[/align]

I'd bet there isn't a PA hunter here that can say that they follow all the laws to a T...the little game book we get doesn't even scratch the surface of some of the ridiculous laws PA has.....I've seen the master book, it's unbelievable and needs a law degree to desipher most of it....

I'll sum it up from a quote from a member here in the past....

What is lawful isn't necessarily ethical and what is illegal isn't necessarily unethical.

I follow all the game laws I am aware of but following them to a T....isn't realistic.

If you can clearly make out the animal in the scope and it is 20 min. before shooting time, I would say go for it. I start heading out when I see the last ray of light hit the tops of the trees. So I don't have much to say about that end of daylight.

LOL, I had read this post last night and didn't really think much about it until this morning. I was walking to my stand about 40 minutes before sunrise when about 40 yards ahead was the sillouette of a deer eating apples under an apple tree. We have lots of snow so I could see her pretty clearly but not clearly enough to be confident that I wasn't looking at a yearling or a button buck. I just stood there until she finally figured out that I was there and left. Tonight as I was sitting in my stand I decided to climb down when I felt that it was too dark to besafe orconfident that I would actually be shooting what I thought I would be shooting. I looked at my watch and it was about 30 minutes after "legal" sunset. After this I got to thinking about this thread. I guess my opinion is that the sunrise hours seem to be fair, but the sunset hours are too early. I like the idea of 1/2 hour after sundown.

I just thought it was funny that I ran into this today after reading about it yesterday.

There was atleast 4inches of snow on the ground, and wheather you believe me or not I don't care. Just cause you are unethical enough to shoot it doesn't mean I am. And I have seen this bear twice on the same path the past month and also probably last year as it was smaller then.
And you say 99% of the Pa hunters would have taken the shot.[:'(]You Pa .hunters crack me up with all you bitchen. I'd never let you hunt with me that's for sure.



Here's my post from another site.


Now that I know someone wants some I'll go tag it.
Had one at 35 yds this morning, put the scope on it and watched it amble away. Oh this was at 5:45 and shooting time wasn't till 6:34. Looked nice against the white snow. All during bow season he comes by at 7.