BTBowhunter

As long as you dont have a round chambered or an arrow nocked, you are fine coming out a bit later or even very late for that matter. You are correct that enforcement would be very difficult unless the WCO actually sees the hunter after hours with a round still in the gun or an arrow nocked.

Coming out after quitting time is perfectly legal, although I've heard more than one story abot a hunter getting the third degree simply for arriving at his vehicle in the dark. I even had it happen once myself. But thats a story for another thread. I will just say that it was a rogue deputy with something to prove and it wasnt pleasant.We were tracking a wounded deer and had done nothing wrong. No citation was issued just a lot ofcursing and badattitude from a Barney Fife type. (not a regular WCO for whom I have all the respect in the world)


The whole point is that if a hunter wants to obey the law, he is forced to quit at a time when game is getting very active and it's still perfectly safe to be hunting that game. The outlaws will still hunt on so it's the law abiding hunter that gets penalized.

AJ52

BTB - Your whole point makes perfect sense.

DE is 1/2 hr before and after.
Almost all the deer I've ever seen or shot in JAN are at 5:05 - 5:10 pm - about 20mins after sunset without checking the tables.

Another crazy analogy;
I can go into MD w/no buckshot allowed - but you can stuff 5 slugs in shotgun.It seems one law defeats the other if you think about what the reasoning might be behind the law.Come back into DE and buckshot is ok but gotta plug your shotgun.

As many guys know - Deer will often come out at sunset when the winds calm down and still ample light to make a clear/clean shot.There are exceptions if in woods,cloudy,overcast day etc....I stop hunting when I can't tell what "model" of deer I'm looking at,legal buck,doe,BB - time to stop.As always in hunting - alot of good ethical common sense goes a long way.

I guess some states look at this stuff from a whole other perspective.

I'd be very curious as to the exact reasoning for the sunset law from a knowledgable insider.

DennyF

Since I've been pesterin' PGC officials on this subject for years, I'll just relate what their "company line" has always been: At sunrise, it will only get lighter/at sunset, it will only get darker.

[:'(]

They also cite studies that show the human eye has an easier time adjusting as daylight increases in early morning, than it does adjusting to fading light. Given that the majority of other states give hunters that extra half hour at the end of the day and I've found no stats that support it being an inherently unsafe practice, it should've come to pass here years ago. But then nothing ever comes easily here in the change department.

PS: How's come the Pa Game News thread got the boot? It is the official publication of our game commission, not a commercial publication. Just wondered?

AJ52

I can remember when Deer hunters never dreamed in a million yrs hand guns would be allowed in Delaware after years of lobbying.Last yr was our 1st hand gun season.

I can remember when you had to unload your smoke pole before transport in vehicle.Now - you only need remove the cap before transport.

I can remember when going to MD you had to remove scope from muzzelloader.That changed

I can remember(please correct me if I'm wrong)Pa was only allowed flint locks.That changed to inlines??

It took yrs/decades for all these and other "positive" changes to take effect.Change to any hunting regs can be a slowwww process no matter what state you live.

Selloo

I'm going to correct you on theinlines in Pa. They are only allowed in the early fall MZ season not the post Christmas primitive season.

chr103yod

Call me a poacher if you want, but I hunt til I think it's too dark. I never even carry a watch. Some days when it's clear and sunny you probably could hunt an extra half hr. On rainy overcast days it could betoo dark to shoot even if it is within legal hunting hrs. If I can make a clean ethical shot I will take it.

BTBowhunter

UPDATE:

I just learned that Illinois, where quitting time is sunset for firearm season but 1/2 hour after for archery now has legislation pending to take firearm season to the 1/2 hour after rule as well.

Come on Pennsylvania, time to catch up with the times!

sproulman

your point DOES NOT make sense..i cant believe i am agreeing with something RSB has said..

are you folks really looking at safety part of it..

right now most of hunters leave woods before dark,now you are going to let hunters hunt in dark?

more outlawing will happen..just excuse to turn on light and say,OH I
WAS USING IT TO GET OUT OF WOODS..

in rifle season, its dark when you are able to hunt in morning and when you quit..

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..

now, everyone on here that has posted are good hunters, would look at what they are shooting but many others would not..if its dark and no flashlight on, some will shoot you..BECAUSE THEY ARE NOW HUNTING NOT WALKING TO THEIR CAR..

boy, thats a scary thing to think..


i want no part of that change in rules for rifle season..

sproulman

looking at it from 50 years out there hunting, in archery i never killed buck when it was near dark even if legal hours, now, in morning,that was different..

why, because you have all day to track the buck,at dark,not was ever something we would do..

it was just something you did not do because you were afraid of losing buck and cant trail it in dark..

now we have people in woods walking in dark walkingall over now..to allow hunters to be able to shoot in dark, oh my..

my dad when i was young would not let us even walk up hollow to get set up for drive until it was good enough to see..he was concerned then ..

now we are going to make it legal to shoot in dark, man, thats going to be a very dangerous thing,for sure..

BTBowhunter

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.