Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

Relax, I got a real nice look at 30 deer. It is legal here to go look and see what you can see. Saw 5 bucks and the rest were does. 1 forkhorn,1 basket 6, 2 pretty nice 8`s, and one monster. He was so far off the road that I couldn`t really count points but he was wide, pretty tall and looked to be pretty thick. Just thought I would share.

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

I believe that's illegal in some states, they call it "harrasment of wildlife".

But, I know that's how they count deer in the state parks here in VA to determine how many permits they can issue to deer hunters.
That's why they won't let you use those "bright eyes" to mark your stands.

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

Sounds like a good night of spotting.I still remember when my dad use to take me out before the saeson to spot deer.It got me all pumped up to go hunting.

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

We spot light all the time down in one of the creek bottom pastures where we hunt. You can really see some deer at night. Last year I saw a buck in one of my food plots before season that would easily have gone over 140P&Y. It's funny how deer don't normally even react to a spot light? You can just shine it on them and they don't spook at all. You can get an idea of how many deer are really on a place by spotlighting.

I don't see one thing wrong with it as long as you aren't hunting deer. We use spotlights all the time to hunt coyote and hog hunt.

--------------------------------------------
Hunting the Piney Woods of Deep East Texas.


Edited by - TxCowboy on 01/16/2002 14:28:56

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

Appears your luck ain't all bad. Sounds like fun seeing what's around.I'm waiting for the ethical policemen in this forum to somehow explain how your legal spotlighting "isn't the right thing to do."

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

I enjoy spoting deer...

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

I wish I could use a spotlight for spotting deer! Around these parts, farmers aren't even allowed to use a spotlight to check on their cattle! It's illegal to even have them in your vehicle. Geez....

Freedom Isn't Free....

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

Can`t even carry them in your car, that sucks. I have one with me all the time. Let me repeat, we are just looking. I take my two boys and wife out all the time, the boys get a real big kick out of it when those eyes light up green then he turns his head and all you can see is antler.

Your right on the money TxCowboy, it does let you get an idea of what kinda deer a certain piece of land holds. I think our best night was something around 62 deer. The 30 we saw last night were all in two fields on opposite sides of the same road. Pretty cool!

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

SOUNDS LIKE YOU WERE BUSY LAST NIGHT, I SAW ONE TONIGHT ON MY WAY IN TO WORK

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

West Virginia is kinda crazy. You are allowed to spotlight, BUT only if you are on foot without a weapon. You can not spotlight from a motorized vehicle because then it is considered to be spotlight hunting with the weapon being the vehicle.

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

illegal in Georgia

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

Legal as long as you don't have a weapon in the vehicle . I do it all the time from my front porch .

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

Chairman, check this out.. Basically, you CAN spot light deer as long as there is no weapon in the vehicle.

http://mosl.sos.state.mo.us/csr/3csr/3c10-7.pdf

Hope the link works. It says you can not spot light while in possesion of a gun, bow or other means of killing a deer.

BTW, Homedepot here had a sale on some decent rechargeable 1mill candlepower spotlights that seem to work real well, $20.

--Jim

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

You can spotlight here in NY, but you can't have any weapons in the car, and you are supposed to be like 200 yards from a house or have landowner consent. Something silly like that.

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

spotting is alot of fun.

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

In Arizona, spotlighting for any purpose (viewing deers, hunting 'yotes, etc) is illegal. Like smokpole said, it's called "harrasment of wildlife".

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

Whats funny about Maryland is that its OK to spotlight in a couple of the countys till 9PM but in others its considered harassing the deer.

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

Don`t worry AZ, my light isn`t good enough to harrass any arizona deer.

We were out one night and a big box truck turns the corner and has about 6 lights on it, they pulled up next to us and said hey there is a big 8pt down that road, we are doing the same thing as you. They were the local fire department in thier ambulance out spotting on a slow night.

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

Hucklburry - This is what I found with the link you provided. The chapters below were copied from page 2. It's confusing, at best. I don't understand where it says "This rule shall not apply to use of a light by a landowner or lessee as defined by this Code on property under his/her control". Some farmers told me they weren't allowed the use of spotlights to check their cattle, because of the possibility they might be spotlighting deer at the same time!?

The second paragraphs states that artificial lights are not permitted for the purpose of spotting, or locating - not just hunting.

3 CSR 10-7.405 General Provisions

(5) Wildlife, except raccoons or other
furbearing animals when treed with the aid of
dogs, may not be spotlighted, located,
harassed or disturbed in any manner with the
aid of an artificial light, headlight or spotlight from any roadway, whether public or private, or in any field, woodland or forest, by any person acting either singly or as one of a group of persons. This rule shall not apply to use of a light by a landowner or lessee as defined by this Code on property under his/her control.

(B) Artificial Light. No person shall throw
or cast the rays of a spotlight, headlight or
other artificial light on any highway or road-way, whether public or private, or in any field, woodland or forest for the purpose of spotting, locating or attempting to take or hunt any game animal, except raccoons or other furbearing animals when treed with the aid of dogs, while having in possession or control, either singly or as one (1) of a group of persons, any firearm, bow or other imple-ment whereby game could be killed.

Freedom Isn't Free....

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

I passed right over #5, which is the one that says we can not do it. It says a lessee or a landowner CAN spotlight on their property.

My best friend is a cop, he has always said we can spotlight as long as we did not have weapons in the car (of course he always has at least one pistol with him, sometimes more stuff, but he is a cop).

I guess if your motivated to do it, go ask a game officer and see what they say. I don't see how they can have a problem after season and if you don't have a weapon on you. Maybe I will call them and ask myself, don't want to be stupid.

--Jim

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

Hucklburry is Correct....... Landowners and Lesse's no other people........

May The Beard Be Long And The Spurs Be Sharp

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

Thanks for the lesson, y'all. I learned something new!

Freedom Isn't Free....

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

It is the same here in Pennsylvania. We are allowed to spotlight game animals till 11 pm every day of the year except for during our firearms season. Ofcourse, no weapons are allowed to be in the vehicle.

Anyone pick up one of those new fangled 3 million candlepower spots yet? <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

Im pretty sure its harrasment of wildlife here in Louisiana. almost positive wish I could check my lease every once in a while though, I love rabbit hunting with beagles but I hear you can spotlight them at night in Texas and you cant us beagles for rabbits is there any truth to that or does anyone know?

A mans gotta believe in something I believe Ill go HUNTING

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

I'm not sure if your allowed to do that here but I think that if you have a deer rifle with they will acuse you of trying to shoot one of them....but oh well because you didn't get caught and you had perfect luck exept that you couldn't shoot one....:)..

it's better to go huntin when there's deer in the woods!

RE: Went spotlighting last night and got a real nice..
 

You can do it in Indiana if there is no weapon in the vehicle.