I know every time I hit the woods when sunrise and sunset are, I know I have 30 minutes before sunrise amnd 30 minutes after sunset. Depending on the weather, thickness of canopy I am hunting in and other circumstances it may not be possible to take a shot at these times. If a shot presented itself after legal shooting hours I can't sit here and honestly say what I would do, but I would know at that time if it was legal or not. I know I hunt illegally in our rifle season(I still am bowhunting), I take my orange off when i get to my treestand so perhaps I am a poacher,I have no idea and I really don't care.
On no, I can see it now, we're going to start seeing THIS in the woods.... Well at least a few of us will be able to sleep at night knowing we arrowed a SLAMMER buck and it never hurt our feelings to be a minute or two past the "law." If I was single, in a second!!!! Being married, NOT A CHANCE, as my wife knows perfectly well how to use all my weapons in the house and wouldn't hesistate. Nice to look at, deadly to play with........
NY....I suppose that's commendable (following every game law....to the letter). But, honestly...if you're shed hunting (out of season) and you're carrying and come upon a mangled deer....and you DON'T dispatch it.....I'd think less of you (than if you followed 'the law'). Just being honest. There's "right". And, there's "the law". They do NOT (IMO) ALWAYS mesh.
Would you be willing to deal with the penalties if you got caught? Losing your hunting privileges and/or jail time and having a record or having to pay a large fine?
Damn right, I would. I'm admitting, publicly, what I would do. And it wouldn't matter who was present, either. If I'm judged, by a jury of my peers, to have commited a CRIME. Yep. I'll live with that. There's many more examples of this. You won't have to try hard to get me to admit I'd break a law (in extenuating circumstances). Just don't try to make it out like it's something I should be ashamed of. I'm not.
I would rather take charity ... honestly ... I have given tens of thousands of dollars over my life ... so if a little came my way, I would have no guilt taking it .... I think there is more common ground on this thread than it may appear ...
I hear what you're saying. I actually wasn't referring to myself having followed EVERY law there was in the past or maybe in the future. The big difference I see is putting yourself in the situation to be breaking a law. KNOWING when legal shooting light is and disregarding it so you can shoot a big buck. A lot different IMO than being "put on the spot" so to speak and having to make an ethical decision. Not doing so with any intent of knowing and breaking the law. A lot different than any of the circumstances you have stated.
You dont' see a difference in sitting in a tree knowing legal hunting hours have passed and you decid you're going to sit in a tree until you can't see to shoot anymore . as opposed to........ Being out shed hunting with no intention of killing a deer, but stumbling upon one that is suffering and you choose to end it's suffering?
Circular question...... I DON'T know if legal hours or up or not. And, as far as I know (based on where I hunt), I've never shot past or before them. In my eyes, I'm doing nothing, but hunting ethically. I can't answer your 1st part (as stated...again...circular). And, as far as the second part.....I'd be acting ethically (in my mind) there, too.
It means if I do decide to take the shot, whether "ethical" or not, and I am outside these legal times, I could pay a price. No gray area there imo. No matter what law you disobey, whether out of ignorance or neglect, "you" are the one taking the chance. "You" will be the one to pay, if caught. Do I care how others view it? Not really.
It means to me that you dont shot at any animal after or before the Legal time I look at my watch often!!!!!
I hear a lot of reference to 30 minutes after sunset and in my state (VA) and many other states(I'm assuming) this seems to be a fairly common game law. But in the interst of faollowing all game laws to the T please make sure you check the actual sunset time for the exact area you are hunting as it changes pretty much from zip code to zip code by +/- a couple of minutes. For example if I were hunting in Lynchburg, VA 30 minutes after sunset will not be the same as 30 minutes after sunset in Chesapeake, VA. I mean since we are following the law exactly and all.
I don't get the sunrise/sunset...hell most deer I kill are after the sun sets...early season must suck in NY
i will take a peek on the cpu and see the day before what sunrise is... then just minus a half hr and i know thats "GO TIME" same for at night (just half after) even though i can still see my pins well enough to shoot either time not worth breaking the rules... at that time at night, if i know im gonna stay later, i'll put my arrow back in the quiver, but in the AM first thing i do is knock one...
