We all should just carry portable alarm clocks. As the legal sunset times come upon us a loud computer voice says, "END YOUR HUNT, END YOUR HUNT, END YOUR HUNT!" on full volume.
1 last thing "Right is right, even if everyone is against it; and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it." - William Penn
so if the definition is you are to stop hunting 1/2 hour before and after sunrise per your state dnr manual and times... what is (your) def of stop/start hunting to you..... be at your truck? padlock your bow at your stand? break your arrows and cut your string. there im done hunting today. in my best cartman voice! times are listed in my mo dnr guide by the date but not by east and west which the sun rises and sets so if i am in st.louis or kansas city is there a advantage? or is this what they mean by spirit of the law???:D
Hypathetical situation,,,you just arrowed a whitetail 1 minute before legal shooting time ends,,you spine shot it, and it has scooted down into the valley below where you cant get another arrow in it unless you get down. your now down and its 4 minutes after legal shooting light has ended, what ya going to do shoot it and be labeled a poacher?? or abide by the said law, and come back tomorrow morning?? after all the law is the law right?? Im shooting it and not feeling bad AT ALL about it!!
You couldn't legally make an ethical shot the first time, so why break the law to make a second one? You arrow flinging poacher... :D That's the vibe I feel here.
1st shot was perfectly legal (ethical is not apparent). 2nd shot.....hell it doesn't matter. It's illegal...it HAS to be "unethical".....right? Dink....it's pretty simple, really!....lol
I STILL dont know why anyone would come on an open forum and admit they would break the law because they felt it was ok to do it???? It's no wonder people wont put their hands over their hearts when the National Anthem is sang or The Pledge of Allegiance is said ...... sickening ..... Laodecian age for sure ...
Because I'm not in the least bit ashamed (I'd take the follow up shot). Not in the least. If ethics is what you'd do when no one is looking.....why would you be ashamed if anyone was?
Then....AGAIN...you're making a circular reference. I hope you're not referring to me (in the original scenario). In other instances (I and others have cited them).....yeah....I'd break the law to do what I thought was right. You said you would, too.
Tony, I think it becomes sort of a difference between the "Laws" of society, and personal, almost "spiritual" laws. I know I personally detest someone taking a spotlight and going out and shooting animals, however, I wouldn't hesitate to take that shot a few minutes BEFORE or AFTER legal light if I am assured I can cleanly take it. Again, I cannot remember which state, but one state allows legal shooting light to be determined by the hunter as he is allowed to shoot as long as he can make the shot in no more than NATURAL light. Certainly that wouldn't work in the general population of people because people can't be ethical, responsible, and law abiding, however, regardless of the law, it's sort of what I've come to embrace. NY's law differs, from OH's law, which state is correct??? Would it be wrong of you to shoot an animal a few minutes past sunset in OH or PA??? No, but in NY it is.... At some point, I think we all have a point that we'll bend the law, be that speeding, rolling through stop signs without making a COMPLETE stop, hunting past legal light, dragging a deer out of real thick stuff before tagging it....etc. I'm guilty of all of the above, as are very likely MANY others here, and I think we can all live with ourselves. God's LAW differs greatly from society's and in many ways, society's laws are "Anti-God," so which of those are we supposed to follow, in spite of our beliefs??? I'll openly admit, I've moved many deer before I tagged them, including on that rolled into a small waterhole, likely shot one deer AFTER legal light a few years ago, not 100% though, as I didn't have a watch, but if not, it was close, I always speed, 5-8mph over the limit as conditions allow, and RARELY stop completely at stop signs, even have a couple that I just roll right through as I can see if there is or isn't anything coming for a LONG ways...... Sometimes COMMON SENSE, just over-rules the WRITTEN law.
Wow.... seriously.... WOW.. What in the world is this thread still going for. If you shoot a deer 1 minute past the LEGAL shooting hours... you have poached... period. Thats the law. As far as the comparison between that and going 1 MPH over the speed limit.. you are breaking the law in both instances, there is no differance... the laws probablly aren't set up to enforce such a minor infraction, but by the letter of the law you have broken it in both cases. Really, its not that hard, its not that in-depth, and shouldn't warrant a 10 page thread to discuss it. There are different punishments for different degrees of crimes. If I were to steal $1 from a store, I still broke the law even though I may just get a slap on the wrist... if I steal $1,000 from a store, I broke the law, and I am probablly headed to jail.
so it is a minute after legal shooting times. where are you?? at your truck? walking back with your bow disabled so you cant shoot?or in that grey area?
