I FULLY understand Joe's side of the argument. No argument from me, at all. I won't knowingly take an illegal shot. And, I won't take an unethical shot, regardless of the time. Real.
Yeah Brad to me its called character, something you do when no ones looking! I taught this to my son last spring while turkey hunting, we had a big tom in front of us, time was up, thats it, literally brought a tear o his eye, but, in the long run, "he" was glad we did the right thing. Character!
Jeff, please explain "knowingly" ??? If you don't "know" what time it is, its OK to shoot?? Or you know what time it is and you don't shoot because it illegal?
I'm a rules are meant to be adjusted, twisted, and even just flat out BROKEN kind of guy. I don't do anything the "TEXTBOOK" way, unless I've found that the "Textbook" way to do that particular thing is the BEST way. At the same time, I don't haphazardly do ANYTHING either. I live in a "controlled" amount of chaos, if you will, and whether is it taking care of patients, or hunting deer, I'm not the same as everyone else, yet I still believe I'm safe/ethical/effective, and do what "in my heart," I believe is the "right" thing. Type A personalities don't even want to be near me a lot of the time because I'm constantly breaking the moulds that they think are "most important." You guys who follow the LAW, to the LETTER, are very likely Type A's. Jeff is also a bit of a "Type A," but he's a bit more flexible....just a little though, not a LOT.....:D All that being said, I've left stand EARLIER than "legal" shooting hours many times because it was "Too Dark to Shoot" by my standard.
REAL...or NOT.....the knowingly part Jeff wouldn't save you from a ticket because any warden would tell you that ignorance of the law is no excuse.
June? Deer? Legal? LOL!...... Nor would the knowledge that dispatching a wounded deer in June is against the letter of the law. I'm not arguing that either is legal. I'm also not admitting to doing anything illegal (in the hunting situation). If the GW wants to write me a ticket for shooting 2-5 minutes before/past legal shooting hours....and he can prove it. I'm guilty. Write me up. I enjoyed the conversation, guys, Good night.
He has already been in this situation, the Sheriff was called to dispatch the deer. To me the character lesson is way deeper than hunting laws.
X2!! Around here local law enforcement has to be called in to take care of a deer wounded by vehicle. If a person was to just shoot it; that said person would be under severe scrutiny here about whether it was hit before it was shot or not....Joe knows! lol
Joe.... My son called me from an adjacent road about an hour past dark, one night this past fall. I went over and dispatched the deer. Believe me, if I thought I was teaching my son anything bad (character-wise), I wouldn't have dispatched the animal. It was over with....quickly....and as humanely as possible. I'd do the same thing, if he called me tonight (or on a June night). No issues with your thinking, at all. Difference of opinion. Ethics....is doing the right thing.....when even the wrong thing isn't against the law. But....it works both ways. Ethics is also doing the right thing....when the right thing IS against the law. Has nothing to do with the original question. But we've strayed from that. Good night, pal.
No, I think you missed the part where I said I've left my tree before the "end of shooting time" because there wasn't enough light..... I speed, just a little, I sometimes allow patients to get up and out of bed a "little" early, I've also save a few lives because I wasn't satisfied w/ a doctor's response/answer. I do what I believe is right and ethical, because at the end of the day, I still have to live with ME!!! Now you can call it what you want, but I'm perfectly happy w/ ME!!! And that's what is most important. Do I hang in a tree past "legal hours" sometimes??? Most certainly, if I could make a good, ethical shot because I had enough light, even if it was 2 minutes after "legal hours," and I knew it was that time, "YES," I'd take that shot. And I'd have no feelings of guilt when my 3 and 5yr olds are thanking me for making them some jerky........ :D
No I didn't miss a thing! You said you shoot after legal shooting times and you feel good about... hence the bending the rules for your benefit, pretty much black and white!
I'll assume you've NEVER SPED, never rolled through a stop sign without coming to a COMPLETE Stop, and never told a lie, even if it would be better for someone's feelings??? "Do I look FAT in this???" "Yes dear it makes you look like a WHALE in paisley....." Gimme a break, I know mine stinks, and so does everyone else's. You can pretend yours don't, but we all know the TRUTH!!!
The dark timber and thick conifer canopy (needles never shed) I hunt in honestly takes care of it for me, by the time I cant see my pins in the timber I am done. I can get out and walk out of the forest and hit an opening from the canopy and ...BOOM! LET THERE be light.. its quite a contrast. I have never taken a watch or worried about it for this reason. I doubt very highly I have ever shot a buck after or before legal shooting hours. If I have there was no intent or added effort on my part to do so. You guys that have hunted out west for elk in thick tall conifer timber know what I am talking about ..when it comes to pitch black dark in the timber well before legal light is over.
Quite the Humor in this thread, I enjoyed it. My hunt starts when I can see and ends when I can't, I usually run 57-60 in a 55mph, I've even laid a black mark or two. Sounds like some of you guys can cast the first stone....
I havent read all the posts on this because it saddens me . Killing a deer outside legal parameters is POACHING. Plain and simple. Would you shoot a deer with a weapon that wasnt legal? How about the day after the season? In NY we have from sunrise to sunset.....that sucks, but it is what it is .... one time I hunted past sunset this seeason.... and I will never do it again..this thread does not bode well for BH.COM
I shoot until I can't see thru my peep anymore....I do not look at my watch, but I know that when I can't see thru my peep to shoot, it's too dark..I assume it's right around the time of legal shooting light, but I really never look to see what legal shooting times are. I have noticed a time or two that it was too dark to shoot even during legal shooting hrs...so explain that....??
