luckily I usually don't have this problem..... Legal light here is early / late enough However last week I had a great buck tearing up a tree under my stand. It wasn't legal light, I could barely see my pins, could see the buck clearly at 15 yds. What I wasn't sure of was the obstacles between us. I needed 5 more minutes. If I had been sure of that...???? Answer to initial question, adequate light, clear shot..... shooting
Official time sunrise to sunset (watching the clock?) Or Dark to dark, if you are heavily regulated do what keeps you out of trouble, if you can see your pins and have a solid opportunity, tag the deer.
I'M torn PT, I don't know what i would do????? and you know my profession. I've often thought about this also.
I would at the very least draw and see what the sight window looked like. The decision to shoot or not would be based on how well I could see and if I had a lighted nock or not. If yes to both, I'm shooting.
I always get a kick out of the people that chime in saying that "if you say you wouldn't shoot after legal time you're full of BS". Pretty broad statement IMO. Believe it or not there are people that won't. Personally I'm one of them. If someone else feels the need to do so and sees nothing wrong with it .... so be it. It's not my deal to judge them. NY sunrise to sunset laws simply suck IMO. But... they are what they are. Can't even count how many times I've passed such a scenario. Not a prude or being any kind of ethics police by any means. Like I said... do whatever you want. I have buddies that have shot after "legal" shooting hours by 5-10 minutes and killed them deader than dead with no problem. Congratulate them and help them with their deer. Personally I'm just not doing it. And yes I've rolled through a stop sign before, gone 1mph over the speed limit, talked on my phone while driving etc... irrelevant IMO. This is about protecting and abiding by the game laws. How about I disagree how many doe tags I should be issued based on my personal observation of the particular herd in my area? Shoot a couple more and don't tag them because the DEC doesn't really know what's right? What if I have a 8 yard shot in a wide open field under the full moon when I can see my pins and lungs clear as day? Do I agree that there is "probably" enough visual light (in some setups) to fully see what you're shooting at? Yes. Taking the shot before the bell rings? no.
Truth be told, odds are anyone who does so it won't be bragging about it. I know legal shooting time this morning is 6:52. I've never had deer in range at first light, usually just an unknown passerby under the cloak of darkness. Could have been a chupacabra for all I know.
I remember this conversation from before. I seem to remember the word poacher was tossed out there for consideration. I shoot if I can see color and I don't take shadow shots. I don't own a watch... hate em.
For my personal 2012 hunt which started the topic last year read HERE For the article I posted on this topic read Ethics, morals and character I posted those links to save a long post from being made...HOWEVER THE FOLLOWING IS IMPORTANT: To those spouting that those that say they would not shoot are lying, full of **** or pretending to be something their not: YOU ARE SO FAR FROM THE TRUTH DO US ALL A FAVOR AND STOP SPEAKING SUCH NON-SENSE. I lived this scenario out last year, on a buck that would have been my biggest yet and possibly the biggest I'd ever take (no clue what God has in store for me). So don't you dare discredit myself or others who share the same answer as me. We all will have our opinions on this, and as I myself have discovered we all have a differing view of what is "right" or "ethical" to an extent. But I do know one thing that is 100% wrong; and that is you. You who state those like me a full of it for saying we wouldn't.
NY, Ty, Aaron....question for you... If you have admittedly broke the law (any law), in the past...what makes "Game Laws" any different? Are there different degrees of which law are to be followed? What makes 3 mins before "legal" light any different then 3 mph over the limit? I give you all the credit in the world for doing what you feel is right, even if, by true definition of the word, you are a hippocrite.
Id rather have a guy take a slam dunk shot 5 minutes after legal shooting light than take a horrible shot during legal shooting light. In my opinion, just be smart.
I've wondered this several time on several different topics. Hopefully you'll get a different answer than I do ha.
If I can still see and have a clear shot I take it 10 times out of 10. We run into this every year during duck season. OK legal shooting is 30 minutes before and 30 after. The legal shooting light is measured by the legal time in OKC which is 3 hours west of me. So what the book says and where I am is two totally different times.
Not a clock watcher here. Use your best judgement. Take clean, safe, ethical shots. Is NY one of the few states that has this sunrise / sunset rule? To me that is just seems silly... I have also seen it where people are within legal shooting hours and didn't have enough light due to foliage and cloud cover. Again, it comes down to using your best judgement.
Siman/OH, all I can do is attempt an answer from my perspective, I would never claim to be able to answer for the others with your question. I won't lie, yes I've sped and more than likely will at least in a small amount by the end of this coming week. I have also broken laws unknowingly and as with speeding probably will moving forward rather abundantly. Now yes some may say these are just small infractions but I'll be honest I try with all my might to not speed or break laws I feel are fine and are only in place for a better or safer environment...as example if as an example there were dumb laws in place such as no spitting on the sidewalks I would ignore this law. However, I will always strive to by the most lawful and law abiding citizen to the laws which are in the people's best interest, why? Because of what I wrote about in my article...I want to make my Lord and my family proud to call me their own; and my fellow hunters proud to be called my brethren. I refuse to have to lie to any kid God blesses me with being a parent of in the future and lying to them about whether daddy is breaking a law...or why do you say do right but do wrong? *I touch on this more in the hunting sense in my article. ..which brings me to possibly the bigger factor as to why for me it's not about lawful or unlawful entirely. If it was merely because of what is legal or not legal then I could understand and accept why some people question how I can have the stance I have...but it's not just that. It is that R word. Respect. So not only am I striving to make my family and Father proud in all I do, I'm also going to respect the game (hunting) I choose to take part of and respect my opponent (in this case deer). Last year I knew if I shot that buck I would have felt shame in the midst of short hallow joy I am sure I'd have felt....I knew plain and simple it would have been wrong in my eyes and in the eyes of the game laws in my state. He won that morning...if for no other reason that is why I justify not shooting and my opinion; sometimes we win, sometimes they win. I would also state that when you break a speeding law nothing has its life at stake directly/instantly by that choice. In hunting our primary goal is to end the life of an amazing creature...for me breaking/bending of the laws taints a harvest and cheapens that loss of life. When I choose (because yes, its a choice) to speed while perhaps there is a heighten chance of death occurring nothing dies or has the immediate chance to die as the pedal is pushed further...you release and arrow or squeeze a trigger something is going to potentially die due to what is going to occur in just 1 second. No clue if this even made any kind of sense but honestly my reason is 3 fold. I won't shoot due to it is: -illegal -in my eyes it is an act which my Lord, my family and my hunting brethren should not be/would not be proud of -respect for the game which sometimes we lose at and the deer win. **Everything stated here was an opinion based solely on my own personal feelings. In no way was offense meant, but if some was felt I apologize.
Ty...I understand your stance and why you do it the way you do. That was one hell of a reply and in a lot better demeanor then your previous reply. Im still taking the shot
