So...would you shoot?

[sampotter]

So, I'm now assuming this thread was posted to illustrate how silly the sunrise/sunset law is? I can't see anything else that would make someone hesitate to shoot that buck...

[gfdeputy2]

Well I would say for me it would depend on the season

We have the 1/2 & 1/2 rule here in NH & the only time I would not take that "LEGAL" (just so nobody thinks I am a troll even though I am the size of one) would be early bow season as the woods here are so thick I have a hard time seeing past my pins after sunset once the leaves drop it is good to go

Gun season no problem even with open sights

[jjb4900]

even with the current sunset law I've encountered conditions where I couldn't see well enough to shoot even though it was still legal to do so....

Edited December 17, 2014 by jjb4900

[moog5050]

even with the current sunset law I've encountered conditions where I couldn't see well enough to shoot even though it was still legal to do so....

 

 

I agree.  That's where common sense and safety as priority one come into play.  Considering that judgment call must be made now at times, there is no reason it can't be made under extended hours.

[Five Seasons]

For me if it was legal shooting time and the shot was not safe because of low light then I would not take the shot. It's the same argument I would make for taking a shot 15 minutes before NY legal light. If it's safe it's safe.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

For me if it was legal shooting time and the shot was not safe because of low light then I would not take the shot. It's the same argument I would make for taking a shot 15 minutes before NY legal light. If it's safe it's safe.

Scary thing is some of the ones that say they would not shoot 1-5 minutes after sunset..Even in great safe light, could be the ones that  would shoot even in a low unsafe light condition,  Just because its legal.

[Doc]

Trying to set a law dealing with safety is pretty tricky stuff. Let's face it if everyone out there was totally safety conscious, we probably wouldn't even need those kinds of laws. But we know that that is not always the case. Remember, lighting and decisions to take shots sometimes rests in the hands of the "other guy" pointing his gun at you.

 

[nyantler]

I agree.  That's where common sense and safety as priority one come into play.  Considering that judgment call must be made now at times, there is no reason it can't be made under extended hours.

 

I disagree... not about the common sense and safety part... but about bringing the shooting hours closer to darkness where the "judgment call" may have to be made more often by more hunters, with many pushing the envelope because the new hours have given them the opportunity to do so... not to mention more hunters making judgment calls means greater chance for mistakes especially the closer you get to actual darkness... most of the guys on here have said it themselves.. there is usually plenty of light left at sunrise and sunset... that can not be said about 30 minutes before or after... seldom is there a need for a low light call at sunrise or sunset... there will always be some kind of judgment call when discharging a firearm in any light.. why add the low light factor on top of that? Remember, these aren't decisions being made to save the world... just to kill a stupid deer.

[landtracdeerhunter]

All things being equal, it is as bad as it gets for light and that's the point I was making. If that setup was 100s SE, it'd be much brighter at that same date and time.

 

I don't think there's a darker place I could be on any property I hunt at that time and date.

 

I wouldn't hunt that location, given the light factor.  Hunt a brighter location nearby, for safety reasons. One never knows who could show up, human wise. That's just me though

 

[genesee_mohican]

It seems like the winds would swirl down there in the valley. Nice looking deer and seems like enough light to shoot.

[phade]

I wouldn't hunt that location, given the light factor. Hunt a brighter location nearby, for safety reasons. One never knows who could show up, human wise. That's just me though

As much as i understand your point, i disagree. Just because its darker doesnt mean it should be avoided.

[phade]

It seems like the winds would swirl down there in the valley. Nice looking deer and seems like enough light to shoot.

Multiple bucks have been shot within feet of that deer from the same stand. Interesting spot that we can take advantage of.

[Five Seasons]

I disagree... not about the common sense and safety part... but about bringing the shooting hours closer to darkness where the "judgment call" may have to be made more often by more hunters, with many pushing the envelope because the new hours have given them the opportunity to do so... not to mention more hunters making judgment calls means greater chance for mistakes especially the closer you get to actual darkness... most of the guys on here have said it themselves.. there is usually plenty of light left at sunrise and sunset... that can not be said about 30 minutes before or after... seldom is there a need for a low light call at sunrise or sunset... there will always be some kind of judgment call when discharging a firearm in any light.. why add the low light factor on top of that? Remember, these aren't decisions being made to save the world... just to kill a stupid deer.

 

I'm so sick of this argument. 95% of us who think when it's 15, 20 or even 30 minutes before sunrise is light enough to safely shoot are not the same guys who are going to shoot in the dark. This is not the speed limit. Yes if you raise the speed limit to 65 we will all start going 70 or 75. Those in favor of a rule change want it because it's laughable to sit in your stand with perfectly good light and not be able to take a shot. Not one of us has ever asked for a law to shoot 60 minutes before light, or do I believe one of us would take a shot in the dark were it legal.

 

The guy who is going to "push the law" because he can is the same guy already breaking the law and probably a few others. The 30 minute rule adopted safely by many states does nothing but help the responsible hunter. The slob hunter remains unchanged.

 

I walked into the woods a few weeks ago in the dark. I caught some eyes about 30 yards ahead and that day i was planning on ground blind hunting. So I popped a squat right there. I didn't fire blindly into the dark. However, in Mississippi the 30 min rule is in affect and within 20 minutes it was legal light and honestly the light was safe. The deer was gone, but I'd have had to wait another half hour in NY just to potentially watch a perfectly safe shot walk away.

[Five Seasons]

No. The OP said time of sunrise was 7:10. Pic was what? 6:22? Snow reflects light and UV rays. Makes things look brighter then they are.

 

This is yet again, another "Would You Break The Law?" troll thread.

 

you're honestly the biggest troll this sight has seen in a while. Here a few months and nothing but constant freak outs.

[Five Seasons]

I off & on frequent a lot of different interest communities. R/C aircraft, XC sking, cars, trucks, Norton motorcycles, even mountain bikes.

 

It's a toss-up between between hunting/firearms related forums & mountain bike forums as far as which community has more fly off the handle before reading & fully comprehending posts types.

 

I think hunting/firearms is taking the lead though.

 

you need to join some motorcycle and any automobile forum dedicated to a specific make and model. The bikes and cars are worse.

[nyantler]

I'm so sick of this argument. 95% of us who think when it's 15, 20 or even 30 minutes before sunrise is light enough to safely shoot are not the same guys who are going to shoot in the dark. This is not the speed limit. Yes if you raise the speed limit to 65 we will all start going 70 or 75. Those in favor of a rule change want it because it's laughable to sit in your stand with perfectly good light and not be able to take a shot. Not one of us has ever asked for a law to shoot 60 minutes before light, or do I believe one of us would take a shot in the dark were it legal.

 

The guy who is going to "push the law" because he can is the same guy already breaking the law and probably a few others. The 30 minute rule adopted safely by many states does nothing but help the responsible hunter. The slob hunter remains unchanged.

 

I walked into the woods a few weeks ago in the dark. I caught some eyes about 30 yards ahead and that day i was planning on ground blind hunting. So I popped a squat right there. I didn't fire blindly into the dark. However, in Mississippi the 30 min rule is in affect and within 20 minutes it was legal light and honestly the light was safe. The deer was gone, but I'd have had to wait another half hour in NY just to potentially watch a perfectly safe shot walk away.

 

Why is it when ever we're discussing a topic about a law and opinions about that law.. somehow you always start to group everyone else in with "what you would do" and start speaking for everyone else as if they can't speak for themselves and are exactly like you. I don't care how safe you think you are, or how safe other states are, or how safe you think your buddies are, or any after dark deer encounter, don't care about speed limits and haven't mentioned anything about them... you have no idea how many guys will push the limit, how many are already breaking the law, how many slob hunters there are, how many of these guys would shoot a deer after hours...how any responsible hunter might be affected by a change in the law... you only know what you would do and how the law would affect you... I've already heard that... and you've heard my position as well... no argument .. just opinion... and some disagreement....the only thing you actually have told me in this is post is that responsible hunters need an extra 30 minutes each way to kill a deer... and for the record.. my OPINION is that those that like the 15, 20 and 30 minutes before and after are already using those minutes... no need to respond I'm already sure you don't like that opinion either

[YFKI1983]

Why the hell do people get offended by other people's opinions?

[nyantler]

Why the hell do people get offended by other people's opinions?

 

I don't think it's always the actual opinion... more so the lame defense of that opinion in some instances

[covert]

Nope.  I would've shot him the night before with a crossbow in the headlights while he stood over the salt block.  

[Bible Andy]

This may be a stupid question, but why are we allowed the 30 minutes before/ after with turkey hunting and not deer? Is there some obvious reason I am missing?

[wildcat junkie]

This may be a stupid question, but why are we allowed the 30 minutes before/ after with turkey hunting and not deer? Is there some obvious reason I am missing?

Not saying it is valid, but perhaps it's the longer lethal range of the weapons involved & the perception that it might be easier to mistake the similar sized forms of humans & deer, while turkeys are much smaller. Are the regulations set by the DEC or the legislature? If it is the later, rationality might not be a prerequisite.

[Five Seasons]

Why is it when ever we're discussing a topic about a law and opinions about that law.. somehow you always start to group everyone else in with "what you would do" and start speaking for everyone else as if they can't speak for themselves and are exactly like you. I don't care how safe you think you are, or how safe other states are, or how safe you think your buddies are, or any after dark deer encounter, don't care about speed limits and haven't mentioned anything about them... you have no idea how many guys will push the limit, how many are already breaking the law, how many slob hunters there are, how many of these guys would shoot a deer after hours...how any responsible hunter might be affected by a change in the law... you only know what you would do and how the law would affect you... I've already heard that... and you've heard my position as well... no argument .. just opinion... and some disagreement....the only thing you actually have told me in this is post is that responsible hunters need an extra 30 minutes each way to kill a deer... and for the record.. my OPINION is that those that like the 15, 20 and 30 minutes before and after are already using those minutes... no need to respond I'm already sure you don't like that opinion either

 

I've hunted NYS my whole life. I have heard illegal shots both morning and night more times than I can count. 2 months of gun season on public land in the south and i've not heard a single shot >30 before sunrise or after sunset. That's how I know. And like I said, those willing to shoot IN THE DARK are already going to shoot in the dark with todays law. So it's the same with gun control. Gun control hurts the law abiding citizen and does nothing to hurt the criminal.

 

 

Why the hell do people get offended by other people's opinions?

 

I'm not offended. I just don't understand it. No personal attacks by me. Not once since I joined and you can ask any mod and he will back it up. It's a discussion. Without differences in opinion than this site would be pretty boring. For those that do not like the multiple page discussions you can very easily avoid them. It's very clear in the now 3 or 4 topics about legal light that the site has quite a divide.

 

Edited December 19, 2014 by Belo

[YFKI1983]

I've hunted NYS my whole life. I have heard illegal shots both morning and night more times than I can count. 2 months of gun season on public land in the south and i've not heard a single shot >30 before sunrise or after sunset. That's how I know. And like I said, those willing to shoot IN THE DARK are already going to shoot in the dark with todays law. So it's the same with gun control. Gun control hurts the law abiding citizen and does nothing to hurt the criminal.

I'm not offended. I just don't understand it. No personal attacks by me. Not once since I joined and you can ask any mod and he will back it up. It's a discussion. Without differences in opinion than this site would be pretty boring. For those that do not like the multiple page discussions you can very easily avoid them. It's very clear in the now 3 or 4 topics about legal light that the site has quite a divide.

I was actually referring to someone else that seemed to get offended by your opinion. Lol