Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
- cornfedkiller
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Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
Just out of curiosity, and I'll make this a poll so nobody has to "incriminate" themselves if they do not want, but how many of you are DONE (put your arrow back in your quiver and start packing up) at the end of LEGAL shooting time?
Historically, my thoughts about when to stop hunting in the evening has always been "if there was a booner at 15 yards right now, could I easily identify it, and see my pins well enough to shoot it?", and I have noticed over the last couple seasons that this does not typically align with the end of LEGAL shooting hours.
Depending on the conditions (moon, clouds, snow, etc), there are evenings when Im confident I could still easily make a 25 yard shot at civil twilight..Im just curious how other beasts feel about quitting "early", especially considering the amount of people here who hunt pretty much exclusively evenings, and depend on those last few moments of light..
Historically, my thoughts about when to stop hunting in the evening has always been "if there was a booner at 15 yards right now, could I easily identify it, and see my pins well enough to shoot it?", and I have noticed over the last couple seasons that this does not typically align with the end of LEGAL shooting hours.
Depending on the conditions (moon, clouds, snow, etc), there are evenings when Im confident I could still easily make a 25 yard shot at civil twilight..Im just curious how other beasts feel about quitting "early", especially considering the amount of people here who hunt pretty much exclusively evenings, and depend on those last few moments of light..
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Re: Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
I quit 30 minutes after sunset. When its that time I quit for the day.
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Re: Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
I usually cannot see that well before legal time is up...so I pack up when I feel I cannot see well or at legal shooting time.
Never after legal shooting time.
Never after legal shooting time.
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- Stanley
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Re: Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
I quit well before legal time. I used stay in longer but in reality once the the sun goes down you can't see in the shadows anyway much less a rack on a buck.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
- PLB
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Re: Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
When I can't ethically shoot anymore. Usually though shooting hours are pretty generous.
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- goldtip5575
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Re: Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
I can honestly say Ive probably not knowingly hunted past hunting hours.If nothing is out at close I will pack up.But if a deer is working my way with 5 minutes of legal time left Im not going to keep checking my watch.Have I ever shot a deer past close NO.
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Re: Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
As soon as legal hunting time is up my bow is on the rope on it's way to the ground. It's not worth pushing my luck and getting busted for hunting after hours on public land. I would really hate having a reputation for being pinched for hunting too late.
On clear days later in the season with no leafcover and especially with snow on the ground you could ethically shoot 10-15 minutes after but those cloudy early season days do get a little iffy for taking a shot the last few minutes so I guess it evens out.
The only time I sit in my tree for awhile after dark is if a deer is very close and I want to wait for it to clear. When I do this I do not have an arrow nocked.
On clear days later in the season with no leafcover and especially with snow on the ground you could ethically shoot 10-15 minutes after but those cloudy early season days do get a little iffy for taking a shot the last few minutes so I guess it evens out.
The only time I sit in my tree for awhile after dark is if a deer is very close and I want to wait for it to clear. When I do this I do not have an arrow nocked.
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Re: Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
I hunt until its dark. With filming my hunts, I can't really hunt after legal hours even if I wanted to, the film looks like crap.
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Re: Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
OK, honest answer......I hunt until I can't make an ethical shot. I start when I CAN make (AM) an ethical shot.
There are times when "30-20 minutes before sunrise" is too dark to make an ethical shot (BUT THIS IS LEGAL HUNTING TIME). There are times when "20-30 minutes after sunset" is too dark to make an ethical shot (AGAIN, LEGAL HUNTING TIME). I won't shoot in either instance.
There may be times when 32 minutes before sunrise IS light enough to make an ethical shot (although these times are rare, here). There may be times when 33 minutes after sunset IS light enough to make an ethical shot. Never have shot - just before dark or just at 1st light. But, there's no way I'd know if it was legal time or not. I don't look at my watch and a chart. I figure it all works itself out. And, I sleep just fine.
Why do you think the law's in place? What do you think they're trying to make sure we do?
I've spoken to my GW about this. I even had some guys online (imagine!....lol) question me going to stand REALLY early (like 4AM early) once. I aksed him (although I knew the answer) if I was breaking any laws - going in so early, and told him about the busy-bodies. He said, "What do they think you're doing....it's DARK @ 4AM".
Thank you.
Again, I don't look at a watch and a chart. I'm sure there are far more times that I've come down early (when it was still LEGAL shooting time) than times when I may have come down late. Unless you look at a chart and your watch EVERY DAY, I'm not sure of another way to do it. I'd ask again.....what do you think the inent of the law is?
There are times when "30-20 minutes before sunrise" is too dark to make an ethical shot (BUT THIS IS LEGAL HUNTING TIME). There are times when "20-30 minutes after sunset" is too dark to make an ethical shot (AGAIN, LEGAL HUNTING TIME). I won't shoot in either instance.
There may be times when 32 minutes before sunrise IS light enough to make an ethical shot (although these times are rare, here). There may be times when 33 minutes after sunset IS light enough to make an ethical shot. Never have shot - just before dark or just at 1st light. But, there's no way I'd know if it was legal time or not. I don't look at my watch and a chart. I figure it all works itself out. And, I sleep just fine.
Why do you think the law's in place? What do you think they're trying to make sure we do?
I've spoken to my GW about this. I even had some guys online (imagine!....lol) question me going to stand REALLY early (like 4AM early) once. I aksed him (although I knew the answer) if I was breaking any laws - going in so early, and told him about the busy-bodies. He said, "What do they think you're doing....it's DARK @ 4AM".
Thank you.
Again, I don't look at a watch and a chart. I'm sure there are far more times that I've come down early (when it was still LEGAL shooting time) than times when I may have come down late. Unless you look at a chart and your watch EVERY DAY, I'm not sure of another way to do it. I'd ask again.....what do you think the inent of the law is?
Last edited by JV NC on Sun Jan 29, 2012 12:09 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
Laws were made for a reason... Good or bad does not really matter to me. Everybody is issued the same set of rules. I choose to follow them. For those who think its necessary to break laws to succeed, I feel sorry for them. They have not yet learned what hunting is all about...
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Re: Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
I agree with you, Dan.
There's a lot of really big names in hunting who've let the allure of fame and shoulder mounts cloud their judgement, over the years. Whitetail hunting seems to have more than its' fair share of hoodlums. There aren't too many (well known whitetail hunters) who haven't been involved in scandalous acts.
The good guys should be applauded.
There's a lot of really big names in hunting who've let the allure of fame and shoulder mounts cloud their judgement, over the years. Whitetail hunting seems to have more than its' fair share of hoodlums. There aren't too many (well known whitetail hunters) who haven't been involved in scandalous acts.
The good guys should be applauded.
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- jlh42581
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Re: Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
Our law covers the shooting time, after that you would need a light. Im often the last person out of the woods if other guys are in the area. When I cant shoot, I start getting down, if theres not deer around. If deer are around I am going to account for that and if it gets me out at 10pm, so be it.
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Re: Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
Legal's --> legal.
I hunt alot of thick areas and sometimes, dependant on weather factors,
I get down when I don't think I can pick a spot on an animal, but would say that 95% it is the 30-min. mark.
The only difference may be Archery verses firearm (scopes), but legal is still legal...
I hunt alot of thick areas and sometimes, dependant on weather factors,
I get down when I don't think I can pick a spot on an animal, but would say that 95% it is the 30-min. mark.
The only difference may be Archery verses firearm (scopes), but legal is still legal...
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...
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Re: Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
I get down when I don't think I can pick a spot on an animal,
Nothing wrong with that, im my eyes, Ed. My (and your) ethical "shot or not" litmus test is likely well inside the law. I've looked at my watch before - to check the chart when I got home....and thought "there's NO WAY I could shoot at that time".
I'm a VERY fledgling firearms hunter. But I noticed your comment about it being different with firearns v. bowhunting.
How so? Can you see later or not as late - doing one or the other. For me, ethical shooting light is lost FIRST when I'm firearns hunting. 2nd would be the compound bow. Last would be the recurve.
Just curious what your experience is. I still want to ask you a few things about handgun hunting, too. I'll PM, sometime.
Lateral Bowhunter
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Re: Quitting at the end of Legal Time?
I get down when legal shooting light passes or I don't feel I can make the shot. A couple years back I passed up a 35 yard shot at what would have been my largest archery buck because it was just too dark and I wasn't confident in the shot. After he passed I checked the time and had 5 minutes of legal time left but this was in a dark swamp and there was heavy cloud cover, if he was at 15 or 20 yard I think he would have been toast.
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