This is a suprise regulation......

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Re: This is a suprise regulation......

Unread postby dan » Thu Dec 19, 2013 10:58 am

West Virgina:

It is illegal to: shoot at a deer or boar while it is in water.


To Swim or Not to Swim?
Many states have rules about shooting at a deer while it's swimming. These rules are created to provide the deer a sporting chance and to help foster a quick recovery. This makes sense to most hunters. Where these rules get crazy is how “swimming” is defined. Some states specify the body of water and actions of the animal. A few states simply won't allow a deer to be shot while it's standing in any depth of water. In these states it's entirely possible for a flooded timber, with only an inch or two of water, to become illegal to hunt. Georgia seems to have taken flooding into account and only states that it is illegal to take a deer while it is in a lake, stream, or pond. The Peach State's laws mention nothing about creeks or flooded areas. Another variation is how Mississippi allows hunters to shoot deer in the water, but not from a boat. All across the Southern portion of the United States, these “swimming” rules are issues of contention.


Read more: http://www.northamericanwhitetail.com/2 ... z2nrykW39H


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Re: This is a suprise regulation......

Unread postby dan » Thu Dec 19, 2013 10:59 am

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/20 ... -in-water/

Laws vary on shooting deer while they're in water
Ark., Miss. forbid firing while deer are in water

By Bryan Brasher

When deer hunters envision killing that giant buck of a lifetime, they usually picture the deer standing in a green food plot or a beautiful hardwood bottom.

But with all the rain that's pelted the Mid-South lately, many of those food plots and hardwood bottoms are underwater.

That begs the question:

What if your buck of a lifetime is swimming instead of standing?

The answer depends on where you're hunting.

"Tennessee doesn't have a law against shooting a deer in the water," said Chad Harden, a wildlife biologist with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. "As long as you're hunting in a safe, legal manner, it's fine."

In Arkansas, where seemingly half the state is flooded, just the opposite is true.

The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission issued a news release last week, reminding hunters that it's not legal to shoot deer in the water.

According to the release: "Deer trying to escape danger may jump into a creek, river or lake and swim to safety. In the water, they are vulnerable and are moving much slower than on land."

So in the Natural State, it doesn't matter if you encounter the biggest buck you've ever seen. If it's in the water, it's off limits.

Swimming whitetails are also off limits in Mississippi.

All of the excess water across the Mid-South will likely force some deer hunters into boats to access their tree stands and ground blinds this season.

Those hunters should also acquaint themselves with the laws based on which state they're hunting.

In Tennessee, it is legal to hunt deer from a boat as long as it's not moving via motorized power.

"Tennessee law says it is unlawful to chase, hunt or kill any wild birds, wild animals or wild fowl from a craft that's propelled by electric, gasoline, steam or sail power," said TWRA's Harden. "A canoe or kayak would be OK if it's moved with paddles and not a trolling motor."

As they are with swimming deer, the Arkansas hunting regulations are a little more stringent than Tennessee's when it comes to hunting from a boat.

Last week's new release said, "Deer may not be hunted from boats on any public waters." That means if you're traveling by boat in Arkansas and you see a big buck standing on the shore, you'll just have to grit your teeth and let it walk.

Arkansas laws also prohibit hunters from "driving" deer with a boat. That basically means you can't use a boat to push a swimming deer in one direction or the other for the purpose of hunting.

If you're crazy enough to try capturing a live swimming deer from your boat in Arkansas, that's illegal, too.

Mississippi law says, "squirrels and game birds may be hunted from a boat if the motor is off and the progress of the boat has ceased." Deer, however, are off-limits to boat hunters in the Magnolia State.
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Re: This is a suprise regulation......

Unread postby dan » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:03 am

New York:

It is unlawful to:

Take big game while the deer or bear is in water.
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Re: This is a suprise regulation......

Unread postby dan » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:09 am

Michigan:
Logging camps of 100 to 200 men used venison as the primary source of meat for months at a time. Railroads that had been developed to facilitate the timber market also provided transportation of game meat to Eastern markets. Railroads also provided access for hunters into the wilderness. Market hunters slaughtered hundreds of thousands of deer for the sale of venison. Usually, the hindquarters and legs (saddles) were shipped during the fall of the year with the rest of the deer discarded. In summer, market hunters sometimes killed deer for just the hides. Hunting methods commonly involved the use of dog packs, the killing of deer at night by shining (deer are momentarily blinded with lights), and the [glow=red]shooting of deer while they were swimming in the water.[/glow]

Early measures to control market hunting were not very successful. The first deer law of 1859 eliminated year-round killing and set a seven-month season for taking deer. However, there was no bag limit or restriction of the method of take. Sporting clubs became outraged at the slaughter of game by the market hunting industry. They realized the need to form a statewide group with sufficient membership to lobby against commercial hunting interests. In 1875, the first meeting of the Michigan Sportsmen's Association (MSA) was held in Detroit.

The MSA lobbied for a bill to make it illegal to sell game out of state, as modeled after a bill in Illinois. Debate from commercial hunting interests was intense. The Legislature sided with industry against the "kid-gloved sportsmen." The formal legislative conclusion was that there was insufficient data on the extent of market hunting to document a need for legislation. Mr. Roney, Secretary of the MSA, spent the next three years collecting data from hunters, railroads, and restaurants. He reported in 1880 that 70,000 deer were killed in Michigan. Sportsmen took a reported 4,000, compared to 66,000 by market hunters. About half of the venison (an estimated 5 million pounds) was shipped out of state. As a result of this analysis, a bill restricting sale of Michigan game meat in other states became law in 1881.

The MSA had other successes in affecting game policies and laws by working with state government. The length of the hunting season was shortened to five months in 1881, at which time[glow=red]it was also made illegal to kill deer in the red or spotted coat or while in water.[/glow] It was also unlawful to use pits, pitfalls, or traps in the taking of deer. In 1887, a law was passed making it illegal to use dogs or lights for taking deer. Also, the state's first game warden was hired in 1887.


Full story: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-15 ... --,00.html
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Re: This is a suprise regulation......

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:35 am

Interesting topic, I just asked my wife if a wetland is considered a body of water (she used to work with a few wetland specialists) and I just wanted her initial remarks. She said gray area, paraphrasing. Just dissecting the word wetland - wet, land.

I don't know if I consider, for this purpose, a deer standing in 2-12 inches of water with his feet on dirt, standing in the water. I would argue I shot him on the land part, as he was or was about to run away. Cant run in water

There has to be some case law on it.

Would be kinda crazy for a state to fully enforce something like this even if a wetland, swamp, marsh or the like is considered a "body of water". I understand the intent of swimming deer and fair chase, but if they get overzealous in the enforcement of this I would probably pass on that state too.
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Re: This is a suprise regulation......

Unread postby Zap » Thu Dec 19, 2013 1:35 pm

Image

:whistle:
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Re: This is a suprise regulation......

Unread postby Country » Thu Dec 19, 2013 2:11 pm

Could one not then argue that shooting a deer as it runs through a cattail marsh would be unsportsmanlike since it is moving slower than it would on open, dry ground? Sillyness.
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Re: This is a suprise regulation......

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Dec 19, 2013 2:13 pm

Zap wrote:Image

:whistle:

Don't you dare shoot Zap!! :naughty:

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Re: This is a suprise regulation......

Unread postby Zap » Thu Dec 19, 2013 2:18 pm

Yeah, he is kinda small.... :P
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Re: This is a suprise regulation......

Unread postby Autumn Ninja » Thu Dec 19, 2013 3:37 pm

I think in Ky its only against the law to hunt from a boat

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