Legal Shooting Hours

**Orion_70** · 10-18-2005, 09:47 AM

I've got a question for all of you. What are the legal shooting hours for deer in your state? Do you always follow the state guidelines? In La. legal shooting hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.. That puts an end to legal shooting hours let's say for example, at 5:30 or so. Now I can still see plenty well to shoot for another 10 - 20 minutes especially with the scopes out now. How long do all of you stay in your stands? or do you take shots after legal shooting hours?

**beagleboy** · 10-18-2005, 10:11 AM

Here in NY, legal shooting hours are from sunrise to sunset. During the gun season, it's about 4:30 pm. I don't take shots after legal shooting hours because I did that once and a game warden happened to hear the shot and happened to meet us at our trucks and asked us to explain the shot. I told him that I had missed a buck that morning and that I thought my scope was off so I took a shot at a business card in my wallet. I had to take the warden over to where I had the card pinned up with the hole in it. Good thing I was telling the truth. It's really not worth jacking deer. Is a deer really worth the revocation of your hunting licence, big fines, court apperances and the embarrassment from your hunting community?

**Chrud** · 10-18-2005, 10:19 AM

I usually follow what the legal hours are. Usually 1/2 before sunrise and 1/2 hour after sunset. Wisconsin's DNR has a table for each day of the year and I follow them.

**ilhnter** · 10-18-2005, 10:33 AM

IN illinois the legal shooting hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 after sunset. I really don't pay much attention because it usually gets dark in the woods before the time is up anyway. I'm usaully out of the woods by the 1/2 hour after sunset.

**RangerClay** · 10-18-2005, 11:54 AM

As I sit in my stand on opening morning I always marvel at the shots I hear and I can't hardly see my hand in front of my face

Ranger

**VTbowman** · 10-18-2005, 05:13 PM

1/2 hour before and after for VT too and on my property you had better follow the law to the letter.
If not you dont hunt there any more.
I have removed hunters who are frined because of it too.....

Not only because our local game warden lives on the property next to mine, and must pass my front gate to get off our road, but I have delt with so many idiots in our area and I just dont think its nessesary to stay any longer then legal.

Its not about what you can still see its what you can't still see that could cause a major problem, to include someones death.
Not worth it IMHO.

**Shaun_300** · 10-18-2005, 07:16 PM

1/2 hour before and after here in Ontario too, I usually follow them pretty close.

**tedicast** · 10-18-2005, 07:45 PM

In Connecticut the legal shooting hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise, untill sunset. I wish it was 1/2 hour after sunset, as there is ussually good shooting light left after out legal hours.

asilvia68 · 10-19-2005, 04:27 AM

Here in RI its 1/2 hr before and 1/2hr after. I am usually out before that anyway cause of the wooded area I hunt. Gets very dark in there and no sense getting in trouble if I take a shot.

**wtnhunt** · 10-19-2005, 05:12 AM

One half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset. I can see well after sunset quite often with a scope or binoculars. I usually only stay past legal shooting hours if there are deer that I am waiting for to keep from bumping them,but have not and would not take a shot past legal shooting hours.

**Rhino** · 10-19-2005, 08:32 AM

Here in MS it's 1/2 hour before sunrise and 1/2 hour after sunset.

I don't know about you Orion but the thick stuff I prefer to hunt in with a firearm doesn't allow for positively IDing a deer outside of legal shooting hours. In a field yes, but not back in the brush. Mater of fact it's hard to see in the thick stuff about 10 minutes inside of legal shooting hours. Add clouds or totally overcast conditions to the picture and it's a lot worse. BTW my rifles are topped with either a Kahles or a Swarovski scope so optics aren't the problem.