[sparkchaser]

I was asked if you need to be licensed to help find a deer after dark that had been shot during legal shooting hours.I wasn't sure if this is considered "participating" in the hunt or not.Thanks in advance.

 

[sparkchaser]

Any help?

 

[deadon4]

I would say yes, It may constitute "Prima Facie Evidence of hunting" Section 2301 of the game code. Maybe a WCO on the board can explain better but if it were me I would have a license.

 

[ICAREDOYOU]

I can't see you getting cited for helping locate a deer after dark. It maybe a law preventing it but I can't see you getting a fine for a walk in the woods after dark.

 

[deadon4]

During the 2008 archery season we were searching for one my son hit. It was 10pm and a DWCO told us we were in violation to be searching after legal hours. Would depend on the WCO who comes to investigate. This DWCO left us go and told me to pick back up in the morninmg. I did find the deer early the next morning about 200 yards from where we had to stop.

 

[Guest]

Now wait, you can't look for a deer, without weapons, after dark?

That guy needs re-educated!!!!!!! Or he needs to be released!

 

[fordman99]

I never heard of that before.
The hours are set up for legal shooting times,correct?
I've helped recover several deer at night with no one carrying a bow or firearm.
Was your son carrying his bow?

 

[Glenn D]

Five days have passed and not a single WCO has responded.

Why??

Seems like a relatively easy question to answer..

I can't imagine a WCO citing a non-licensed person for helping to recover a game animal after legal shooting hours.. ??


Or maybe they collectively think a citation in such matters could be an "ace" up the sleeve and don't want to give up the trump card.. ??

Best regards, Glenn

 

[Beartrppr]

Or maybe they don't sit in front of the computer all day long, everyday! Geez, give us a break.

Boy, you'd have to be really reaching to try and cite a non licensed hunter helping his buddy find a deer after dark with no weapon. I've seen it quite a bit over 30 years of game law enforcement and never had a problem with it.

 

[WV Gino Home]

>Five days have passed and not a single WCO has responded.

Why??

Because they don't want get into this can of worms. This subject has been beat to death before the and vast majority of hunters won't like to read what I will am going to post.

You can not LEGALLY look for game outside of hunting hours. It's not shooting hours even though that was the phrase that was used in the digest for eons. It's "hunting hours". Looking for a wounded deer is "hunting" no matter if your bow is back at the truck. IMHO it's stupid but that is the law.

There is one retired WCO that has expressed his opinion that a bow hunter should stop hunting at a point where you would need enough time to wait and then track a deer. In other words if you think you should wait a half hour to start looking for a deer and then might need an hour to find it you should climb out of your stand an hour and a half before hunting hours end.
You might as well not even have a bow season if you can't hunt the evening.

WCO's in the past have said to call the regional office if you have to look for a deer after hours and get their blessing. Not sure how you can get a legal blessing to violate the law. I can't call the regional office and ask to hunt deer on a Sunday.

This is a back pocket issue for WCO's. An issue that they want absolute power of being able to create law, administer law and adjudicate law.

Here is the deal. They come across someone looking for a wounded deer an hour after hunting hours end. If they think you look on the up and up they let the law breaker slide because if the law was properly written you would be legal with no weapon out looking for game shot during legal shooting hours. If they don't like the looks of you or have a history with you they now have something to pull out of their back pocket and hammer you with. It's like "well I heard rumors about you but was never able to catch you other wise but I got you now".

This is one of those laws that hurt a great number of hunters doing nothing ethically wrong to be able to punish a few.

WV Gino

 

[Glenn D]

Thanks for the input BT.. actually my post was a poke at JohnS.. he seems to always be right on top of such drivel.. I can't imagine such a post as this would miss his attention for five days!!

Best regards, Glenn

 

[dce]

Now wait, you can't look for a deer, without weapons, after dark?

That guy needs re-educated!!!!!!! Or he needs to be released!

Dutch,I'm pretty sure in the 2005 or 2006 hunting digest it specifically states that you cannot serach for game after legal hunting hours unless a WCO is notified.It was only mentioned in the digest one year but it was definately in there and beat to death on these boards when it was posted.

 

[R.W.J]

>Five days have passed and not a single WCO has responded.

Why??

Because they don't want get into this can of worms. This subject has been beat to death before the and vast majority of hunters won't like to read what I will am going to post.

You can not LEGALLY look for game outside of hunting hours. It's not shooting hours even though that was the phrase that was used in the digest for eons. It's "hunting hours". Looking for a wounded deer is "hunting" no matter if your bow is back at the truck. IMHO it's stupid but that is the law.

There is one retired WCO that has expressed his opinion that a bow hunter should stop hunting at a point where you would need enough time to wait and then track a deer. In other words if you think you should wait a half hour to start looking for a deer and then might need an hour to find it you should climb out of your stand an hour and a half before hunting hours end.
You might as well not even have a bow season if you can't hunt the evening.

WCO's in the past have said to call the regional office if you have to look for a deer after hours and get their blessing. Not sure how you can get a legal blessing to violate the law. I can't call the regional office and ask to hunt deer on a Sunday.

This is a back pocket issue for WCO's. An issue that they want absolute power of being able to create law, administer law and adjudicate law.

Here is the deal. They come across someone looking for a wounded deer an hour after hunting hours end. If they think you look on the up and up they let the law breaker slide because if the law was properly written you would be legal with no weapon out looking for game shot during legal shooting hours. If they don't like the looks of you or have a history with you they now have something to pull out of their back pocket and hammer you with. It's like "well I heard rumors about you but was never able to catch you other wise but I got you now".

This is one of those laws that hurt a great number of hunters doing nothing ethically wrong to be able to punish a few.

WV Gino

Gino,

What you posted is a load of rubbish, Did the USP hijack your PC?

See beartrpper's post above.

There is no "back pocket issue" If I dont catch a guy violating and can prove it 100% then he doest get pinched no matter who he is or what history we have.

As always the devil is in the details, is he recovering a dead deer or is this deer going to require a second or third shot to anchor it. It it a mortal wound or a flesh wound?

 

[Beartrppr]

Thanks for the input BT.. actually my post was a poke at JohnS.. he seems to always be right on top of such drivel.. I can't imagine such a post as this would miss his attention for five days!!

Best regards, Glenn

Yeah,you're right. I'm suprised he hasn't chimed in.

 

[Woods walker]

Been there before, gets old repeating it.

Besides I don't get to make the prosecute or not prosecute decisions anymore so the guys that do can answer these kinds of questions.

 

[limbhnger10]

Or maybe they don't sit in front of the computer all day long, everyday! Geez, give us a break.

Boy, you'd have to be really reaching to try and cite a non licensed hunter helping his buddy find a deer after dark with no weapon. I've seen it quite a bit over 30 years of game law enforcement and never had a problem with it.

 

[ICAREDOYOU]

Five days have passed and not a single WCO has responded.

Why??

Seems like a relatively easy question to answer..

I can't imagine a WCO citing a non-licensed person for helping to recover a game animal after legal shooting hours.. ??


Or maybe they collectively think a citation in such matters could be an "ace" up the sleeve and don't want to give up the trump card.. ??

Best regards, Glenn

If you can't get your answer as quickly as you want why not just call Harrisburg or your regional office. Be thankful these guys on here give us their help (even though sometimes it is not what we want to hear. They are on here on thier own not getting paid .

 

[Glenn D]

This thread poses a legitimate issue.. I think many of us have been there..

You shoot a nice buck at dusk, legal shooting hours. By the time you get down out of the tree and start trailing it is dark and legal shooting hours are over.

This is a dandy buck. Maybe the best you have ever shot. Most of us are not going to follow the advice of the so-called experts on the hunting shows and wait until morning and collect only the antlers... the meat is spoiled. Plus, in PA there is a good chance the deer will be gone by morning or at least chewed up by Coyotes.

So, you put your gun or bow in the vehicle and take up the trail.. Two hours later you find the buck. You tag him, gut him out, and start the hour and a half drag back to the car.

You get to the car and a WCO is there. It is now three and a half hours past legal shooting time. You have a deer that is still steaming from the gut job.

Citation or no?

Best regards, Glenn

 

[WV Gino Home]

>As always the devil is in the details, is he recovering a dead deer or is this deer going to require a second or third shot to anchor it. It it a mortal wound or a flesh wound?

There are no details. Looking for a deer after legal hunting times has ended is a game law violation[PERIOD] It does not make one bit of difference if the deer is dead or still alive. The fact the law enforcement looks the other way most of the time reinforces the idea that it is a stupid law and only serves as a back pocket tool that a WCO can use when they feel like it. It's a law that ends up making thousands of otherwise law abiding, ethical PA hunters into game law breakers.



>If I dont catch a guy violating and can prove it 100% then he doest get pinched no matter who he is or what history we have.

I assume you ment to write "can't prove it 100%"

But a guy you catch looking for a deer after hunting hours have ended is "caught" and it can be proven 100%. This is where selective enforcement can rear it's ugly head. And I am sorry but I don't buy the "even if I have heard things it won't make a difference down the road as far as issuing a warning vs. ticket". This is time to decide ticket/warning.

The vast, vast vast majority of the hunting community would feel it's ethically right to look for a wounded game animal after hunting hours have ended. We don't consider it "hunting". From a wildlife resource management perspective looking for an aminal after one half hour after sunset is no threat to the resource. If the majority of the time law enforcement considers it no big deal and looks the other way than for what just reason is it not legal? Way has the general assembly not taken steps to correct a law that makes thousands of PA hunters a year into poachers?

I bet there is not a single bow hunters with more than 5 years experience who has not violated this law. Most of us never even realizing it.


What sort of penalty does hunting after hours end up being? Is there a license revocation involved?

WV Gino

 

[dietsch]

where in the digest does it say you can "not"look for a deer or other game after legal "shooting" hours.just got off the phone with a wco and he tells me there is no law on this reference.in my opinion end of story!