shining??

[walleyewess]

I know that it is legal to do but I was wondering how long can you shine till and can you go and on anybodys property?

[bigbucks]

It used to be 10pm, but I think they changed it to two hours after dark. Not sure about other people's property, but I know you can't shine on their windows.

[ERdeerhunter]

I know that it is legal to do but I was wondering how long can you shine till and can you go and on anybodys property?

What exactly do you mean by going on anybody's property? I'm guessing it's not illegal to cast light on someone's property (not at houses or buildings), but trespassing laws still apply when the sun goes down. But maybe you just mean shining from the roadway?

[lichen fox]

ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS

With a firearm or bow

A person may not cast the rays of a spotlight, headlight or other artificial light onto a highway or into a field, woodland, or forest to spot, locate or take a wild animal while possessing either individually or as one of a group, a firearm, bow or other implement that could be used to take big game, small game or unprotected species.

Shining lights generally

Without implements to take wild animals, from two hours after sunset until sunrise, no person may cast the rays of a spotlight, headlight or other artificial light on a highway or into a field, woodland or forest to spot or locate a wild animal.

A person may not cast rays of a spotlight, headlight or other artificial light on land that is marked with signs prohibiting the shining of lights. The signs must: 1) display letters that are at least 2 inches in height and state “no shining” or similar terms; and 2) be placed at intervals of 500 feet or less along the boundary of an area.

A person may not cast an artificial light onto fenced agricultural land or a residential property or building sites from a motor vehicle.

The exceptions to this regulation are:

Without a firearm or a bow, a person who is on foot may use a handheld artificial light to retrieve wounded or dead big game animals.

A person taking raccoons or tending traps in accordance with all other regulations in this booklet. (See page 40)

A person hunting for coyote or fox from Jan. 1 to March 15 may use an artificial handheld light under all of the following conditions:

• While on foot and not within a public right of way

• Using a shotgun

• Using a calling device

• Not within 200 feet of a vehicle

It is not a violation of this law to shine lights without a firearm while doing any agricultural, safety, emergency response, normal vehicle operation or occupational-related activities or recreational activity, including snowmobiling, not related to spotting, locating or taking a wild animal

[Boar]

I dont shin, so dont really read the shining regs but I find it funny how the exception states that without a firearm or bow a person may retrieve wounded game with a hand held artifical light.

Am I interpreting that correct? I cant be, With out firearm or bow one can who is is on foot can use a artificial light to retreive wounded or dead game. Am I in the "duh" mode

So we cant have a weapon with us to retrieve big game in the dark with a flash light. "Hey there he gose, quick shine Him! awwwww he got a away again. Or hey that bear is still alive, weired, quick shine in the head. Dont mean to be dumb on this but, that cant be. ive read it many times now an come up with the same thing. Some one set me smart please.

[ClownColor]

You better find it within the two hours is how I read it also. If not you'll have to wait til morning

[Boar]

Right but thats still under "without implements to take wild animals"

[LightningBG]

You better find it within the two hours is how I read it also. If not you'll have to wait til morning

The drift I'm getting is, since tracking a wounded animal is under the "exceptions" part, that you can track with a light at any time.

I'm not really sure why one would be shinning for the 2 hours after sunset and have it be legal.

But, for the tracking, no guns, ok. So if I find this wounded animal and its an hour after dark, how am I supposed to put it down? Jump on its back and use a knife? Doesn't really have much to do with shining, but has always baffled me.

[RBuker]

The big game season closes each day 1/2 hour after sunset. Doesn't matter if you are tracking a wounded animal or not. It is against the law to SHOOT one after that. Otherwise it would sure be easy to carry a big flashlight to your favorite field, find the buck of your dreams and shoot it and then tell the CO that you were tracking it wounded first. (oh and make sure to fire another shot low into the front leg so it looks good to the CO) That's why you can't carry a gun or bow after that 1/2 past sunset time.

However, according to the regs, it is NOT against the law to jump on a deer's back and stick it with a knife. I've done that twice. Word of advice, don't draw the knife until you have the deer under control or you could end up being the one that gets stuck.

[Boar]

Hmmm might have to try that with the next bear I have to track.

[RBuker]

Which part are you going to try? If you opt to jump on him and stick him with a knife, I sure hope you get pics. :-)

Randy

[Bear55]

I think this is one of laws that the DNR has to write in the books, it would be too easy for poachers to go out and say they were tracking a wounded deer. Too many problems with shooting after hours to make legal at any time.

This is also one of those laws I am willing to bend the rules on and take my chances. It doesn't do me or the deer any good if they are wounded from a legal shot and I can't finish them off after dark. If I get caught I will do my beast to explain the situation, I should have a blood trail as evidence, and face whatever consequences.

[lichen fox]

Carry a big stick to knock em out and a sharp knife to finish em off!

[CANOPY SAM]

I'm completely with Bear55 on this one. You gotta do, what you gotta do.

However, I've jumped onto a few injured deer, and finished em' off with a knife. Word of advice...if your kids are with you have them turn around before you do it. They'll look at you a little differently for years of you don't.

With a bear, I'd pretty much think you'd have no choice but to pull the trusty old pistola.

This is both a huge poaching issue, as well as a safety issue. Discharging a high powered rifle in the pitch black of night is never a good idea...even with a spotlight on the animal. It's never easy to articulate (in writing) a complicated set of ideas, or regulations.

[96trigger]

I also agree with Bear, it has to be in regs to stop poaching. I think most people use common sense if tracking a deer after dark. They either track it knowing they will find it dead, or they should wait until morning. You know how hard it would be to try and track, and get a shot off of on a deer that you have only wounded? If it is not mortally wounded, than all you will do is spook the deer, if you are lucky you will hear it run off. If it is wounded so badly that it is immobile, just finish the job by hand. I think there are very few instances where the deer is still quite alive, but immobile, and would be difficult to dispatch with any other means that with a firearm.

[Bear55]

Yep smart tracking will save you a lot of trouble, still I like to have the bow or gun with me just in case.

If it is wounded so badly that it is immobile, just finish the job by hand. I think there are very few instances where the deer is still quite alive, but immobile, and would be difficult to dispatch with any other means that with a firearm.

I have done some dispatching by hand in my day but I wouldn't advise it to anyone, hooves and horns are not a thing you want to mess with, more then once a deer has surprised me but I was lucky. Pretty sure I guy got killed last season doing that, I can't find the article but he got kicked in the chest or stomach. He called for help and thought he was fine but eventually died from the kick.

[96trigger]

Yeah, you have to know the situation, I have dispatched a few like that. Mostly, if they are still that alive, I'll go out first thing in the morning, but I probably would not track at night without something with me also, especially if the shot was marginal.

[Boar]

I aggre with al of you, it has to be written but aint it funny how things play out sometimes. I done wat youve all done too an with out adoubt will allway track a bear with 00 buck in the barrel. To me its like putting back that 20 inch walleye on lake of the woods an ya know its gona die cause it was gill hooked an bleeding bad, but ya gota put it back. thers just instances that play out that are out of ur control but ya gota foloow the regs. I had never read the shinning regs in full before an found it quite a grey area.

[jay83196]

Yeah take your chances with a CO I say, I have almost gotten kicked and bitten not a chance Im not taking along a gun ever again. And no way trailing a p%@t off bear without my pistal in hand. That brings up another question I think I know the answer too, if a fella has his carry permit it wasn't listed as exception so I assume that wouldn't be allowed either (having handgun with).

[bigbucks]

I think it almost has to be legal to have your handgun with if you have a permit. Whether it's technically legal to use it on the deer or bear should you jump it in the dark may be another thing. Like most have said, a wounded animal needs to be finished if it can be. We were trailing one without a gun during gun season once, assuming it was dead. We weren't armed, we came upon it about an hour past dark & it stood up. It had maybe gone a 100 yards, but it was a very poor blood trail. She laid back down, as soon as we backed off, but I'm sure she would have bolted. We went & got a weapon & took care of the situation. She may have suffered for several more hours & for what?

[InTheNorthwoods]

Talk about over-legislating. At some point, we need to realize that many of these laws are only making those that are trying to be law abiding into criminals. So many rules that reasonable people can't keep them straight.

[jay83196]

I also dont like the concept of having to potentially wait until the next morning if your bow hunting, bear hunting and even some years rifle hunting deer the will spoil by morning if its to warm...what a waste!

[Scott K]

The law is pretty simple, you cant shoot a big game animal after legal shooting hours, for obvious reasons. I have used a knife a few times, to expire them, with little threat to myself. But they have had handles on their heads to hold them while doing so. A doe, they like to kick, and I suggest an assistant.

There are other reasons to have a gun with you in the woods, with a spot light, other then deer hunting. So yes, you can carry a gun, and a spot light in the woods at the same time at night, you just cant shoot at deer, or bear. You can also carry a pistol with you whil deer hunting, or at night, you just cant shoot it at stuff you arent suppose to be shooting at at night.

[RBuker]

For those that say they are willing to take their chances with the CO... I can almost bet which direction that will go. Most likely with a ticket and a confiscated deer. If they are really upset, you could lose the gun you shot it with and the truck you transported it with.

Another poster made an excellent point when he said that if it is a marginal shot, wait until morning. You are not going to do much with a firearm if you jump a wounded deer in the dark anyway. If he's that hurt that he jumps up and would be slow enough for you to get off a good shot, just back out and he'll lay back down and die.

I'm not saying that what you guys are saying isn't ethically correct, I'm just saying in the eyes of the law, you could lose a lot. Is it worth it?