Harassing Wildlife

Jay, In the late 70,s I was a hunter safety instructor in B.C. We were interested in getting some field condition experience for our students. Part of the requirments to pass the hunter exam was a practical firearms test. Up until then the total experience amounted to hands on classroom instruction with a few gun clubs offering some 22 shooting. We took our classes to the trap range and after demonstrations as to the damage a firearm can do, our students shot 12ga shotguns in different actions. The trap boy was instructed to insert a colored clay at random. The students were instructed to only shoot the white ones. Being a test situation, shooting guns they had not shot before, the noise, recoil and a crowd watching put the pressure on the students. It was very rewarding for the instructors to see so few colored birds shot at over the years.This was as close as we could come to field conditions when we were handling 30 students at a time.Redfrog

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Don't eat the yellow snow.
 
Hey John, no offense taken. My intention is not to "mark" an animal. I'm a hunter and a marksman. Shooting prey is the logical successful conclusion to a hunt. When you successfully conclude a hunt and "mark" the animal with your firearm, it dies. When I "mark" one, it lives. I am astounded that anyone can find fault with that. I've called coyotes since I was 16 (58 now). I haven't shot the numbers some of the guys on the board have, but it's been several hundred. After a time learnng more about these terrific animals was more important to me than racking up a body count. The only thing I learned from dead coyotes was the effect of terminal ballistics, dead coyotes taught me nothing about their behavior responding to a call. So I quit shooting them for a time and just enjoyed interacting with them on stand. Learning how to control them with sights and sounds and smells. They are so entertaining that Tyler and I began videoing them to share with other hunters. Once I had a coyote looking at me from about 20 yards out. I had the crosshairs between his eyes, decided I really didn't want to kill him, so I moved the crosshair over, centered his ear and touched the trigger. Very satisfying because I won, the coyote really didn't lose and I had no twinge of regret that I usually have after killing a coyote and I had no smelly mess to contend with. So I began shooting for an ear instead of the vitals. I usually don't carry a gun on stand anymore. We just "harass" the "watchable wildlife" with calls, howlers, voice, my dogs, a video camera and occasionally a firearm or other "projectile launcher" (but no longer, I've learned my lesson AGFD).So John, I really don't need to mark them, shoot them or kill them. I just need to call them and apparently that's going to annoy some Gov't institution.

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Rich Higgins
 
Not to start a ruckus, but just wanted to mention that hunting predatory animals with a bb gun or air rifle is NOT legal in Arizona from what I have read.

Under legal weapons it says firearms not prohibited, bow and arrow, or crossbow.

Air rifles and bb guns are not considered firearms by law.
 
Daryl.
From what I understand, if you look at the recently adopted "Shannon's Law", a pellet gun and BB gun are considered firearms and you can be charged with a FELONY if fired into the air in certain areas of the state. This could have the potential of you losing all firearm ownership priviledges entirely.

Another recent development in AZ was the closure of certain areas of National Forest lands to "plinking" or target shooting. A group of Boy Scouts was nearly cited for using paintball guns in these "closed" areas because devices that fire a projectile with compressed air or springs are considered firearms just as those operated via gunpowder. AND THEY WEREN'T PLINKING! They were sneaking around and shooting at each other. I never heard of that as being considered "Plinking". Go figure.

Apparently what constitutes a legal firearm differs between AZ Game and Fish Officials and attorneys. I would sincerely like to see one of those jerks who think gun owners and hunters are nothing but a bunch of illiterate dropouts and see if they could comprehend all the regs and laws they are directly responsible for.

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Blow A Rhino


[This message has been edited by Jay Nistetter (edited 02-01-2002).]
 
Rich that was one fine answer . i see what you are talking about. While I wouldn't cosider paintballing one myself I on the other really do not see anything that bad about it. After the coyote will if he is smart learn not to respond for a while isurance against certain death from another hunter looking to kill him. I also do not shoot every one that I call because it is fun to watch them at times. It is especially amusing seeing one get wide eyed upon learning he has just made a mistake that could cost him his life. Just like the last coyote that I killed Wednesday morning I am 99 o/o sure he was the dominant dog in that area. I didn't go out and set up and call him in the first time. It took a week of "harrassing " him to assure that he would respond when "I" was ready for him. That is what I call satisfaction. I respect you for standing up and saying that you do this and that you don't think it is wrong. Nothing wrong with that attitude in my book. I think it takes a heck of a guy to stand up and say "This is what I believe" when one has a pretty good idea that some will disagree with him..... Like a buddy says "Keep on keepin' on all day long" and I'll talk to you later >>>>>>>>James L.

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Never underestimate the power of stupid people!
 
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