Night hunting questions

yotehunter57

yotehunter57

New member
Arkansas does not allow night hunting of coyotes. For you whose states do allow predator hunting at night wih lights, how do you keep the deer headlighting from becoming a bigger problem? Does your state have stiffer penalties for poaching deer at night?
Poaching deer at night is a problem where I live. And I fear that will be the first thing the Game and Fish Commission will bring up. How do we beat this?

Shayne
 
I don't shoot the deer, only the coyotes.

My year 'round Night Hunting Permit only authorizes me to take Wild Boar, Coyotes, and Armadillo on my property.

This is because NONE of these vermin are game animals, and deer are.

If you have a great time and lots of fun hunting predators and vermin all year long, you DO NOT want to mess it up with anything illegal and unethical....
 
Originally Posted By: SkyPupI don't shoot the deer, only the coyotes.

My year 'round Night Hunting Permit only authorizes me to take Wild Boar, Coyotes, and Armadillo on my property.

This is because NONE of these vermin are game animals, and deer are.

If you have a great time and lots of fun hunting predators and vermin all year long, you DO NOT want to mess it up with anything illegal and unethical....

I understand, and have no interest in the deer. I can legally take all the deer I want.
I really don't know how our Game and Fish Commission classifies coyotes, but we do have a season on them.
I do have a good relationship with our local Wildlife Officers,so thatis no problem. I need to talk to them and see if they would support legal night hunting.
Arkansas allways lags behind other states in issues like this. I want to get the ballrolling, even if it takes a while.

Thanks, Shayne
 
Hey Yotehunter57,

I go out every year and spend gobs of money just to night hunt in Texas with Skeet Jones because unless I pay the price, I have no where to do it. (In fact I am headed that way in 15 days) It is a rush like no other and the instant where you identify the animal is intense.

While I have been out there 5 times so far for a total of 20 nights out hunting, I have seen many different animals in the spotlight and all of them act differently. But regardless, it is up to the person to positively identify the animal and it is pretty easy with a good light and clear scope that gathers light well. Especially in the 100yd range. The hardest part for me is the size of coyotes is smaller in the West Texas Desert and a Kit fox at 50yds looks like a coyote at 100yds at certain angles. Either way, I make sure before I shoot.


Your right about poaching, but it isn't the only reason. I posted an email about the issue on the predator hunting board in your Arkansas post.
 
I would not work at from the angle of wanting to take coyotes at night. Feral Hogs are the newest nuisance that landowners and farmers are fighting so I would work from the strategy of night-hunting them and include the other nuisance animals such as coyotes. That's what it seems they did in Mississippi about two years ago so you could pull up their new rules and read it.
 
Great thought Venatic,

The only issue is that here, Hogs can already be night hunted on private lands. They are not considered a "game" species and the rules are already set for that.
 
Originally Posted By: cjdavis618Great thought Venatic,

The only issue is that here, Hogs can already be night hunted on private lands. They are not considered a "game" species and the rules are already set for that.



That may make it easier. Just need to get a legislator that will see the need to add predators to that list that is allowed on private property. Some politicians want to support things that are allowed on private property and hey getting to hunt just on private property is not a bad thing.
 
It's worth a try, but here Game and Fish is pretty much a seperate entity, over which the Legislature has very little influence.
If nothing has changed, the Governor can hire the Director of the AGFC, but nobody has the power to fire him. Great system, huh!

Shayne
 
Great input from Venatic. Here in North Carolina we too have been behind the times with reference to hunting related issues for quite awhile. The short answer to getting new laws enacted is the involvement of individuals, who collectively become a force for change. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has a methodology that allows folks to make suggestions for changes/improvements/additions to existing game laws. They also hold public forums around the state that allows for first-person input and answers to questions people may have. When enough people table the same proposal the NCWRC will post that proposal in a public on-line forum for a period of time, thus allowing others interested in the topic to add their two cents. Recommendations for change that have enough public support will be adopted as "proposed changes to hunting regulations", which then must be approved by the state legislature. As mentioned earlier, it definitely helps to have state representatives in your corner, and that also takes involvement by people willing to make the time and effort to cultivate those relationships. The vast majority of the time our legislature approves whatever the "experts" at the NCWRC recommend (with our input). Great point was also made about tying night time predator hunting with landowner/farmer issues, i.e., the destruction of habit being perpetrated by feral hogs. That's exactly the route taken here in NC to gain approval for night time feral hog hunting on private land, and due to the ever increasing impact of coyote predatation on fawn recruitment, we were able to gain approval for night hunting of coyotes as well. Currently these are approved on private property. The next step will be to push for night hunting on state owned game lands (public property) also. Involvement by the public in the past several years also led to allowing crossbows for anyone during bow season; bowhunting on Sundays on private property (Sunday hunting in any form was banned until 2 years ago); extending our muzzleloader season from one week to two (also allowing for simultaneous bow hunting); and the approval in Aug 2012 for night time coyote and feral hog hunting on private property. The bottom line is people must get together and make their voices heard. If you don't you'll have to deal with the status quo. One Team, One Fight!!
 
As far as any possible issues with deer go, my hunting buddy and I contact our local game wardens, Eric and Mike, ahead of our hunts and give them our game plan for our upcoming hunts. We let them know when and where we'll be. We've known them for some time and by extension, they've gotten to know us. They know we're on the up and up. We've also invited them to go hunting with us so they could gain some first hand insights into the new laws they are charged with enforcing. What a novel idea. We also let our local sheriff's department know ahead of time when and where we'll be hunting. Though we hunt "out in the country" there are a couple of roads that bisect some of the farms we'll be on. Should someone drive by in the distance and notice a "strange red light" out in the back corner of a field, and subsequently contact law enforcement due to concerns of someone "spot-lighting" deer, the "law" will already know ahead of time it's us and exactly what we're doing. To us it's a safety issue and only common sense to notify law enforcement ahead of time before the hunt.
 
Originally Posted By: yotehunter57 Arkansas does not allow night hunting of coyotes. For you whose states do allow predator hunting at night wih lights, how do you keep the deer headlighting from becoming a bigger problem? Does your state have stiffer penalties for poaching deer at night?
Poaching deer at night is a problem where I live. And I fear that will be the first thing the Game and Fish Commission will bring up. How do we beat this?

Shayne

Some States are excessively paranoid and lack common sense......to stop the poachers make laws to stop any hunting at night.....of course poachers do not obey the laws. Kind of like what we are seeing now with gun control by the liberals........and so it goes. Best advice I can give you is to contact your local state representative and ask them to help you get through the process to get the laws changed. Also ask them to support your cause and contact the appropriate authorities on your behalf. I have some free DVDs I can give you that are pro-night hunting but they are primarily aimed at using night vision. Send me a PM of the address that you want them sent to and I'll get it to you. Kevin
 
Back
Top