Bear and deer are working together, against me.

[jackmaster]

i think in your case its legal to carry a rifle and a bow as long as you aint shootn deer with your rifle whats the big deal, bear season is open, you should be able to carry both, or buy one of those thomspson pistol rifle guns, then you got all bases covered, of course it wont ever work out like that again but i am sure you already knew that   

[biggfish]

I was under the impression that you can't have firearms except a pistol as long as an archery tag is in your possession.  Yet I was told it is legal to shoot other game with the pistol if legal to do so. Don't know for sure, but I don't see any harm in taking another animal with a legal method if you've got the proper tags.

[Simon]

The Enforcement officer said it wasn't a question of the animal you are hunting, but that the regulation doesn't let you possess any firearm while in the field archery hunting, and it doesn't let you possess a modern firearm in the field while muzzleloader hunting.  That's their take on page 76 of the 2013 regulations.  The exception for carrying a modern handgun for personal protection doesn't allow use of the handgun for anything else.  Does this rule make sense?  I don't think so, for the reasons others have said.  I think I should be allowed to carry all three types of weapons when I am only hunting bear -- like in August, or if I only had a bear tag, or if I just wasn't going to shoot a deer with anything except an arrow.  As long as I only use the correct weapon for the season and animal harvested, that should be enough.  But, the issue isn't what makes sense, but what the regulation says.  The regulation talks about possession of the weapon, not use, and WDFW applies the regulation to mean I can't harvest any animal with a handgun if I am archery hunting -- even if I was just hunting at a time and place where the animal could be harvested with any weapon.  That's the basic message I got from the phone call with the Enforcement Officer.  It's kind of like buying a tag where you have to specify the kind of weapon you are going to hunt with, except you make that decision when you go out that day.    If there is a friendly Wildlife Enforcement officer out there that could explain this a little better than I have it would be helpful.  Also, I would like this regulation changed, at the least as to bears and cougars.
 

[hunterrcc]

So you just say your bear hunting and you can choose which weapon you want to use if you see a bear bow or handgun.  If you decided to deer hunt then if you shot a deer you would not want to shot a bear with your handgun is how I see the regs.  It is legal for you to be caring a pistol for personal protection so it is not illegal to have it will you just depends on what you shot.  Chances of shooting both at the same time is not real likely.  Now if you carried your rifle and bow then you can only bear hunt.

[deaner]

This states "during the big game season for archery or ML" which sounds to me like it refers to the season that you are carrying the bow or ML for, since there is no specified weapon season for bear, this statement is not applicable for shooting a bear.   

i think we are both reading it the same way.  it means that the handgun cant be used on the deer during the arch deer season, but it IS a legal weapon for bear.  i see no violation of the law as described in the regs pamphlet if you were to shoot a bear or coug with a handgun while arch deer or elk hunting.

[idahohuntr]

I really don't like this rule.  If you shoot a deer or an elk with a rifle, pistol whatever during archery season then I hope they throw the book at you...but don't limit or takeaway from an otherwise legal activity (e.g., using any legal weapon during an open black bear season) to help enforce a very clear law

This law is obviously intended to minimize poaching a deer/elk during archery or muzzleloader seasons with a modern firearm...do you think this law helps reduce such poaching significantly?? 

[Eli346]

 Take a friend who can pack a rifle (with tag for bear) and you take your bow. That's what we've been doing while scouting for elk for modern firearm. We both have the multi-season deer tags.

[lokidog]

The Enforcement officer said it wasn't a question of the animal you are hunting, but that the regulation doesn't let you possess any firearm while in the field archery hunting, and it doesn't let you possess a modern firearm in the field while muzzleloader hunting.  That's their take on page 76 of the 2013 regulations.  The exception for carrying a modern handgun for personal protection doesn't allow use of the handgun for anything else.  Does this rule make sense?  I don't think so, for the reasons others have said.  I think I should be allowed to carry all three types of weapons when I am only hunting bear -- like in August, or if I only had a bear tag, or if I just wasn't going to shoot a deer with anything except an arrow.  As long as I only use the correct weapon for the season and animal harvested, that should be enough.  But, the issue isn't what makes sense, but what the regulation says.  The regulation talks about possession of the weapon, not use, and WDFW applies the regulation to mean I can't harvest any animal with a handgun if I am archery hunting -- even if I was just hunting at a time and place where the animal could be harvested with any weapon.  That's the basic message I got from the phone call with the Enforcement Officer.  It's kind of like buying a tag where you have to specify the kind of weapon you are going to hunt with, except you make that decision when you go out that day.    If there is a friendly Wildlife Enforcement officer out there that could explain this a little better than I have it would be helpful.  Also, I would like this regulation changed, at the least as to bears and cougars.
 

See the bold.  If you are only bear hunting or deer hunting during the Modern Rifle season, YOU MAY USE ANY WEAPON ALLOWED IN THAT AREA AND YOU MAY POSESS ANY AND ALL WEAPONS ALLOWED IN THAT AREA.  This rule only applies during archery or muzzleloader seasons.

It is stupid to not allow it during archery or ML, as usual, our illustrious state assumes guilt without proof.   

[Simon]

OK, I think that makes more sense than my attempt at summarizing what the officer was trying to explain.  I see that the regulation for archery on p.76 talks about limitations "Pertaining to all archery hunting seasons."  So if you aren't in an archery season (or a muzzleloader season) that limit shouldn't apply.  This sure seems like an area that could be spelled out a little better in the regulations, so that people who are trying to comply with the rules would be able to know what the rules are.  Plain language would help.