Shooting hours ethics.

[scout/sniper]

(basically, I just remember it being the case and remember all the birds we could have gotten if the times were what they should have been. )

No kidding!!!!!
I remember years ago in Kansas picking up decoys in the evening with hundreds of ducks flying and landing all around us.
Nothing we could do 

[bobcat]

Yes, hours for birds is to sunset, everything else is 30 minutes after sunset.

[scout/sniper]

Yes, hours for birds is to sunset, everything else is 30 minutes after sunset.

Well thanks a lot bobcat, now you got me wondering 

Tomorrow I will watch the sunrise time on my boat GPS and see when the shooting time alarm goes off on my watch.
I got nothing else to do before legal time.

[stevemiller]

Was watching a hunting show just 2 days ago about this,the wardens were watching the hunters while they were coming to shore,sure enough a flock came in all waited but 1 hunter,he shot, the wardens walked down to him told him what time it was and fined him then and there.It was only min. after shooting time but it looked pretty dark to me.

[GrampasGuns]

I was chatting with a warden last night at Crescent Lake, hunting light was over at 4:25, around 5:01 we hear about 15 shots coming from an adjacent field. Needless to say he burned rubber over to where they were. I hope he got those schmucks.

[pianoman9701]

There's a difference between the formula for hunting hours (1/2 hour before, etc.), and the Official Hunting Hours listed in the pamphlet. The official hunting hours are what the game wardens go by and may vary by quite a bit from the formula for that day, especially when one minute can mean the difference between a ticket or not. In addition, the hours are different for waterfowl and for big game. Big game is 1/2 hour before to 1/2 hour after. Waterfowl is 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset, not 1/2 hour after. And don't forget the further time restrictions on specific species and/or areas, like 8-4 for geese in areas 2A and 2B.

[ICEMAN]

"Uh officer, you are wrong. My _______________ (Insert excuse; GPS, cell phone, friend, software program) said that I was OK to shoot."

Let me know how that works for you. Pretty sure they are going to go with the info posted in the regs...

[pianoman9701]

Yes, hours for birds is to sunset, everything else is 30 minutes after sunset.

Missed this, correctamundo.

[bobcat]

To me the times printed in the pamphlet are nothing more than an estimation of the actual and correct legal hunting hours. The intent of the law is for hunting hours to be based on sunrise and sunset times. Well, as I'm sure everyone knows, sunrise and sunset times are dependent on your location. So as I said, I always go by the sunrise and sunset time on my GPS. If others would rather use the times that the WDFW comes up with, fine. Either way seems legitimate to me. And in reality, it has never mattered for me. I'm always a half hour or more into legal time before I feel I can see well enough to shoot anyway.

[pianoman9701]

To me the times printed in the pamphlet are nothing more than an estimation of the actual and correct legal hunting hours. The intent of the law is for hunting hours to be based on sunrise and sunset times. Well, as I'm sure everyone knows, sunrise and sunset times are dependent on your location. So as I said, I always go by the sunrise and sunset time on my GPS. If others would rather use the times that the WDFW comes up with, fine. Either way seems legitimate to me. And in reality, it has never mattered for me. I'm always a half hour or more into legal time before I feel I can see well enough to shoot anyway.

Then I'm guessing you'd be wrong and would get a ticket if it came to that. That's precisely why it says at the top of the page "Official hunting hours", to resolve any ambiguity whatsoever. I would ask ucwarden for his take on it, but the regs in both the waterfowl pamphlet and the big game pamphlet say the same thing - "Official". I'm sure if you took it to court, you'd have a good chance of winning. But why would you want to just to prove a point when the pamphlet has the times right there for you?

[ICEMAN]

To me the times printed in the pamphlet are nothing more than an estimation of the actual and correct legal hunting hours. The intent of the law is for hunting hours to be based on sunrise and sunset times. Well, as I'm sure everyone knows, sunrise and sunset times are dependent on your location. So as I said, I always go by the sunrise and sunset time on my GPS. If others would rather use the times that the WDFW comes up with, fine. Either way seems legitimate to me. And in reality, it has never mattered for me. I'm always a half hour or more into legal time before I feel I can see well enough to shoot anyway.

This is crazy. You believe the "intent" of the law is one thing (assuring good light for hunters based upon sunrise and sunset) yet you feel that your GPS is better to give you proper shooting times. Then you admit that you cannot usually see well enough a half hour into shooting light anyway....     So which is it? Should the law be changed a half hour past when it is now?

At sunrise does your GPS know that you are deep in a west facing heavily forested canyon with 300 miles of snow clouds to your east with fog rolling in?

For gods sake guys, how in the h-e-double toothpicks is a gamie supposed to enforce the law if the times are not written down and distributed to all hunters? According to some of you, you can willy nilly shoot at will if your GPS tells you it is OK, or that you can still "see".

IT IS NOT OK!

The fact is that these times are set and on average are usually pretty good. Weather and topography are obvious game changers. A time had to be picked and it was. Live with it.

Lets not feel sorry for the occasional hunter who hunts past the posted end times, shoots because HE could "still see", and then gets cited.

Put yourselves in the shoes of an enforcement officer.

[JLS]

Daily limits are just an estimation also

[ICEMAN]

Daily limits are just an estimation also

  No you didn't....

[washelkhunter]

Official pretty much says it all. You dont get an extra 5 mins tacked on to the beginning or end time. Which isnt to say that doesnt of course happen. Its not like im on stand somewhere or cruising the woods and am checking my watch to make sure i dont miss the deadline; pianoman does tho.   

[Bob33]

To me the times printed in the pamphlet are nothing more than an estimation of the actual and correct legal hunting hours. The intent of the law is for hunting hours to be based on sunrise and sunset times. Well, as I'm sure everyone knows, sunrise and sunset times are dependent on your location. So as I said, I always go by the sunrise and sunset time on my GPS. If others would rather use the times that the WDFW comes up with, fine. Either way seems legitimate to me. And in reality, it has never mattered for me. I'm always a half hour or more into legal time before I feel I can see well enough to shoot anyway.

This is crazy. You believe the "intent" of the law is one thing (assuring good light for hunters based upon sunrise and sunset) yet you feel that your GPS is better to give you proper shooting times. Then you admit that you cannot usually see well enough a half hour into shooting light anyway....     So which is it? Should the law be changed a half hour past when it is now?

At sunrise does your GPS know that you are deep in a west facing heavily forested canyon with 300 miles of snow clouds to your east with fog rolling in?

For gods sake guys, how in the h-e-double toothpicks is a gamie supposed to enforce the law if the times are not written down and distributed to all hunters? According to some of you, you can willy nilly shoot at will if your GPS tells you it is OK, or that you can still "see".

IT IS NOT OK!

The fact is that these times are set and on average are usually pretty good. Weather and topography are obvious game changers. A time had to be picked and it was. Live with it.

Lets not feel sorry for the occasional hunter who hunts past the posted end times, shoots because HE could "still see", and then gets cited.

Put yourselves in the shoes of an enforcement officer.

Legal shooting hours for big game are in fact "1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset". Tables are given to approximate these times.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=232-12-288

I've used a GPS many times to see the exact sunrise or sunset time when hunting. I've compared them to the tables and they are very close. Obviously, if there is a discrepancy the published hours would be the legal basis.

For those who wish to slam the use of a GPS: please tell me the legal big game shooting hours on March 31 from the table. I've had elk permits valid through the end of March before.