eastmans's bowhunting jounal washington hunt

[SGTDuffman]

Complaining about or writing about ticketing this guy is ridiculous. A GoPro on a bow is zero advantage. In fact, it's probably a disadvantage. Some of you guys need to get a life. GoPros probably were not even invented when this law was written. This hunt in no way violated the spirit of the law.

It's irrelevant how stupid the law is, it's still the law. Lighted nocks had zero advantage in taking game (may help determine shot placement or tracking, no different than a camera), but you couldn't use them until last year, because of the very same law. The rule was amended then to allow the use of a lighted nock, but not amended for the mounting of cameras, so it remains illegal.

As far as I'm concerned the rules should read, "the use of lights and lighted sights shall be illegal", because I fail to see how any other electronic device allows or encourages some sort of unethical behavior. As the law is written now, you also could NOT have something like a digital rangefinder attached to your bow, which would in fact make bow hunting more ethical. You can try arguing the spirit of the law with the gamie, but if he gives you a ticket, you'll know why.

[follow maggie]

Since it doesn't provide any advantage, if I were into video recording hunts I would put the go pro on my bow, law or not. It's not the point of the law. It's just that the *censored*s in Olympia can't keep up with the world.

[SGTDuffman]

Can't argue they represent the most out of touch populace in the state. There are still other solutions though. They make a plethora of mounts so you can hang cameras off everything, your arm, your head, in glasses, there's even stuff now that you put a tracker on you and the camera follows you ( http://shop.soloshot.com/ ).

[follow maggie]

That solo shot is pretty cool

[coldsteel3d]

He didn't hunt with the gopro on his bow, he just put it on the bow afterwards to reenact the shot while he was taking pictures. 

[issaquarcher]

For those of you wondering or thinking how cool it would be to GoPro your hunt here's the reality of it. I have several GoPro's and they are great for filming some things worthless for others. Nice panoramic shots, yup. A selfie doing stupid things, yup. Video's of your buddies doing stupid things even better. Filming shooting at deer or elk, worthless. They are designed primarily for selfies. I once had one on my bow and filmed shooting a cow one late season at 25 yards. Played it back and could hardy see any elk at all. I had a deer walk up to me at 6 paces and on playback it looks 15 yards away. If you want to film a hunt, have your buddy call and film and if you're lucky enough to get your kill on film, priceless. You'll never stop watching it.

[WRKG4GD]

I think the "framers" of our state's hunting regs were thinking about electronic devices which aide someone in the unfair or illegal harvesting of an animal.    I certainly could be wrong (and my wife would tell you I often am), but I don't think anyone who *could* prosecute this hunter would do so in his/her right mind.   "Common sense" and "intent of the law" need to be considered at some point, and I just don't think the folks who wrote the law even had GoPro's on their radar.

I agree with PD -- use this as an opportunity to make things better.   There's things in life worth getting spun up about.  This ain't even close to one of them.

 

[TheHunt]

I agree that GoPro is terrible for videoing a hunt.  I would suggest a better quality device. 

What a stupid law!!!