Saw my first WDFW deer decoy

[grundy53]

What about racoons?

You can hunt raccoons at night.

[spin05]

Rugged Justice has been filming in Conconully area the last 2 weekends. No i will not be on it. LOL  Did run into officer Jewel thou on a forest rd, but no film crew in tow

[huntinguy]

I didn't know it was illegal to to shoot deer targets after shooting hours....lol would have been tempted to blow it's head off for fun

I thought the same thing. The law only states that during the months of October and November during modern firearm deer and elk season, that you can not  hunt deer, elk, bobcat, raccoon and coyote at night. Nothing said about target shooting. I have seen the mechanical deer on many occasions. And it is totally obvious it is a target.. Again, no where does it say you can not shoot a target... I would have to fight it in court, until the laws are changed.

Shooting from a roadway...Shooting from a motor vehicle...Loaded firearm in a vehicle...Spotlighting...

All the above are potential violations in decoy operations.

well, unless you are shooting archery, it is only "reckless" shooting from a roadway that will get you in trouble... and ... there is a legal definition for "reckless." Not sure how headlights would be "spotlighting"... maybe if you were using them to illuminate the target... but....
Duck hunters shoot from a motor vehicle with great regularity. It is only if the motor is running are you a foul of the law.
Now, I do agree that a loaded firearm would be problematic...

[TeacherMan]

I had a gamie tell me once they are not allowed to use "trophy" class bucks? Why is that? Seems like theyd want to toss out a 170" whitetail.

[Tbar]

I had a gamie tell me once they are not allowed to use "trophy" class bucks? Why is that? Seems like theyd want to toss out a 170" whitetail.

I don't know what is considered a trophy by definition of the law but the blacktail decoy they use has a huge rack. (140 class buck) It's kinda ugly to take selfies with though.

[Bob33]

I had a gamie tell me once they are not allowed to use "trophy" class bucks? Why is that? Seems like theyd want to toss out a 170" whitetail.

I don't know what is considered a trophy by definition of the law but the blacktail decoy they use has a huge rack. (140 class buck) It's kinda ugly to take selfies with though.

http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?Cite=77.15.420


(2)(a) For the purpose of this section a "trophy animal" is:
(i) A buck deer with four or more antler points on both sides, not including eyeguards;

[Tbar]

I had a gamie tell me once they are not allowed to use "trophy" class bucks? Why is that? Seems like theyd want to toss out a 170" whitetail.

I don't know what is considered a trophy by definition of the law but the blacktail decoy they use has a huge rack. (140 class buck) It's kinda ugly to take selfies with though.

http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?Cite=77.15.420


(2)(a) For the purpose of this section a "trophy animal" is:
(i) A buck deer with four or more antler points on both sides, not including eyeguards;

I think it's a 3x4. Is that true bob?  They can't use a "by definition" trophy?

[Bob33]

I had a gamie tell me once they are not allowed to use "trophy" class bucks? Why is that? Seems like theyd want to toss out a 170" whitetail.

I don't know what is considered a trophy by definition of the law but the blacktail decoy they use has a huge rack. (140 class buck) It's kinda ugly to take selfies with though.

http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?Cite=77.15.420


(2)(a) For the purpose of this section a "trophy animal" is:
(i) A buck deer with four or more antler points on both sides, not including eyeguards;

I think it's a 3x4. Is that true bob?  They can't use a "by definition" trophy?

The word "trophy" may mean different things to different people. That RCW addresses fines for illegally killed animals that meet certain definitions. A 3x4 would not be considered a "trophy" per the RCW.

[JJB11B]

I wonder how long it would take to bust someone around Enumclaw for "crimes against nature" with a deer decoy.

Didn't that guy die? lol

[follow maggie]

Using a decoy isn't close to entrapment. Entrapment is when a cop actively engages in getting you to do something that you otherwise wouldn't have done. Setting up a decoy to see what happens isn't persuading anyone to do anything. I'm glad they use them.

[Little Dave]

Perhaps add a law to the wildlife chapter to specifically include well-marked department decoys in a list of things not to shoot or take aim at with a weapon during closed areas or during non-hunting hours.  It should be fine to confirm it is decoy using binoculars.

Clearly both law enforcement and folks with "intent" need this spelled out.

[PolarBear]

I wonder how long it would take to bust someone around Enumclaw for "crimes against nature" with a deer decoy.

Didn't that guy die? lol

Ken Pinion.  Died from a perforated colon.   

[JDHasty]

I had a nice fat doe @ twenty yards and had my crossbow loaded and ready to go and I was on property I had access to.  It was the last day of the late modern season and the only tag I had left was my antlerless second tag and though I can't use any additional meat I told a couple buddies that are short of a full freezer I would take a doe and they could split it. 

Didn't pull the trigger.  Still would not have pulled the trigger if we still needed meat.

The deer would have, with a 50% chance of it, because of how it was standing, bolted 75 yards and 25 of those onto property owned by a man who is totally unreasonable and I would have had to call the WDFW Enforcement to try and convince him to let me retrieve it.  Been there and done that when another hunter had a deer get just onto the jerk's property after he double lunged it with a compound. 

It is a matter of feet that makes the difference between having another day of good memories in the field and cursing the decision to listen to the devil whispering in your ear.  Glad you did not move to take that deer.

That being said:  To set up right next to your parked  ATV is not what WDFW Enforcement wants to do if they think about it.  Most people are honest and this is not the way to make friends.  There are enough poachers out there who went into the field with bad intentions, they don't need to try to bait someone in to being stupid.  The isolated stupid decision we can have a degree of empathy for, those who set out to poach wildlife, on the other hand, not so much. 

Without sportsmen who are sympathetic to their job, and are "Eyes IN The Woods" they would be all but impotent.  They don't need a "cheap" conviction nearly as much as they need us on their side.  Each and every one of us is potentially the tip that could bring down a real bad actor. 

[hogslayer]

The weird thing about it was that i had called WDFW and DNR that morning to report illegal brush picking and cutting down of tree's.  I told them right where they were and even offered to show them.  There was about 15 people climbing trees and cutting all of the limbs off right in my hunting spot.  They knew it was hunting season so they were yelling every 5 minutes to scare people/deer away.  I was trying to help out, and in turn got set up 5 hrs later?

[bigtex]

The weird thing about it was that i had called WDFW and DNR that morning to report illegal brush picking and cutting down of tree's.  I told them right where they were and even offered to show them.  There was about 15 people climbing trees and cutting all of the limbs off right in my hunting spot.  They knew it was hunting season so they were yelling every 5 minutes to scare people/deer away.  I was trying to help out, and in turn got set up 5 hrs later?

Who's land were the brush pickers on?

If it's not DNR land then DNR has no authority regarding it. Per state law, the sheriff's office is the lead agency in enforcing forest product laws.