Scouting deer while carrying a shotgun??

[hunter399]

 

[Sitka_Blacktail]

You don't need an excuse to carry a gun while walking around. Tell them nothing. The less info the better

Then there gonna assume your hunting,and charge you with a lot more laws being not followed.

I hunt deer in an area that has elk and the elk season is not open then. You gonna try to tell me that since I am there in the woods with a rifle and I'm even actually hunting, that I can get a ticket for hunting elk out of season?  I don't think that would go very far.

Are you tracking and pursuing animals (elk)with a rifle,out of season,and no hunting license?


If a game watches you,and can prove you are tracking,pursuing,or harassing elk.It might be something to think about.

I jump elk all the time when I'm deer hunting.   That happens when different animals share the same woods. The thing is, I'm hunting deer not elk. I don't shoot at elk during deer season.  Carrying a gun is not hunting, license or not, season or not.

[outdooraddict]

hunter 399 seems to just want to argue with anyone willing to listen,  its in the turkey thread too and now keeps giving us defenitions of wikipedia and his view on "pursuing and harrassing"  its not illegal to carry a gun, its our right. leave it at that and answer the original question, yes you can be in the woods with a gun while scouting.

[Bob33]

Hunting is the practice of killing or trapping animals, or pursuing or tracking them with the intent of doing so. Hunting wildlife or feral animals is most commonly done by humans for food, recreation, to remove predators that are dangerous to humans or domestic animals, or for trade. Lawful hunting is distinguished from poaching, which is the illegal killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species. The species that are hunted are referred to as game or prey and are usually mammals and birds.

Wikipedia isn't a legal definition.

Your fine with carrying a shotgun in the woods.

Then I would like to hear your definition , and your source of where you came up with it.

RCWs and WACs are the only completely valid sources of information for what is, and is not legal in Washington.

http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=77.08.010

(62) "To hunt" and its derivatives means an effort to kill, injure, harass, harvest, or capture a wild animal or wild bird.

If you are engaged in any of those activities, you could be considered to be hunting. If you are not engaged in any of those activities, you are not hunting.

How individual officers interpret the word "harass" could vary, depending on the circumstances.

[hunter399]

 

[hunter399]

 

[hunter399]

 

[Antlershed]

You don't need an excuse to carry a gun while walking around. Tell them nothing. The less info the better

Then there gonna assume your hunting,and charge you with a lot more laws being not followed.

I hunt deer in an area that has elk and the elk season is not open then. You gonna try to tell me that since I am there in the woods with a rifle and I'm even actually hunting, that I can get a ticket for hunting elk out of season?  I don't think that would go very far.

Are you tracking and pursuing animals (elk)with a rifle,out of season,and no hunting license?


If a game watches you,and can prove you are tracking,pursuing,or harassing elk.It might be something to think about.

Tracking is not in the definition of hunting.

[hunter399]

 

[Moe the Sleaze]

I can see what 399 is getting at, the definition of harassing or pursuing could mean different things to different people. How we interpret it seems rather a slippery slope to me.  Hopefully our wardens have some common sense.  The ones I've interacted with have always shown it, but that doesn't mean they all will I guess.

To me, the real question revolves around Elk hunting.  Very few of us can hunt Elk on our own, so we always have "helpers".  My helpers have always had valid tags, and I've refused offers from other friends without tags to just "come along and help", because I worry they could be charged with "pursuit" of game.  Even if they aren't carrying a weapon, if a guy is say, blowing a call, seems like that could be considered "hunting".  Or say an un-armed friend goes bailing down into a drainage for purpose of spooking something out?  He could just say he was "hiking", but I think most wardens might be inclined to consider him as "participating in the hunt".  Again, seems like a slippery slope, and where do we draw the line?  In court maybe.

[fish vacuum]

Sounds like some people should just stay indoors so they can't be accused of hunting or harassing wildlife.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk

[Bob33]

There is a line, it's not always black and white, but the vast majority of enforcement officers I know are reasonable.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/help/questions/86/Do+I+need+a+hunting+license+if+I%27m+just+helping+my+child+or+others+to+hunt%3F

Do I need a hunting license if I'm just helping my child or others to hunt?

If you are only watching or guiding, you do not need a hunting license. However, if you are directly assisting and participating (such as driving game or packing hunting weapons), you will need the appropriate hunting license.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

No tracking is not in definition of hunting, but if you track a animal and a game warden feels you are harassing this animal then you are hunting.So it is up to the warden in the end not you .

You can do the same thing without a weapon. I guess according to you, we just need to stay out of the woods.

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

How did this go two pages?  I'm done with the internet for the day.

[Igor]