Legal distance from a road?

[Whitenuckles]

 I've never run into this before, but my buddy got popped on my property for being to close to a road when hunting. Just wondering if any of you guys know what the legal distance is? I can't find it in the regs.

[Hilltop123]

 

[Bob33]

There is no legally defined distance in Washington.

2) A person is guilty of unlawful use of a loaded firearm if:
(a) The person negligently discharges a firearm from, across, or along the maintained portion of a public highway; or
(b) The person discharges a firearm from within a moving motor vehicle or from upon a moving off-road vehicle.

[huntnfmly]

There is no legally defined distance in Washington.

2) A person is guilty of unlawful use of a loaded firearm if:
(a) The person negligently discharges a firearm from, across, or along the maintained portion of a public highway; or
(b) The person discharges a firearm from within a moving motor vehicle or from upon a moving off-road vehicle.

What he said
The key word is negligently

[bobcat]

Could be a county law.

[10thmountainarcher]

I've never run into this before, but my buddy got popped on my property for being to close to a road when hunting. Just wondering if any of you guys know what the legal distance is? I can't find it in the regs.

What did he get cited for? I’m assuming he received a criminal citation and didn’t get taken to jail. Either way what was the crime listed?

[Whitenuckles]

He didn't get cited. Just warned. We have 680 acres that have 4 permanent blinds, but my buddy decided to hunt on the road side of the property. Which I have done before.  We aren't shooting towards the road! He says he was 40-50 yards off the road. Just wondering why they contacted him for it, and more importantly the laws about it! The wardens in my area have a terrible reputation about making their own laws. 2 wardens have been to court about it. I won't go into details. I really just want to know the LAW!

[10thmountainarcher]

He didn't get cited. Just warned. We have 680 acres that have 4 permanent blinds, but my buddy decided to hunt on the road side of the property. Which I have done before.  We aren't shooting towards the road! He says he was 40-50 yards off the road. Just wondering why they contacted him for it, and more importantly the laws about it! The wardens in my area have a terrible reputation about making their own laws. 2 wardens have been to court about it. I won't go into details. I really just want to know the LAW!

Yea bob33 cited the RCW, from what you described it sounds like he did nothing wrong.

[Oldguy]

He was in the right . Can shoot from the center of a road if you aren't being negligible. However, bow hunters don't have this right if you read the RCW.

[Jingles]

The key words are "maintained portion of the road" which to some could mean the shoulder or to others the entire right of way. As a gammie told me once don't read ito it something that isn't there.
If the grass beside the shoulder isn't mowed it isn't maintained

[builtfordtough]

I always thought it was 100 feet off of any maintained county road. 

[Jingles]

I always thought it was 100 feet off of any maintained county road.

100 feet is well beyond the right of way which is normally 60 feet from centerline on paved roads less for gravel

[Oh Mah]

I remember clearly at hunters ed being ok shooting from the ditch as long as it wasnt across or down the roadway.and also hunters use the hunting regs for these rules.

[ThurstonCokid]

I remember clearly at hunters ed being ok shooting from the ditch as long as it wasnt across or down the roadway.and also hunters use the hunting regs for these rules.

This is what I was told in hunters Ed as well. They said get off the road and into ditch. The guy said “about 4 feet”


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[10thmountainarcher]

That law changed to what was cited by Bob33 earlier. It used to talk about shooting from the maintained portion of a roadway. Now the shot has to be negligent. Forest service roads I believe are not under the same rule because they are federal.