Legal gun for turkey?

[bobcat]

As long as you do not have the .22 ammo on you, you are legal.
 

What about having 22 shells in your pocket but not in the gun? That should be ok as far as I'm concerned. If the gun is not loaded, you aren't hunting.

[baldopepper]

I don't suspect any of the above opinions are going to have much credibility in front of a judge.  Officer in the field is possibly going to cite you and let the "system" work it out.  Easiest thing to do is call wdwf and if someone tells you it's legal write down their name and when you spoke to them so that you could give a field officer the info..  Right now some of the counties are financially strapped and looking for ways to make money and might fine you for the money involved.  (I'm hearing rumors of speeding tickets being given in Eastern Wa.  at 4-5 miles over the limit these days for that very reason)   

[Bob33]

That might work, but you could encounter an enforcement officer that doesn't agree with the officer that gave you the information that said it is legal.  The law is clear: you cannot hunt turkeys with a .22.  What is not clear is whether or not you are "hunting", and that is a judgment call.

I have had officers give two opposite interpretations of the same law.  My example earlier of the four cartridge shotgun: some officers told me they would cite, some told me they would not.

No matter what you have written down, an officer in the field may cite you.

[Skyvalhunter]

It all depends on how the officer feels that day. Just becareful of those clowns out there that are county cops/forest service/wardens combined. We have one of those in my neck of the woods and he is a total A$$hole.

[bobcat]

If you have a gun with a shotgun barrel loaded, and a 22 rifle barrel that is not loaded, it should be obvious that you are hunting with a shotgun. I can't imagine any warden writing someone up for that.

What if you want to carry a 22 pistol while turkey hunting with a shotgun? Just because you have a handgun strapped to your belt does not mean you are hunting with it.

[rougheye]

Ive been checked and the officer asked me for 2 shells and my gun  

[TONTO]

 I was checked last year while duck hunting, the warden had me unload, then ran some sort of wand over my shells to chech lead free, then had me reload and check if I could put a third shell in my benelli's tube. This was all after she walked right through my spred and freaked out my dog.

[Bob33]

If you have a gun with a shotgun barrel loaded, and a 22 rifle barrel that is not loaded, it should be obvious that you are hunting with a shotgun. I can't imagine any warden writing someone up for that.

What if you want to carry a 22 pistol while turkey hunting with a shotgun? Just because you have a handgun strapped to your belt does not mean you are hunting with it.

Right, but you start to approach a judgment line, and that's why no one can say with certainty what an enforcement officer will do.  If you have a .22 strapped to your belt, and a dead turkey with a single hole through its head...then you might have some explaining to do.  

I tend to believe that most enforcement officers are good people who want to do the right thing.  There are exceptions, but I don't choose to live my life believing they are out to get me.

Hunt with your over under, but don't carry any .22 ammo.  You should be fine.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

As long as you do not have .22 shells, they cannot cite you for hunting with a .22
If you have the shells, then you have "cause" for an officer to cite you.

[bobcat]

Another thing...it's not like a 22 rifle is really much of an improvement over shotgun for hunting turkeys, especially if it's just a combination 22 rifle/shotgun with open sights. I would maybe look at it a little differently if the gun was a 223/shotgun. With a 223 you'd have the ability to reach out to at least 250 yards and kill a turkey with a body shot. With a 22 I wouldn't feel comfortable shooting any further than I would with a shotgun.

[Bob33]

Right, Bobcat.  That's where judgment comes in.  An officer should know that.  Personally, I just would not carry ammunition because then it is even clearer what my intentions are.

[duckaholic]

as far as the whole .22 ammo go's i think it would be like any other bird hunting, cant have lead in possession, so if you don't have the .22 you should be fine 

and for the checking of your shotguns, i get checked at least 3 times a season and every time i have been checked the officer asked for my gun then unloads it, him/her self then will try to load the mag. tube with all three rounds and then will load the gun up as it was and hand it back to me. 

[bobcat]

Maybe the "magazine gauges" are in short supply and the rookies have to use the old fashioned method of checking for a plug.  

 

[haus]

I was checked last year while duck hunting, the warden had me unload, then ran some sort of wand over my shells to chech lead free, then had me reload and check if I could put a third shell in my benelli's tube. This was all after she walked right through my spred and freaked out my dog.

well wasn't that just nice and polite of her 

[garyltbh]

i would for sure get ahold of wdfw i no a guy that used a 223/20ga and got a ticket he said he didnt have any 223 amo with him but he still recieved a ticket and ended up haveing to pay the ticket he was turkey hunting also