Can You Spot Light Coyotes?

[dscubame]

Not cool.  Taken the wrong way i assume but not cool.

[CAMPMEAT]

If your using a spotlight at night, have a PREDATOR CAll. That's what the local game warden says. 

I cant find that in the regs. I go by the black and white book that they are suppose to enforce by. What idiot what make a coment that you have to have a call to spotlight. Just dont do it during a big game season, plain and simple.

Straight from the Game Wardens mouth is where that came from. And : suppose to enforce by. is a good one. The call is to prove ? you're hunting coyotes at night Ya got me.

[CAMPMEAT]

Reread the simple question posted. Can you spotlight Coyotes? It asks nothing about who, what, where or when. Yes you can spotlight coyotes.

[Machias]

You don't need a predator call, could care less what this or that enforcement officer "thinks" is needed or not.  Plenty of bobcats, coons, fox and yotes have met their demise by a lip squeak or a kiss to the back of your hand.  Some of these guys crack me up, from LEO's who teach RCWs and don't have a clue what the laws says to guys making stuff up on their own.

[CAMPMEAT]

You don't need a predator call, could care less what this or that enforcement officer "thinks" is needed or not.  Plenty of bobcats, coons, fox and yotes have met their demise by a lip squeak or a kiss to the back of your hand.  Some of these guys crack me up, from LEO's who teach RCWs and don't have a clue what the laws says to guys making stuff up on their own.

Exactly...

[nontypical176]

Thank the WDFW for clearing that up and clarifying the rules for us...............Its almost my favorite thing.....Late muzzle loader, spot a bull coming out to feed before dark, walk in the next morning before light, see some a-hole running a spotlight for "coyotes and such", walk back to my truck and thank the WDFW for all the great things they do.  Happened twice last year.  No you can't spot coyotes any more dang it.  Tell everyone its closed until Dec 16.  I call B.S.

[Big10gauge]

Thank the WDFW for clearing that up and clarifying the rules for us...............Its almost my favorite thing.....Late muzzle loader, spot a bull coming out to feed before dark, walk in the next morning before light, see some a-hole running a spotlight for "coyotes and such", walk back to my truck and thank the WDFW for all the great things they do.  Happened twice last year.  No you can't spot coyotes any more dang it.  Tell everyone its closed until Dec 16.  I call B.S.

So the way I'm reading your post is that a-holes shouldn't be able to enjoy their type of legal hunting until your done with yours?   Sure it's an unfortunate incident, last year we called in a big bull elk within 50 yds and was about to seal the deal when a grouse hunter came up a old road about 290yrds away on his wheeler, all we needed was about 20 more seconds, last we saw of that bull. Got to take it in stride

[nontypical176]

Why do modern hunters get the special privelage of no spot lighting during their seasons?  The right thing to do and the easy way to clear up any confusion is to not allow spot lighting during any general seasons.  People out hunting coyotes and such have other methods they can use during daylight hours.  I cannot hunt elk/deer at night.  Spot lighters can cover a lot of ground and spook every big game animal for miles back into the brush before dawn.

Don't get me wrong I hope everyone enjoys "Their type of legal hunting" but the rules shouldn't be so twisted that its got to screw up other seasons.  I go out spot lighting critters on occasion, but never during a big game season.  Just isn't right IMO.  Besides there are plenty of poachers out there and its pretty easy to say a deer or elk that was shot at night was taken during the day.  "I'm just out hunting coyotes"...............Yeah I bet all the lights we see during our M.L. elk season are just hunting critters......Not a chance.  Just giving poachers less of a chance at getting caught.

[Kain]

Limiting hunters methods and opportunities because someone might break the law is terrible for all of us.  We fought this same flawed logic for archery and MZ hunters to carry sidearms for protection.  They just knew we were all poachers trying to get away with something. Once you get rid of night hunting during general seasons are you going to go after predator callers or hound hunters?  I mean they are out there making all sort of noise and ruining your hunting grounds.  And those pesky bear and small game hunters are out there with RIFLES during archery and MZ.  Cant have that, after all they are probably just poachers, right?  Got to make it like the new cougar rules.  

It is no wonder we are all loosing opportunities in this state when we have every different user group turning against the others.  Sometimes we are our own worst enemies.  I think they closed night hunting, during modern firearms, due to safety concerns not for special treatment.  Just like hunter orange is required only for modern firearms.

[BlackRidge]

Why not just avoid all the drama and confusion and get a night vision scope???

[prkrgrp]

is it legal to spot light coyotes in Washington?

stay on private property and you should have no problem, with permission, any other time  it's a crap shoot whether you can be fined or not. don't take the chance,

[Antlerking]

Yep definatly illegel   I would not do it at all, just stick with hunting the daylight hours and I will take care of the night hunting!   many of dogs and cats have died under the power of my spotlight, for 2 months out of the year we destroy em from 10 pm to 6am . We have been stopped plenty of times and never had a ticket, or anything, just the occasional (be carefull and have a good night).

[Machias]

Yep definatly illegel   I would not do it at all, just stick with hunting the daylight hours and I will take care of the night hunting!   many of dogs and cats have died under the power of my spotlight, for 2 months out of the year we destroy em from 10 pm to 6am . We have been stopped plenty of times and never had a ticket, or anything, just the occasional (be carefull and have a good night).

 

[grundy53]

Why do modern hunters get the special privelage of no spot lighting during their seasons?  The right thing to do and the easy way to clear up any confusion is to not allow spot lighting during any general seasons.  People out hunting coyotes and such have other methods they can use during daylight hours.  I cannot hunt elk/deer at night.  Spot lighters can cover a lot of ground and spook every big game animal for miles back into the brush before dawn.

Don't get me wrong I hope everyone enjoys "Their type of legal hunting" but the rules shouldn't be so twisted that its got to screw up other seasons.  I go out spot lighting critters on occasion, but never during a big game season.  Just isn't right IMO.  Besides there are plenty of poachers out there and its pretty easy to say a deer or elk that was shot at night was taken during the day.  "I'm just out hunting coyotes"...............Yeah I bet all the lights we see during our M.L. elk season are just hunting critters......Not a chance.  Just giving poachers less of a chance at getting caught.

You can still spot light during modern firearm seasons. You just can't hunt while you do it. So that kind of nullifies your argument. They are still getting spooked during modern too. Especially elk season.

[nontypical176]

I'm not going to argue the way I feel about spot lighting during big game seasons, I know lots of big game hunters that feel the same as me but everyone has their own opinion.  I do know that lots of hunters want to put meat on the table though.

One thing about lights during modern season I know to be fact..............My uncle and cousin were coming out of the woods one evening and seen a suspicious looking buck, not moving and just didn't look right.  Suspecting he was robo deer they decided to snap a quick picture of him and before they could drive off the wardens popped out into the road and wrote them a ticket for Harrasment of Wildlife.  My uncle went to court and the charges were dropped.  Don't know if the camera or his truck headlights qualified for the harasment but they were sited none the less.  That was 2 years ago in region 5.