can you Bow hunt a county park?

[Blacktailaddict]

hello, my name is Austin Ward and im looking for a close hunting area i can ride my bike to, this is what i hope is it,im wondering if you can bow hunt a county park, do any of you know coulter creek heritage park? i found a 2 point shed and have seen mayn deer in the area, i know you can shoot a firearm but is a bow a firearm?

[lokidog]

..., i know you can shoot a firearm but is a bow a firearm?

If you can shoot a firearm there, you should be able to shoot a bow.  However, I do not know the park, you should contact the county parks department where it is located.

[Little Dave]

Bows are not considered firearms.  There may be some oddball exceptions.  Usually the jurisdiction you are researching will have a definition section in their codes that defines what they mean when they say firearms.  Here's the state's definition:

RCW 9.41.010 (7)  "Firearm" means a weapon or device from which a projectile or projectiles may be fired by an explosive such as gunpowder.

[ICEMAN]

Blacktailaddict, welcome to the site.

You may wish to contact the parks department here: http://www.kitsapgov.com/parks/Parks/Pages/heritageparks/Coulter%20Creek%20rules.htm

Kitsap county parks has a "contact us" link on that page.

Be sure to protect the image of all hunters by knowing the rules before you decide to hunt in this area.

Do the research, know the rules.

Good luck.

[D-Rock425]

I would check and make sure but I would think not.

[Geno]

I'm not sure that hunting in a county park is a good idea, even if it is legal.  What do you think would happen if a bunny hugger saw you shooting bambi while they are out on their nature walk? That's a black eye the hunting community doesn't need. There are better choices than a county park. How are you going to get a deer home, in your basket?

[huntlakewood]

hello, my name is Austin Ward and im looking for a close hunting area i can ride my bike to, this is what i hope is it,im wondering if you can bow hunt a county park, do any of you know coulter creek heritage park? i found a 2 point shed and have seen mayn deer in the area, i know you can shoot a firearm but is a bow a firearm?

Did you mean that you can't shoot a firearm. I don't know of any county parks witch you can shoot at. I could be wrong. A far as hunting it I would check it out but I would say no because parks are made for every one to enjoy. Let us know how it turns out. Oh by the way welcome aboard.

[halflife65]

How are you going to get a deer home, in your basket?

Off topic - I was in high school or maybe the first year of college, didn't have money to buy a packboard and drew a doe tag outside of Morton.  I shot one way down at the bottom of this clearcut where it was super steep and brushy.  No way to drag it out of there.  So I went back to my truck and grabbed my gym bag, emptied the clothes out of it and took it down to the deer.  It was a big bag and I was able to bone out the deer and get it all in there. 

When I got back to the landing there was a game warden standing there.  "What's in that bag, son?" 

"Um, a doe."

"Do you have a tag for that?"

"Yes."

"Interesting way to carry that back to the truck."

Anyway, the guy laughed (well, more like smirked) and congratulated me.  So, it's possible to carry the thing out in unorthodox fashion.  A picnic basket should work just fine.

I have my doubts about the legality of hunting in a park, though.  Probably need to call about that.  And, despite the possibility of getting your deer out in a picnic basket, I probably wouldn't do that anyway, but that's up to you if it is indeed legal.

[Bob33]

http://www.kitsapgov.com/parks/Parks/Pages/heritageparks/Coulter%20Creek%20rules.htm

[Ellensburg]

http://www.kitsapgov.com/parks/Parks/Pages/heritageparks/Coulter%20Creek%20rules.htm

That is still a little vague.

[WDFW-SUX]

PARK

[TheHunt]

Call and get the official answer.  Do not pull your answer from anyone on this site.  Iceman had the the right response while asking please be a good representive of the hunting community.

[Blacktailaddict]

yes i meant you can't shoot a firearm, the thing about this "park" is that the only people that go there is brushpickers,possibly some mountain bikers or dirtbikes, because its pretty much nothing but old logging road and very few open areas, and of course, getting a deer and having the place shut down the next year would not be worth it no matter how big. thanks for the input you guys! P.S. i saw a  nice 3 point near my backyard, this buck has some mass he is HEAVY, it try to stick him but my parents wont let  me hunt anything on their propery very unfortunate...

[Austrian Hunter]

Why do they not let you hunt on your own property?? 

[Blacktailaddict]

well my dad and my mom arent hunters, there fine with me hunting but they dont want to see it, i hunt with my uncles and my grandpa, so unfortunate...oh wel when they move away ill buy the land from them and hunt all i want! (its 5 acres) lots of deer activity!