Washington/Idaho border hunt?

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

If you add walking with a gun plus camo and any other hunting gear then your going to have to prove to the judge that you weren't hunting because most likely the officer will cite you. I know somebody who was legally hunting, hunting hours expired so he unloaded but still had about a 1/2 mile to walk to his truck and when he got to the truck there wasn an officer there and he cited him for hunting after shooting hours. He lawyered up and the judge actually still found him guilty in a bench trial. Obviously this example was a little different then your question but still has similar circumstances.

I am NEVER in my vehicle before dark, although I am carrying a bow and not a firearm, 1/2 mile walk is nothing, sometimes I am well over a mile.
I would think there was more to this story, or he was in an area that had a "case law" (where weapons must be cased after hours)
or the officer heard shooting after legal hours..
but then again, I have heard some pretty silly stories about some ridiculous citations..

[bigtex]

If you add walking with a gun plus camo and any other hunting gear then your going to have to prove to the judge that you weren't hunting because most likely the officer will cite you. I know somebody who was legally hunting, hunting hours expired so he unloaded but still had about a 1/2 mile to walk to his truck and when he got to the truck there wasn an officer there and he cited him for hunting after shooting hours. He lawyered up and the judge actually still found him guilty in a bench trial. Obviously this example was a little different then your question but still has similar circumstances.

I am NEVER in my vehicle before dark, although I am carrying a bow and not a firearm, 1/2 mile walk is nothing, sometimes I am well over a mile.
I would think there was more to this story, or he was in an area that had a "case law" (where weapons must be cased after hours)
or the officer heard shooting after legal hours..
but then again, I have heard some pretty silly stories about some ridiculous citations..

Nope. Just as I typed it. And I personally read the case report.

[bobcat]

That is ridiculous. Walking is a form of transportation. Yet apparently someone walking with a gun is assumed to be hunting by law enforcement? But if they're driving out of their hunting area in a truck it's not a problem if they are driving through a closed area, correct? (or before of after legal hunting time)

Many times I have hiked three to four miles into an area to hunt deer and I would start my hike at around 3:30 in the morning. So I could be cited for hunting before hours?   

This is just unbelievable. How many people wait until legal hunting time to get out of their truck and start hiking to their hunting area?

[bigtex]

Many times I have hiked three to four miles into an area to hunt deer and I would start my hike at around 3:30 in the morning. So I could be cited for hunting before hours?   

This is just unbelievable. How many people wait until legal hunting time to get out of their truck and start hiking to their hunting area?

Well I brought that up as just one (extreme) example. Obviously there are a ton of people who get into/leave the woods before/after hours and aren't cited. It all depends on the officer and how they justified the citation, and in the case I mentioned the judge agreed with the officer.

[Curly]

Many times I have hiked three to four miles into an area to hunt deer and I would start my hike at around 3:30 in the morning. So I could be cited for hunting before hours?   

This is just unbelievable. How many people wait until legal hunting time to get out of their truck and start hiking to their hunting area?

Well I brought that up as just one (extreme) example. Obviously there are a ton of people who get into/leave the woods before/after hours and aren't cited. It all depends on the officer and how they justified the citation, and in the case I mentioned the judge agreed with the officer.

Well, the case you mention Bigtex, IMO the WDFW officer should be fired and the judge should be removed.  That is total injustice and I wouldn't be surprised if the poor sportsman that got treated so badly never hunts again in this state........I know I wouldn't if I had been treated that way.

[724wd]

i'm thinking there's more to this story... like what kind of names was the hunter calling the gamie before the ticket was issued?  what other violations were cited?  there HAD to be more than just walking out after dark.

[grundy53]

Many times I have hiked three to four miles into an area to hunt deer and I would start my hike at around 3:30 in the morning. So I could be cited for hunting before hours?   

This is just unbelievable. How many people wait until legal hunting time to get out of their truck and start hiking to their hunting area?

Well I brought that up as just one (extreme) example. Obviously there are a ton of people who get into/leave the woods before/after hours and aren't cited. It all depends on the officer and how they justified the citation, and in the case I mentioned the judge agreed with the officer.

Well, the case you mention Bigtex, IMO the WDFW officer should be fired and the judge should be removed.  That is total injustice and I wouldn't be surprised if the poor sportsman that got treated so badly never hunts again in this state........I know I wouldn't if I had been treated that way.

 

[Curly]

724wd, love the avatar. 

[bigtex]

Many times I have hiked three to four miles into an area to hunt deer and I would start my hike at around 3:30 in the morning. So I could be cited for hunting before hours?   

This is just unbelievable. How many people wait until legal hunting time to get out of their truck and start hiking to their hunting area?

Well I brought that up as just one (extreme) example. Obviously there are a ton of people who get into/leave the woods before/after hours and aren't cited. It all depends on the officer and how they justified the citation, and in the case I mentioned the judge agreed with the officer.

Well, the case you mention Bigtex, IMO the WDFW officer should be fired and the judge should be removed.  That is total injustice and I wouldn't be surprised if the poor sportsman that got treated so badly never hunts again in this state........I know I wouldn't if I had been treated that way.

Well he still hunts to this day, and now he takes his kids out hunting.
I think the issue is within the WAC. WAC 232-12-291 states "It is unlawful to hunt wild animals or wild birds contrary to posted or official hunting hours in current season regulations". According to RCW 77.08.010: "To hunt" and its derivatives means an effort to kill, injure, capture, or harass a wild animal or wild bird. So if the officer could make a strong enough case that you were actually hunting then it could be a tough case to prove that you weren't. Obviously if the WAC involved shooting something after hours then thats a different story and we wouldn't be having this discussion.

[MtnMuley]

Curly said it well.  IMO, anybody in the enforcement field that would cite one for that should be fired.  Obviously he/she has NO common sense.

[Machias]

Hey Bobcat, we're you going over Hoodoo Pass and down into Kelly Creek area of ID?  How did that hunt go for you?  I'm thinking of running a couple of bear baits in that area this spring.