Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Ridgeratt on October 27, 2023, 08:31:34 PM

Title: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: Ridgeratt on October 27, 2023, 08:31:34 PM: So I am trying to understand how this state comes up with the legal shooting hours.
When I checked what they said is legal. I think they are running either running lights or sidemarker sidemarkers.
At 6:20 tonight unless it was skylighted you could not tell.
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: Hectocotylus on October 27, 2023, 08:42:36 PM: At 6:33 tonight I could see through my scope and would have been easily able to identify the animal I was looking at within a couple hundred yards.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: brokentrail on October 27, 2023, 09:08:41 PM: I often find being able to see at the legal start/stop shooting hours are too dark in timber and hit or miss depending on what clearcut I am in. I do prefer that I can't see and there is still legal time left vs. I can see a target yet time has expired.
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: Mtnwalker on October 27, 2023, 09:25:55 PM: Of all the things they give us to complain about, letting us hunt 15 minutes too late isn’t top of my list
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: jrebel on October 27, 2023, 09:35:54 PM: Half hour before sunrise and after sunset.....very reasonable rule. If you are in a wheatfield or on a ridge you can see just fine. If you are in the dark timber or a valley...clearly you will have to stop hunting a little before just because it is to dark to do so ethically.
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: Ridgeratt on October 27, 2023, 09:36:14 PM: Quote from: Mtnwalker on October 27, 2023, 09:25:55 PM
Of all the things they give us to complain about, letting us hunt 15 minutes too late isn’t top of my list

I was just commenting on how low level light there is at the end of shooting hours according to the wdfw published end. I guess if there was snow you would have some extended windows.
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: slavenoid on October 27, 2023, 09:42:34 PM: If I can see antlers and can find him in my scope I'm pretty confident it's still legal hours. I like it like that.
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: Dark2Dark on October 27, 2023, 11:46:53 PM: Quote from: Ridgeratt on October 27, 2023, 09:36:14 PM
Quote from: Mtnwalker on October 27, 2023, 09:25:55 PM
Of all the things they give us to complain about, letting us hunt 15 minutes too late isn’t top of my list

I was just commenting on how low level light there is at the end of shooting hours according to the wdfw published end. I guess if there was snow you would have some extended windows.
Keep in mind they divide east and west but where you are relative to that line impacts things, as well.
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: Ghost Hunter on October 28, 2023, 05:05:48 AM: Could have hunted all night under this Wyoming full Moon. The 15 degree temperature kept me inside.
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: Doublelunger on October 28, 2023, 07:49:02 AM: Being in the timber and overcast makes a huge difference. Also hunting out of a ground blind will have an effect. During the late archery ill get an extra 15-20 minutes sitting out of my tree stand over sitting in the ground blind.
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: hunter399 on October 28, 2023, 12:37:28 PM: Quote from: Mtnwalker on October 27, 2023, 09:25:55 PM
Of all the things they give us to complain about, letting us hunt 15 minutes too late isn’t top of my list
I agree nothing really to complain about.
Common sense goes along ways.
But will say that the mourning I can see through my scope before the time and no way in the evening I would see through my scope in the timber.

It's mainly a tool for game warden to not hear any shots before or after that time.
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: Threewolves on October 28, 2023, 02:41:35 PM: Quote from: hunter399 on October 28, 2023, 12:37:28 PM
Quote from: Mtnwalker on October 27, 2023, 09:25:55 PM
Of all the things they give us to complain about, letting us hunt 15 minutes too late isn’t top of my list
I agree nothing really to complain about.
Common sense goes along ways.

Wow, I agree use common sense. For all the great things about hunting Montana, check out their shooting times and try and keeping up, it changes everyday. It makes you appreciate Washington's shooting times
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: Billy74 on October 28, 2023, 03:11:13 PM: I’ve noticed a big decline in my vision in low light the past few years. I have t been in a place where I could ethically shoot an animal in the 30 min window before or after. Maybe turkey hunting

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: Bob33 on October 28, 2023, 04:24:54 PM: I've shot a few animals right at the end of legal shooting time. The concerns I have with doing that are finding the animal in the dark and also taking a finishing shot if necessary after legal shooting time.
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: Stein on October 28, 2023, 05:18:45 PM: Washington does it by the week, so the light at legal shooting on the first day is different than the last day. As mentioned, it also depends a bunch on conditions, notably cloud cover, fog, etc.

Montana does shooting hours by the day so it's more consistent but you need to check for every day.

I fully agree, there are days where it's legal and I wouldn't shoot a rifle. There are also days it's perfectly safe yet not legal.
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: Bob33 on October 28, 2023, 06:29:22 PM: The WAC actually references legal hunting time for big game is 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset. The times published in the table don't necessarily correspond to that.
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: Ridgeratt on October 28, 2023, 06:39:20 PM: So which takes the trump in a legal process.
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: dilleytech on October 29, 2023, 05:26:04 AM: If you have to use your headlights to shoot an animal it’s too early. I wouldn’t overthink it.
Title: Re: Legal shooting hours.
Post by: Ridgeratt on October 29, 2023, 06:58:18 AM: Quote from: dilleytech on October 29, 2023, 05:26:04 AM
If you have to use your headlights to shoot an animal it’s too early. I wouldn’t overthink it.

Isn't that where both front hooves have a hole in them from covering their eyes?