shooting after legal time..happening all the time

[scalder27]

I live next to ganaraska forest and for the last two weeks I stand outside (half hour after sunset time by iphone time) and hear shots all the time.....come on guys its impossible to see...rules are rules for a reason

[jim]

Could be guys clearing muzzle loaders. Just sayin'.

[dutchhunter]

Lol could be.

[scalder27]

still illegal.....just saying

[fratri]

Call the cops..... get them charged

[Fox]

Tonight is was so clear I could have shot 20min past legal light, I was actually surprised that it was so bright out when my watch told me it was end of legal, no need for a head lamp at all.

I wonder how many people go by the "if I cannot see it is dark" theory.

Dad sets his phone alarm to go off at end of legal during each hunt, he figures if a deer is there the alarm will scare it and not necessarily consider it a person.

[poltrojan]

try before. when I went to the opener for ducks season in holland marsh. we arrived 45min before legal time. it was like a war zone. there was at least 12 shots going off. my dad and I we were like wtf.... we just left.

[hikerman]

Today I was bow hunting in area 81 were it is still no gun hunting and it sure did not sound like target shooting
to spareratic.

[trimmer21]

There's still many hunters who don't realize that there's an official legal sunrise and sunset time and they can be charged if discharging or being caught with an uncased firearm. Scalder27 is absolutely correct about some areas of The Ganaraska Forest. I spend a fair bit of time there and when seasons are short,it happens all the time. Unfortunately,provincial offense charges can only be laid when someone is "found committing" and unless a CO or Police Constable is right there to write them up,it's another provincial offense that is almost impossible to enforce.

[smitty55]

Call the cops..... get them charged

Waste of time there. Sound travels a long way at night. Hard to tell exactly where the shots came from to direct the cops. Then even if they did show up they'd have to figure out who it was that shot and then be able to prove it. Not a chance. Now if you bug the MNR enough they could park a CO out there for an evening or two I guess. But that would mean overtime pay lol.

It's amazing what a good scope can do when you think it's too dark, even compared to a cheap scope. As for being illegal, it's highly unlikely to get caught, so some folk just don't care.

I've lived in the country now for 20 years. Bush and farm country. Shots at night any time of the year don't fizz me at all anymore. Duck season it's common to hear shots from the same direction every year 15 minutes after legal time. They must be pointing to the setting sun on that pond.

It's always happened and always will I figure. When I first moved here I would see trucks with spotlights driving by slowly. I'm pretty sure it still happens. Then there are the road hunters. They do still exist as I found out yesterday from someone who was there to witness the event. It involved a local guy known to do this apparently. Fortunately, a legal hunter shot the deer on private property literally seconds before the poacher was going to shoot from the road into the field. This guy actually beat the shooter to the deer, that's how bold he was. Add to that he wasn't even wearing blaze orange. Can you believe it lol? He had no permission on that property either. Duhhh. When confronted he finally backed off and left. This happened at ten in the morning. Goes to show you just never know. Crazy


Here's one to ponder folks. At 5:00 PM today you see a beauty buck tailing a doe and heading your way. You have 4 minutes left of legal shooting for the rifle season. Hopefully she'll lead that big boy across your shooting lane. Well she meanders around a bit and it could be close. So it's now big decision time. Do you put your watch away?? For how long? Or keep glancing at it and put your rifle away the moment it changes to 5:05 when you can still see that big guy coming and still see quite well? I think I know what the answer would be for just about everyone. Doesn't make us all "poachers", That label implies intent IMO, it can't be compared to jacklighters and road shooters for example. Legally, I understand they have to draw a line somewhere, and so be it.
I'll add another twist to the scenario hehe... Bow season. No shot to be heard so zero chance of being caught right? It's December with good snow down. Evening sit with a good moon coming up early. With a crossbow and any decent scope you could easily make an ethical shot with that white background. You've waited all year for this moment. All your hard work is about to come to fruition...

Just sayin.... Ethics, morals and legalities don't always mix the same for some folks. After 60 years that's one for sure thing I figured out lol.

Cheers