Legal Shooting light

Have any of you passed on a big buck you would have killed because it was past "Legal" shooting light but plenty enough light to still see him with or without your scope?

Yes but I have to also say that I was hunting near the gate where one of the local game wardens was supposed to meet me after I got out of the stand. We had invited him to a fish fry at our camp that evening. A buck I had been after for 3 years showed up 300 yards straight ahead and behind a doe as they both SLOWLY made their way in my direction up the road. They eventually made it to 100 yards and she was not in the way anymore. I could clearly see him and the crosshairs but knew it was too late.

Yes, many times. But when I was a teenager I was hunting in the snow one time when there was a full moon and I guess I should have taken a watch. Luckily I didn't see anything cause by the time I figured it was past legal shooting I walked to my truck (maybe 10 minutes) and it was after 8pm. So, I hunted about 3 extra hours that night.

But being completely honest, I almost always bowhunt and maybe some of it is not wanting to make a bad shot and end up wounding a big buck. Once it starts getting close to dark it is very tough to see twigs and branches between you and the deer.

Yep. Passed on one I could've shot with my bow because of "legal time."

It's complete bullchit. Nothing was broken but damned if they didn't have to "fix" it.

yup, any decent set of bino's/scope will let you see clear as a bell in moonlight conditions ...

Nope.

#WhatwouldTimberdo?

They did it because hunters complained about the "daylight hours only" wording and demanded a time...they got what they wanted.

This

Nothing. He wouldn't be hunting that early and would be out before sunup.

What is this legal shooting light you speak of? 😀😀

if I can see thru my scope still and I know its not excessively past legal light Im shooting.

Some may have. Most folks with common sense knew when it was too dark or not light enough to take a good, ethical shot and didn't need to be told about "shooting time."

The current law needs to be about 15 min longer. Past 45 min after sunset your eyes play tricks on you and that 10 point ends up being a 3 point

"Wasn't me that shot. Musta been the neighbor."

Some days you can see VERY WELL at 45 min past sundown. Other times you can't see well enough to shoot 25 min after sundown. It all depends and it was better before the 30+ or -.

Where is the 30 min window timed from? One of my leases is 30 miles west of Birmingham. Sunset time in Birmingham is different that at that specific lease. I've never really thought about that until now

Whatever the weather app says for the closest city to you. That’s what I go by anyways.

I would tell you if I wore a watch.

Yep

Nope!

I think, don't quote me on this, well don't ever quote me on anything for that matter, but there's only a few minutes deviance between sunrise/sunset times per degree of longitude. Not much difference. May be 5 minutes difference across the whole state.

Rule is BS. There is plenty of light left at cut off time. As for the original question; well I'll just say no.

Depends on definition of big buck.

I’ll shoot a deer on my damn farm when I can safely see what it is no matter what a clock says and they can kiss my ass

I could look it up but I thought it was 1 minute for every 13 miles. could be wrong though.

^^^^^^^^^^^

I go by the sunset and sunrise times on the Outdoor AL app on my phone

I like 257's response!

No . If I can see it good enough to age it , I kill it

Hunting in thick low light woods I rarely even sit till the 30 minutes after sundown because I can’t see. But on a foodplot I’m not about to miss out on a buck because of a couple minutes. They can’t expect you to keep pulling out your phone watching the time. And the few game wardens I’ve met were all very understanding people and know all this and wouldn’t give you a ticket anyway. If you were someone they had been after it would be different I’m sure

I didn't just buy a new S&B for nature watching....

What’s legal shooting light

That's right

I thought legal shooting light was up to when you can't see & identify without aid of optical hardware!!!

I once heard that if a warden had to use his flashlight to read your license, you shot too late.

So it is okay to pick and choose which laws we which to disregard? Hum...when does someone cease being a hunter and becomes a poacher?

When it becomes bull sh!t

I've actually had an Alabama game warden tell me "considering the quality of today's optics they are much more lenient on legal shooting light". He, jokingly added, "When you are seeing your shadow from moonlight, it's time to quit."

Groundhawg, should not have went there, game check, shooting light and bait permits are all ok to ignore, but let timber2 do a little slipping and the holier than thou crowd is going to unleash their wrath for breaking that law, just like a bunch of Democrats who think the law only applies to the other folks

You bet!. I am sure no where near perfect, never have been and not ever gonna be perfect, but it so strange to me that folks want to pick and choose which rules and/or laws that they want to follow or not then jump all over people when it is something they disagree with.

I bet you exceed the speed limit, you pavement poacher.

I mean seriously guys sitting over a pile of corn or shooting past what they call legal light what the he'll? The only difference is 15 dollars

But as of today with $15 it's legal past legal time is not.

Actually, they may not admit to their internal brotherhood covenant top secret agreement but its when the color green is not visible they write you up

Nope, own a ford and can not exceed speed limit as will not get over 35 MPH. Hope to get a Chev someday and then will be able to outrun everyone else.

I would never consider disobedience of the rules.
It's a mute point because I do not own any firearms.

I’ve never passed up a buck that I wanted to shoot with a gun or a bow because of the lack of light.

I have cause i was on wma land. And you dont know who is waitin at your truck when you walk back. Id be mad if i shot, gutted and drug it to truck just to have the wardens take it from me and write me up. It wasnt a monster anyway.

Sometimes i can see past time but in the mornings i cant see good enough. Its aggravating. Each day i check the bama reg book. If im on public. Its aggravating to deal with really.

Warden said at skyline a few yrs ago just don't be stupid with it if u can see without a light we won't say nothing except on full moon

I don't shoot past time. It may be great to say you don't care, but I follow the law. Not worth the risk.

Good answer. Stick with that.

I don't think that's very close.....The curvature of the earth is about 8" per mile and the state is about 200 miles across the center. So that's roughly 133' of vertical difference. You can watch the sunset on the ground move up to the tree tops and it takes a hell of a lot more than 5 minutes. I'm not going to get into the speed of the earth's rotation and all that, but it's much more than 5 minutes, probably closer to an hour.

Tried an earlier post but guess it didn't happen, Looked at a website that had Auburn sunset at 5:51 and Demopolis at 6:00 today. So it will probably be longer than 5 minutes but don't think it will be closer to an hour. will go back and try to find and post the link..

I did the same thing and your right. I guess the speed of the rotation of the earth (1000 mph)overcomes the curvature. I stand corrected.

Who sets the "official" sunset time if it's off by minutes depending on location?. I know official time is based on a standard but Central time zone covers a wide area and multiple states so sunrise and sunset times are more area specific. Especially when using it to set law. One side of Alabama has several minutes extra based on a universal time for the state.

And im playing devils advocate here. I'm not that concerned but someone somewhere will think about it.

Good question, and how is the time of the shot documented unless it’s recorded?

I know when I was younger and duck hunting in SC they were hardcore serious about shooting time. The had maps that broke the state down into miniature time zones. Instead of an hour, it broke it down 4 minutes at a time. They would bust people almost to the second for shooting before legal time. It was funny to stare at your watch and then hear guns go off all over the lake from people waiting to shoot birds on the water. All synchronized. if you heard a lone shot 30 seconds early, you would hear a game warden boat motor crank up right after.

when I worked duck hunting I might give a warning for 0-9 minutes late, only wrote tickets for 10 minutes late. And 90% of ten minute late shooters would shoot till slam dark anyway. Thats the ones I targeted.