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Shining Question

Wow, I didn't realize the topic would start such a big argument, or "discussion" as it really is.

We did go shining, didn't see much actually, I was surprised as I know the kinds of deer numbers in some of the areas we shined.

Coming from Michigan, where pretty much every hunter I know shines, the line between poaching and shining is non-existant. Sure, some guys poach with the use of a light, but these are the same guys who poach during daylight as well. I saw it first-hand when a truck shot a doe in the head with a 22 in the middle of the day right near our hunting property in northern Michigan several years back.

The arguement to make shining illegal to combat poaching makes about as much sense as the gun laws. Poachers will continue to poach with or without the use of a light! Just my 2 cents.....
 
The poaching idiot in my hunting area has shot big bucks in broad daylight in people's yards during the rut with a high-power! He does this type of thing every year and never gets caught. I don't think outlawing anything will stop this brain dead slob from doing this crap until antler buyers stop filling his pockets with lots of money. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against buying or selling of antlers as long as its from a reliable source. I have shined and video taped deer for fun, but have never harvested a deer I've documented while spot lighting. Lets face it. No matter what the "advantage" we get by using these tactics, a mature whitetail is an elusive animal and doesn't get huge by being dumb. I can see both sides of the issue and they both have their faults, but if its legal, its legal and to each his own.
 
A friend of mine had made extra money when in school flying at night for the dnr looking for people shining.When seen they would radio a co on the ground to investigate and catch many poachers this way.
 
I want to ask all of the people that are against shinning (spotlighting) if you have ever turned your pickup at night just so your headlights could shine a field or get a better look at the deer or buck you seen just off the road? That is considered shining too.

Poachers are poachers.
Honest people who use spotlights to view deer are not and will not be the problem.
 
Agreed, The larger issue is how this as a legal activity desensitizes people from this in the illegal form. Farmers get used to it and don't report it, CO's get sick of it and don't follow up. There is no way to seperate and prevent the illegal activty from the legal activity untill a gun is heard. No, we all know this won't stop poachers but, it does give them room to take advantage of this. Why give them an advantage?
 
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Agreed, The larger issue is how this as a legal activity desensitizes people from this in the illegal form. Farmers get used to it and don't report it, CO's get sick of it and don't follow up. There is no way to seperate and prevent the illegal activty from the legal activity untill a gun is heard. No, we all know this won't stop poachers but, it does give them room to take advantage of this. Why give them an advantage?

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I agree, well said Travis!
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No, we all know this won't stop poachers but, it does give them room to take advantage of this. Why give them an advantage?

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And they certainly are taking advantage of us, regardless of which side of the "shining" issue one might be on.

Some of these situations involve 100's of man hours which ties up our officers and lowers the chances of catching others involved in poaching activities.
I can't imagine trying to patrol two counties night after night, trying to sort "legal" from illegal"...it's wonder they can catch any bad guys
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Many of these cases do involve spotlights and after hours shooting even though they face mammoth fines and confiscation of equipment. These are our enemies...not each other and they are my motivation to take any and all steps that might hold the slightest chance of slowing these crimes.

These people are stealing from ALL of us:

8 bucks

2 bucks

12 bucks

13 bucks
 
"Shining" only creates more problems and black eyes than our sport needs. I used to enjoy spotlighting when I was younger, it was exciting to see just how many deer where out there. I have heartburn with it now because of all the illegal activity it's created.

Not only does it allow the unethical people to locate nice buck and take them at night, then lie that they took them leagaly and brag about them, it brings unwanted slob hunters and lots of tresspassers on to properties they are not welcome.

Case in point, you knock on doors and find a great place to hunt, you work hard for that privelidge and see signs of a good buck only to have him poached the night before the season or all the jerks that think they can hunt where they want spotlight the buck and just come waltzing in where they are not welcome because they "shined" a big buck and they are going to go after it no matter what.

No one needs shining/spotlighting to locate and scout for big deer, that's what trail cameras are for. I wish they would outlaw it here like Illinois!
 
Guys! Think about what you are advocating. Passing a law to outlaw a tool used in poaching will not eliminate poaching. Every time you pass a law like this you will infringe on our personal rights and freedoms. There are a lot of analagies here to the anti-gun lobby. "FLASHLIGHTS DON'T KILL DEER, PEOPLE DO". I don't spotlight deer much anymore, but I do check my cows at calving time with a spotlight at night. Is that illegal too? What if there is a deer in the pasture? What about using headlights and flashlights to find your stand in the dark. Is that illegal if you bust a doe? I don't like poaching either, but if you outlaw flashlights, only poachers will have flashlights. I hadn't been following this post much until my son pointed it out. He's an active NRA member and thinks some of us bowhunters are "hippies" anyway. Let's do our part by turning in illegal activity and making poachers uncomfortable not passing new laws.
 
Pharmer, Not many land owners like the idea of spotlighting.A few don't mind if you let them know when you are going to do it so they don't have to call the law.
 
I have only shined in Iowa a few times. But here in Wisconsin, I can credit alot of the big bucks I have taken by finding them and patterning them with a spotlight. I find the buck or bucks I wish to target, then keep tract of what feilds they viset just after dark. and where they are hanging out. Then come bow season or gun season I slip into the bedding areas near the feilds and hunt him down. I am in the proccess of completing a video right now that shows exactly how to do it.... You guys that are making statements about making the C/O's job easier? Hogwash, our C/O goes shining too, we have compared notes about where the big ones hang, as well as several of the local sherrifs... And like I said before, very few people are outlawing while useing spotlights. I spend hundreds of hours glassin, hunting, night hunting varments, and have tons of freinds who do the same, I hear countless storys from my friends about seeing people outlaw deer, but neither me, nor any of my friends have ever seen a deer get poached with a spot light... My C/O told me they fly over and watch all the vehicals shineing very often, if any of them shoot, they will be seen if the planes in the sky. You guys are trying to outlaw my scouting techniques and my childrens fun, just cause you don't do it and feel that I shouldn't have an advantage, that or your pariniod... Most poaching goes on during the day with a rifle, by your logic, since Im mainly a bow hunter we should outlaw rifles.
 
For everyone's information.

Iowa Criminal Code 481A.93

1. A person shall not throw or cast the rays of a spotlight, headlight, or other artificial light on a highway, or in a field, woodland, or forest for the purpose of spotting, locating, or taking or attempting to take or hunt a bird or animal, except raccoons or other fur-bearing animals when treed with the aid of dogs, while having in possession or control, either singly or as one of a group of persons, any firearm, bow, or other implement or device whereby a bird or animal could be killed or taken.
2. This section does not apply to deer being taken by or under the control of a local governmental body within its corporate limits pursuant to an approved special deer population control plan.

Current penalty for the above is $182.00
 
When I took my nephew through hunters safety in March, the DNR officer said it is not illegal to spotlight deer for recreation as long as there is no object that can be consider a weapon in possession of all parties present nor in their vehcile. He continued to add, that if he was to inspect the vehicle or person and find so much as a sharpend pencil, he could consider that a weapon.
Kind of the officers descretion.
You're pretty pathetic if you have to poach a deer with a spotlight. Even if you do, I doubt any person with any sort of concious would take their kids along poaching with a spotlight.
 
Conscious, poaching, and trespassing are words that don't belong in the same sentence unless you put "no" in from of conscious.
 
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