# Gun season hours



## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Im sure someone else has noticed this, Im just slow. Have they finally extended deer gun season hours until half hour after sunset? Thats how Im reading it, just looking to see if anyone else sees something Im missing. Im not much of a gun hunter, and I understood the original reasoning, but it chapped my rear having to get out of the tree at sunset during youth season.


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## wis2ohio (Jan 20, 2012)

Straight from ODNR's page Deer Hunting Hours

Hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.

So I would say yes it's 1/2 hr after sunset you can still hunt.


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## MAU (Aug 14, 2013)

I noticed that too. Page 7 states "Deer Hunting Hours: Hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset". On cloudy days in the woods, I usually can't see well enough at 25 minutes after sunset to attempt a shot with a bow let alone a slug gun or a muzzle loader. My eyes are middled aged like the rest me so I'll concede that younger hunters may have better night vision. Still, at 29 minutes, 59 seconds after sunset, can the average deer hunter see well enough on a typical day to safely attempt a shot?


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Yes, they changed that for this year.

For those hunting in the deep dark woods or that have less than perfect eyesight you can always elect not to shoot, no matter what the legal hours are, if you don't feel you have sufficient light to safely do so. 

I know that on many mornings it is way too dark for me to pull the trigger a 1/2 hr before sunrise and that has been the law for a long time. 

For those hunting the field edges and more open areas it is a welcome change. 

Hunter discretion should be in play


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

I totally agree....I do very little field edge hunting and most of my spots have quite a canopy (like most of the state). I have decided it was too dark for a shot bowhunting and climbed down, packed up and eased 150 yards through the woods to find I could still make a shot in the open.....especially picked bean fields. If I was hunting that open field edge I'm confident I would have 20+ minutes of what I deem good enough light to shoot.

Guys hunting open country and edges during firearms should really welcome the change.
Especially those that actually obeyed the rule......we've all heard MANY shots well after sunset years past. It won't make any difference for me personally, but I support the change for open country hunters.

I think it also helps the law abiding hunter that simply forgot to unload his gun after sunset while hiking back to camp. A lot of honest guys have paid a fine for this when they really weren't hunting past hours...simply heading back to camp or the vehicle and didn't think to eject their shells.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Fish-N-Fool said:


> I think it also helps the law abiding hunter that simply forgot to unload his gun after sunset while hiking back to camp. A lot of honest guys have paid a fine for this when they really weren't hunting past hours...simply heading back to camp or the vehicle and didn't think to eject their shells.


I'm with you on everything but this

A hunter is responsible for his actions. If a hunter simply forgets to eject a shell he really shouldn't be carrying a gun.


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

Oh I agree and you should receive the ticket. It is too easy to claim you forgot and some do have ill intentions.

The state has however written a lot of this exact ticket....and many times it is just a guy walking back to his camp or truck with no bad intentions. The rules are the rules I agree. I used to brake this rule every single evening when I was younger and hunted our family's land. We'd all stop at sunset and meet back at the barn.....everybody unloaded at the barn. We didn't know any better. There was no point in having the weapon loaded; we sure weren't hunting deer - we were walking in the wide open fields talking. Ignorance isn't an excuse. Just saying that is no longer a violation. 

I always thought the sunset rule was meant for safety, but a silly rule in the real world. We all hear the shots ringing out year after year well after the time marked as sunset. I hear them back at my truck packing up to leave EVERY year. So the rule wasn't preventing shots being fired after the posted sunset time....never has anyway. And officers were more apt to ticket a guy still loaded arriving at his truck or hiking out of the Wayne when they should be investigating these shots heard past the legal time (IMO). We all hear those shots - drive back and question the offenders then write em up! Better use of time IMO than having them camped out on trails 300-500 yards inside the woods at the Wayne stopping every guy that comes out (which I heard was done in the past). Might as well change the rule and make those guys legal I guess. 

This has been a pet peeve of mine during firearms season if you can't tell.LOL But I won't argue it is everybody's individual responsibility to know and understand the rules. And if you break a rule you can't complain about the penalty.

I liken that to the time I took home 19 walleye from Erie (1 over our limit that day). I was in charge of the count, the cooler; it was my boat. I've fished Erie many times and never taken more than a legal limit. I was guilty, but I'm not a poacher...didn't even know until we got home. People aren't perfect.


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## squid_1 (Jun 2, 2005)

I just figured the shots after sunset were people unloading their guns. Its the ones I hear before sunrise that get me thinking.


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## idontknow316 (Mar 21, 2008)

Often times during gun season there is snow on the ground, you can see quite well after sunset when there is. I like the rule. You just have to use some sense, notice I didn't say common sense, that isn't so common anymore lol.

So far this season, I haven't hunted all the way up to legal time, too many leaves and it is too dark to see my sites. Ready for theses leaves to fall

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

My point was that if someone "forgets" his gun is loaded, as you say happens, I don't want to be around anyone that forgets his gun is loaded, ill intent or not.


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

Yea Squid it seems every Monday I hear a few shots when I can barely see my hand in front of my face and those are really scary. And I know you were posting the unloading in jest, but I do hear a few blackpowder rifles after hours and assume they are unloading. You can tell the difference in sound unless it is way off.

I think this change in the rules was long over due.


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## TeamClose (May 23, 2005)

To me the extra 30 mins in the evening is safer than the 30 mins in the morning. Reason being is in the evening usually you have been sitting there for hours and have been able to see your surroundings, unlike the morning you walk in the dark. Especially on public land or private where others may be hunting that you are not aware of their location. Sure everybody is suppose to wear orange, but there are many that take it off when they get sat down.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

M.Magis said:


> Im sure someone else has noticed this, Im just slow. Have they finally extended deer gun season hours until half hour after sunset? Thats how Im reading it, just looking to see if anyone else sees something Im missing. Im not much of a gun hunter, and I understood the original reasoning, but it chapped my rear having to get out of the tree at sunset during youth season.


remember last year when i got my ass handed to me and was called a pocher because i disagreed with the sunset time and maybe kept hunting? hmmm looks like the ODNR did what i told them too.lol.


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

Lundy - point well made. I was referring to somebody forgetting to unload before walking out.....not that they wouldn't remember the weapon was loaded. I honestly don't think 50% of the hunters even read the regs each year and many didn't even know this rule existed. My overall theme was that although not innocent, most guys guilty of this violation weren't intentionally breaking the rules. Maybe I'm naive too?


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Lundy said:


> Yes, they changed that for this year.
> 
> For those hunting in the deep dark woods or that have less than perfect eyesight you can always elect not to shoot, no matter what the legal hours are, if you don't feel you have sufficient light to safely do so.
> 
> ...


True that! My buddy and I belong to a fish and game club in PA that stocks pheasant during the season. PA. regs say that you can begin hunting 1/2 hour before sunrise. My buddy, who I believe may be part vampire, he just doesn't sleep, insisted one time that we be out there ready to hunt at that time. Well, 1/2 hour before sunrise arrives and, man, it was DARK!! It was overcast, but we were hunting open fields! I finally got my point across that it was just too darn dark to hunt at that time.

I could also make the excuse that I have middle aged eyes, but, in my case, that would assume a life span well in excess of 100 years!


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## Bonemann (Jan 28, 2008)

In gun season sunset is typically right around 5pm. And just about everyone has heard shots at 5:10 or 5:15 no doubt illegal and way late.

I'm curious to see (or actually hear) shots after the new legal time limit. 

Always seams that people have to push the limits (always).


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

we've been hunting those hours for many yrs here in Indiana. that's one of the reasons I use a good light gathering scope on my gun. but there are many cloudy rainy days that I just wont take a shot much past sunset or before sunrise even tho its legal to do so. I want it light enough and the deer close enough that theres no doubt in my mind of my target.

but there are days when the ground is covered with snow and a good moon I could shoot well past the 1/2 hr mark. but when I quit at the end of legal hunting I remove the cap from my muzzleloader before I even start down my tree.

if a hunter in his own mind has any doubt about enough light then they should call it a day and unload there gun. taking a deer is just not worth taking the chance if there is any doubt at all. I think most hunters will police themselves but your always going to have that 10% that tells themselves I think that's a deer and shoot not really knowing for sure. but these are the same hunters that's shot late for yrs.

I always use my flashlight going to my stand and leaving my stand. I just don't trust everybody. everybody be safe and be safe. and yes I believe even if its a mistake and leaves the gun loaded or capped with a muzzleloader should have to pay a big fine before or after legal hunting.
sherman


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