Hunting til Dark in PA

[davem270win]

I just read that the game commission has approved a change in shooting hours, moving quitting time back by a half-hour, or one half hour after sunset, not at sunset, which matches the start of the day, which is one half hour before sunset.

[manofthe45]

1.  it is only preliminary approval it still has to be approved in late spring

2.  I am all for it.  Sunset rules has cost us the best hunting time for way to many years now

3.  Some are gonna start screaming saftey.  I remember when they claimed that the hospitals where gonna get overrun on our opening day of rifle when they put buck and doe together. Didn't happen then and it ain't gonna happen now.  If you don't feel safe leave at sunset.  No really leave at sunset and push all our Pa deer (you know those things some wannabe hunters claim don't exist anymore,but those with skill see and harvest every year) to me.  I enter the woods in the dark and I leave in the dark.

[JoeG52]

I agree 100%.

[The Gamemaster]

You can only shoot them when you can see them.

Even if they move the shooting hours, if there are no deer - how are you going to shoot them?

Are you going to use the head lights on the truck as a spot light?

Thats a pretty desperate way of getting a game animal when you have to hunt them at night.

[manofthe45]

You can only shoot them when you can see them.

Even if they move the shooting hours, if there are no deer - how are you going to shoot them?

Are you going to use the head lights on the truck as a spot light?

Thats a pretty desperate way of getting a game animal when you have to hunt them at night.

I think that is what most of us want.  A chance to harvest deer than we can still plainly see.  I have never heard anyone here talk about hunting after dark.

[The Gamemaster]

You are already able to hunt from dawn to dusk.

In rifle season it averages out to about 7 Am where I live and quitting time of about 5 PM.

How much longer do you want to stay out there?

Since I don't own any land, all my hunting is done on private lands and the Game Lands.  There is nobody to tell me when it is time to go.

But the long walk back to the truck and 12 hours in the woods is enough for me.

Where I hunt deer, if you do not have your buck by 9:30 AM on the first day of rifle season , chances are you are not going to get one anyways.  Especially living in a zone that is 4 points to one side.

[manofthe45]

You are already able to hunt from dawn to dusk.

In rifle season it averages out to about 7 Am where I live and quitting time of about 5 PM.

How much longer do you want to stay out there?

Since I don't own any land, all my hunting is done on private lands and the Game Lands.  There is nobody to tell me when it is time to go.

But the long walk back to the truck and 12 hours in the woods is enough for me.

Where I hunt deer, if you do not have your buck by 9:30 AM on the first day of rifle season , chances are you are not going to get one anyways.  Especially living in a zone that is 4 points to one side.

1. I have taken most of my bucks, heck most of my deer between 10 and 3
2.The official time to quit has been placed in the regulations book for years.  The time to quit has always been sunset not sundown.  If caught firing on an animal past the lagal time carries stiff peneties. Over twenty minutes of time has been lost for decades because of the sunset law.
3. As far as how long I want to be out there.  Whenever possible I enter the woods not able to see my hand in front of my face and leave in the same conditions keeping the flashlight to an absulote minimum.

Where I hunt deer, if you do not have your buck by 9:30 AM on the first day of rifle season , chances are you are not going to get one anyways.  Especially living in a zone that is 4 points to one side.

     I hate this attitude.  when people cry that there are no deer because they didn't get there deer opening morning I feel like losing my lunch.


            Hunters= someone who works hard for his harvest, scouts properly and is able to harvest his quarry any day of the week.

            Everyone else= sits in the same stand every year for three hours opening morning smoking three packs of cigs, while downing a dozen dognuts and two term. of coffee and then goes home and complains to everyone how the GC is exterminating the deer herd.

IF YOU ASK ME 10% OF THE HUNTERS HARVEST 90% OF THE DEER