Word of Advice about Stump Shooting

[bayoulongbowman]

If you stop and think about it , that just aint fair! or am I missing something>????

[defiant]

Here's a thought,what about all the bow shoots held on state land during the off season,like Whittinghams in NJ.I know,don't even go there with this subject. Maybe they get special sanction from the state.

[Benha]

TSHOOTER glad we live in Ky huw about you?

[Bill Carlsen]

Pretty much the same in NH. I have never talked to a CO about it but it seems to be common knowledge here that if you are in the woods with a bow and arrow you had better have a hunting license that covers anytihing in season. I suppose it would be similar to being in a boat with fishing gear...my guess would be that you were, had been or are intending on fishing.

[KPaul]

Anytime you plan to carry a weapon on public land you should check the regs first wether its for hunting,practice or protection.

[Dale in Pa]

Some time ago,I posted about a similar experience in Pa.We were on state forest land and ran into a DNCR officer that told us we couldn't stump shoot.He was quite adamant about it and said he'd arrest us if we did.

 He claimed it was target shooting and that was illegal on state forest land.I tried to explain,but he didn't want to hear any of it.

 I guess a way around that would be to carry a hunting license and say your hunting coyotes.If your hunting chucks in Pa. you have to wear an orange hat.

 After that experience we looked into it a little further and found that it's legal to stump shoot on state game lands but not on state forest,at least according to the DNCR.

 What gets me is,Reg Darling,who sometimes writes for TBM,wrote several articles about stumpin in the Allegheny National Forest and apparently it's OK with his local DNCR officers.

 Just doesn't seem to be any consistentsy.Still go stumpin,year round.

[huntnut]

Some of the wardens just like to be A$$'s. If he said how do I know you are not small game hunting while stump shooting. So he made you go get a licens, next time he probably will say how do I know you'r not deer hunting out of season. Some of these wardens need to use commin sence some times. Yes if there is no target practice on state ground I would buy a licens and say I'm rabbit hunting if the season is open.

As for the blunt in your quiver I see both sides of this. What would happen if you grabbed the wrong arrow with the blunt and shoot at a deer. I then the saver theing is to carry a blunt in you pocket, and change out the head if you want to stump shoot, or take a pratice shot.

[Naphtali]

A word about "innocent until proven guilty": A United States game warden may legally search a home or premises without warrant, seeking evidence of illegal possession of game. I don't know what procedures must be followed for a warrantless search. United States game wardens have this power. I don't know whether any or all state game wardens do.

This kind've wreaks havoc with the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

[fredbear92]

I never do any stumpin or huntin on public land. But I will keep this stuff in mind if I ever do. Thanks Tim

[Molson]

Anytime your stumping on public land it's a good idea to have a current license.  Your gonna buy one anyway so no big deal.

Here in Ohio, you cannot target practice on public land.  Stumping is open to interpretation as to whether or not it's "target practice".  In any event, you're probably not going to have any problem here beyond the possibility of being told to stop.

One thing to remember, the sad truth is during the summer months, our public lands are often occupied by marijuana growers and meth manufacturers.  Our DNR officers today face more than just hunting and fishing violations and so do we while we're out wandering around.  I wouldn't find it unusual for an enforcement officer to be suspicious of someone in the woods with a bow during the summer.  In most cases, courteous behavior and an explanation will suffice.

[Montauks]

Years ago one november, my wife and I finished a mountain bike ride in Minnewaska St. park in NY, she noticed some large pine trees about 25 yds out of the parking lot, so she decided to "harvest" some large pine cones that fell to make a christmas wreath, wouldn't ya know it 10 minutes into our collection a conservation office confronts us and says we can't take the cones out of the woods (we had about 8), "we had to leave the woods the way it was"

[George D. Stout]

The laws differ from state to state.  In Pa. you can pick fruit and mushrooms, but you can't take anything like trees or shrubs.  That makes sense to me.  Pinecones should be no different than any mast dropped by trees.  I'll have to check into Pa. laws.  

I always carry my hunting license when stump shooting.  I can't help that I keep missing those crows and coyotes in front of those stumps.

[jimneye]

In Pa. a small game hunter must wear orange, but it is not required while hunting deer during early archery season.  So if I'm deer hunting and not wearing orange and a grouse walks under my stand do I have to put on my orange before I shoot it?  Crazy      

[Mike Tomano]

I find the officer's behavior offensive. How does he know if you're shooting animals or not? Because you told him you weren't and you didn't have any carcasses in your possession!

It's state land. You pay to use it with your taxes. Stump shoot.

Let him mail you the tickets and fight them in court.

TOMANO

[John Nail]

Here, the law reads: "Taking or attempting to take" if You weren't seen shooting at anything live, you wouldn't be "Attempting"
Fortunately, the CO in my district shoots a Hill longbow, and bought a recurve for his young son.

[Jeff U]

In Virginia you are free to stump on private land since groundhog and coyote are open year round, but they are only open year round on private land.

Public lands are a different story.  

You would be fine September 1 - Mar 10.  At least one game animal is open season and hunting groundhogs and coyote are specifically allowed during these dates.

Mar 11 - August 31 you're out of luck stump shooting on public lands.  The law specifically prohibits carrying a bow or gun on public lands unless it's some open hunting season:  (see below)

 

Regulations Specific to National Forest and Game Department Lands

It shall be unlawful to have in possession a bow or gun which is not unloaded and cased or dismantled on all National Forest lands statewide, or on Department-owned lands and on lands managed by the Department under cooperative agreement in counties west of the Blue Ridge Mountains except during the period when it is lawful to take bear, deer, grouse, pheasant, quail, rabbit, raccoon, squirrel, turkey or waterfowl on these lands; and on Department-owned lands and on lands managed by the Department under cooperative agreement in counties east of the Blue Ridge Mountains except during the period when it is lawful to take bear, deer, grouse, pheasant, quail, rabbit, raccoon, squirrel, turkey, waterfowl or migratory game birds on these lands.

Except as provided by special concealed handgun permit .......

The word "possession" shall include, but not be limited to, having any bow or firearm in or on one's person, vehicle or conveyance.

[Hawken1911]

Hi Tim,

Technically, it's illegal to 'target' shoot on Michigan state land, period.  So the only way to stump shoot, legally, on state land is to supposedly be afield hunting, with a valid hunting license.  (It's amazing how often I miss those invisible red squirrels and hit stumps     The other catch is that you need to wear blaze orange when small game hunting (stump shooting), or you could be in violation.

Here's what it says in the hunting guide:

License Requirement:

Possession of Firearms and Bows and Arrows:
A person taking or attempting to take game and in possession of a firearm, slingshot or bow and arrow must have the appropriate hunting license with them and must produce the license upon the request of a conservation officer or other law enforcement officer.

A hunting license is not required when target practicing or sighting-in a firearm at an identifiable, artificially constructed target, and there is no attempt to take game. A hunting license is not required for the carrying of a pistol for personal protection by a camper, hiker or person engaged in other recreational
activities if there is no attempt to take game.

State Parks and Recreation Areas:
All state parks and recreation areas are closed to hunting from April 1 through Sept. 14, except in areas designated open during the early Canada goose season and spring wild turkey season.
It is illegal to target shoot in a state park or recreation area, except on a designated shooting range at Bald Mountain, Island Lake, Ortonville and Pontiac Lake Recreation Areas.

[Molson]

Correction on Ohio, the new regs specifically mention firearms possession and practice as prohibited.  No mention of bows at all.

[jacobsladder]

Tim...come on over and you can kill all of my stumps...I'll just say that you are my portable stump grinder.!

[hockeyref]

I guess we need to get an official - in writing -interpretaion here in PA....

I've been told that you are not permitted to rove, practice or shoot at any random objects on public property. Practice had to be on purpose built artificial targets. Furthermore, you must use a head of "cuting edge design" for both big and small game. Judos and blunts and firld points were not allowed to be in your posession while hunting. Any time there was a season overlap (such as the archery and early small game) you had to wear the orange if you were to be leagal for both....Otherwise you had to "Choose what you were hunting"..... More lack of common sense and looking for a one size fits all governmental solution.

All of this was verbal through a phone call probably 15 years ago... I may be totally wrong, but that's what I was told. I don't take any practice shots, and carry only broad heads when hunting. I'll keep an old aluminum with a cheap broadhead in my quiver just in case I want to harvest small game or shut up that annoying squirrel.

The hoops ya gotta jump through to hunt the kings deer....