Why might a non-firearm be carried during gun seasons?

[TomTeriffic]

What questions do you ask yourself if you should see a hunter afield with a bow, muzzle-loader or air gun afield during a gun season? There are some occasions when archery equipment, falcons, air guns and/or muzzle-loaders are allowed during gun seasons.

Don't you ever ask yourself, "Is that guy a convict or what!" whenever you see a non-gun in the deer woods during a gun season? There might be other reasons for non-guns during gun seasons, but one possibility is that the hunter might be banned from getting a gun.

 

[Carnage2011]

Or maybe he prefers to hunt with something more primitive. I've seen guys archery hunting deer in Montana during the rut. I never assume that they aren't allowed to own a firearm.....and I really don't care what their reason is.

 

[LuketheDog]

Maybe the Mossberg is broken?

 

[Deleted member 28227]

What questions do you ask yourself if you should see a hunter afield with a bow.

I wonder how long it took him to put on his eye make-up?

Don't you ever ask yourself, "Is that guy a convict or what!"

No. Not even one time.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Don't waste forum space responding to phony hypothetical questions designed to suck you into silly thread conversations.

(Dang it! I just got sucked in!)

 

[RobertD]

I know of a guy down my way who is a convict and hunts with an air rifle because of the fact. He is an asshole. Not because of the air rifle or anything he just is.

Edit because people reacted to this comment. He is an asshole because of the nature of his felony: Illegal transportation of live whitetail deer across state lines (OH to FL)

 

[noharleyyet]

I'll play: To screw it up for centerfire hunters?

 

[noharleyyet]

Don't waste forum space responding to phony hypothetical questions designed to suck you into silly thread conversations.

(Dang it! I just got sucked in!)

..and it's only Monday. ; )

 

[Wallydeuce]

Is there something you need to tell us Tom?

 

[Jamen]

If i don't have a rifle tag and haven't filled my archery tag i hunt during rifle season with my bow i just wear my orange.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Is not a muzzle loader a firearm? I'm not sure, but I seem to recall it's illegal for felons to even possess replica guns. Air rifle resembles a powder and primer firearm so it might fall under the "replica" category?

I very rarely encounter other hunters of any sort when in the field. I would never give it a second thought if one of them had a bow or airgun or slingshot. I did phone in a suspicious bunch four years ago. On my way in to hunt pheasants five hispanic guys all dressed in black with tats were parked alongside the road in a very fancy black truck set up with several hundred (thousands?) rounds and a couple of black guns (that I could see). I stopped to ask what's going on. Oh, they're deer hunting. Right. And no hunter orange anywhere. Prairie dog town right there needs thinning so I left it at that. Drove to my spot and started the hike in to the creek. Then I hear those dirt balls going full auto. Okay, that tells the tale! I climbed up to cell coverage and called 911. The operator seemed to know the vehicle and occupants from my description. Within twenty minutes deputies were there blocking both exits. The truck tried to flee overland across a plowed grain field. That didn't work. The deputies probably ate a bag of donuts waiting for that truck to slog through the soft dirt to county road. I dropped back down to the creek to hunt birds ... and stay out of the line of fire. A couple weeks later I saw a city cop in the bar and asked him how that all played out. He said he couldn't talk about it. It's "being handled." I said I'm the guy who called in suspected auto weapons. Was I correct? He nodded.

 

[KB_]

Along for the ride...

 

[Lilhowie83]

I don't know how things are in Oklahoma Tom, but in Idaho we don't have just "rifle" seasons, we have an any weapon season. So that could be rifle, muzzeloader, archery, mossberg 500, pistol, whatever floats your boat.

 

[jt13]

Is not a muzzle loader a firearm? I'm not sure, but I seem to recall it's illegal for felons to even possess replica guns. Air rifle resembles a powder and primer firearm so it might fall under the "replica" category?

I very rarely encounter other hunters of any sort when in the field. I would never give it a second thought if one of them had a bow or airgun or slingshot. I did phone in a suspicious bunch four years ago. On my way in to hunt pheasants five hispanic guys all dressed in black with tats were parked alongside the road in a very fancy black truck set up with several hundred (thousands?) rounds and a couple of black guns (that I could see). I stopped to ask what's going on. Oh, they're deer hunting. Right. And no hunter orange anywhere. Prairie dog town right there needs thinning so I left it at that. Drove to my spot and started the hike in to the creek. Then I hear those dirt balls going full auto. Okay, that tells the tale! I climbed up to cell coverage and called 911. The operator seemed to know the vehicle and occupants from my description. Within twenty minutes deputies were there blocking both exits. The truck tried to flee overland across a plowed grain field. That didn't work. The deputies probably ate a bag of donuts waiting for that truck to slog through the soft dirt to county road. I dropped back down to the creek to hunt birds ... and stay out of the line of fire. A couple weeks later I saw a city cop in the bar and asked him how that all played out. He said he couldn't talk about it. It's "being handled." I said I'm the guy who called in suspected auto weapons. Was I correct? He nodded.

Federally a muzzleloader is not a firearm but state laws differ. PA for example does not allow prohibited persons to have or use black powder guns in addition to conventional firearms.

 

[TOGIE]

why might a non-issue be an issue?

so many questions...

 

[MTLabrador]

I’ve met a couple felons or prohibited persons that hunt with bows and muzzleloaders for that reason. I’ve met a few more that just don’t care that they’re not allowed to own guns.

 

[huntergirl_19]

What questions do you ask yourself if you should see a hunter afield with a bow, muzzle-loader or air gun afield during a gun season? There are some occasions when archery equipment, falcons, air guns and/or muzzle-loaders are allowed during gun seasons.

Don't you ever ask yourself, "Is that guy a convict or what!" whenever you see a non-gun in the deer woods during a gun season? There might be other reasons for non-guns during gun seasons, but one possibility is that the hunter might be banned from getting a gun.

In some places certain public lands are only open to archery in any season. I don't climb trees and to hunt with guns in a lot of places in NC I had to be in a tree stand. So I hunted archery only areas. Saw a ton of deer during gun season too.

 

[Redman]

Only thought that one time.. Guy was wearing a loin cloth, had his face painted hunter orange like William Wallace, had knee high moccasins, and was singing Journey's "Wheel In The Sky" while rubbing deer liver around his his chest in a figure 8 pattern. He growled at me so I let him have his space.

 

[Hunting Wife]

“Because it’s a free country” is typically the only answer I need to such existential questions. If it’s legal, who the hell cares?

 

[Jamen]

I will see people out driving in the country during rifle season and they are not wearing blaze orange. One has to stop and ask themselves a PLETHORA of questions about said person. Then post said questions on a hunting forum.