Notice - Centerfire Rifles After Sunset!

[boehr]

As of the NRC Meeting yesterday and today, the law went back into effect that a centerfire rifle may NOT be used after sunset for hunting. Doesn't matter if you are using a light or not, no centerfire rifles anywhere in the state.

[kingfisher 11]

I am happy with that one.

Always thought this was helpful to a poacher.

[FixedBlade]

Thats the dumbist thing I've heard yet. A poacher isn't going to care about a law. What are the preditor hunters going to use?

[Dom]

Not good. So the rimfires are left for night hunting the predators -- wouldn't be my first choice for yotes. If the lame reasoning is due to poachers, then everyone has to suffer for the bad apples. Seems the law abiding sportsmen always get the short end of the stick. The way that's worded, doesn't matter if on private land, still no cf at night allowed, anywhere. Waidmannsheil, Dom.

[Rudi's Dad]

I didnt think about preditor hunters. Maybe that law was a little hasty being passed...

[boehr]

That was the law for years and it was only legal for a few years. This is about safety guys. I am 100% behind this law being put back into where it has always been with the exception of a few years when when changing of wording created the loophole making it legal.

[ESOX]

Won't change what I do, .17HMR here.:)

Thanks for the heads up Ray.

[boehr]

Actual ammended law;

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ORDER

Amendment No. 19 of 2004

Under the authority of sections 40107 and 40113a, Act No. 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, as amended, being sections 324.40107 and 324.40113a of the Michigan Compiled Laws, the Natural Resources Commission and the Director of the Department of Natural Resources ordered that effective
December 10, 2004, the following sections of the Wildlife Conservation Order shall read as follows:

2.5 Hunting hours, exceptions; prohibited activities.
Sec. 2.5. (1) Except for the trapping of animals and as otherwise specified in this section, the hunting hours shall substantially conform to one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset and shall be those starting times and ending times published in the Michigan hunting and trapping guide or in the respective state hunting guide for that animal.
(2) In addition to the daylight hunting hours specified in subsection (1) and during those dates specified for the use of artificial lights in sections 2.4 and 3.605, a person traveling afoot at night and in possession of only a bow and arrow, a rimfire firearm .22 caliber or smaller or shotgun with loads other than buckshot, slug or cut shell may take within their specified open seasons raccoon, opossum, and fox with the aid of dogs; and fox and coyote, during the season open to the taking of fox, with the aid of a game or predator call. A person hunting these species during the nighttime hunting hours shall not possess a loaded firearm or bow with a nocked arrow except when 1 or more of the following conditions apply, or as otherwise provided by law:
(a) The person is following dogs and is at the point of kill for taking a treed raccoon during the open season for taking raccoon by hunting.
(b) The person is following dogs and is at the point of kill for taking opossum during the open season for taking opossum by hunting.
(c) The person is taking coyote or fox with the aid of a game or predator call during the open season for taking fox by hunting.

[bucknduck]

Just so that I understand the amended rules, it will still be legal to hunt coyote at night with a .22 as long as you have artificial lighting correct?

[Ferg]

that this change 'back' is a good thing for L/E - Now ANYONE using center fire after dark is a violator - keeps the person that is poching deer from saying 'Hey! I was shooting at yotes' -

Seems like a good idea -


ferg....

[boehr]

Just so that I understand the amended rules, it will still be legal to hunt coyote at night with a .22 as long as you have artificial lighting correct?Correct, 22 rimfire is still as it has always been, legal at night with a light or without a light.

[Bwana]

That was the law for years and it was only legal for a few years. This is about safety guys. I am 100% behind this law being put back into where it has always been with the exception of a few years when when changing of wording created the loophole making it legal.
So people were shot/injured using a centerfire rifle after dark for these first few years? Boehr, I am a predator hunter and I apply my hobby in the National Forest. I have never seen another hunter or a poacher for that matter when moving around in the woods at night in December - March. Wouldn't it have been better to use the Rifle/Shotgun deer season dividing line? Or simply said North of Highway 46 you can continue to use Centerfires as most of the population is south of 46. This is just another area where the "Nanny State" is applying itself. I am sorry, but we disagree on this one.

[FixedBlade]

What if I take my 44mag? That is a centerfire hand gun. I would assume I can use it.

[drwink]

I don't see any mention of handguns, or rifles for that matter in the text except for Boer's title line.
I would be interested though as I have a scoped 44 mag myself.

Looks like the varmit barrel for the Encore purchase is going to be out. :mad:

[explodingvarmints]

great, now we can mame predators with pellet guns! wow sure am glad i've got that 223 with the big scope and bull barrel, it will look real nice collecting dust in the gun cabinet! now i guess i should have got the 22 mag! thanks a bunch you p.o.s. poachers, we will be hunting you now since predator hunting will be more the less a waste of sleep and time! i am so happy i could just $h1t ! oh well guess us hunters will just keep buying permits and funding all of the programs that keep taking things away from us because "we can't be trusted to not be a moron while hunting" rant over.

[Alpha Male]

I can see both sides of this one. I have hunted coyotes extensively throughout the country, many times at night.

In practical application, the centerfire rifles at night are really not needed. Even on a cloudless moonlit night, anything much over 100 yards would be one HELL of a long shot without night specific sighting equipment. And the .22 WMR is quite effective on dogs at that distance.

In Texas last month, I waxed a sitting bitch at 90 steps at night with a 94/22 Mag with a 4x scope. The bullet entered the point of the shoulder and she dropped IMMEDIATELY. Life Force Gone by the time the sound of the shot faded into the night. On this same excursion, we shot MANY javelina as a favor to the quail hunting ranch owner with the same 22 Mag. A javelina is a much more robust creature than a coyote. Most died instantly or did the kickin' chicken right where they stood.

My expereince with the 17 HMR on coyotes has not been positive. The bullets are too light and don't do too well against ribs and shoulders. A 25 grain pill might change that, but I don't think it would equal the .22WMR in terms of dropping them where they stand.

If you haven't guessed, I'm a big fan of the 22 Mag. Don't feel handicapped by it. Truth be told, I'm sure more than a few deer are taken with it each year, so this legislation won't do much to help stop poaching or make enforcement easier. It just means that the lead we sling at night won't be going as fast or carry as much energy as technology would allow. It's definitely a safety thing. Anyone whose ever seen tracer rounds being deflected by brush can understand this.

We've got bigger fish to fry guys...I wouldn't waste a lot of energy getting upset over this if you disagree with it. Ok...group hug. :grouphug:

[boehr]

No, handguns would not be legal to use at night. Centerfire rifles would be illegal anywhere in the state at night.

[ArrowFlinger]

What about the conflict between legal hunting hours (Deer) of 1/2 after sunset. Do we loose 1/2 hour of rifle time?