[chuckinduck]

you guys are all wrong with respect to centefires being illegal.....I challenge all you to contact the DNR in lansing and find anything that says its illegal to use a centerfire "IF" you do not have a light source on your person.......I've already talked to several officers and those officers challenged their superior officers and nobody has found anything that says you can't use a centerfire at night "if" you don't have a light source........if your using a light its illegal....if not....its legal.

 

[bohunt1]

chuck can you use a handheld spotlight or no light at all?

 

[chuckinduck]

You cannot have any light with you if you are using a centerfire....including flashlights, or night visions scopes. Even a small pen light would put you in violation as stupid as it may seem!

 

[The51stState]

Your correct. It had been legal all along, you just had to read the by laws. I've been doing it for 20 years.
Don't just read the hunters guide, you have to search the Michigan by-laws and read those too. There is more in there than you think that everybody thinks you can't do.

 

[skandiaman]

We have our C.O. on T.V. tell us that centerfires are legal at night as long as you don't use a light. I spoke with him off camera about using a flashlight in and out of the woods and he told us to completely empty the gun while doing so. Those nights bright enough for no light a flashlight would only be for protection from movement shooters. The best thing to do is speak with the C.O.'s in your hunting areas and pin down exactly how they would enforce the law. Give him your name and get his name.

 

[Todd Frank]

What Co's are you guys talking to? I am in law enforcement and work with co"s in my area and I hunt varmits at night for years, following the law....I dont use a center fire at night, (would like to to) but have been following the letter of the law}......I wouldnt take just one persons interpetaion of this..I would be careful...I want to say they are wrong, but Im going to look into this, If this is true its news to me, ...but that would be good news..

 

[skandiaman]

The C.O. I spoke with said the law was just changed last year to be able to use centerfires at night without a light.

 

[mich buckmaster]

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59615

Here is what OUR Conservation Officer said about the law.

 

[Todd Frank]

Yep, refrence that thread thats the law and interpertation that myself and the people I work with have been operating by and abiding by.

 

[getom59]

Michigan's Ask DNR says it isn't legal to use a centerfire rifle to hunt coyoyes at night (see below). I did a search of "centerfire, night" at the Ask DNR and about 4 pages of questions came up. The question and answer was last updated in the Ask DNR site on 3/17/03.

QUESTION:

Can I hunt coyote in Michigan at night with a centerfire rifle?

ANSWER:

No, centerfire rifles are not allowed at night anywhere in the state.

 

[chuckinduck]

Call Lansing and have them give you the exact law.....its real easy for them to worm their way out of a question they don't know the answer to........and furthermore they are probably interpretting it as though you will be using a light.......call lansing!

 

[mich buckmaster]

You know though, I am not for using ANY gun WITHOUT a light. We are taught to NO what we are shooting at. You cant tell me that a hunter out AT night with NO light can tell what DOG they are shooting.

Maybe on the FULL moon night with a Huge Recticle(sp) Scope, then maybe have a decent identification of the animal.

I am not for a person out in Southern Michigan using a Centerfire rifle at night WITHOUT a light.

Sorry sounds a little dangerous for me.

 

[chuckinduck]

First off if you have full moon and a good scope there should be no problem using a centefire at night.......secondly even with the full moon you are not gonna see more than maybe 150 yards, if you can't identify a fox/coyote from a dog with a scope and a full moon the thought of you having a gun is scary enough. Anyone that is gonna be predator hunting with a centerfire hopefully is using a predator rifle no bigger than .22 caliber, the small bullets will blow up the second it hits something and as long as you aren't shooting towards someones house and use some common sense there will be no problem of richochet's. And in all the time I've been predator hunting I've had one dog come in that was wild, sickly looking and he got everything he needed! I would never use a centerfire under conditions in which you couldn't see and hopefully others would follow that, but anyone thats hunted with a full moon and a good scope will know that ID'ing the target isn't that tough!

 

[Todd Frank]

I have never handled or even heard of any night time accidents steming from varmit hunting in my area......daytime deer season, diffrent story plenty of houses with holes....fyi