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BuckTracker: Shining in the Spotlight
It seems a goofy time of year to address the issue of shining—or spotlighting—deer, but it is a topic very much in the news in my neighborhood. That’s because Minnesota lawmakers are contemplating legislation that would tighten restrictions on the practice. Currently, folks can shine deer here until 10 p.m. during the hunting season, and all night long the rest of the year. And it’s legal for a shiner to have a cased bow or gun, as long as it’s in the rear-most portion of the vehicle.
Proposed legislation would restrict shining to a one-hour period after sunset, year-round, and no weapons would be allowed in vehicles.
I am four-square in favor of the restrictions and would even support an outright ban on shining during the fall. However, I confess I am more than a little prejudiced on this one. Two years ago, the only mature buck living in my rural neighborhood disappeared after leading a highly-visible lifestyle. I found him one morning, lying 100 yards from my mailbox…with his head cut off. Shining activity had been heavy in the area for weeks. Once that buck bit the dust, the spotlights disappeared. It didn’t take much for me (and the many people who knew this deer) to connect the dots.
What upsets me about this is that the rest of the animal was wasted.
Posted by: Blue Ox | March 14, 2008 at 01:18 PM
best thing they could do spot lighting is unfair to the animal and too many pochers fill their tags every year this way. the law needs to have strick laws on this, instead of a smack on the hand.
Posted by: 155bcman | March 14, 2008 at 04:59 PM
I love nothing better than spending an early fall night cruising the dirt roads and spot lighting for deer, but I'm starting to think it should be illegal once fall rolls around. I live in PA, and antler restrictions have dramatically increased the number of big bucks. The bad side? A lot of those big bucks are getting poached by spot lighters. Game warden's can't be everywhere, so why make their job harder by making them sort out poachers from spot lighters?
I hate to give up a good activity because or a few dirtbag poachers, but if thats the best thing for the deer, we've got to do it.
Posted by: Frank Fox | March 14, 2008 at 05:21 PM
Agree with Frank Fox. I used to live in PA. I now live in a state that doesn't allow spotlighting for any reason, except to do our DMAP deer counts. And even then we have to call the game warden for nightly permission so he knows not to respond to neighbors reporting a potential poaching incident. It just makes sense. If someone sees a spotlight in Oklahoma, they call the game warden. That's the way it should be.
I did love spotlighting when I lived in PA though. Nothing like tipping back a 12 pack and ear-shooting your dinner with a 22. Kidding.
Posted by: John D | March 14, 2008 at 07:23 PM
Here in Maine,spotlighting ceases to exist from Sept 1st through Dec 31st.This gives the deer time to relax and not be stressed prior to archery,gun & muzzleloading.It also saves alot of poaching going on and I think its great the warden service use realistic deer to set out in some field some where in order to catch the jerks who think they can't get a deer any other way.
Posted by: Wanda | March 14, 2008 at 08:32 PM
John D.
You got that right! However, my first experience with spot lighters was on the farm. Grandpa saw the lights down by the creek and took it personal. He snatched up the .22 and went out into the darkness. He determined that they were using truck mounted lights and proceeded to take them out, head lights and all. He then came back in the house and called the law and told them to be on the look out for a truck with the lights blown out. The next day we saw what they had done, what they left, all that was wasted, had to fix the fence they drove over, and bury the leavings.
Posted by: MidnightBanjo | March 15, 2008 at 01:59 AM
More Okies speaking out.
Guys, in Oklahomo, you can spotlight for varmints. You can also, with permission, spotlight for feral hogs! Other than the feral hogs, you may not be in possession of a centerfire rifle!
I don't think in any of the Oklhomo laws, it allows for spot lighting deer, even for kicks and giggles unarmed!
I believe it's called harrassing game animals!
Bubba
Posted by: Bubba | March 15, 2008 at 09:50 AM
I'm with Bubba on this one. In Texas spotlighting is illegal--period! If you're allowing it for just a portion of the year you're asking for poaching. I stayed a while in the mountains of Western North Carolina--beautiful looking country. You'd think there would be deer all over the place, but the opposite was true. After being there only a few weeks the game wardens busted a big poaching operation. They drove in three vehicles in a row at night--a "spotting" car, a "shooting" car, and finally, the "pick-up" car. Others helped to split up the meat. This group of about twenty individuals had robbed all the other residents of being able to see deer in a wonderfully, natural area!
Posted by: Jon R | March 15, 2008 at 12:40 PM
i agree with frank f.i used to go out and do some shining in the fall,but i think it should be outlawed altogether
Don
Posted by: don m. | March 15, 2008 at 02:55 PM
i think its still legal here in michigan in some shap or other but as i said befor, it should not be.
don
Posted by: don m. | March 15, 2008 at 03:01 PM
Jon R,
Just as a comment, if I remember well, I did read in one of those hunting and fishing booklets they give you in Walmart that in Texas it is legal to spot light, but only for "non-game" animals, like rabbits, racoons, and maybe coyotes (not sure), but you are adviced (required?) to notify the local parks and wildlife people where you are going to be doing it.
Posted by: Ricardo Rodríguez | March 15, 2008 at 05:11 PM
Ricardo Rodriguez
Correct-a-mundo! You can spot light varmints, just not deer!
Texas and Oklahomo are very similar in their spotlighting laws!
In Oklahomo, you must have "written" permission to hunt feral hogs at night from the ODW!
Bubba
Posted by: Bubba | March 15, 2008 at 07:33 PM
Bubba - how do you go about getting that permission? Think I could just give them a call, a letter, or would I need to go down in person? I know a place, several places actually, that the majority of hogs move at night. I need to read up on this a little more because I plan on making a coon dog out of Zeke (the Black Mouth Cur) this year. He's a natural - got a "training aid" off the side of the road just yesterday and went to work with him. I hope no one saw me removing the thing - that would be tough to explain to some of the folks I live near!
Posted by: MidnightBanjo | March 16, 2008 at 01:34 AM
Midnight Banjo
Page 19 of the Oklahomo Hunting Guide 2007-2008.
LANDOWNER DEPREDATION PROVISION
Landowners may obtain a special night-shooting permit from the local game warden to hunt nuisance hogs.
I had forgotten the "landowner" thing, but this is what the "book" says! If your local landowner is concerned, get him/her to obtain the permit with "your" name on it as the hunter!
Bubba
Posted by: Bubba | March 16, 2008 at 08:28 AM
I live in Alabama and would love to be able to shine at night. There are portions of Florida that you can shine in, and I have seen no more increase in night hunting there compared to any part of Alabama.
Posted by: steve | March 16, 2008 at 12:24 PM
Night lighting has been proven an effective manner in which to estimate deer populations. Other than that, I don't believe that spot lighting, especially deer, does anybody any favors.
I understand spotlighting coyotes, raccoons and other varmints, just not deer!
Bubba
Posted by: Bubba | March 16, 2008 at 02:03 PM
Wow, this story surprised me a little. I always spot light. Never seen poaching with the spot light around my house for the 68 years I've been livin' here. I use it as away to see where the deer are and understand the population. I do it all year round. It helps that not many people live by me except a couple farmers each whom I know very well. I don't know if I would like spot lightin' to be band, I've never seen it harm the animals or change their behavior. But I guess different areas have different circumstances. For the record I don't carry a gun spot lightin'.
MPN
Posted by: MPN | March 16, 2008 at 06:41 PM
In Tennessee it is against the law to cast any light including your car's headlights from the roadway in order to locate any animal! No way no how even if you don't have a gun and you still find deer beside the road with their heads cut off. Not enough enforcement or penalties...
Posted by: Dr. Ralph | March 16, 2008 at 07:19 PM
Dr. Ralph,
There is no excusing "some" human behavior!
Bubba
Posted by: Bubba | March 16, 2008 at 07:31 PM
Bubba,
It's just a shame that some unexcusable human behavior could cost the rest of us. I've never seen or heard of spot lightin' causing a problem down by me.
MPN
Posted by: MPN | March 16, 2008 at 08:54 PM
I see nothing wrong with making illegal to have a gun in your car while shining. It's common sense as far as i'm concerned. Plus, whats wrong with having midnight as a time to stop shining?
Posted by: as moeggs | March 16, 2008 at 11:31 PM
Up in north dakota it is banned year-round and rightfully so. Shining is just wrong.
Nate
Posted by: I'm in school right now | March 17, 2008 at 09:39 AM
I'm no psychiatrist(?) (shrink!?) but, it's like a lot of other things in our society.
What most see as a pleasing activity, others see as an opportunity for other goals!
Just like the gun control thing, what law restricts the one who cares, means nothing to the one who doesn't care!
Bubba
Posted by: Bubba | March 17, 2008 at 11:22 AM
Bubba,
r u saying that you are for shining?
Posted by: I'm in school right now | March 17, 2008 at 02:04 PM
Nate,
Please explain to me how shinin' is wrong. I do it all year and have never seen it have a negative impact on any animal. I take my grandson with me so he can see all the deer and get him into hunt'n. What's wrong with that?
MPN
Posted by: MPN | March 17, 2008 at 02:32 PM