Omg... I should have shot it? Maybe?

[caddisguy]

Sooo I'm up hunting somewhere (with reception for a change LOL)

We're just road hunting around, driving back to camp. It was getting pretty dark... almost dark.

Then we see this huge muley (at least a 5x5 with a great big body) on the road. I wasn't sure if it was "legal light" or not. I switched off my headlights to see how well I could see... could still see a good 30-40 yards or so though not much detail... watched the deer walk off into the bush and then kept driving.

I don't know what I'd do if I had a "do over" on that one haha.

Maybe I'll see him in the morning. Didn't even really plan on seeing a deer this trip. I just wanted to do our annual "Thanksgiving Road Hunt" and give the birdies a little heck.

Anyway Happy Thanksgiving friends!!

[RyoTHC]

Sooo I'm up hunting somewhere (with reception for a change LOL)

We're just road hunting around, driving back to camp. It was getting pretty dark... almost dark.

Then we see this huge muley (at least a 5x5 with a great big body) on the road. I wasn't sure if it was "legal light" or not. I switched off my headlights to see how well I could see... could still see a good 30-40 yards or so though not much detail... watched the deer walk off into the bush and then kept driving.

I don't know what I'd do if I had a "do over" on that one haha.

Maybe I'll see him in the morning. Didn't even really plan on seeing a deer this trip. I just wanted to do our annual "Thanksgiving Road Hunt" and give the birdies a little heck.

Anyway Happy Thanksgiving friends!!

I carry a lever action with a 1x for this reason exactly !
one thing I do every time I hunt the evening is set a phone alarm for a couple minutes after legal light.
No confusion for me, and it’s lead me to comfortably harvest animals in waning light.

[caddisguy]

I carry a lever action with a 1x for this reason exactly !
one thing I do every time I hunt the evening is set a phone alarm for a couple minutes after legal light.
No confusion for me, and it’s lead me to comfortably harvest animals in waning light.

I suspect I would have been able to see it in the 30-06 scope... have a 12 gauge with 3 inch OO and fibre optic front site as well.

Legal light is confusing... it says in the regs it depends on landscape... but I think there's a level of "use your judgement" ... lots of places the sun "sets" behind a mountain and you still have 5 hours of light.

I usually go by "could I see still see antlers from 30 yards"

Not sure if I could have or not... maybe. Didn't jump out to check... realized kinda after the fact.

Not gonna beat myself over it too much. I might not have had a crack at it anyway... he didn't seem too keen on hanging around

[Fella]

Sooo I'm up hunting somewhere (with reception for a change LOL)

We're just road hunting around, driving back to camp. It was getting pretty dark... almost dark.

Then we see this huge muley (at least a 5x5 with a great big body) on the road. I wasn't sure if it was "legal light" or not. I switched off my headlights to see how well I could see... could still see a good 30-40 yards or so though not much detail... watched the deer walk off into the bush and then kept driving.

I don't know what I'd do if I had a "do over" on that one haha.

Maybe I'll see him in the morning. Didn't even really plan on seeing a deer this trip. I just wanted to do our annual "Thanksgiving Road Hunt" and give the birdies a little heck.

Anyway Happy Thanksgiving friends!!

I feel your pain. Last year I spooked a back scratcher of a bull at last light. 5 minutes of legal light but just couldn’t see well enough.

[Ourea]

Fak man, know your legal shooting light every day. You dont need my advice. I will say this when it comes to deer...last 10 mins of legal shooting light is when I've seen the majority of jaw droppers

[Foxton Gundogs]

If you had reception, no excuse for not knowing legal shooting times. Good luck tomorrow.

[caddisguy]

If you had reception, no excuse for not knowing legal shooting times. Good luck tomorrow.

I could check sunset for the nearest town, but that's a ways away and 1500M elevation difference w/ totally different landscape so wouldn't be too relevant where I'm at.

I just go with the "how good can I see" method and it this one felt a little "off" but still an "on the fence" moment.

Maybe this is why I can't get a deer to save my life though

[Jack Russell]

I could check sunset for the nearest town, but that's a ways away and 1500M elevation difference w/ totally different landscape so wouldn't be too relevant where I'm at.

I just go with the "how good can I see" method and it this one felt a little "off" but still an "on the fence" moment.

Maybe this is why I can't get a deer to save my life though

What would a CO use to determine if it was legal shooting light, or not, at that area, if he had pulled you over?

[Pacemaker]

What would a CO use to determine if it was legal shooting light, or not, at that area, if he had pulled you over?

In reply to the above quote, a C.O. would have used a watch and a GPS to figure out if it was legal. Pretty simple.....

[Jack Russell]

In reply to the above quote, a C.O. would have used a watch and a GPS to figure out if it was legal. Pretty simple.....

Exactly.

Also varying sunrise/sunset has nothing to do with terrain, everything to do with latitude