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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[boxhitch]

Legal light usually is well after being able to see with out moonshine or lights
your gps will tell you sunrise and sunset

Good that you didn't shoot him down the road if there was any chance of anyone else being in the area

[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 :D

[caddisguy]

Legal light usually is well after being able to see with out moonshine or lights
your gps will tell you sunrise and sunset

Good that you didn't shoot him down the road if there was any chance of anyone else being in the area

Ya it wasn't the best shot... not down the road, but not much of a backstop... bit of a layer of trees but nothing just air after that until the next valley over. I might have been able to get a ground angle on him. I'll never know. I don't think I would have got a shot anyway... he didn't want to hang out

[mpotzold]

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!!

Similar story!
Eve & I were on our way towards our camp near Gang. It started to get dark as we made the sharp turn on the road just above the island. To the right of us stood a big mule buck about 40 yards away. It's head was slowly moving.

Got out of the vehicle asap & shot it with my video camera.:wink:

It was a robotic mule deer decoy set to catch night hunters. :wink:

To the chagrin of the CO's who were sitting & waiting on the hill top just to the right of Churn Creek bridge we drove by and waved a hello! :p

Where Churn Creek empties into Fraser.

https://www.chrisharris.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/E9606-0511-ou.jpg

[Wild one]

If you have to think about if it’s legal light or not you are better off to pass in my opinion.

[f350ps]

WOW, that's all I've got!!! K

[Ohwildwon]

U don't have Hunt Buddy or the like?

OMG

[Slinky Pickle]

If you can still see it well enough to shoot then you're still legal. As others have said though, make sure you know what time sunset is right to the minute each day. It's amazing how much it changes each day. Huntbuddy and a few other apps will tell you the times for sunrise and sunset in your actual position. I refer to it regularly.

[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 :D

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

[albravo2]

Curious, where do you read that it depends on local terrain? All I see is one hour after/before published sunset and that doesn't change per terrain.

[f350ps]

Curious, where do you read that it depends on local terrain? All I see is one hour after/before published sunset and that doesn't change per terrain.
Sunset on the coast today is 18:27, sunset in Reg 3-30 today is 18:18, just sayin. To the OP, get yourself a GPS or HuntBuddy and your problem is solved! K

[180grainer]

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!!
Isn't it a half hour before sunrise and half hour after sunset for Migratory birds and an hour on either end for animals? I doubt you could have counted tines at 40 yards an hour after sunset, but maybe I'm wrong about that.

[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.....

[Bugle M In]

You did the right thing.
If you are not sure, don't shoot.
But yes, legal light is different when you have mtn's in the way.
Good on ya, and hopefully karma helps you in the future.

[Brambles]

My experiance is 1 hour after sunset is soo dark you cant see anything...if you could still identify your animal without lights you would have been good to go...

[HarryToolips]

^^^yup that's what I go by, and in the regs it even says hunters will have to make that judgement in the field... lol I give it about a 1% chance you'll see him again...sorry Caddis..I've let go a crankier buck before too, because of a different situation but yes it hurts, but when in doubt don't shoot so overall you did the right thing..

[Salty]

Taking a shot at the last legal light from a stand or an area you've been watching for a couple hours is one thing. Jumping an animal in poor light on the road is another you don't know what your back stop is likely for one thing. I can relate I shut myself down in similar situations early. Guess you better go back caddis :)

[Ourea]

My experiance is 1 hour after sunset is soo dark you cant see anything...if you could still identify your animal without lights you would have been good to go...

I've never rd hunted in all my years. Pretty much know who I'm after and am usually on them and they seldom become active and start to show/expose themselves until last light and r usually on their way out within 30 mins of first light.

[Ourea]

Point being is that last and first light is THE critical window for deer hunting. If u r just driving around I suspect it's a different game if every turn and cut block the light is different. Always error on the ethics side, not comfortable, dont shoot.

[caddisguy]

Curious, where do you read that it depends on local terrain? All I see is one hour after/before published sunset and that doesn't change per terrain.

Pretty sure it mentions the terrain factor in the regs.

Anyway I had lots of time to marinade on it. I'm still good with my decision.

My consolation prize was a bunch of birds which is what we came for... we call it the "annual natures drive through". Who knew deer would come to the party though.

[caddisguy]

Taking a shot at the last legal light from a stand or an area you've been watching for a couple hours is one thing. Jumping an animal in poor light on the road is another you don't know what your back stop is likely for one thing. I can relate I shut myself down in similar situations early. Guess you better go back caddis :)

Psst it's that place you checked out last year... right around the 2km mark where it goes from a steep drop off to a nice timber bench on your left. I was tempted to go set up in there tonight lol

[two-feet]

You are an experienced hunter and made the right call. I have many, many stories of “the one that got away” variety, these are some of my favourite memories.

[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

[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!!


Here, I’ll make you feel a little better about deciding not to shoot in questionable light ^^ haha,

Yesterday afternoon around 3, Hugh Mann and myself were hiking into a spot we know to hold white tails, with the intention of harvesting another WT, well on the way in we walk passed a big boulder, step by it and movement catches my attention... not even 15 yards away from us is a nice fat neck 4x4 mulie, bedded and frozen with fear, and we both had a mulie tag in hand...He sat there staring at us for what had to be five minutes, as we had a conversation, put our rifles up and debated a shot and just generally watched him.. the icing on the cake !? After letting him go about his business to make some more 4pts, we get to our spot and set up just in time to hear two guns shots and watch the white tail we were planning to hunt jump up from their beds and take off into another dimension! Good karma my ass hahaha hopefully it wasn’t another hunter shooting the buck we let live or we just burnt up two bridges!

[caddisguy]

Just got home. Pretty awesome trip, checking out some new places and giving the birdies heck... well, minus all the ones that got away or I missed LOL but that made for some good blooper videos. Still enough for a pretty big Thanksgiving dinner for. Saw a nice muley doe this morning that hung around long enough for some close up video.

Anyway, for the sake of this topic, this is from the regs:

30. To hunt game, except migratory gamebirds (see #31), from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise. To find out the time of sunrise and sunset,consult a local newspaper or the following website: www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/services/sunrise/index.html (http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/services/sunrise/index.html). The responsibility remains with the hunter to make the determination of sunrise and sunset in the field based on existing terrain and circumstances.

If I look at the sunset for the nearest town, I had about 10-15 mins of legal light. I suspect it "probably" would have been legal if I switched off the car (daytime running lights LOL) and could have got a responsible shot on it if I was lucky enough to walk up to where it went into the trees and saw it there starring back at me. At the end of the day, nothing about it felt right (other than the questioning myself for about an hour after) I'm not opposed to road hunting (I love driving around and shooting road birds with a scatter gun) but jumping out of the car to pursue a buck in questionable light isn't my cup of tea. If I was still-hunting in the timber or in a blind, that might have went down differently. I think I learned/confirmed something about myself in that situation and that is I am going to go with my gut, every single time. No internal dilemma where reluctance exists is going to be won by temptation in a split second forced situation. It's worked out well for me hunting and life in general. My gut told me not to shoot a bear while watching it for a couple hours between consecutive nights. Cubs 15-20 yards back in the treeline... who woulda known... gotta use those spidey senses

[Salty]

Psst it's that place you checked out last year... right around the 2km mark where it goes from a steep drop off to a nice timber bench on your left. I was tempted to go set up in there tonight lol

It could be dude but I've got a serious case of half knowing that neck of the woods I keep getting two or three fsr's all jumbled up in my head. Earlier this summer I turn up road A to go to a spot I wanted to walk the dog and check on things and find out half way up.... duh! wrong road, that's the other side of the river. LOL Three years in here and I've branched out (too many) directions. Still got lots and lots to learn in detail. Congrats on the chickens I might have to venture out that way one of these weeks and see if the ones you spooked have landed yet. haha

[Wild one]

Keep listening to your gut sounds like it steers you in the right direction

wish you the best this season maybe you will even get a crack at a BT

[caddisguy]

It could be dude but I've got a serious case of half knowing that neck of the woods I keep getting two or three fsr's all jumbled up in my head. Earlier this summer I turn up road A to go to a spot I wanted to walk the dog and check on things and find out half way up.... duh! wrong road, that's the other side of the river. LOL Three years in here and I've branched out (too many) directions. Still got lots and lots to learn in detail. Congrats on the chickens I might have to venture out that way one of these weeks and see if the ones you spooked have landed yet. haha

LOL they don't always spoke / learn easy. One of them gave me 4 cracks with the scatter gun before I got him... I had to run back to the jeep to grab more shells... my crappy performance aside, I think he was actually excited to run after and eat the #6 that was bouncing all around him and gobble them up. I have it on video but not sure I'd ever post the first 3 shots... maybe in a blooper vid. Another led me on an entertaining foot chase which was also captured on video. I picked up the tackle for first "down". Craziest one took me an hour to recover. He managed to take off and burrow down into a 3 foot hole. I don't give up. I knew I could smell him. I searched everywhere else, so I reluctantly stuck my arm down the hole and sure enough pulled out a grouse. Second time in two weeks I had to spent significant time looking for one. Last week I spent half an hour in the usual valley (not many grouse this year) searching for one that made it a distance and hunkered down. Don't worry I left you a lot of birds that are "used" to getting shot at with no negative consequence and will hang around longer for the next guy.

Seriously though others are a bit flighty in there. I find it different than last year. Last year it was a 4-6pm show on that one road. This time it was the first couple hours of the day that were most productive, then a little in the early afternoon. No idea about the variables that dictate this. Weather and temps were similar... maybe moon cycle, who knows. Evening was productive on another road lower down. I'll send you a PM about the chicken report and the location of the buck in case you decide to head out that way.

[caddisguy]

Keep listening to your gut sounds like it steers you in the right direction

wish you the best this season maybe you will even get a crack at a BT

Thank you sir! Annual thanksgiving road bird hunt done, I'll be getting back to the regular routine for the blacktails pre-rut & rut. I will do everything I can to make it happen this year. That is what I have always been after as a hunter. Muley off a road wouldn't give me much satisfaction other than meat in the freezer. You know my mission / obsession.