usa hunting laws

[churchill]

hi all...
am i right in believing that in the states you are required to wear hi viz vests over your camo clothing and that you are not allowed to have sound suppressors(silencers) on your hunting rifles..i was just wandering what different government laws are..
here in england we can suppress any gun we like be it shotgun,rifle or pistol..
and we dont have to wear any hi viz at all...
cheers all for reading.
atb.

[2damnold4this]

The states control most of the hunting regulations in the US. There are some exceptions such as laws regulating the hunting of migratory birds.

[churchill]

cheers for reply mate..
also may i ask...are you allowed to bait up whatever your after shooting??
and can you shoot as many deer as you like in the season.

[rbernie]

Baiting and allowable implements and mandatory blaze orange are all potential issues that are defined by each state individually. For example, most states disallow baiting, but some states do not. Some states disallow the use of centerfire rifles for deer hunting, while others do not. Most all states have some minimum chambering allowable for deer hunting, although the minimum chambering varies slightly. Most states also share a common set of hunting regulations around seasons and safety related issues (minimum allowable distance from roads or buildings, etc.).

My state of Texas separates the hunting regulations into a relatively strict set that apply to the hunting of native game and a relaxed set for hunting of non-native/non-game species. Feral hogs, for example, are considered pests and are not classified as a game animal, and as a result can be hunted any time of year with virtually any implement and without limit. Non-native deer can be hunted year-round, but native deer can only be hunted in season and to strict bag limits.

[churchill]

cheers pal....here we can almost do what we like when hunting...no hi viz,silencers,bait and shoot as much a species as we like providing its legal to shoot..
here in the uk its one rule/law for all the country...
thats probably where ive gone wrong thinking its the same over the pond.
where its the seperate states that write the hunting laws and not the government for the hole states..
cheers all.

[horseman308]

It's a good question you asked. I believe that that big difference you pointed out has to do with the fact that before there was a Federal Government (before the American Revolution/Rebellion - is it called something different in the UK?), each state/colony was its own entity. Since then, each state continues to have some amount of autonomy, though it seems to be decreasing as time goes on in favor of more Federal control.

But since we're on the topic of different laws/regulations with hunting between U.S. and U.K., it's interesting that the laws governing baiting, implements, etc. are so different. If I understand correctly, it's harder to own firearms and you can't hunt with archery equipment. What are the U.K. laws about owning hunting weapons, where you can hunt, etc.? Thanks.

[churchill]

hi horseman...
here in the uk its quite hard to obain firearms...you need to have a clear record,be a upstanding member of the comunity and have 2 people sign your application to verify your safe to own guns...the people to sign must be doctors,policemen,lawyers school teachers and alike..
but once you obtain you fac its nearly law less....
only thing is all the land you want to shoot you must carry permission letters off the land owner and the flo has to inspect the grounds and deem it fit or larger enough space for you choosen calibre...
as for hunting with bows and crossbows its a big no no.
but we can still hunt with dogs and we can bait animals with other animals even...for example---chickens to attract foxes,rabbits tethered to a stick is great for bringing in the crows and magpies..
you get the picture..

[Scorch]

Hi churchill, and welcome to TFL.
Here in the USA, the individual states regulate hunting and enforce regulations within their boundaries (there are also Federal laws that are enforced by the State enforcement agencies). It would be difficult to have one set of game laws for the whole nation due to the large geographic area occupied by our nation (3.8 million square miles vs 95,000 square miles for the UK, roughly 40X larger, we have states that are larger than the UK inside the USA) and the variety of game animals found here (and widely varying populations of each).

Suppressors are regulated by Federal law, with some State laws thrown in for lawyers to argue about, but in general are not allowed for hunting game animals. I can see the benefits of using suppressors for hunting, but the Government does not.

High-visibility orange for hunters is also regulated state by state, not required by all states while hunting big game or small game, but pretty much universally required for upland game hunting.

[davlandrum]

Oregon is one of the states that do not require blaze orange.

I wear it anyway during rifle season - just one less excuse for someone to shoot me...

[Dragon55]

What all said above and the blaze orange thing is primarily for 'big game' where folks are subject to be taking very long shots with large calibers or long pointy arrows with razor blades on them.

For things with feathers and smaller creatures that scurry on the ground or up in the trees no such requirements..... at least here in Tennessee.

[oneounceload]

Some states require plain blaze orange, like Colorado, others allow a orange/camo blend, others do not require anything. Some require an orange hat, some do not

Some allow suppressors for certain hunting, but I have never seen it allowed for big game or waterfowl.

I prefer something that will make sure I am not mistaken for a deer.

I once watched a friend's husband get his horse shot out from under him - he was in an orange coverall outfit and his horse was wearing a blaze orange blanket, yet the moron who shot his horse swore it was a deer

[cornbush]

Perfectly legal to hunt with a supressor in Utah, we have to wear orange during a centerfire hunt. In Idaho orange is recomended but not required, Wyoming you have to wear one article of orange on head or chest and back.

[Pahoo]

churchill
One item that keeps resonating throughout these replies, is that each state has it's own rule book. Because of our varing geography and wildlife, each rule book is very specific to each state and that includes any restrictions on firearms and even ammunition. Each year, every state distributes the rule book for that state. There are common rules but usually in states that border each other or in a particular part of the country. Addressing some midwest states, Blaze Orange is required for any Deer Firearm season. It is also required for Upland bird hunting but not required for Turkeys. The requirement is an unbroken field of Blaze Orange so that excludes and camo or anything that breaks the field. Also, depending on how one manipulates his "Tags" and what he hunts with, he can easily take multiple deer throughout the hunting season. Suppressors for the most part are not allowed nor needed. One Iowa rule that I questioon, is that during a party hunt, one hunter can in theory, shoot all the deer for that party as long as they have the Tags to go with each deer. There are many "Special Seasons" that can only be tracked or understood by what the rule book lists. Part of being an ethical hunter, is to stay current with each rule book, each and every year.



Be Safe !!!!

[Crankylove]

we have to wear orange during a centerfire hunt

Last time I went thru the Utah regs, I believe it was 400 sq inches of unbroken orange (no orange camo) on the torso, and you also are required to have orange on your head.

And as Cornbush said, suppressors are legal, but no select fire/automatic weapons, or light enhancement devices.

[Fat White Boy]

Hello Churchill- Some states require Blaze Orange to prevent the accidental shooting of hunters by other hunters. With as many firearms and hunters as there are in the U.S., you would think we would be safer. Some farmers have been known to paint their livestock a bright color during hunting season to keep some pilgrim from mistaking an 800 pound Holstein cow for a 125 pound Whitetail deer... Americans can be as crazy, and stupid as the rest of the world believes...

[ActivShootr]

Tennessee requires 500 square inches of orange during deer season. But I wear it when hunting any game if I am not alone.

No baiting is allowed for any game animal.

Suppressors are prohibited.

[Swampghost]

We are required to wearing blaze when moving in a Wildlife Management Area (WMA). On stand you can take it off.

On private land you can pretty much do what you want. I haven't seen a single sq. in. of orange there.

[churchill]

cheers all for your great replys and an insight to your way of hunting over there..
i think what is the big difference between us and uk is that we cant just go out and shoot on state,government or county land...its all got to be private land and no more than 5 fac holders can shoot on there at one time unlike you being allowed to shoot on state land where there could be 10s or 20s out hunting at the same time..
atb.

[roy reali]

While we do have fifty sets of gun and hunting laws, there are certain Federal laws that apply to all of us. Migratory game bird laws are controlled by our Federal Government, or at least they set up guidelines that each state must follow. In fact, a Federal Duck Stamp is required by anyone, in any state, to hunt these species.

One example is the use of nontoxic shot. Anyone in America that hunts ducks or geese can not have any loads contianing lead. There are other examples.

I realize that this might sound confusing, but most of us that live here still haven't figured all of this out.

[troy_mclure]

. Some farmers have been known to paint their livestock a bright color during hunting season to keep some pilgrim from mistaking an 800 pound Holstein cow for a 125 pound Whitetail deer

a farmer where my parents live paints " cow" in blaze orange on his cows. he has sued 2 new yorkers for the value of the cow they shot, even with orange "cow" on it.
his house is right next to his pasture so he saw cow get shot, and called the local police.

my mom works at a deer check station, she has seen a few goats brought in to be checked as deer.

[KSFreeman]

1. Slob orange: depends on the type of hunting one wishes to engage in. Unfortunately slob orange is required for most deer seasons with firearms.

2. Suppressors: depends on the type of hunting one wishes to engage in and, of course, the state or locality.

[Phoneguy]

California (the most populated state) does not require blaze orange. There are so few hunting related human shootings that this has never been an issue. You are not required to wear blaze orange for upland hunting either but we do. We host a youth pheasant hunt for 100 youth hunters. They are required to wear orange and safety glasses.

[Countertop]

most states disallow baiting, but some states do not.

I actually thought most states allowed it (for deer, at least) provided it was on private property. In my experience (and I hunt a lot of different states - I have VA, MD, VT, PA, SD, NC, OK and GA licenses this year - though some are just small game/bird licenses) most states allow baiting for deer on private property.

[Fat White Boy]

Phone guy- Is that youth hunt with Quail Unlimited?

[Phoneguy]

Phone guy- Is that youth hunt with Quail Unlimited?

No. It is put on by the Shasta County Sportsmen's Association of which I am the President.