Deer spotlights?

Robert_in_NY · Sep 20, 2005

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

What I was actually referring to was the activity that is being discussed. You talk about hunting and people think about poachers. You talk about baseball and people think about the steriod issue. The stupid people I am refering to are the poachers and the other idiots who give a sport a bad name. Well, them and the ones who don't agree with me /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

ratter · Sep 20, 2005

( In our valley (central PA) spotlighting is the main source of entertainment at night. Most people are pretty good about it but like most things civility is on the decline. During peak periods (fishing season and just before hunting season) there are so many people that it becomes a parade. The first guy sees the deer and watches till they move on. No one else sees any deer -- it gets really stupid. The real downside is that it encourages people to be out running up and down the roads at night -- typically with beer, sometimes with guns. I think West Virginia outlawed it altogether for such reasons. )

Fishing season, really? I don't see the connection?

RoyJackson · Sep 21, 2005

"I have known of a few people that let spot lights bug them but I do not understand it. If they are not using the lights to shine your house or snoop around your yard and only to see deer in the fields then why does it bother some people so much?"

I haven't read this entire thread, so this may have been mentioned already...

Spotlight deer will cause them to freeze up...make them easy targets. That's not hunting...just killing.

I'm not a hunter, but I've no problems with it...and I sure am a gun enthusiast.

But, hunting gives the deer a chance...spotlighting doesn't.

Robert_in_NY · Sep 21, 2005

Spot lighting deer is just that, you shine a light on them. It is illegal to hunt deer at night. This thread isn't about hunting them, it is about seeing them.

Farmwithjunk · Sep 21, 2005

(

I have known of a few people that let spot lights bug them but I do not understand it. If they are not using the lights to shine your house or snoop around your yard and only to see deer in the fields then why does it bother some people so much? )

I live in the country for various reasons, not least of which is for the solitude and privacy. I paid a large sum of money for the land we live on. It's mine. I don't want to be sitting in my family room, on my front porch, or in my bedroom, and have 2 million candlepower of spotlight hit me in the face.

Deer or no deer.

That's my right. I shouldn't have to go out of my way to discourage someone from invading my privacy. That's THEIR RESPONSIBILITY to respect.

Deer or no deer.

In spite of anyones wishes to do otherwise, it's well within my rights, the law, and common decentcy to EXPECT folks to honor that right of mine.

deer or no deer.

I respect your right to admire deer, to spend your free time watching them, and to use PUBLIC LAND, land where you have owners consent (or your own land) as you see fit, so long as it's (1) within the confines of the law, and (2) shows proper respect for other peoples rights and freedoms. Cross that line in the sand, and you are no different in my book, than someone out driving in my fields with a 4-wheeler, or someone hunting or fishing on my land without my permission.

deer or no deer.

As I said, you have a right to a different view. You may well choose to allow people access to your land, and to condone, even promote folks pointing lights at your property all night long. That's your choice. Just because you don't understand MY view, most certainly doesn't make my view WRONG. (And they do spotlight all night long at times. Had it go on at 4;30AM last week)

Deer or no deer.

MikePA · Sep 21, 2005

What's the point of spotlighting deer on property you can not hunt on? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Farmwithjunk · Sep 21, 2005

( What's the point of spotlighting deer on property you can not hunt on? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif )

Trying my best to understand that myself.... I can appreciate anyone wanting to admire nature in all her spledid glory. I like watching deer as much as anyone. But just as I understand why I can't HUNT on someones land without their approval, I don't see it as "proper behavior" to spotlight deer on someone elses property without their approval either.

ByronBob · Sep 21, 2005

Hey Bob,

Last night I read the booklet that the NYSDEC give you with your license. It said you can shine a light as long as your not within 500 feet of a home or building.

So if someone was in the street, shined a light at my home, technically I couldn't do anything about it because my home is 650 feet from the road. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

ratter · Sep 21, 2005

( ( What's the point of spotlighting deer on property you can not hunt on? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif )

Trying my best to understand that myself.... I can appreciate anyone wanting to admire nature in all her spledid glory. I like watching deer as much as anyone. But just as I understand why I can't HUNT on someones land without their approval, I don't see it as "proper behavior" to spotlight deer on someone elses property without their approval either. )

That's a big part of the issue for me too. Because it makes me wonder if people think that because they can spotlight my land, that I won't mind if they come hunt it, come October. If that's what they think, then there's gonna be a problem.

Now, during the daylight hours, any number of people stop in their cars as they're driving through (my property is on both sides of the street for a short stretch) and snap lots of pictures of the deer with their cameras. Now this I have no problem with. The intentions of the people with cameras are a lot clearer than the pickup trucks with spotlights driving by slowly at night. Maybe that's a prejudgement on my part, but oh well.

ps - I'm not anti-hunting at all. I don't hunt myself, but I have no problem with the people that do, so long as they abide by the laws and are courteous about their use of private land.

Thanks for all the thoughts on the subject. This has been an enlightening thread for me! Ba-da-bump!

Farmwithjunk · Sep 21, 2005

There's a big difference with folks taking pictures during daylight hours. I can see them, they can see me. It's just not the same as blasting my property with high-powered lights in the dark of night. Thing is, even if they don't directly aim at the house. a light that bright, pointed in the general direction of the house, illuminates everything. Deer, trucks, barns, tractors, me and the family, ect, ect, and so on.

I have no hunting signs posted, I have no tresspassing signs posted. It seems to me that spotlighting is covered somewhere in that realm.