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Shining

JNRBRONC

JNRBRONC

Well-Known Member
What ever you think about it, here is your chance to make your views known to your elected officials. My understanding is that it bans all shining, whether a person has any "weapons" in the vehicle or not. Your mileage may vary.
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House File 191 - Introduced



HOUSE FILE
BY PETTENGILL


Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved

A BILL FOR

1 An Act prohibiting the use of artificial light on wildlife for
2 hunting or recreational purposes.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 1154HH 82
5 av/je/5

PAG LIN



1 1 Section 1. Section 481A.93, Code 2007, is amended to read
1 2 as follows:
1 3 481A.93 HUNTING BY USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT.
1 4 1. A person shall not throw or cast the rays of a
1 5 spotlight, headlight, or other artificial light on a highway,
1 6 or in a field, woodland, or forest for the purpose of
1 7 spotting, locating, or taking or attempting to take or hunt a
1 8 bird or animal, except raccoons or other fur=bearing animals
1 9 when treed with the aid of dogs, while having in possession or
1 10 control, either singly or as one of a group of persons, any
1 11 firearm, bow, or other implement or device whereby a bird or
1 12 animal could be killed or taken.
1 13 2. This section does not apply to deer being taken by or
1 14 under the control of a local governmental body within its
1 15 corporate limits pursuant to an approved special deer
1 16 population control plan.
1 17 EXPLANATION
1 18 This bill prohibits the use of spotlights, headlights, or
1 19 other artificial light to spot, locate, take or attempt to
1 20 take, or hunt a bird or animal, except raccoons or other
1 21 fur=bearing animals when treed with the aid of dogs.
1 22 Currently the use of artificial light in such a manner is
1 23 prohibited only when the light is used by a person or group of
1 24 persons that is also in possession of a weapon or device to
1 25 kill or take the bird or animal.
1 26 LSB 1154HH 82
1 27 av:nh/je/5.1
 
So that means if you happen to have a buck cross the road in front of you and turn your headlights to get a quick look at him it is illegal... and driving into a field at night with headlights on would be considered illegal... I don't agree with this at all. I enjoy spotlighting as a scouting and recreational activity. How do we exactly voice our opinions?
 
i think if your out at night with a light most people are going to think you are poaching anyways. just for that reason i never went out, in small towns people have big mouths.
 
When this one goes through, part of me is going to die.I would be all for making it illegal starting Sept 1 or so but the one thing I do know I will never see a truly magnificent whitetail again if it is passed.
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How do we exactly voice our opinions?

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Being on the "other side of the fence", why would I tell you?
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Joking aside, contact your legislator.
 
Wonder what the hell they'll do if they catch you driving out to pick up your blood trail, or while you're trailing. I don't know about you, but I always carry a weapon when I'm blood trailing.

Seems to me as though the "a hunter must make ever attempt to retrieve his game" should trump most other laws, especially this one.
 
Recreational shining is one of the most fun things you can do during the rut. I used to do it all the time with my kids and we had a ball. I think it is stupid to penalize the legal person for what the poachers are doing. Another erosion of personal rights. Terrible.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">An Act prohibiting the use of artificial light on wildlife for
2 hunting or recreational purposes.
</div></div>

That's the best news I've heard in a long time! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

I know some of you really enjoy it and we've already discussed all the pro's and cons's in some previous threads: More Poaching Problems

Yesterday I had occasion to sit in on debate in the Iowa Senate which I found very interesting.

Later we met with our Rep. John Whitaker, who not only is a hunter but has ridden with local CO's and witnessed first hand what many of us already know...and some of you wish to deny.

CO's themseleves have been working with John to come up with regulations to either ban shining or limit it to the time before hunting seasons.

I can tell you right now that trying to convince John that it does not create a very very serious problem by allowing recreational shining during hunting season..you'll be wasting the "keystrokes" /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif

I might add that John is also working on closing the loopholes that allow NR's to circumvent the law both on residency issues and the "party hunting" scheme.

For those that feel they can wave the "flag of stupidity" when it comes to our image...

John is only one of two serious deer hunters out of a hundred rep's and only perhaps 4 who hunt at all.

Our image is extremely important as the day is fast approaching when we may have not a single hunter to represent us in the political ring.

A poll taken on IW sometime ago shows that 2/3 majority support some type of controls or outright ban on shining.

Majority rules......
 
When someone shines deer they are most likely shinning private property. This could be viewed the same as tresspassing. Although it may be fun you are violating the rights of the land owners privacy. It would be easier to catch poachers if it were outlawed and there would be less temptation to tresspass after that monster buck that was seen last night. Banning shinning will help preserve Iowa,s quality bucks.
 
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When someone shines deer they are most likely shinning private property. This could be viewed the same as tresspassing.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's ridiculous. So if I look out in someone's field it is the same as tresspassing? So I am using a light.. or a camera lens, or a spotting scope.. and on and on. WHat if I am turning a corner and my headlights sweep acoross a deer in a field. Now I am trespassing? COME ON! That's the kind of thinking that keeps taking away our rights.

Stopping recreational shining is in no way going to curtail poaching. Poachers do not care if there are laws against shing they are already doing something illegal. It just takes something away from legal people based on what bad people do. It's a bad idea and penalizes people who are doing nothing wrong.

I get pretty riled up when I see laws that penalize good people for what bad people have done.
 
When I lived up in MICH, before the DNR thinned the herd down to nothing, there were a fair number of deer in the fields at night. Idiots shined out in my field, through my windows, up my driveway, all hrs of the night. Finally the constant shining turned into gun fire in the middle of the night, right behind my house. The law was difficult to get out that way, and poaching was a big problem. At least the DNR stopped shining during the rifle season. As I said the deer numbers dropped, so did the harassment. I am sorry to say this to all the recreational Shiners, but if it were outlawed, I wouldn't mind a bit. It just encourages poaching and suspect activity at night.Also spooks up the deer. At least it seemed to on my land.
 
I think Iowa1 is right that we should not be punishing the good people for what bad people have done. There will always be idiots out there who break the law or just don't care what happens in their wake.

Now I know poaching is a problem w/ spotlights sometimes but I believe most use it for the right ways. I myself love to shine w/ friends in the summer or as a key scouting tool during the season. Not to mention so many of the big deer I have seen in my life have come from the fact that I see a deer and turn my lights of my truck on them and low and behold it's a giant.

Plus I really don't think it's a huge problem w/ spotlights for poaching from what I have seen or heard of. I think most poachers are out driving around at dusk or dawn trying to shoot one out the window.

I'm w/ others on this I am sick of seeing my rights being taken away and this is just another added to the table.
 
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I get pretty riled up when I see laws that penalize good people for what bad people have done.


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Me too...but it's gotten completely out of hand and changes have to be made.

It's not about what legal shiners are doing...it's about the inabilty of one CO to cover two counties sorting out "legal from illegal".

I respect everyone's views on this subject...but it's gone well past the point of arguement on this forum.

This is about the majority of sportsmen who live in Iowa saying "enough is enough" and some sacrifice has to be made...

or...

saying I don't care that literally hundreds of mature bucks being illeagally taken every year because we do not have the manpower to sort recreational shiners from poachers.

Our lawmakers have witnessed it first hand and many IW members are in law enforcement themselves and also are all to aware of the problem.

A great many of you do not live back in hills as I do...I see it...I live it...and I'm sick and tired of it.

My vote and my voice is being heard loud and clear...
 
I must admit I enjoy going out shining, it is a grea way to see some deer that you may otherwise never see (even on your own property), can be a great scouting tool especially earlier in the season and doesn't hurt a thing if you do it correctly (That being don't shine the neighbors house, you know common sense things). Shining has been banned in IL for sometime and we have the same rule with the headlights. I know the DNR in our area enforces it also as he is known to write tickets for pulling in a field and running your headlights across it, even if it is your own property. Anyhow, I hate to see it go, but I feel it is just a matter of time. Poachers will not be deterred and will not be caught any easier if this law is passed so you are only hurting those of us who do it legally.
 
Ok, so lets ban spotlighting..... and then lets ban scopes; those could help a poacher out as well.... well we better ban rifles also.... and having a weapon in your truck period... "that guy just drove out in a field with his truck we better go write him up a ticket" .... well hell everyone is being illegal nowadays lets just ban hunting altogether..... come on guys; I hate poachers as much as anyone out there, but this is just one more step to outlaw hunting. I respect everyone's views on the subject. I hate to see good bucks or any deer illegally killed, but I don't agree with this law one bit.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
When someone shines deer they are most likely shinning private property. This could be viewed the same as tresspassing.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's ridiculous. So if I look out in someone's field it is the same as tresspassing? So I am using a light.. or a camera lens, or a spotting scope.. and on and on. WHat if I am turning a corner and my headlights sweep acoross a deer in a field. Now I am trespassing? COME ON! That's the kind of thinking that keeps taking away our rights.

Stopping recreational shining is in no way going to curtail poaching. Poachers do not care if there are laws against shing they are already doing something illegal. It just takes something away from legal people based on what bad people do. It's a bad idea and penalizes people who are doing nothing wrong.

I get pretty riled up when I see laws that penalize good people for what bad people have done.

[/ QUOTE ]
What he said.
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Dbltree,

Thanks for the sharing the information from Rep. Whitaker. Most folks do not realize the extent of the problem in SE Iowa. I'm sick of finding or hearing about literally dozens of poached deer in our area. I would support a ban limited to only the hard horn time of year, but a 'year' long ban is better than nothing. I wonder how many folks that do not like this idea actually own the land (and raise the deer) that they hunt on ??
 
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