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Spot lighting deer.

Mandity

Mandity

New Member
I was wondering if it was legall to spotlight deer at night without any weapons while in vehicle or on person. Have seen someone last couple nights around my area doing it. I was told it was legal but wanna make sure.
 
It is legal as long as you do not have any type of weapon (gun or bow or any other weapon capable of taking game) . If you still aren't sure most dnr wardens are more than happy to inform you rather than ticket you later. As previously stated in this thread it is tough for the wardens to determine who is legal or not and that makes their job twice as hard.
 
If they indeed check you out, they will do a felony stop because they dont know who they are dealing with and that involves you laying in the dirt and being cuffed until they do figure it out. Not worth it.
 
I believe its legal as mentioned before no weapons and im pretty sure your beam cant cross a lane of traffic
 
That seems a little dramatic doesn't it? I doubt they would throw your face in the dirt until they knew you were actually poaching.
 
Would you take the chance if you were them? There are some wild west hillbillies in Iowa. I know a few and I also work in law enforcement and know a few game wardens and they are not gonna take the chance.
 
Just don't do it - if you spotlight out in my fields and I see it the law will be coming after you.
 
gunrunr said:
Just don't do it - if you spotlight out in my fields and I see it the law will be coming after you.
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Exactly! More often than not the people are poaching and law should be called regardless!
 
It is not illegal at all as long as you do NOT have any type of weapon in your vehicle. I do it most nights when Im at work on my lunch hour. I was pulled over by ISP just a few weeks ago, and not at gun point either. I've never poached a deer or any other animal in my life so I will continue to spotlight without the fear of getting into trouble. As long as its legal, I will do it. I have no problem getting pulled over as I am not breaking any laws!
 
It's kind of up to the discression of the C.O. and how they want to play it. This question was brought up at a trapping class last year and my local CO told us a story. They had been getting reports of a spot lighter in an area over several nights, so, they staked it out. Sure enough, the spotlighters showed up again and this time they were there to check them, but just watched for a bit from a distance. One of the spot lighters jumped out of the vehicle with a tire iron and chased a coon across a field trying to beat it to death. They nailed him with spot lighting with a deadly weapon. I can't remember the exact wording to it, but it was somewhere along those lines. I'm pretty sure the law states a weapon with the ability to take game. Pretty much everyone has a tireiron... so, if they want to be a-holes, they'll get ya any way they want... best off just not doing it if you aren't sure
 
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Maybe off topic a little but if you have a night vision monocular is it still a bad idea to do? I mean with no visible light I would not think it would be but having more opinions would help?
 
As far as I know, it is perfectly legal if you don't have a weapon with you. I do it all the time. No better way to see what kind of deer there are in the area! Good spotlight and a pair of binoculars or window mounted spotting scope.
 
Spot lighting used to be my favorite past time in college. Instead of going to the bars we always went shining. Seen bigger deer than most will ever see in their life time on the stand. Been stopped many times and never had a gun pointed at us. Had a big knife pulled on us once but that was from a landowner. Kinda crazy but unfortunately 3 million candlepower overwhelms a big a knife lol. I don't do it any more though don't have time but sure do miss it.
 
Was spot lighting on my own property last year and a DNR pulled up behind me. He may have thought I was coon hunting because he asked if I had been getting any? I told him I was just checking for buck movement, he was super nice and asked if he could check my vehicle for weapons. He was kind of shocked when I got out as I was in my socks and had no shoes with me. He kind of smiled and said well I'll check anyway peaked in the back seat and said have a good night. I was glad to see him in my area as I've had a number of deer poached at night. Half the reason I go out as much as I do is to try and catch those actually shooting deer in the area.

I should have asked him some more questions about the legality of it. I was sitting in a field driveway. I would think if you were moving and the driver was holding the spotlight there may be some moving violations they could charge you with.
 
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daryl tjaden said:
If they indeed check you out, they will do a felony stop because they dont know who they are dealing with and that involves you laying in the dirt and being cuffed until they do figure it out. Not worth it.
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Been stopped multiple times in southern IA. This was not the case at all.
 
I used to do it years ago to take an inventory of the deer in the area.The best thing to do is to call the local co and tell them where you are going to be spotlighting at.
 
jclaws said:
I used to do it years ago to take an inventory of the deer in the area.The best thing to do is to call the local co and tell them where you are going to be spotlighting at.
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I have been told this as well, but my only question is, what if the poachers actually call the DNR and say "Hey I'm gonna be spotlighting deer at so and so time at so and so place just to see whats out running around. I won't have any weapons on me. Just wanted to let you know." Then what happens when they get a report of shining there?
 
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