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Coon regulation question Iowa

aimfirst

aimfirst

Member
Hi All, a friend of mine at work hunts coon at night with flashlights scanning the trees. He does well and it sounds like a good time. He hunts on the IL side and I looked into the regulations on the Iowa side and I saw that you are allowed to hunt with the aid of a light "with dogs". Does anyone know the literal interpretation of the Iowa regulations? I was hoping to take my son out over Christmas but the "with dogs" wording made me pause that it may not be legal, anybody know? Thanks
 
Straight from the Regs.

Hunting by Artificial Light
Sights that project a light beam, including laser
sights, are not legal for hunting. You cannot cast
the rays of a spotlight, headlight or other artificial
light on a highway or in a field, woodland or forest
for the purpose of spotting, locating, taking or
attempting to take or hunt a bird or animal, while
having in possession or control, either singly or as
one of a group of persons, any firearm, bow or other
device capable of killing or taking a bird or animal.
This rule does not apply to hunting raccoons or
other furbearing animals when they are treed with
the aid of dogs.
 
You better be able to prove that the dog you have with you can tree a coon or you are going to get a ticket.
 
Thanks all, my friend at work does this on the Illinois side and the regs don't seem to indicate it is illegal(regs say it just needs to be a handheld light). Sounds like the Iowa side it is a NO unless you have dogs.
 
Just for my colleagues "reputation" :), these are the regs as they read on the Illinois DNR site(http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Documents/HuntTrapDigest.pdf):
Night Hunting with Lights,
Shining Wildlife​
It is unlawful to​
​
​
​
​
use lights of, any light from, or
any light connected to a vehicle or conveyance
in areas where wildlife can be found.
This does not prohibit normal use of headlamps
for driving upon a roadway. Except:
Skunk, opossum, red or gray fox, coyote and​

raccoon may be taken during the open sea-
son using a small hand-operated light by a​
person who is on foot and not in any vehicle.
 
aimfirst said:
Just for my colleagues "reputation" :), these are the regs as they read on the Illinois DNR site(http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Documents/HuntTrapDigest.pdf):
Night Hunting with Lights,
Shining Wildlife​
It is unlawful to​
​
​
​
​
use lights of, any light from, or
any light connected to a vehicle or conveyance
in areas where wildlife can be found.
This does not prohibit normal use of headlamps
for driving upon a roadway. Except:
Skunk, opossum, red or gray fox, coyote and​

raccoon may be taken during the open sea-
son using a small hand-operated light by a​
person who is on foot and not in any vehicle.
Click to expand...

Iowa needs to re-write there regs and put that in there. Alot of guys around remsen coon hunt that way all the time.
 
IowaBuckSlayer2013 said:
This rule does not apply to hunting raccoons or
other furbearing animals when they are treed with
the aid of dogs.

So yes he will need a dog with him.
Click to expand...

I am not sure if you are "yelling" at me or not, the large, bolded red letters with my answer quoted makes me think that perhaps you are. At any rate, I said nothing about a dog, etc. I was replying to the original question where there was NOT going to be a dog present, just a spotlight. That scenario is not legal in Iowa, although it appears to be OK in Illinois.

I agree, you CAN shine coons in a tree that have been treed by dogs, you CANNOT just shine a light around the timber looking for eyes, etc...in Iowa that is.
 
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