GMMAT

Spotlighting is illegal in NC.......(most parts of the state)....and for good reason.

NC has found out that, for the most part, it's never a good ideato tempt fate.....or poachers.

Finch

Exactly.

quiksilver

Yeah, it will suck to lose our spotting privileges, but that's the price. It's always been an awesome scouting tool, and a nice way to waste a nice summer evening.

Grand scheme of things - it will save more big bucks, but it will cut the number ofdeer that I get to watch every year by about 90%. Same story for every other guy in the Commonwealth who scouts with a spotlight.

Just doing some figuring - I spot about 20x per year, seeing anywhere between 50 and 350 deer per trip. If we just average that out to 200 per night, that's 4000 whitetails I get to glass in any given season. Maybe 1% of those will be 3.5+ year olds (40). Maybe 5 deer a year will be legitimate book bucks.

Compare those numbers to the 140 deer that I saw all last season from the stand, and the 100 or so that I glassed in the daylight before season started....

So, if you're like me, and you like to watch wildlife as much as hunt it, thiswill bea major hit.

The shame of it all is that it won't really help the poaching situation around my huntingareas. Most of our deer are jacklighted after legal spotting hours from ATV's with cordless lights in fields not visible from the roadways.

rybohunter

I still don't think a scoped handgun can be construed in any way shape or form as a "CCW" weapon and therefore if caught with one the PGC officer should still be allowed to bust you. And if that isn't the case then it should be and both spotlighting and CCW would get along harmoniously.

And for those in other parts of the country
spot lighting is just shining a light to look for deer.
jacklighting is shooting the deer while said light is held on them

and to GMMAT
I don't think the instances of poaching will increase statistically. Meaning yea jimbob may take a pot shot at a deer with his 9, but he ain't going to hit it, and that will be the end of that.

quiksilver

Ryan, if you can show me a code section or something that takes any scoped handgun outside the definition of "concealed carry weapon" - then I'll be happy. I just don't think that section exists.

I think this piece of legislation was a piece of trash that nobody really thought the whole way through.

There's a barrel length restriction that fits the definition of "handgun" (I'm thinking 13"), but that's all I'm aware of.

Until somebody can prove to me otherwise, I'm going to go on believing that you can "bowhunt" or "spotlight" with your "concealed" .22-250 T/C Encore with 12" bull, fluted barrel and 3-9x scope.

I agree though - a snub-nosed 9mm isn't gonna do you much good if you're trying to poach deer with it. I'm sure somebody will try, though (and probably fail). Might be better off throwing the gun at it.

rybohunter

I lookedit upand there isn't. BUT they always throw that prima fascia (spelling) evidence of hunting thing around. That is what I am hoping would allow a WCO to take someone in for hunting if found with a TC contender pistol. Maybe just wishful thinking.

HuntingBry

That's because BillyBob doesn't know that to effectively shoot a 9mm you have to hold it sideways.

bawanajim

The deterrent to the poaching of trophy bucks should be a trophy fine ,say a base fine of $2500.00 and then hundred dollars per point added on plus all costs of prosecution. And a life time ban on any state hunting license.

HuntingBry

Very wishful thinking. A friend of mine witnessed a guy poach a buck with a crossbow out the window of the guy's car and call the WCO. After 3 appeals that my friend took off of work each time to attend the judge said, "You must be joking. Get this bulls*** deer case out of my courtroom. Dismissed!" Justice in action.

Talondale

Yeah I noticed my mistake and edited my post.