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General Discussion To Gateway To Airguns => Hunting Gate => : raterminator July 27, 2008, 12:34:33 PM

: What you legally may hunt
: raterminator July 27, 2008, 12:34:33 PM

in your state with airgun and what are the requirements?

: Re: What you legally may hunt
: gunsup0331 July 27, 2008, 01:34:32 PM

LOL Im in Calif. and im not really sure....Not supposed to take any animals within city limits, must have a hunting permit to take pest or game animals, and all game animals have a specific season. I think.   I believe i can hunt Doves, Cottontails, Gamble Quail and ground squirrels for game; rats, pigeons and coyotes for pest, although i wouldnt try my luck against a coyote with the Quest.

: In California
: PBJ July 28, 2008, 02:13:54 AM

In California, most but not all cities/towns have no hunting/shooting ordinances. There are also special county laws and then the layers of State Fish & Game and Federal rules. In San Beranrdino County we have a "no projectile rule" which limits us to shotguns only in the eastern half of the county and anywhere the California Condor lives we have to use lead free ammunition including air guns. Most pests are year round with a hunting liscense (this includes coyotes and jack rabbits) but all other game has a season. Quail are legal to hunt with an air rifle but not dove as some of them are migratory (they are a Federaly contoled hunt). We can only hunt a few pest birds, really just starlings, and black birds/ravens/crows are a whole other issue, you need to get a special permit for the most part based on damage to property. That being said, it could be worse and will be if we don't stop all the foolish legilation that comes up every year. If you live in California and need more info, send me a note!

: RE: What you legally may hunt
: only1harry July 28, 2008, 01:15:25 PM

raterminator:  You 're in luck.  I see you live in NY and so do I and a couple of other regulars here.  

NY State DEC law states that you can legally hunt the following all year long (requires a hunting license):  
1. Groundhogs
2. Porcupines
3. Red Squirrel  (never seen one..only grey's)
4. European Starling  (got one today)
5. Rock dove

That's it!  This is the list of unprotected animals & brids in NY and there is no limit on those.  I believe feral pigeons are fair game too and any animal that is causing damage to property, crops or livestock (like fox, or pigeons crapping all over your car or house, etc.) is also fair game but you 'd probably have to prove it, if caught taking a protected animal out of season.  They don't make mention of a specific way to hunt them but says any means is ok, as long as it's legal, so using airguns on those I listed is legal, IF shooting airguns is legal in your town.  It may not be so check the local laws or with your local police dept.  Some towns consider airguns as "firearms" and have allow against discharging a firearm which will include airguns.  The NYS DEC considers airguns a firearm during hunting season, so they are perfectly legal to hunt small game with (except Turkey!).  You cannot hunt big game with an airgun. There are restrictions and certain caliber has to be used, etc.  

Again to shoot anything, ie: protected or unprotected animal, on or off season, you MUST have a current hunting license in NY state.  They make millions $ from the license revenues.  Hunting licenses expire every year usually at the end of September so a new one must be purchased.  

The hunting season usually starts on Oct. 1 and ends Feb. 28.  This is when you can take protected game with an airgun such as rabbit, squirrel, crow, racoon, fox, etc. (with a hunting license).  If you don't have a license, sign up to take the Hunter Safety course.  Classes should begin at the end of August and run through September.  It's a 10hr course I believe and classes fill up quickly.  Go to your Town Clerk's office and inquire about the safety courses offered, who offers them, and how to get in contact with them (to send $ etc. and sign up).  Nothing 's for free.  Once you pass the course you can then take your certificate to the Town Clerk's office and purchase a hunting license.  Small game license is $16.  After that, all you need is the previous year's license to get a new one, or if you lose it, they 'll have you in the computer system that you purchased one the year before.  With my luck you have the ability to purchase a hunting license but I type fast so it's ok..
Be careful though, even frogs are protected in NY.  Read the laws.  Here's a list to the NYS DEC web site:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/37136.html
PS.
You can take coyote with an airgun as long as it's .22cal per DEC law. Again, they don't state the word "airgun" throughout their web site almost at all, except at the beginning of the small-game web page, where they indicate that an airgun is a firearm as far as the DEC is concerned.  So any caliber requirements also apply to airguns.  So I believe I may have contradicted myself earlier.  If you have a big-bore airgun like 9mm, 45 or 50cal PCP rifle you may be allowed to take deer and other big game, although if you call the DEC officer or game warden and ask, they will be like "big-bore what? an airgun? are you crazy?" :-)  Most people don't know or realize that there are very powerful 300+ ft-lb Pre-charged pneumatic airguns out there that can take a deer at 40-50yds as easily as a high powered rifle at 200yds.

: Re: What you legally may hunt
: raterminator July 28, 2008, 01:28:41 PM

No, I’m in NY, but it doesn’t matter. Thanks for a great and quite complete input. I have friends in California, who will appreciate that info. I thought this could be interesting topic for everybody, but it looks like our other friends are mostly on collecting/addiction level, or don’t like hunting.

: Re: What you legally may hunt
: raterminator July 28, 2008, 02:12:25 PM

Wow!!! That is a very good and helpful info, Harry. Thank you very much. I failed to find any info in NY DEC site, but you did. I’ll look at it again. I always get new Sportsmen license by the end of the each year, though haven’t got a chance to use it simply because I always enjoyed company and process itself more than actual game taking. So far, busy city life makes it almost impossible to gather a couple of friends together to relax a little. I asked Jeff (longislandhunter) and he offered his company!!! Even if we don’t hunt, I’m already enjoying the anticipation of that fact. Sometimes one needs so little to enjoy his life:).
Where are you?
Garen

: Re: What you legally may hunt
: only1harry July 28, 2008, 02:29:24 PM

Hey Garen:

I 'm downstate NY, about 55mi. north of the GWB.  Grew up in Rockland county and even worked in Manhattan for Morgan Stanley.  I bought a house in Orange county in the '90's since I couldn't afford Rockland and its taxes.  Much more space up here and plentiful game  :)  

You are lucky to be able to get together with Jeff.  He knows all the game hotspots in LI and uses some secret trick that makes all the farmers in his area let him hunt on their land!!  :-)  If you find out how he does it, please let the rest of us know!  hehehe

: Re: What you legally may hunt
: raterminator July 28, 2008, 03:36:29 PM

Now, don’t start that, Harry. You’ll make him change his mind. Don’t listen to him Jeff. Tricks? Most probably you need to look trustworthy and have good communication skills.
Yep, I’m sure you’ve got great places up there. For a couple of years I drove my kids to camp in Oneonta and all the way out of the city I felt so proud for being part of all it….and then my inner, nasty voice reminded me –“Hey, wake up, you missed your stop, it’s not yours” :(

: Re: What you legally may hunt
: longislandhunter July 29, 2008, 12:39:07 AM

No worries Garen,,,,,, me, you and Joe Cuz are going small game hunting this year  :)  

I've been checking out some new spots  that look like they have potential,,,,,  I have no doubt we're gonna bag some bunnies and tree rats with ease.......

Good info you posted there Harry.....   2 of my friends (and neighbors) here just happen to be the local DEC Officers for the area,,, matter of fact both of em are into airguns and hunt with them on occassion, and we've had many discussions about how airguns and airgun hunting are basically not specifically addressed  in the NYS   E.C.L. laws.  It seems to be the local laws of each community, if they have such laws, that impose restrictions on airgun uses.     As always though, if an airgunner is unsure what they can and cannot do with respect to using airguns where they live or hunt then they should of course first check with the local authorities and/or the DEC Police for guidance.  

Oh yeah,,,,, forgot to add,,,,,,,   it was really easy to get a couple of new farmers to give me permission to hunt on their land,,,,, as soon as I told em that Joe was gonna pay them they smiled and said "OK"   :)

just kiddin of course Joe   :)

Jeff

: Re: What you legally may hunt
: raterminator July 29, 2008, 03:15:13 PM

Oh, he's serious!!! I better start sight-in my guns...:):):):)

: Re: What you legally may hunt
: VINNY July 29, 2008, 05:23:47 PM

I was reading the Wa. State hunting regs last week, and you can only hunt w/ a firearm, black powder, or bow.No airguns![Did I ever mention that I dont like it here?]

: Re: What you legally may hunt
: only1harry July 30, 2008, 03:12:10 AM

Wow that really sucks.  That's probably because you guys have lots of dangerous big game in the woods when out hunting.  Brown bears (grizzlies maybe?), black bear, mountain lions, etc.  Are there any laws specific to taking "pests" on your property?

: Re: What you legally may hunt
: Brod_Man July 30, 2008, 04:34:40 AM

Lets see in ohio, there is a lot of gray areas. I emailed the ODNR, and asked a few questions. Anything considered a pest(starlings, sparrows etc.), small game, and predator, and hogs. Deer and turkeys are a no-no. So pretty much everything except deer and turkeys.

: RE: What you legally may hunt
: RatPatrol July 30, 2008, 08:03:11 AM

Nothing with an air rifle in PA :(

: Re: What you legally may hunt
: VINNY July 31, 2008, 03:00:32 PM

You can take pests if their destroying you r property, but I dont think you can use an airgun, except maybe for birds.Also, if your out hunting w/ a bow, you can not carry a side arm.I dont remember, but I think your only allowed to have the weapon that your hunting with.Wa sucks.

: Re: What you legally may hunt
: Progun July 31, 2008, 05:37:42 PM

In Tennessee, all small game may be hunted with air rifles except migratory birds.

: RE: What you legally may hunt
: only1harry August 01, 2008, 03:12:13 AM

What?  You can't hunt with an air rifle in PA either?  You gotta be kidding me!  
I was thinking of moving to Eastern PA not too long ago because it would have been a shorter commute to work for me (in Jersey).  That doesn't make any sense.  They give out handgun permits like they are candy in PA, but won't let you hunt small game with an airgun.. Who comes up with these laws?  Obviously someone whose neighbor that he/she doesn't get along with, shoots airguns in their back yard.

: RE: What you legally may hunt
: RatPatrol August 01, 2008, 06:09:39 AM

The no arigun rule has been in effect for at least 30 years...I suspect commercially available airguns were not powerful enough maybe?

: RE: What you legally may hunt
: PeakChick August 01, 2008, 06:29:06 AM

Colorado is fairly liberal about what may or may not be taken with an pellet rifle and they are specifcally listed as an approved method of take for most game, with the exceptions being game with minimum energy requirements.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/NR/rdonlyres/A348F16A-1B28-440E-9245-EB4E4630ACCE/0/Ch03.pdf

: RE: What you legally may hunt
: only1harry August 01, 2008, 08:40:29 AM

Wow, CO gives you guys a lot more detail than NY does!  The NY DEC laws or web site contains less than 5% of the information and detail that CO provides.  Incredible!

: RE: What you legally may hunt
: PeakChick August 01, 2008, 09:58:30 AM

Hunting is a VERY big thing here Harry, and a huge source of tourism and revenue for our state. CO DOW also takes their job very seriously (they are funded soley by revenue from hunters, no tax dollars.) DOW will impound all your equipment, guns, truck etc and fine the heck out of you if you are caught poaching or engaged in other illegal hunting. Good on them........ CO has the largest Mule Deer and Elk herd populations in the U.S.

: RE: What you legally may hunt
: only1harry August 01, 2008, 11:04:31 AM

I figued that.. but small-game?  I guess a lot of outsiders (out-of-state hunters) would visit CO for various "water foul" hunting, but the detail they go into, about every small-game animal and each bird, the method of taking them, when and how, male female, caliber, etc. is extraordinary.  I like that for some animals they allow you to exceed the bag-limit if you didn't make the limit on some others..  That's great that they go into it in such depth and provide all that info.  Here in NY much of it is open to interpretation and some imagination (small-game anyway).  Hunting licenses bring in tens of millions of $ here too.  Their web site on small-game including fur-bearer, birds and everything I believe is less than a handful of pages with larger font than yours (7 pages max I would say.  CO DOW wrote a book on small-game alone!

: RE: What you legally may hunt
: raterminator August 01, 2008, 02:54:23 PM

Frank, maybe the hunters 30 years ago themselves did not take airguns seriously as a hunting weapon and this fact reflected on jurisdiction and no rules about airguns in many states. Anyway, I think if the hunters decide to take a stand, they can make some States enact laws about airguns through the NRA (as Tim suggested in another thread). I think there should be some common rules which may vary slightly from East to West coast depending on the game.

: Re: What you legally may hunt
: raterminator August 01, 2008, 02:56:13 PM

Maybe the hunters 30 years ago themselves did not take airguns seriously as a hunting weapon and this fact reflected on jurisdiction and no rules about airguns in many states. Anyway, I think if the hunters decide to take a stand, they can make some States enact laws about airguns through the NRA (as Tim suggested in another thread). I think there should be some common rules which may vary slightly from East to West coast depending on the game.

: RE: What you legally may hunt
: gamo2hammerli August 02, 2008, 12:42:07 AM

In Quebec, Canada..... NOTHING ....(http://../jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-frown.gif). I think most air gunners here just use them for plinking, informal shooting and pest control. The provincial hunting rules say air guns are not powerful enough for a humane kill. I guess they haven't been up to date..... but then they (Canadian maybe even the provincial govt) state anything over 500fps is considered a real firearm. Licenses and courses are required before you can purchase them.

: RE: What you legally may hunt
: RatPatrol August 04, 2008, 05:27:51 AM

That's my fear in a nutshell.
I would rather the state to stay the course and not allow airguns to be used for hunting.
If they scrutinize our sport, I think eventually they will enact laws against powerful airguns like Canada and the U.K. have.
A large number of us who enjoy shooting them in our back yards in populated areas will be out of luck.

: RE: What you legally may hunt
: raterminator August 04, 2008, 09:20:46 AM

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=9620&mid=71683#M71683 (http://thread-view.asp?tid=9620&mid=71683#M71683)