I sure hope they change the hunter orange regulations, if they choose to allow hunters to use larger calipered assault rifles.
I don't get into the whole wildcating, but from what i understand your average Joe hunter cant walk into a retail store and purchase one? Also, he can't purchase these rounds either correct? If thats the case these wildcat rounds seem to be in better hands than the fella's you see purchasing an assault rifle the night before the season opens. Those are the hunters that are gonna scare the tar out of myself as i know i will be more concerned about my safety in the field. There are alot of idiots in this world that think just because their gun has the capability to shoot 6-700 yards accurately, they have the ability to do so. All the ground i hunt is flat as a pancake with several different wood lots, the possibility of shooting well beyond an average shooters ability is definately a possibility. Maybe i'm worried about nothing....
"Better safe than sorry" means just that and I am in full agreement.
More orange mandated simply has no negative impact, IMHO, but also know others "think otherwise".
Heck, the times I've found it necessary to hunt the small woods Ive hunted for so long when the other group of four comes in all together ( this is a 16 acre woods) I wear more than just a hat anyway.
I've not read all the replies here and I admit I should before replying but another addition I would LOVE to see in the regulations using HPR is one that copies PA firearm regulations.
No semi-auto firearms. None. PA had that in place decades before the recent "Black Rifle" fascination.
Yes, Yes, I am old and stuck in my ways but I would support even a
single shot only regulation. I also realize that such would be met with an outcry of fury from the "rat-a-tat-tat" type of deer uh.."hunter". (they have existed for some time even when allowed only slug guns).
An overheard conversation a week or a bit more ago involved a small group of young bucks at the local hunting gear store laughing about the chance to fill their buck tag and all four bonus county tags in minutes by "opening up on a herd of deer"
opening weekend if they could use their "assault rifles" ( their term, not mine).
With little hope of reaching them discussing the (not) sportsmanship like actions of even ATTEMPTING such, my question, that involved why one would want to END their entire season in just a few minutes, did stop the conversation and two quickly agreed that such didn't sound like a whole bunch of fun looked at that way.
I'm aware that there are those feeling a semi-auto rifle is no different than a semi-auto shotgun but I've shot both, the
RATE of fire one is capable with one in a rifle is more than double that of a SLUG gun (slugs have enough recoil to dictate that all by itself). The entire PURPOSE of the whole black rifle design is to be able to do just that. Rapid fire. I for one feel there is no place in the hunting world that makes any kind of sense. While one CAN be used sensibly, ethically and responsibly but doing so ERASES the "need" to use that design of firearm. As always, all this is only my 2 cents offered as food for thought. Those wishing to "debate" it will be doing so alone. That's what this type of firearm was created FOR.....RAPID FIRE.
It's really tough for me to even visualize the HPR regulations to not have more hunter orange mandated.
Still and all, such was mentioned in my feedback to the state.
A polite request to look at PA regs for HPR regulations and view what was, and was NOT included was also mentioned.
I believe PA and DE are the only two states that restrict the use of semi-auto rifles for hunting and even that came under fire this year. Fortunately House Bill 2333 failed to make it out of committee, so far allowing them to continue to ban their use.
www.outdoornews.com/November-2014/Most-bills-die-at-session-end/The odds of such happening here and semi-autos being not amongst the weapons allowed is about half of zilch but IMO,
where safety is concerned, what groups or organizations want shouldn't be included in EITHER the pro's or con's considered. Common sense must rule.
In my opinion too is that we are missing a large factor that WILL affect hunting and amount of places one CAN hunt.
The opinion of those whom own the land and allow us to hunt at all.
A fairly large group of local farmers meet at the single town restaurant for breakfast much of the year. Collectively they own and farm a HUGE portion of the southern half of this county and, of course, the number of other farmers they associate with is rather large an in addition to the number that meet there. The subject of almost all their get-togethers is, of course, farming and includes anything involving such and common concerns they have.
As I've aged, most the older farmers Ive known most my life have passed on or sold out and retired but still, a few know me well enough to speak and ask about a family member they went to school with or other things. Each one knows me as a local deer hunter being that I've lived here or near here my entire life. Small towns are like that.
In this restaurant the group overheard my buddy Ted and I discussing the proposal of HPR use. Hearing the words "deer hunting" and "rifle" in the same sentence one turned to me and said:
"Who got caught deer hunting with a rifle?" (The wildcat rounds here are not the SOP and few landowners even are aware of such).
Explaining that no one had been "caught" (and not enlightening them on the use of some rounds currently legal) and that we were discussing the proposal the state had on the table for HPR use caused their entire table to go quiet.
"HERE??? IN INDIANA?"
Shaking their collective heads what conversations followed involved their thoughts that IF they allow such on their land....it will be a single person only, that they know and trust.
One said that he didn't have time to see what hunters were hunting WITH and he was not going to allow rifles on his property.
"It will be much simpler just to shut it off and not let anyone hunt. I'm tired of the BS I get every year from deer hunters squabbling anyway. I'll just shut mine down."
As I asked for permission to hunt the precious few places I have this year, I gently introduced the land owners to the probability that such was going to come to be. I wanted them to hear it from me rather than risk them thinking I was hiding anything. I knew most well enough that my "gut" knew how they would react.
The one closest to me and also controls the most ground has a regular ledger that lists all of their property and who has permission not only to hunt but hunt WHAT too on each particular section. One must specifically ASK if you wish to hunt deer AND squirrel or turkey etc etc. Habitually, due to the fact that there is such a large amount of hunters asking, each parcel has approximately 3, maybe 4 hunters, depending on the size.
The husband and wife were both present but it's the wife that handles the permission slips and the ledger.
After I informed them of the proposal, he shrugged his shoulders commenting that "I hope they shoot them all".
The wife had other ideas. Thanking me for telling her in advance and asking that I call when and if that changed in 2015 she asked me if I planned to hunt in 2015. Assuring her I was, explaining where I would appreciate being allowed to do so and why (range, safety, number of deer) she nodded and flipped to the back of the book and added my information for that property for 2015.
Seeing the question on my face since she has never ever asked about the following year previously, she sadly shook her head and said;
"The number of hunters I'll let in if they are going to allow rifles is going to be reduced to the hunters that we know.......and have known a LONG time that we can trust and we know will take deer out, and not just "trophy hunt". We allow this ONLY because the deer cost us money but I'm not going to allow more than one hunter on any property unless its a father and son team or something. The risk is too great."
Right or wrong.....it matters not.
I'm telling you gang, while I personally embrace the PROPER use of rifles for hunting this late in life, the use of rifles is going to slam some doors shut and FEW (if any?) of them will approve a semi-auto "assault looking rifle" on their land. Not HERE my locality anyway.
We can call it ignorance, or personal opinion, or any label we wish.
The bottom line is it's their land and what they THINK could happen and are AFRAID could happen causing them grief will be the ONLY thing they consider making decisions.
If they err, they will err on the side of caution and in the worse cases, they will shut the door on hunting.
God Bless