BK’s poaching poll got me thinking.
Here is the situation…… you sit until the last legal minute of shooting light and notice a deer approach then. Because of the full moon and clear skies, twilight lasts longer and you can plainly see the biggest buck you have ever had a chance at standing in your shooting lane. You know it is a good 2-3 minutes past legal shooting hours……….but you also know you can make a good clean kill. Nobody would know but you ……
Do you take the shot? Be honest.
Bow Hunting or Gun Hunting? 
Also who’s watch are you looking at ?
Good question… One of those situations that happens quite a bit, I’m sure. Just a little strech of the law, not a major break, right? Or is it? I always seem to have a little voice in the back of my head telling me that wherever I am, it is ALWAYS possible that somebody (DNR, whatever) could be observing…
Does the law label this action as poaching, or is there a lesser charge of shooting after legal light? I assume its a “lesser charge” since we do in fact have a valid tag, just the wrong shooting times….
I guess I can’t honestly say I haven’t sat a few minutes late while bow hunting. Does that mean I need to rescind my comments on the poaching post?? 
I know I have never taken a purposeful late shot while gun or bow hunting. Well, I did take a “finishing shot” once 10 yards from a liver shot doe. Maybe that is a no-no, too?? It made me nervous, believe me, hearing that shot ring out 10 minutes after close!
Good question though, how far are (we as hunters) willing to go?
I was fishing on a fishing pier on the Mississippi in summer 2008 and I got bored with bottom fishing so without really thinking about it I grabbed my casting rod and started throwing a spoon around without pulling my bottom rig in first. I got busted and I got a ticket for fishing with 2 poles in MN. It was embarrassing and expensive (to the tune of $120), but what really got me was when he said, “I’m not going to take your gear, this time, but don’t mess with us, please, because we really do mean business.”
I got the message: if you break the rules and we catch you we’ll bust your butt and we’ll only be lenient to a point.
I tend to be a lot more mindful of the rulebooks these days. 
So I weigh things like this against what I call a “reasonable risk”. I don’t have an issue with shooting a deer 2 minutes after sunset, but I do have an issue with losing my truck, guns, savings account and freedom for a big buck.
If I knew the game wardens in the area, whether local enforcement is stringent or liberal, whether I could claim my watch was off by 2 minutes (and dammit you better back the time on that watch up by 2 minutes to prove it), etc., yeah, I probably would think about taking that buck and line up the shot. Then I’d probably lower my weapon, call it the big one that got away, and go home with my gear, my life, and my dignity in order.
Even a trophy buck isn’t worth losing so much for.
I’d say individual decsion. Similar to first light. I dont look at my watch. I can either plainly see the deer and aim my gun or I cannot. One of the main reasons I got a scope. There were times during legal shooting hours I simply could not see my front bead. When hunting the thick stuff legal hours usually surpas ability to see well.
Safety obviously overrides everything. Stopping hunting early due to poor visibility/conditions is certainly commendable/the right thing to do. If the flipside happens and you shoot past legal hours (even given a bright, “safe” shot), I doubt the warden will side with the offender…
Jared – Nice comments. 
Do whatever you can sleep with at night. Personally I have passed up opportunities close to this circumstance. Its not about the DNR, its not about bagging the big one, its about the person I am and want to continue to be and it is about person I was taught to be. Would I fault someone for choosing to do differently, no. You have to make your own decision. Wow that was too deep for a Friday 
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Do whatever you can sleep with at night. Personally I have passed up opportunities close to this circumstance. Its not about the DNR, its not about bagging the big one, its about the person I am and want to continue to be and it is about person I was taught to be. Would I fault someone for choosing to do differently, no. You have to make your own decision. Wow that was too deep for a Friday
That was deep! And I concur.
I personally play by the rules, but other people can do whatever they want. Just dont urine and moan or blame law enforcement when its time to pay the consequences. LIVE UP TO YOUR DECISION. There are just to many people in this world that blame people for their problems!! 
mule170 nailed it !!!
I hate trouble and do whatever I can to avoid it. I was a wild child, but now have turned out to be a spittin’ image of my father. Honest and respectable. Maybe I am a spittin’ image of my father all along, I think he had some fun as a kid too!! If it is wrong don’t do it. It is not worth it! Don’t just be a good example for your children, be an excellent example for them.
This is what I fish and don’t hunt much anymore. I can always fish somewhere.
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I personally play by the rules, but other people can do whatever they want. Just dont urine and moan or blame law enforcement when its time to pay the consequences. LIVE UP TO YOUR DECISION. There are just to many people in this world that blame people for their problems!!
I see what you mean to a point… But take this to the extreme, and say the law we are breaking is murder. It would be like saying that its ok for people to commit murder… But if they get caught, they need to be prepared for jail or DP. I guess I don’t buy that theory. I don’t see it being OK for someone to break the law when the consequences of those actions affect others. Whether thats shooting a monster buck that an otherwise law abiding person might have shot, or killing someone and wasting taxpayers dollars while the offender “rots” in jail as the consequence of the offense…
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a saint and have broken a law or two. But when people knowingly and repeatedly break laws and cheat society/fellow people, its not right. I know shooting past legal light and murder are about as far apart as you can get, but where does the line get drawn along that spectrum??
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If it is wrong don’t do it. It is not worth it! Don’t just be a good example for your children, be an excellent example for them.
Now THAT’S a quote I like!
Its certainly not always easy to do the right thing. Its a lifelong struggle that we are tested on daily. For me, I hope I keep passing more of those tests the older I get.
I take the shot!
Don’t need to get any deeper than that!
ET 
Yup, that did get a little deep, didn’t it? 
Getting a little thick in here. Nobody is advocating poaching.
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Getting a little thick in here. Nobody is advocating poaching.
Heh, yeah… like I think bank robbery is a great idea too!
In my book, being almost legal/honest is like being a little bit pregnant- -there’s not a lot of middle ground 
jerr
I would probably just watch it cruise by. Just can’t stomach to lie the story of taking a worldclass buck that way. Will be a major loss of pride, if you have any, especially in a sport that I enjoy by not doing something legit. Gotta leave room for stories too, thats where the one that got away comes in.
plus i know that when i went to my sisters hunter safety class the warden said that if you get caught shotting anything except coyotes and coons that you will get a huge fine, is a misdemeanor crime and you lose your hunting rights for a while. so i dont think i would take the shot plus if its a record then you could be in serious trouble for taking it illegally.
There are many deer at my house and many hunters. It is absolutely amazing how many shots there are when it is far to dark to read your watch much less tell if it is a buck, doe or human. It is scary out there and one of the reasons I have mostly given up deer hunting. I live with this stuff. We often joke about hiding in the fireplace.
My daughters hunter safety instructor had a good quote to answer this; When faced with a decision in the woods ask yourself what would you do if someone (warden or anyone else) was standing there watching you, If its 1 or 2min I probably shoot because in all honesty clocks and watches do vary, I equate the situation to speed limits, they are made with sort of a buffer zone built in anything under 5 over gets the benefit of the doubt, 5 or more and you know you are breaking the law and should be prepared to pay the conseqeunces.
Archery-yes gun- Private or public land couple of minutes yes any longer on public- no. There is at least 10 minutes of light left after legal shooting time. The shot would have to slam dunk not a I hope shot.
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