Shining deer

In last weeks outdoor news they had an article about shining. Seems like some people want to put a stop to it. what are everyones thoughts?
DT

I always shine deer during the summer and the season I think there is nothing wrong w/ it however, I always shut the light off when i come close to a house or make sure im not pointing the light that might shine into someones house. I know it’s illegal for people to shine w/ a gun or bow in the vehicle though. As long as you be respectful about it and not shine in the general direction of a house

I shine from time to time. But I’m always careful not to keep the spotlight on them to the point where they feel stress and run away. You only hurt yourself or the property hunter when ya pull a stunt like that. But I hope they don’t but the down on it. It’s nice to take a mid summer cruise to see what’s happening.

i’m totally for shining. Out of all the years of shining.. (the last 5-6) i have only seen 2 Monster bucks and a handful of medium sized bucks. What is the reasoning for “NOT” legally shining?

I grew up shining deer. My dad took us as toddlers. It was great entertainment. Did it a lot as a teenager with friends. It was one of our main forms of getting out of the house. Once in a while the cops would stop us and check the car for guns. That was 20 years ago. I dont do it now because of the bad rap which is upsetting because I really like to do it. Especially late summer when you can see so many bucks that way.

Quote:

---

What is the reasoning for “NOT” legally shining?

---

I think the answer is poaching. I am NOT saying shiners poach but the way I read the DNR report it sure sounds like most poaching is at night via shining. Or just a lot of other stupid things like we have had in the area. There were some younger guys who shined a light on deer in a field and shot them with a .22 and left them for dead. Did this for a couple nights before being caught.

Let me point out that on many occassion’s I have shined a light on deer behind my house to see what was there all the while wondering if I was doing anything illegal.

I use to do it all the time with my buddys and was fun to see bucks and what have you, but i really hope they do put a ban on it. It doesnt do anything to help hunting, sure if you see one on your property and such it could be used as a form of scouting but i think it hurts you more then it helps. If you make it illegal to shine, it might, just might help a little bit with poaching, i doubt a lot but it might deter some of the younger people who are out shinning and see a huge buck and think that they will only do it once for this buck a of a lifetime. i dont like it when people shine my property and i dont shine anyone elses.

I believe this has nothing to do with limiting poaching possibilities (even if the DNR report states that). It is most likely a politician who is against shining for his/her vested reason. Poaching is a problem and always will be. Poachers will continue to poach regardless if shining is legal or illegal. Lights that shine do not poach deer – Poachers do.

I’m a deer junkie and I’ve shined for years (mostly in WI) and really enjoy it. I do no harm to anyone and of course am respectful to the land owners and other vehicles on the roads. I’m not a poacher, so don’t punish me for it.

I agree Grifter…I’ve been shining deer for over 25 years and enjoy doing so. We do not shine houses, farms or farmers animals…we strictly shine open fields! Taking that right away from honest hunters will not reduce the poachers! That’s like taking sides with the anti-gunners and say we should ban all guns and that will solve all gun crimes. If that happens,(and god save us if it does)then the only people who will have guns will be the criminals because taking our guns away will not stop them from getting them! Same with poachers…taking shining away and they will still try to get away with it anyway! Okay, I’m done now!

Oh yeah, HookNfinger – I meant no disrespect to your opinion either!

Quote:

---

Oh yeah, HookNfinger – I meant no disrespect to your opinion either!

---

Good point Dartman – I feel the same way.

We can not shine from public roads here in Buffalo county and it sucks. We used to have a great time. The only way we can shine now is if we have permission from the land owner to go on his field roads to shine. It is kind of a pain. We do it a couple times a year.

If shining were put to a true public vote, I believe it would be eliminated. I have no problem seeing it go away. It may tell you where deer are at night, but not during the day. There is no reason to shine animals at night and add to the stress level of the animals.

Yes I have had land owners where I hunt complain about it. I even had one who neighbors the farm where I hunted forever basically tell me he’s ready to end hunting on all his land because of shining.

I know there are stats that say it doesn’t hurt, but I’m with those who believes it give hunters a bad rap. We don’t need negatives and if the landowners are against it, then that is whom we need to listen to regardless of what we think. I know some of you are land owners and no I don’t own any hunting land. I rely on keeping my own name clean and trying to dodge all the negatives out there. From my perspective shining has more negatives than it does positives. It’s not about hunting, it’s about shining. If eliminating shining helps to keep a good name for hunting, then I say get rid of shining.

Thanks, Mike

Quote:

---

If shining were put to a true public vote, I believe it would be eliminated. I have no problem seeing it go away. It may tell you where deer are at night, but not during the day. There is no reason to shine animals at night and add to the stress level of the animals.

Yes I have had land owners where I hunt complain about it. I even had one who neighbors the farm where I hunted forever basically tell me he’s ready to end hunting on all his land because of shining.

I know there are stats that say it doesn’t hurt, but I’m with those who believes it give hunters a bad rap. We don’t need negatives and if the landowners are against it, then that is whom we need to listen to regardless of what we think. I know some of you are land owners and no I don’t own any hunting land. I rely on keeping my own name clean and trying to dodge all the negatives out there. From my perspective shining has more negatives than it does positives. It’s not about hunting, it’s about shining. If eliminating shining helps to keep a good name for hunting, then I say get rid of shining.

Thanks, Mike

---

Thats how i feel exactly, ive had deer on my land that ive got trail camera pictures for a straight month almost every day. Had some younger kids that just started hunting the area and would shine every friday/saturday/sunday night after they got done hunting each day and hit the fields ive got and after about a week or two of that i never saw those bucks again. I believe that it does stress the deer and that they dont want to have a 2 million candle power spot light in there face anymore then i want one in mine. I wouldnt mind if they made it illegal on public roads, then the landowners who want to shine can do it on there property.

Quote:

---

I agree Grifter…I’ve been shining deer for over 25 years and enjoy doing so. We do not shine houses, farms or farmers animals…we strictly shine open fields! Taking that right away from honest hunters will not reduce the poachers! That’s like taking sides with the anti-gunners and say we should ban all guns and that will solve all gun crimes. If that happens,(and god save us if it does)then the only people who will have guns will be the criminals because taking our guns away will not stop them from getting them! Same with poachers…taking shining away and they will still try to get away with it anyway! Okay, I’m done now!

Oh yeah, HookNfinger – I meant no disrespect to your opinion either!

---

none taken, i think it effects the way deer move and eventually scares them off the property

I really have never shined deer before, but this has got me thinking. If poaching is the reason it is being discussed, I am all for it. Think about it. If anyone see’s somebody shining, then more than likely with shining outlawed, they are probably poaching. A quick call could curb that activity. If we can slow down the poaching, that’s bigger deer for all of us, cause I believe poachers typically take the bigger racked deer. Don’t light me up too much guys.

big G

Quote:

---

I really have never shined deer before, but this has got me thinking. If poaching is the reason it is being discussed, I am all for it. Think about it. If anyone see’s somebody shining, then more than likely with shining outlawed, they are probably poaching. A quick call could curb that activity. If we can slow down the poaching, that’s bigger deer for all of us, cause I believe poachers typically take the bigger racked deer. Don’t light me up too much guys.

big G

---

No lighting you up here but it is good discussion. I’ve never been checked by a CO while shining but I would think they they stop anyone and everyone they see shining. Any of you been check for weapons while shining?

I understand what you guys are saying, but it is a blast to take the family out and shine. We drive 30 miles just to shine in Tremp. county.

Just curious is to how many of you shine your own property?? I rarely shine my backyard cuz we don’t have that much activity unless we put corn out. 98% of the time we shine soy or alfalfa fields on farming land or other places where we don’t hunt

Quote:

---

none taken, i think it effects the way deer move and eventually scares them off the property

---

We had a 200 acre lease for 12 years…our campers were parked next to the road and we had guys come by and shine the field while we sat around the fire. We would always have a spot light next to us by the fire and would shine our own field at least 5 times a night during the weekends (not every weekend mind you…but alot of them). Those deer never moved out. There were some nights when we would have deer less than 100 yards away from us while sitting around the fire. Every 20 minutes or so we would shine and they would feed closer and closer. It’s this hunters opinion (and that’s all it is ) that shining will not run deer off your property. If you’re out shining and see some deer…take a good look at them and move on. That is harmless and most times the deer will not even spook out of the field!

I also believe that shining doesn’t affect the deer. Usually the onlt time they run away is if you keep the light on them for some time. But, if you drive down the road and come back minutes later, so are they. I don’t believe the stopping of shining deer will stop poaching. People will still be out at night with spot lights. It may be they are out varmit hunting, or farmers checking irrigators. We also have night vision scopes out there. No spot light needed.
My .03 cents
DT

I would also like to add that I believe poachers are getting away from spot lights. Night vision scopes like I mentioned before along with crossbows make it pretty easy.
DT

How about shining Deer with the headligts from your vehicle.I’d like to see law enforcement people write a citation for that. Also it is not illegal to possess a weapen (firearm or bow) as long as it unloaded and cased in the trunk or rearmost part on a vehicle.

While I do agree that shining can be a fun, family type activity, I prefer that no one shines my hunting area. It doesn’t take too many times of being busted from a field for a big buck to change his habits.

There are other ways of scouting that don’t negatively impact your neighbors. JMHO. You can shine your own land if thats what you want to do, but leave the next guy’s spot alone. I almost see this as a form of trespassing.

I’ve shined for years on our land and would never do it if I thought I was going to push those big bucks off our property. Other people that I do not know have have also shined on our land and I have no problem with that as long as they do not tresspass or break the law.

People who legally shine are doing so from a “public road”. That same public road has vehicle lights on it. Do those vehicles lights scare the deer away? Yes, I realize that shining is a little different but the point I’m trying to make is deer adapt to vehicle traffic, lights and shining. Yes, they will walk off if you keep at them for a long period of time, but the next night most likely they will be there again.

One night while shining, a vehicle stopped behind me. A guy got out and yelled “Quit shining my deer on my land!”

I calmy looked at him and said “I’m not breaking the law and by the way, you don’t own the deer.” He swore at me a few times and was loud. And in the process, scared the deer off his land.

If you see a deer 100 yards off the road in broad daylight and you stop and look at it what would happen? It will probably run off. How is that different then shining?

Hey Grifter, Maybe you would have shot a bigger buck if you would stop shining your property. You might have scared the big one away.
I’ve also run into people who claim that they are “Their” deer.
DT

Quote:

---

Hey Grifter, Maybe you would have shot a bigger buck if you would stop shining your property. You might have scared the big one away.

DT

---

Yeah Brad, look how you had to settle last year….for a small one…

I think deer are “spooked” constantly, I have seen them “spooked” by a squirrel. I think it would take alot to move them from their territory.

big G

Tonight I attended the Wisconsin Conservation Congress Annual Meeting and this one was of the questions that were voted on.

This one came from the Endangered Resources and Law Enforcement Study Committee, and the question was,
“Do you support eliminating shining from publice roads statewide?” The local CO described it as an effort to reduce poaching. The corresponding info on this question read “Shining and poaching violations and complaints continue to be a problem in the state. Poachers continue to take a limited, valuable resource from everyone in the state. Eliminating shining would make poaching more difficult and would make enforcement easier, because shining would be in violation of the law.

There was some discussion on it. One individual spoke against the question saying that he had been shining for 25-30 years and he was now doing so not only with his kids, but now his grandkids. His point was that it increased the excitement and interest of his kids/gkids in the sport of deer hunting by giving them a glimpse of big deer at night.
I also thought that since deer populations are good to high in WI, what’s the resource ‘need’ to lessen poaching? Mind you, I’m against poaching, but deer are not scarce in WI.

I voted against it!

ET

Quote:

---

No lighting you up here but it is good discussion. I’ve never been checked by a CO while shining but I would think they they stop anyone and everyone they see shining. Any of you been check for weapons while shining?

---

Sorry a little late on the response…..

I have been stopped, the C.O. treated it just like a traffic stop. Looked in my truck to make sure I had no alchol or weapons. I was curtious to him & him back too me. He actually liked the fact that I had my wife with shinning. We talked for about 10 minutes or so he mentioned that we were doing nothing wrong. But they had complaints of people shining inside houses.

Hiding behind the theory that outlawing shining will reduce poaching makes no more sense than banning handguns will reduce crime. To be blunt, just outlaw poaching!

I think it was cougareye that made a point about keeping young children interested in the sport of hunting, and outdoors, by allowing them to see deer and other game in varying times and places. The more interaction the more interest children will hold and the more likely they are to become hunters. Look for yourselves at the alarming rate we are losing hunters. Dang near a two to one loss/gain ratio!

Bottom line for me is this. Banning law abiding citizens from shining deer will do nothing to affect the supposed poaching problem. People actually think poaching only takes place after dark? Serious?

People have shined for as long as I know. People have their own routes for cripe sake. Shining, in many areas, is so common place that to suggest deer alter their behavior after being lit up is bogus. I’ve seen fields with deer so close to the road and so unconcerned about the light it seemed as if I could have walked out and milked the does.

Not meaning to hijack the post here either but does anyone truly believe poaching is affecting the deer herd? Not me! With all the T Zone and earn a buck restrictions in place I’d say the herd is over healthy. Do I support poaching? Absolutely NOT! If I see a poacher I’ll turn them in asap. I guess if I knew they shot a doe out of a serious need for the meat, then no I’d not say a word. Maybe people should be more concerned about people silently killing our wolves. Now there is something to bite into. Extinction is forever. Flame away!