Something That Needs To Be Thought About!!

[SJB]

I never said he didn't go easy on us. I just think something like this was just a misunderstanding and could have went off as a warning. I think the ranger was just mad he had to put his suit back on and come down there, but it's all good!!

 

[travle]

I'm with ya SJB 100%, but i made sure i read the regulations while hunting on WMAs which is all deer hunters must be out by 1 hour after sunset. But lets look at the kicker here. Deer hunting legal shooting hours in the evening is up to 30 minutes after legal sunset times. so if legal sunset time for that day is 5:20 you have until 5:50 to shoot a deer which is usually about the end of civil twilight for that day. Say you shoot one at 5:45 then you only have until 6:20 which is 35 mins to track your deer and get it out of the woods and loaded up. Those laws contradict each other by only giving you 30 minutes to get out or cutting your hunting time by 30 minutes.

 

[redblood]

yep. go to court. they will toss it

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Do they not allow coon hunting there?

He hasn't posted where this occurred, but with him being from E. TN and hunting on a gated WMA where they open and close it daily, I think it would be a safe bet to say he hunted the Chuck Swan draw hunt. In which case, there are only 7 scheduled coon hunts that have already occurred back in the first part of November. No open coon hunts.

 

[Boone 58]

What I want to know is how do you get yourself a ticket wrote when you haven't done anything wrong? It's only because you cant get out of the WMA because the gates have been locked and there is no ranger anywhere to be found. The gates were said to be locked at 6:50 and we made it to the gates by 6:50 to 7:00 and nobody is to be seen so it takes 10 to 15 minutes to walk to the ranger's house and he is already in shorts and a t shirt and about to eat supper. He finally comes to the door and is told the situation and says just hang tight he is going to eat first. Then comes in about 20 minutes and unlocks the gate and gives us a ticket for trespassing on WMA property because he said he gives an hour after sunset to get out and I always thought that was when it was dark not a set time. All we done was hunted until sunset and then picked each other up and headed out, the ranger said you should have thought about that. Well he needs to think about what if somebody has killed a deer way back in there right at dark? There is no way they could get out in an hour, and what if you have car trouble or anything. These things need to be thought about at this WMA, because the gates were locked before any 6:50 too, because the ranger was already home and changed and about to eat before 6:50 to 7:00.

That is not in the spirit of the rule/law. He is in the wrong attitude with that if done as you described. I would fight it.

 

[reloaderman]

If they do not dismiss the ticket and you happen to be "late" and find the gate locked again. next time take chain out of truck, hook chain to gate, pull gate down, unhook chain and go home...results--no disturbed ranger and no ticket!!!!just kidding, but it sure would be tempting and they should dismiss it...

 

[TNDeerGuy]

That will/should get dismissed if you go into court with the right attitude and explain the whole TWRA legal 30-minutes after sunset rule and having to have time to get down, pack up and walk more than 100 ft back to the truck and drive out thing and be apologetic towards the ranger.

 

[Winchester]

Yep sounds like your dealing with a lazy cull that locks the gates whenever he wants instead of the posted times? Take it to court and any decent judge will throw it out and scold him for not doing his job and using a lil common sense to boot!

 

[in the dog house]

For sure should be dismissed !!!!

 

[pcrc]

If this was Chuck Swan it can easily take 30-40 minutes to drive from the "forks of the river" all the way back to the gate. If you hunt even till sunset, come out of the tree, pack up your stand, walk to the truck, load up and then drive out you would be very hard pressed to be out of there in an hour if you are anywhere in the back of the WMA.

 

[mq32]

What I want to know is how do you get yourself a ticket wrote when you haven't done anything wrong? It's only because you cant get out of the WMA because the gates have been locked and there is no ranger anywhere to be found. The gates were said to be locked at 6:50 and we made it to the gates by 6:50 to 7:00 and nobody is to be seen so it takes 10 to 15 minutes to walk to the ranger's house and he is already in shorts and a t shirt and about to eat supper. He finally comes to the door and is told the situation and says just hang tight he is going to eat first. Then comes in about 20 minutes and unlocks the gate and gives us a ticket for trespassing on WMA property because he said he gives an hour after sunset to get out and I always thought that was when it was dark not a set time. All we done was hunted until sunset and then picked each other up and headed out, the ranger said you should have thought about that. Well he needs to think about what if somebody has killed a deer way back in there right at dark? There is no way they could get out in an hour, and what if you have car trouble or anything. These things need to be thought about at this WMA, because the gates were locked before any 6:50 too, because the ranger was already home and changed and about to eat before 6:50 to 7:00.

You made it to the gate by 6:50 to 7:00? I am assuming it was closer to 7:00. If you had made it by 6:50 you would have probably seen him.Then you said he was alreay home and ready to eat at 6:50 to 7:00. You said it was a 10-15 minute walk. He could have been home for 20 minutes and still locked the gates at 6:50.
I only hunt at Chuck Swan every other year for turkeys, but the people there are always nice and helpful. Of course I know to be out of the woods by 1:00 too. Just stop and think, wonder how many other times this year the have had to let someone else out that didn't get out in time. We all know what le4gal shooting time is in TN, that doesn't apply on WMA's when they say the gate closes at a certain time.