quail season question

[yotebuster]

Hey Guys (n' Gals) I have been searching high and low to try to find the hours for quail and other small game. The nearest I can find is that small game seasons are open "during daylight hours" whatever that means. In my home of ND upland game was from 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset, very simple and concise. The only thing I could find in AZ was for dove, which is obviously a federal season and obviously follows the same 1/2hr before to sunset. I'm really curious because it's so dang hot out there that extra half hour in the evening would sure be nice, but I'm afraid to shoot past sunset for fear I'm breaking the law. Any thoughts? Thanks

[ThomC]

Common sense says that daylight is when you can identify your game without using a light or the moon. I use 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset. Sometimes weather can make it dark after or before those times.

[yotebuster]

Unfortunately "common sense" doesn't stand up in our court system. That's why they put the sunrise and sunset times in the regs book, so everyone is on the same page legally. If you can only legally hunt till sunset, and you hunt till 1/2 hr after, regardless of whether or not you can ID an animal, you are breaking the law. Just trying to figure this out for sure, so I don't end up breaking the law. Is there anyone that knows either way on this for sure? I've tried google, and reading through the regs book, and can't find anything definitive.

[bwakeling]

Legal shooting light for most critters in Arizona not governed by federal law is "daylight hours." What this means in practice most of the time is "when you don't need to use artificial light." This may seem more arbitrary than using a specific time (e.g., sunset), but when you look at sunset tables for Mountain Standard Time, a specific time in relation to where the sun is on the horizon can vary up to about 15-20 minutes across the time zone. I actually prefer the daylight hours as I can tell if I can shoot without light or not. Some people push the envelope. And just like in everything else, when you push the limits, you often get into trouble. Use common sense and you should be on solid ground.

 

Brian Wakeling

Game Branch Chief

[Schmitty]

Personally, I don't like to shoot quail in the last 1/2 hour of daylight as I like them to have a chance to covey back up and get back to the roost increasing their chances of survival. Just a thought.

 

Schmitty

[CouesWhitetail]

Personally, I don't like to shoot quail in the last 1/2 hour of daylight as I like them to have a chance to covey back up and get back to the roost increasing their chances of survival. Just a thought.

 

Schmitty

 

 

I like that!

[yotebuster]

Good call Schmitty, appreciate the input. I wouldn't have dreamed they'd allow that much "common sense" in the rules. In other states I've hunted they go by a designated time in a central area of the state, and then you add or subtract based on how many miles east or west of that spot you are. They are VERY picky about it in ND, I've seen guys get nailed for 5 minutes after before. I appreciate all the feed back, and the suggestions. Thanks!

[JLW]

SHOOTING HOURS

Legal shooting time is during daylight hours

(see sunrise-sunset chart on page 99) or as

prescribed by the Commission (see individual

Commission Orders). In general, if you can

see well enough to shoot safely, you are legal.

Taking wild animals or birds by moonlight or

artificial light is illegal, except for raccoons,

reptiles and other mammals as prescribed in

R12-4-304, page 117. Other time requirements

apply for migratory birds (see Migratory Bird

Regulations).