Using 2-way radios while hunting. Legal, ethical or what?

[twowindy]

I think they should let you put it in the record book.In my eyes its no different than useing dogs for bears and lions or useing bait.

[huntlines]

I was told by a game and fish officer the use of radios while hunting was illegal. He had a scanner in his vehicle which picked up most of the two way radios on the market and used it to try to catch people using the radios to take game. I had just bought a set of radios and was a little upset to learn it was illegal.

 

I was even more upset to find out how useless the radios were and can hardly ever get decent clear reception out of them. I have discarded them mostly because they are useless unless within line of sight. I'm sure there are better models out there now.

 

This was about ten years ago so I don't know if G&F still see this as a violation or not but it was what I was told...........

[wildwoody]

i don't think that was correct. when we talked to the game and fish in 36b they were trying to figure out a way for us to contect them when we saw illegals they new we were using them to hunt with. just not real ethical and can't put in B&C

[metau]

I was told by a game and fish officer the use of radios while hunting was illegal. He had a scanner in his vehicle which picked up most of the two way radios on the market and used it to try to catch people using the radios to take game. I had just bought a set of radios and was a little upset to learn it was illegal.

 

I was even more upset to find out how useless the radios were and can hardly ever get decent clear reception out of them. I have discarded them mostly because they are useless unless within line of sight. I'm sure there are better models out there now.

 

This was about ten years ago so I don't know if G&F still see this as a violation or not but it was what I was told...........

 

 

When I first started hunting in Colorado, it seemed like I ran into game wardens about every other month. For some reason, it usually seemed to be right after I was done reading a portion of the hunting regs. For no particular reason, other then being a smart ***, I almost always asked the official something regarding anything obscure that I'd read. Only thrice did any of them accurately respond to my inquiries. And one of those was a rule change after the regs were printed, and she had a notice with her to inform others, which she read it from.

Don't always believe what they say they know, but don't be dumb about it either. I've always respectfully informed them of what I 'thought' was the right/legal thing, saying I 'think' it is in the regs, and have asked them to show me where it states what they have said. Not everything is always there, and more then once, so we both would know, they actually called into the office to have someone there lookup in the revised statutes. Both of us were wrong on a few of those.

As for the OP's question, I have been unable to find anything in the regs or statute that specifically prohibit the use of radios. However, do keep in mind that if directions towards an animal are given over the radio, and you then move towards that animal(or it's direction) in a vehicle, you would be in violation of A.R.S. 17-301( per the definition of 'Take' in A.R.S. 17-101(A)18, as well as possibly R12-4-320(A), depending on the verbiage used in the radio transmission, your actions and the interpretation of the officer who witnesses the act.

So as long as you never enter a vehicle once you used the radio for locating game, and use the radio in accordance with FCC regulations, I cannot see any legal authority citing you for the use of the radios in your hunt.

[SWDesertRat]

Keep in mind regarding the OP's original comment about Tim Christie's article in Az Wildlife Views and radios, that Mr Christie is a freelance writer and likely did not explore Az statutes regarding the use of radios when he wrote his article. That would be my guess. However, there are some states, MT for example where radios are illegal.

[Antmo23]

Luckily for me, I always forget my walkie-talkies at home or back at camp.

[metau]

Keep in mind regarding the OP's original comment about Tim Christie's article in Az Wildlife Views and radios, that Mr Christie is a freelance writer and likely did not explore Az statutes regarding the use of radios when he wrote his article. That would be my guess. However, there are some states, MT for example where radios are illegal.

I believe they are in CO now too, but cannot recall at the moment.

[pwrguy]

Keep in mind regarding the OP's original comment about Tim Christie's article in Az Wildlife Views and radios, that Mr Christie is a freelance writer and likely did not explore Az statutes regarding the use of radios when he wrote his article. That would be my guess. However, there are some states, MT for example where radios are illegal.

I believe they are in CO now too, but cannot recall at the moment.

I would like to know if anyone has any insight to Colorado. Not to hijack the thread, but I am likely to hunt there in the next couple of years.

[couesmagnet]

I would say that at least a third of the boone and crockett entries in the last 5 years or so involved radio usage. Everyone out there has radios and several people looking for or with them. We don't enter our animals and never have, besides if you have a certain number in line in the book so to speak, there are several bigger that weren't entered anyways. For instance if your buck is number 15 , there are probably 20 other bucks sitting in garages that are bigger but just weren't entered.

[Becker]

Kind of highjacking this thread but some people have mentioned this anyway,

 

Its still sad to me that most guys think of the record books as being this big competition. The record books are meant to be a history of the animals. What they were, what they are, and what they potentially can be. They are a Record Keeping tool !

 

Definition of RECORD.....

 

 

Noun

A thing constituting a piece of evidence about the past, esp. an account of an act or occurrence kept in writing or some other permanent...:

Most guys take it to competition which is human nature, but come on guys, get over yourself. Look at the bigger picture.

I for one will enter every thing I kill into the RECORD book, if it makes it, no matter if its #1000 or #1. Out of respect and shear love of the animal's I harvest I think its more of a way of honoring that particular animal than thumping my chest.

I wish more guys would see it that way. Its really interesting to look in the RECORD books and see what animals were taken over the years. To see animals that have stood strong in higher ends if not the top for years and years, or the new ones that pushed the upper end during my time. THATS WHAT ITS ABOUT!!!

[couesmagnet]

Well put becker and your explanation is exactly why we don't enter our animals. The record books are for a general history of big animals harvested, and having a number next to an animal doesn't necessarily represent that specific animals place in line because of the many animals not entered, but instead a representation of that animals place in line in general. I'm not saying anything negative about entering an animal at all, that's a personal choice made by the hunter. I always thought it would be cool to have something in the book, but i'm to lazy to get them entered anyways.

[Whitesheep]

To each their own. I bought a hunt in AK once (hence my avatar) and while I saw some book class rams I could shoot, we wouldn't have been able to recover any of them, so I ended up with my OK specimen. The experience was fantastic, but it was clear to me that I would have to go back several times in order to harvest a record book ram. I hunt public land on my own now and the 5x5 bull elk I took in 2011 with my friends without a professional guide means more to me than the Dall because we did it on our own. I understand that some (many?) of the "book" animals were "bought" through professional guided hunts by buying a certain class animal in advance. The fact that the guide spent a year scouting and patterning a specific bull and then took the client right there without using radios so it could "make the book" doesn't fit my idea of fair chase. Add in gang processed meat and I completely lose interest in this type of hunting. That is my opinion and for that reason I don't support the record books. Becker makes a good point, is entitled to his opinion and I respect the work guides do and the attention and money they bring to our sport. For me, however, I hunt for many reasons and being in the "book" isn't one of them.

 

I guess I helped hijack the thread I started, but I had to weigh in. There is room in this sport for everyone who is ethical and law abiding. We should support each other even if we don't agree on all the details of why we hunt. Now back to radios......

[wildwoody]

i think sci except radio hunted animals, i think, score is for personal pride

[Whitesheep]

e-mail has been sent today (7/20/13) to Arizona Wildlife views as well as through Tim Christie's web site concerning his statement asking for the specific law that supports Mr. Christie's statement. I'll post any responses I receive.

[CouesWhitetail]

e-mail has been sent today (7/20/13) to Arizona Wildlife views as well as through Tim Christie's web site concerning his statement asking for the specific law that supports Mr. Christie's statement. I'll post any responses I receive.

 

Thanks, I look forward to the replies.