Shooting an animal across state lines?

[Brando]

I was watching a sheep hunt on YT where they were hunting Hells Canyon. Tag holder had an Oregon tag. Guide found a ram on the OR side of the canyon but took the hunter across the river into Idaho to get a better vantage point to judge the ram. Was probably bad editing but it looked as if the hunter shot the ram from the Idaho side.
I have never thought about this before but is it legal to shoot across state lines as long as you have a tag for the state the animal is in? Generally curious.

 

[adventure907]

Interesting scenario. An Alaskan sheep hunter shot a ram that was standing in Canada a few years ago. That didn't go over so well.

 

[ozyclint]

I've shot a good fallow buck that was in a different state to where I was standing. I was in Queensland and the buck was across the river in New South Wales.

 

[mtnwrunner]

Hmmmm..........interesting scenario.
I don't see a problem with glassing but I think there would be an issue with shooting.
Maybe someone who knows will chime in.
Kinda boils down to if one is questioning it, there may be some issues.

Randy

 

[EdP]

If you are in the woods outfitted for hunting (wearing orange, rifle in hand, etc), but no hunting license for the state you are in, that could be trouble.

 

[Idaboy]

I can't imagine a state FG officer that would go for that.....unless the outfitter/guide had Idaho rights for the Idaho side as well, they have to stay in their assigned areas....maybe if you left your weapons, but otherwise you are pursuing game

 

[Oregon]

This year I had 2 deer tags in different states. The hunt ran simultaneously and the units touched and were separated by a state line fence. One unit was good for any buck, the other was good for a forked horn on one side only.
I called both F&G's and asked "if I sat next to state line fence, am I legal to shoot either animal, on either side of fence?" Both told me I had to be on the side of the state line fence where the tag I was going to use is valid.
It was a weird hunt. I did 2 hunts where, I started in one state, did a loop through the other state, then back into state where truck was parked.

 

[taskswap]

In my hunter's-safety course here in CO they had a specific discussion about this and the answer was that it was illegal. Both you and your quarry must be "in" the GMU you hold the tag for (which means same state, obviously). It's because your tag gives you TWO privileges - the right to take an animal there, but also the right to "hunt" there (whether you take an animal or not). Both privileges are conjoined and so in the eyes of a law enforcement officer, both you and your quarry need to be where you have that tag for.

Carrying a hunting weapon during any hunting season is considered "prima facie" evidence of hunting activity in almost every state. That doesn't mean you're automatically going to be charged with an offense but it's a really important legal detail, because it means you're no longer presumed innocent until proven guilty - suddenly it's the other way around and you have to prove your innocence. That could be challenging.

The question at the time was the common "what if" of traveling through one GMU to get to another. (Not in a vehicle - say you're hiking in, and the best road in happens to be in the wrong GMU. You just want to get over the ridgeline to get started. There are many areas here in CO where this is common.) The officer said they would be looking for specific things and an important detail was that your firearm was unloaded and better still, cased. Not just unloaded-in-chamber, but literally having your rounds still in your ammo wallet. And even then you should expect some grilling.

This also goes to "what if a wounded animal crosses the boundary." The CPW officer said the hunter should take plenty of photos with GPS coordinates to show where they had taken the shot, and ideally, GPS coordinates of any blood spatter proving where the animal had stood. Now I've personally never run into a CPW officer out in the field - my tag checks have always been in parking lots and roads. I've never heard of one roaming around 5 miles in checking kills near GMU boundaries. But still, that's the "answer" if you're looking for it.

Crossing state lines is a whole other ball of wax. I personally would never want to try to prove to TWO state's wildlife officers that what I was doing was legal. And don't forget, these folks are pretty savvy now. They do pay attention to social media, Youtube videos, etc. Taking that kind of risk and then sharing it with the world is just asking for a poaching investigation IMO.

 

[dieselchessy]

I would think there would be issues for the guide even if just glassing while actively hunting with a client. Is that giude licensed/insured in the other state?
I think transiting another area would be ok, but actively hunting from another area seems questionable.

 

[WRO]

I would think there would be issues for the guide even if just glassing while actively hunting with a client. Is that giude licensed/insured in the other state?
I think transiting another area would be ok, but actively hunting from another area seems questionable.

If it’s the guide I’m thinking of, they’re licensed in both states.


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[dtrkyman]

I once waited for a turkey to walk from one county into another, I was hunting the line! Illinois has county specific turkey tags.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I'd bet you a paycheck that shooting across the Snake would be a violation in both states, never mind the other obvious violations that would come from shooting from one state to another.

 

[jjbloomer]

I was watching a sheep hunt on YT where they were hunting Hells Canyon. Tag holder had an Oregon tag. Guide found a ram on the OR side of the canyon but took the hunter across the river into Idaho to get a better vantage point to judge the ram. Was probably bad editing but it looked as if the hunter shot the ram from the Idaho side.
I have never thought about this before but is it legal to shoot across state lines as long as you have a tag for the state the animal is in? Generally curious.

Interesting thought... I'd be too nervous to risk it.

 

[blkqi]

Might be relevant:

"Any hunter with a valid Oregon or Idaho hunting license may hunt in the waters or on the islands of the Snake Rvr, where the river forms the boundary between the two states. All laws and rules of the respective states apply."

License Requirements - Oregon Hunting

Hunting licenses are valid beginning January 1, or from time of purchase if after January 1, through December 31 of the document year. No one may possess more than one valid annual hunting license. Any hunter with a valid Oregon or Idaho hunting license may hunt in the waters or on the islands of…

www.eregulations.com

 

[Tmac]

In this scenario, he was physically hunting in Idaho, firing a shot in ID, bullet landing in OR where he had a license. If he did not also have an ID license/tag, probably in trouble.

 

[roadrunner]

License was for OR, not ID...

 

[Extrapale]

Also, it's illegal to shoot across a river in Oregon.

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[Extrapale]

Report it to the TIP line, you may get 5 preference points out of the deal.

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[sneaky]

Hmmmm..........interesting scenario.
I don't see a problem with glassing but I think there would be an issue with shooting.
Maybe someone who knows will chime in.
Kinda boils down to if one is questioning it, there may be some issues.

Randy

In Idaho it's illegal to shoot across any navigable waterway.

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[Marble]

Seems like it could be technically illegal, but in the spirit of ty the law, not something to be concerned about. There are laws that are made because, on their face, they are bad to do. Like murder for instance Then, there are laws that are made for regulatory reasons. Like parking during g certain times.

I don't see any harm, unfair or unethical behavior that makes me want to hold the guy in violation of any law.

A lot of times, when people are charged in cases like this, they plead guilty with a suspended sentence and a caveat of the case will be totally dismissed after a period of time with no further related behavior.

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