Use of Walkie Talkies in CO

[txhunter76859]

Going to try my hand for a second time at 3rd rifle season in CO. My brother and I are both planning on getting tags and hunting together. While discussing a plan, the topic of possibly using walkie talkies was brought up to cover more area at once.

Anyone experimented with this while hunting in CO? How true is the range of the devices while at that altitude and with the mountains? Any recommendations on devices would be appreciated.

 

[Rooster46]

Going to try my hand for a second time at 3rd rifle season in CO. My brother and I are both planning on getting tags and hunting together. While discussing a plan, the topic of possibly using walkie talkies was brought up to cover more area at once.

Anyone experimented with this while hunting in CO? How true is the range of the devices while at that altitude and with the mountains? Any recommendations on devices would be appreciated.

Garmin Rhino

 

[WeiserBucks]

Check the regulations first.

 

[ElkArcher918]

I may be wrong but in CO it is illegal to hunt with walkie talkies. Check the CPW website or call to confirm.

 

[BBob]

As I understand it you can use radios in the field in CO for basic communication but you cannot use them to assist in taking of wildlife. Once you radio your buddy that elk are headed his way or anything like it you're violating.

It appears that I am wrong. They are only illegal if you use them while committing other wildlife offenses.

C.R.S. 33-6-124 – Use of a motor vehicle or aircraft (2023)

Unless otherwise permitted by commission rule, it is unlawful for a person to hunt, take, or harass wildlife from or with a…

colorado.public.law

The Legalities of "Walkie Talkie" Use While Hunting

Is it ever legal to use an electronic device while hunting in Colorado? Wildlife lawyer Julia Stancil discusses the answer here.

www.wildlifelawyer.com

2-way radios legal for hunting?

The Colorado regs don't specifically cite radios as being illegal. The regs do state (page 17, under "Illegal Activities" #21) that electronic devices to communicate information that violates any wildlife regulation or law is illegal. Seems a bit ambiguous to me... Does anyone know where it is...

rokslide.com

 

[txhunter76859]

Check the regulations

I have already looked over the 2024 CO brochure. It is legal.

 

[txhunter76859]

I may be wrong but in CO it is illegal to hunt with walkie talkies. Check the CPW website or call to confirm.

I have already looked over the 2024 CO brochure. It is legal.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I have already looked over the 2024 CO brochure. It is legal.

Unless the laws have changed, they're specifically illegal for hunting big game.

 

[WeiserBucks]

 

[sndmn11]

I have already looked over the 2024 CO brochure. It is legal.

Correct.
I have no idea what we have used, a friend brings them, but we get a few miles without obstruction, and not very far with an obstructed line of sight.

 

[Jethro]

They’re legal.

Been 10+ years since we used them, drop camp. Across the big parks and from crest of the mountain could get 4+ miles and communicate to outfitters ranch. That was all clear open air.

Vegetation and elevation really limits range. I remember 1 time, from a mile, just being able to hear the words “bull down”. So the radios served their purpose, but I couldn’t hold a conversation with my buddy.

 

[ElkArcher918]

If I need to communicate with my hunting buddy I just use my Garmin mini inReach. More so just to check in on whereabouts and agree on a rendezvous or spike out location. We can share waypoint locations with the use of onX as well. Just more efficient ways to skin a cat, just saying.

 

[Poser]

You're pretty much limited to line of site. You can be 2 miles apart across a canyon and have great reception, but if you're on a rise and you're partner is 600 feet down the slope below you, you likley won't have reception. -super terrain dependent. I've used them just a bit hunting, but use them quite extensively backcountry skiing and is sometimes amazing how close you can be to one another and not have reception due to the elevation difference.

 

[LaFever]

Dunno if they're legal but if you get lost we can find you better

 

[LaFever]

Dunno if they're legal but if you get lost we can find you better

There's walkie talkie on Apple watch ?
Who knew ?

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

Ok you guys need to learn the regs, wallow talkies are 100% legal for communication, to inform your party of location and status. They encourage usage for safety reasons. You can do it all you want BUT if you have any other violation then that will be included with the violations. Here’s is direct quote from the reg book. So technically if you are using them to locate game, and your buddy shoots a spike, you’re gonna get illegal harvest plus illegal use of communication device.

“For two or more people on the ground, in a vehicle or vessel to use electronic de-
vices to communicate information that violates any wildlife law or regulation.”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[11boo]

They work to a degree as stated. Sometimes 600 yards is it.

 

[BBob]

“For two or more people on the ground, in a vehicle or vessel to use electronic de-
vices to communicate information that violates any wildlife law or regulation.”

For the full text of CO Section 33-6-124 Code see my link above.

 

[taskswap]

Everyone keeps quoting just part of the codes. Several of the posts above have correct quotes but you have to take them all together. It is legal to use walkie talkies. It is illegal to use them to report the locations of wildlife to others (to coordinate hunting).

Proving which you did is an entirely different matter.

 

[Bubblehide]

I would not use walkie talkies in any state that does not specifically address their use in their game regs. Keep in mind that all game regs are prima facie laws; prima facie laws tell us what we can legally do. If it is not listed it is NOT legal. Prima facie laws are not like the typical criminal laws, as typical criminal law tells us what we CANNOT do, i.e., murder someone, run a red light...

So in short, if the game laws do not list the use of radios, it is illegal. Game laws list the legal season, the legal method of take...