FSD Outdoor Blog

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Hunting

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7 Unusual Hunting Laws You Should Know About

Whether you think you saw Bigfoot, are feeling a little sleepy, or aren’t quite sure what a camel is doing in Arizona, these 7 strange hunting laws are for you.

Some of these laws are creations of necessity, long past gone. Others happened just by chance. But all of them are certainly bizarre!

Here are seven hunting laws that are just plain old weird.

Bigfoot – Big Myth, Real Laws

Where:

California, New York, Texas, Washington.

What:

Well, even though he’s myth and legend, there are several laws pertaining to Bigfoot, or Sasquatch. In California, you cannot hunt him in anyway. In New York, you can only photograph him. In Texas, you can actually hunt him to your heart’s content (good luck)! Washington is the the opposite of Texas, as you cannot even harass him (that’s right, you can’t even ask to take a selfie with you).

Pays to be Different

Where:

Tennessee

What:

It is illegal to shoot an Albino deer in Tennessee. This may sound pretty normal, but you have to understand that an albino deer isn’t genetically different than a regular colored deer. There is no real reason for this law to exist. In fact, when they were discussing hunting laws in Tennessee the person that created this law actually said there was no reason for it, they just thought it would be cool. And now it’s a law.

Leave Joe Cool Alone!

Where:

Arizona

What:

It is illegal to hunt CAMELS in Arizona. Yes, camels. If you frequent Arizona, you probably can’t remember a time you saw a camel walking around the desert. Now… there’s more to the story. This law was only implemented during the Civil War when the US Army imported camels to Arizona because they could handle the heat and carry more than any horse or donkey. Well, after the experiment ended (people loved the camels, by the way) the remaining camels were either sold or let loose. At this point, it was made illegal to hunt camels just to make sure they weren’t picked off prematurely. But now, there’s just no reason for it.

Like a Deer in Headlights

Where:

West Virginia and Tennessee

What:

You don’t need to hit a great shot with your rifle or bow to bring home some grub in these two states. Here, you can bring home any roadkill that you find while out on your travels. Yes, FIND. You don’t need to be the one to do the deed, you just need to find it. Bon Appétit!

No Photography… Kind Of

Where:

Montana

What:

During the hunting season, Montana has disallowed the use of trail cameras, which may not seem too strange. The strange thing is that during the rest of the year trail cameras are completely legal to use. This makes the law seem flimsy at best, with many hunters having their cameras up right until hunting season starts. Many think this strangely adopted law is sure to be off the books soon.

Stay Awake… or Take Your Shoes Off

Where:

North Dakota

What:

Most people have nodded off while waiting for a deer to wander by. But in North Dakota, that’s illegal. Well. It’s partially. You can’t lie down and have your shoes on, is the law. So as long as you stay off the ground or at least remove your shoes, you should be okay.

I Think I Saw Cupid!

Where:

New Hampshire

What:

In the great state of New Hampshire, bowhunters must have their name and address on every single one of their arrows. While you can probably understand how it might useful to have this information on hand should something go wrong, but it seems like a lot of effort that only New Hampshire is willing to do.

 

Some of these laws are a bit of strange ideas and good intentions. Others are a product of their time. But some just don’t seem to make a lot of sense.

These aren’t the only crazy laws out there so make sure you do a little bit of research before you brave the wild, and the law, the next time you’re out there hunting.

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8 Tips for Duck Hunting This Season

There are a lot of tips out there for any eager waterfowler. While some are repeated forever, on every blog in the world, there are other tips that are truly good ideas that can give you a big advantage the next time you’re on the hunt.

Here are 8 duck hunting tips that should truly give you a better chance of success every time you go out hunting!

Matchmaker

Might sound very obvious, but there are so many waterfowlers fouling this idea up. Match your decoy to the duck you’re hunting. Too often a hunter will use a mallard decoy when they’re hunting wood ducks and wonder why it’s not working.

Be Natural

The best camouflage is waiting for you in nature. Use cord to add another layer of camo to your gear, the vegetation around where you’re hunting is, without a doubt, the best concealment you’re going to get.

Ducks are creatures of habit, instinct dictates their movements. Make them feel right at home!

Gun, Too

It’s funny to spend a lot of time, money, and effort making yourself into the master of camo without camouflaging your gun, too.

When it’s the only thing not in camo, a gun will stand out as a big “Keep Out” sign to your would be prize.

Get Out of the Boat

If you’re bringing your boat along with you, try to hunt away from it. No matter how good your boat cover is, it’s not as good as your cover away from the water. While it may seem time consuming, it’s usually worth it.

Ice Breaker

When it gets colder, you’ll want to be vigilant

 about removing the ice around lakes and ponds when you can.

Breaking up the ice and clearing it away will give your prey a prime landing spot when they come around.

Try to break it up into big chunks when possible as they are easier to move. If the ice is thin and you break it up into smaller chunks, use a net to remove as much as you can.

Wind is… North? South?

You’ll hear a lot of tips about watching the wind when you’re hunting. But really knowing which way the wind is blowing is kinda hard.

How many times have you taken up a handful of dried grass, tossed it in the air, and watched it fall right back down… But you can feel the wind.

A simple way to get a real feel for the wind is to have a small bottle of baby powder you can squeeze out. The powder is so light that even the smallest amount of wind will be obvious and it will show you exactly where it’s blowing.

Speaking of Wind

Most waterfowlers agree that having the wind to their back is best when setting up their shots.

But in truth, this only gives you one good shot at any ducks. After you fire once, the ducks will be retreating away from you so your follow up shots are only worse.

Instead, have the wind be to your side. This way when the ducks react to your first shot, after they cross you, they’ll likely turn around and have to cross you again, giving you a better chance on your second and third shots.

Create your Own Runway

For some, clearing the ice around a pond or lake is too much work, especially if it gets really cold.

Instead of doing that, you can create a faux-landing spot for ducks.

With a simple clear plastic tarp you can make a decoy water spot on dried land.

Try to find a small divot in a field. Remove any branches, grass tufts, or anything else that might poke up. Lay the clear plastic tarp on the ground and sprinkle with a little bit of water. From the air this will look like a clear landing pond and you’ll be able to create your own action.

 

Don’t try to use any decoys on your fake pond though, the lack of movement is too obvious to most cunning ducks.

Ducks are clever, amazing animals. Luckily, we can use their intelligence against them and give us really good chances to bag more ducks than the next waterfowler. Hopefully these tips will lead you to more fun and successful hunts.