Hunting from a car

[tightgroup tiger]

I have a hunting question about abandoned cars in the woods. When I still lived in western PA I was hunting deer about half a mile from my house in deep woods. It was about 10deg above and about a 15-20 wind blowing.
I was extremely cold and spied an old Hudson sitting in the woods.
I climbed into it, the doors would still open, and used it for a wind break/shelter.

After I was in there for a while I started wondering if I could be arrested for hunting out of a vehicle or it this could be considered a shanty/shelter of some sort since the Hudson was obviously in a vast state of rot, and was slowly sinking into the ground.

So what do you guys think? Could I have been arrested for hunting out of a vehicle if a game warden would have come along?

 

[Art Eatman]

Me, I'd just call it a box-blind. I can't help but believe that "Hunting from a vehicle" means using a functioning machine.

 

[PonyKiller]

I guess if your in The car and standing on the ground, the GW would probably let you slide. I know a guy who made a blind out of old refrigerators, If it's legal and keeps you from shivering more power to ya. I know in NJ hunting from a Vehicle, assuming it's function I suppose, is illegal. One of the fella's I grew up with got busted for "heater hunting" lost his license for 2 years I think.

 

[Patocazador]

I did almost the same thing. After sitting in a tree stand with 40 mph west winds and snow blowing sideways, I couldn't take it any longer. I went to an abandoned farmhouse where the windows were broken and the floor had caved in. It was at the jct. of a field and a wood lot and gave me a good view of 2 areas.
The deer were smarter than me. They stayed holed up.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Yea, I ran into a neighbor from the other side of the woods and he saw me in the Hudson and sort of laughed at me, but a month later told me he started using the Hudson to, in muzzle loader season, (January), for the same reason.

Knowing the Game Commissioners from that area I'm sure they would have tried to fine me for it. It would probably be thrown out of court after it cost me a lot of money.

The hunting laws just say it's illegal to hunt out of a vehicle, they don't say a functional vehicle.

I never got caught but, well, just always wondered about it and it really did work well.

 

[zdc1775]

One of the fella's I grew up with got busted for "heater hunting" lost his license for 2 years I think.

Being a southern boy I've never heard that particular term used to describe hunting from a vehicle (or at least I'm assuming that's what your using it for) we always called them "road hunters" or more appropriately poachers.

We also had an older gentleman in our hunting club who converted a short school buss into a blind. His was unmistakeable though as he had removed the engine and axels after he drove/drug it back there, set it on blocks, and transplanted some kudzu from some of the surrounding trees around it to engulf it. He also removed one of the front fenders and made sure the hood hardware stayed nice and greased so it would raise and lower to make a sort of garage for his four wheeler. The interior was stripped with about 3/4 of the windows covered up and re insulated and he had him a nice sorta lounge chair in their. It was his way to get a few more years in the woods and a pretty nice set up.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

That sounds like a nice setup. I've seen people in Pa drag an old campers into the woods and use them for a portable shanty. I don't think in Pa we were allowed to have windows even in a shanty, We could have a roof but no walls higher than what would be considered a safety railing.

That old Hudson had all the windows shot out of it.

We weren't allowed to hunt deer from a blind in Pa. I don't know if an old Hudson would constitute a blind or not.

 

[X-Rap]

The laws in Colorado only say 'motor vehicle and don't discern the difference of one that is disabled. I don't doubt that one could get the charges dismissed but it would probably cost more than some extra clothes and a blind in the end.
Some states let you sit up in the safari seats and shoot from the road I think.

 

[K1500]

I've heard of a ticket being issued for exactly what you describe.

 

[Art Eatman]

As long as you're not hunting from a vehicle on a public road in Texas, all's well. It's common to drive along a jeep trail on a ranch and hunt. I will sometimes just park my truck in the back-country and watch the countryside, knowing that if Bambi shows up it's legal to shoot. Or call coyotes or whatever.

Some pretty elaborate high-seat rigs above pickup truck beds for hunting in south Texas. They're necessary in that brush country, since at ground level you can't see anything over a few feet away. Being above the brush is a necessity.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Some pretty elaborate high-seat rigs above pickup truck beds for hunting in south Texas. They're necessary in that brush country, since at ground level you can't see anything over a few feet away. Being above the brush is a necessity.

That would be a really cool way to hunt.

 

[Patocazador]

I've been in some real elaborate "blinds" both on the ground and on stilts. One "high house" in Alabama was outfitted with a stove, refrigerator and TV for watching the Tide roll.

 

[tahunua001]

well it would depend on your state and you would more than likely have to get the green light from fish and game in writing before hand to CYA.

in idaho hunting from a vehicle is illegal unless you are disabled and most places ban offroading so it would be difficult to hunt from an old abandoned car because even if it hasn't run in 30 years you are still in a motor vehicle and it is still off road. I'm sure if you explained the extenuating circumstances you may get a game warden come out to inspect the area or they may just write a letter saying yay or nay but either way... I wouldn't move without authorization.

 

[MCgunner]

When I bought my place down in Calhoun county back in 88, it had an old abandoned van and a couple other vehicles piled in one spot. I've shot a little buck and let a couple of small doe pass while hunting that van. One of my Contender kills was from it. Over the years, the brush grew up around it and the top of it rusted and finally caved in. Ashes to ashes, rust to rust.....

Of course, I've killed a doe out of a moving vehicle. Legal on private land in Texas. We have a lot of high seat jeeps and trucks and stuff set up for this. I've heard 'em called "Texas War Wagons" in a derogatory manor by out of staters with attitudes The time I shot from the vehicle, I was with the ranch biologist on a special doe cull. He got me up to 80 yards from one and I shot it with a .357 magnum carbine and iron sights. My eyes weren't as screwed back then and irons weren't as hard for me to use.

 

[Art Eatman]

In those high-seat truck rigs, a seat-belt is right at being mandatory. Bumpy swaying when your fanny is eight feet off the ground can be a bit of a balancing act.

 

[BigBore44]

Interesting question as we have lots of abandoned cars in the woods around here. I think it would depend on the GW. Around here IF you were to get a ticket for that the judge would through it out simply out of admiration for your dedication. Wonder if you could be charged with APC of a stolen vehicle? Lol

 

[tightgroup tiger]

well it would depend on your state and you would more than likely have to get the green light from fish and game in writing before hand to CYA

That would have been a good idea, the GC in that area wasn't a loved man.
There was a good reason for that, There was actually a lawyer in that town that advertised to represent anyone for free that was arrested by him.

I wouldn't look to get a green light from this guy for anything.

In those high-seat truck rigs, a seat-belt is right at being mandatory. Bumpy swaying when your fanny is eight feet off the ground can be a bit of a balancing act.

I'll bet, but it sounds like soooo much fun. Being up there with my heavy, long barreled mauser wouldn't be though, that rifle would tear you a new one just trying to hang onto it. I would expect you would be using something shorter and lighter, like AR,s or carbines like MC Gunner mentioned.

 

[Outlaw Man]

If it was fully restored, it might be considered baiting.

 

[788Ham]

X-Rap, you're right about the laws in Colorado, and how they are interpreted! About 10 years ago, I was on this guys place shooting P-dogs, stopped my pickup, got out and leaned against the LFT front tire for support, BOOM, got 4 of them. As I got up from my "stand", I noticed another pickup driving up the road towards me, not the owner, who's that? Game warden! He busted me for "shooting from a vehicle", cost me $200.00 fine, and 5 points against my license! The law emphatically states , "Shooting from a vehicle: one cannot lie across the hood, the pickup box, inside the box at any time, nor lay the firearm on the inside seat of said vehicle! " I didn't want to argue with the guy, he said he could , and would confiscate the vehicle, firearm and any other hunting equip. if I was to protest too vehemently. They can and will do it !

 

[rondog]

I was talking with a feller, we were discussing the idea of making a deer blind from a bunch of wooden pallets. Stood on edge, two high, screwed together with 2x4's in the corners. I think a guy could easily build a dandy blind that way. Leave a gap for a doorway, throw a camo net over the top, put a chair inside, 360* visibility, shooting slots all around, sounds right comfy to me. Something to leave in place year-round, the critters would be used to it. Just a "shootin' shack".

 

[clamman]

I got you all beat!

How about deer hunting from the back lot of my rental operation in a 45' man lift

 

[sf46]

I used to be a game warden many years ago. If hunting out of an abandoned, disabled car, you wouldn't be breaking any laws as long as it wasn't on a roadway. The laws are against hunting from a moving vehicle. Now sitting in a car with the engine running would probably still be considered illegal depending on the location.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

How about deer hunting from the back lot of my rental operation in a 45' man lift

Ha. I've often been working in a scissor lift thinking, "Man this would make a helluva deer stand if it had some bigger tires and I could disable the beeping when it went up."

 

[K1500]

I used to be a game warden many years ago. If hunting out of an abandoned, disabled car, you wouldn't be breaking any laws as long as it wasn't on a roadway. The laws are against hunting from a moving vehicle. Now sitting in a car with the engine running would probably still be considered illegal depending on the location.

As a former game warder, you must realize that the answer is dependent on state code. What is O.K. in LA may not be O.K. in another state.

 

[MCgunner]

Only thing about hunting out of a JLG lift, take you 3 years to get to your hunting spot. I can crawl faster than those things go. LOL I never worried about it when I was working by the hour, though.

If it was fully restored, it might be considered baiting.

Well, THAT is legal in Texas, TOO!