Hutning in WA

[BP Hunter]

Hello folks. I am looking to go hunting deer and coyote. My choice of weapon will be a Mauser in 8mm with iron sights. I have looked at the WA State Hunting Regulations manual on modern firearms. The only information I can find is that the smallest caliber allowable is 6mm. It does not mention if a scope is required.

Please don't flame me on the ethics here of my decision in using open iron sights vs. scopes. I have hunted many years when I was in Texas with scoped rifles. I am very comfortable hitting pumpkins with irons sights consistently up to 150 yards with my Mosin Nagant 91/30.

Can somebody tell me if it is LEGAL to use open sights for hunting with a modern firearm?

Thanks.

 

[sumpnz]

Short answer - yes irons are legal.

You're a little late this year for deer hunting. There's a late season that opens this Thursday but closes again this coming Sunday. After that you're done for deer until next year.

Coyotes are, IIRC, open year round though.

ETA: If you haven't taken a hunter safety class somewhere that you can document you'll have to take it here before you can buy any hunting licenses or tags. If you were born Jan 1, 1972 or later anyway.

 

[BP Hunter]

sumpz,

I know I am a little too late for deer season. I'm just trying to convince myself to get that Mauser.

I was born in 1966,, so I am still good with Hunter Safety Course. But thanks for letting me know.

I have not hunted for 5 years since I left TX for SE Washington. 2 weekends ago, I got lost making a wrong turn trying to get to the shooting range. I ended up in the middle of nowhere, but was lucky enough to see signs everywhere "Free to Hunt". I then decided to get back into hunting.

 

[sumpnz]

SE WA and NE OR is a great place to hunt, at least according to my FIL. I haven't been out there, but the stories make me interested in trying that area out. There's also some pretty good deer hunting in the migration path of the mule deer coming out of Canada. Area I was in this year I saw no less than 10 deer each day on a single hill side. 4 antlered bucks, at least 2 (and possibly 3) of which were legal shooters, were seen by me and/or my BIL over 5 days. There was at least 1 or 2 more shooters that another hunter said he saw (waaaayyy out of range) but I never could find them.