Michael Pritzl said:
Yes this guys was roaming around the Lagunas with a rifle on the archery opener with no clue that it is not rifle season and you cannot hunt the Lagunas with a bow.
I assume you meant that you cannot hunt the Lagunas with a
rifle? There are areas of the Laguna mountains that you CAN hunt with a rifle (during D-16 general season) and TVR is one of them. Once you pass the reacreation area signs you are safe to pursue lawful game with a firearm but ONLY during approved seasons.
Obviously this guy is clueless and needs a good mentor (or a couple of fines from the DFG).
I was exposed to the area in 1998 by a co-worker who was mentored by a similar bonehead to the one you described above. His "mentor" showed him some areas (just INSIDE the recreation area)and told him that he could hunt it with a rifle as long as he was at least 200 yards from the road. During his 2nd season hunting up there, he killed a huge forky (probably the biggest I have seen from the area) with his rifle. He filled out his tag but didn't sign it because his "mentor" told him that he was suppose to sign it in front of the authorizing agent. Well, when the DFG showed up to sign off his tag, they busted him for 1) hunting with a rifle in the recreation area and 2) not signing (completely filling out) his tag immediately after the kill. The only thing he got from his hunt was a picture of him with his buck in the back of the DFG truck. They fined him and kept his buck (rightfully so IMO).
The 1st season I hunted with this guy, he told me the story (his version was that DFG screwed him over) so I did a little research. From what I learned, if he would have gone in about 100 or more yards or so, he would have been legal (assuming he knew how to fill his tag out properly).
As far as rifle hunters inside the recreation area, I've seen them smack dab in the middle of it and when confronted, they acted like I was an idiot for not knowing the rules ???
It only took me 1 ticket from DFG (my shotgun that I hunted with forever on the east coast was not plugged during turkey season (even though I only had 3 shells on my person) to learn that you have to research everything you can think of just to have a chance to be legal. I sat through the hunter safety course with my son last year and learned quite a few things that are different from where I learned to hunt.
BTW, as to not completely jack this thread, I didn't, and usually don't, hunt the opener. Way too many people and way too hot for me. I like to hunt when it's a little cooler and less busy
