Big Game Hunting Magazine Capacity Restrictions

[Irving]

I mostly lost my point between posts. Regardless of what the rules are, People break them frequently anyway. I think a lot of hunting regulations are like a lot of IDPA rules where it seems to serve the purpose of just making things needlessly more difficult. While it'd be nice to be able to point to regulations specifically created to prevent poaching and draw a direct link to the success of game management, I doubt that the link is very strong.

[newracer]

And your point is?

If they do something dumb, then punish them. But it's asinine to limit the potential for a magazine because someone might do something as dumb as fire into an entire herd of elk -- it's akin to the folks who think bolt action rifles are fine but semi-autos are somehow bad; yet, a bolt action in the right hands is devastating. Why not limit it to 2 rounds? What sort of poaching is someone doing where they need 6 insane, flashback addled spray and pray rounds!?

If we are going to limit someone from doing something completely benign because of dumbassery, then we need to ban hunting all together, and guns too.

I was just speculating, I do not know the reason behind the limit.

[newracer]

Also up until recently there wasn't very many bolt action rifles that held more than 5 rounds. With more bolt action rifles available with detachable magazines that hold more than 5 maybe they will change that regulation too and we would get some insight as to why.

[brutal]

It's akin to arresting someone for having a car which *can* go over 20mph in a school zone, even if they *did not* go over 20mph in a school zone, when the regulation put out by DOW clearly does not ban *potential* but *actual* capacity over a certain number of rounds.


http://www.denverpost.com/2013/03/23...s-in-colorado/

But the wording in the regulations don't say that, do they Mr. Hampton? No, no they don't.

I equate it more along the lines of; requiring a watercraft driver 13-16 years old, which also requires a safety course, to only have access to the learning key (limits speed) in an otherwise faster boat/pwc. The boat/pwc CAN go faster, but not without installing the regular (high capacity) key. That rowboat is only gonna go so fast no matter who's paddling it.

My interpretation is precisely that if SEMI-AUTO, it can only hold 5+1 in the pipe. Pretty simple.

[MarkCO]

Dumbass fires 20 shots into a herd of elk hoping to hit one.

If I recall, there was a case back in the 70s or 80s where some out of state hunter fired multiple rounds into a herd of elk...ended up killing 6 and wounding several more. Not sure if that is related to the law at all, but that is a good enough reason. Only time I ever fired more than 2 rounds at an animal was last years elk. I put 5 of 5 into her as fast as I could run the bolt. It was cold, dusk and snowing and I did not want to track.

[buffalobo]

Also up until recently there wasn't very many bolt action rifles that held more than 5 rounds. With more bolt action rifles available with detachable magazines that hold more than 5 maybe they will change that regulation too and we would get some insight as to why.

^^^This, plus semi autos with mag capacity greater than 5 rds(detachable) started gaining popularity couple decades ago.

Regulation is outdated.

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[ThunderSquirrel]

The regulations are outdated a bit, but are based around fair chase for the game. Same reason muzzle loader season still has heavy regulations on powder, projectiles, optics, etc.
It's still a gentleman's sport that some people take seriously. Not a full battlerattle, tactifools outing.

Besides, if you need more than 6, you shouldn't be hunting.

[CS1983]

The regulations are outdated a bit, but are based around fair chase for the game. Same reason muzzle loader season still has heavy regulations on powder, projectiles, optics, etc.
It's still a gentleman's sport that some people take seriously. Not a full battlerattle, tactifools outing.

Besides, if you need more than 6, you shouldn't be hunting.

Some people care more about filling their freezer than some ridiculous notion of "sport" (and some of those folks really count on that meat) -- we aren't Victorian "gentlemen"; please don't lump all hunters in with some ridiculous NRA trope designed to present hunting as something palatable. If people want sport and challenge, they can archery hunt.

Who said anything about "tactical"?

What about the potential for a mountain lion, angry bear, or for that matter, another human being who decides you "ruined" "their" hunt because you were stalking through and didn't realize they were about to get an animal (or you were about to stumble on their meth lab in the woods, grow operation, etc.).

Who said anything about HAVING more than 6? And, why is 6 a magical number? Why not 3? Why should a person be forced to buy some special, otherwise useless, magazine for a multi-purpose weapon?

What if the animal twitches as you touch off the shot and you need engage while it's running away, lest it otherwise die a horribly slow death? After all, "Only Hits Count, You Can't Miss Fast Enough To Catch Up."

[ThunderSquirrel]

It is what it is. Hunt how you want, with what you want.
If you want to use a 10/20/30 or a drum mag, you can.
Just have your checkbook ready when the man comes around.

Besides, you're allowed a sidearm, with no round limit, for your engagements of mountain lions, bears, other hunters and meth heads.

[spqrzilla]

If I recall, there was a case back in the 70s or 80s where some out of state hunter fired multiple rounds into a herd of elk...ended up killing 6 and wounding several more. Not sure if that is related to the law at all, but that is a good enough reason.

There was such an incident about 15 years ago, I recall it being the topic of discussion at a hunter ed instructor seminar. The DOW officers matched tags to elk carcasses until the party ran out of tags, then wrote citations for every elk carcass that couldn't be tagged. I forget the total fines from the incident but recall it was quite large.