Can Rifle and Bow Hunters Mix?

August 20, 2009

Question: I have a question regarding hunting pigs during deer archery season. I know that pigs are open all year. I also know that if you are hunting deer during archery season, you cannot have any firearms with your archery equipment while out in the field. If I am out hunting with my friends, but I am hunting pigs with my gun while they are archery hunting for deer, is it legal for me to carry my gun with me while my buddies are bow hunting, if we are in the same hunting area? Will a game warden cite us or be overly suspicious because we would have a mixture of hunting equipment in our possession during archery season, even though we have a non-deer hunter in our group? Thanks. (Tim P.)

Answer: This is an age-old scenario that we hear often. According to Assistant Chief Mike Carion, while you are not prohibited from carrying a firearm (Section 354[h]) because you are not an “archer,” if you claim to be hunting pigs with your firearm during a deer archery-only season, you may draw the attention of a game warden.

If you are observed in the field with archery deer hunters and are carrying a firearm, and you are doing anything that could be defined as “hunting, pursuing, catching, capturing or killing” deer, there is a good chance you will be cited for taking or attempting to take deer without a tag, and hunting with a firearm during an archery season. Merely claiming you are hunting pig, coyote, ground squirrel or something else does not necessarily protect you from prosecution. So be sure your actions are consistent with the intended legal game you are hunting, that the game is obviously found in the area, and that you are carrying the correct tags and ammunition for the game you are pursuing.

Because there are people who take advantage of these situations, game wardens pay close attention to mixed hunting groups. And by carrying a firearm you will be putting yourself and your group in the spotlight.