Use of Radios in Colorado
Elk
Contributors to this thread:
hunt'n addict's Link
I watch this video tonight and wondered if their use of radios was legal in Colorado? I didn't think it was.
I just skimmed the vid so maybe I didn't see everything but radios are legal unless used to communicate while doing something illegal. Did I see a guy at the end sneak up and shoot a bull with a muzzleloader without wearing an orange vest and hat?
Yes he did shoot the elk without Hunter Orange on vest and hat. Hard to believe one would do this on video. I am sure the CPW knows who he is as his name is on the video. I do not believe the elk would not be confiscated if he had a license but he would be fined for not wearing Hunter Orange. The fine may be less than $100.
It is legal to use radios in Colorado, even to direct someone to an animal during a hunt. Don't agree with that, but it is legal
Edited/corrected - per following posts: Apparently it's OK. My understanding was that it was no-no. It would be best to confirm that with a warden. 'Pretty sure it's OK for checking in, communicating personal locations, and - of course - summoning help (including fetching a DOWNED animal).
Yes before the elk is shoot there is a spotter on the other side of the canyon that radios the location of the elk and where the bull is headed.
Good to know. We used to use them back when we used Garmin RINOs, but just to communicate our individual locations, or let eachother know when we had an elk down.
Never used them to approach elk.
Yeah, you can break any number of laws & maybe get away with it. Like I said - check with a warden, or be prepared to be ticketed. The Warden in the Flat Tops was very savvy to illegal radio use.
txhunter is correct. It's against the P&Y and B&C fair chase policy to direct a hunter to an animal, etc.., but not against the law here. I sometimes put my radio on scan and pick up guys directing other hunters in to an animal. I often screw with them. I do a really good southern accent and can mimic very well, and have had some "interesting" conversations with a couple as I directed them to a fake animal in the opposite direction from where the other guy is telling them to go.
One thing I learned - WCOs also have high-powered FRS-GMRS radios that they also keep on scan. Two seasons ago I was way up on a mountain and reached out to AndyJ to let him know I was going to sit and glass for awhile, and where I was. Then a third voice came on saying, "Louie, is that you?" I replied that it indeed was. It was our area game warden who was way down below on a road, and he recognized my voice. We had a funny radio conversation and have since joked about how people think they're being really sneaky, when the warden is sitting there listening to them talk about committing a violation.
ColoBull, In Colorado there is NO regulation against the use of two way radio communications to direct another hunter to animals OR to notify another hunter to the location of animals. The ONLY regulation is that, from a plane, one can not communicate the location of animals to someone on the ground.
There are 15 states that prohibit their use to guide and to location via radio. Colorado is not one of them. I confirmed this with the head of CPW Law enforcement in Denver a few years back. my best, Paul
That's as fine a 5 point as anyone could ever expect to kill. Beautiful animal. God Bless
I’m confused, some guys are saying ok to use radios some saying it’s a no go. Looking through the regs I received in the mail a few weeks ago I see two illegal activities that give me more questions than answers. Page 14-Illegal Activities #11 “Use the internet or other computer assisted remote technology while hunting or fishing. This includes unmanned or remote control drones used to look for wildlife. Hunters and anglers must be physically present in the immediate vicinity while hunting or fishing”. #22 “For two or more people on the ground, in a vehicle or vessel to use electronic device to communicate information that violates any wildlife law or regulation”.
Lots of grey area in those regs but I would say radio communication is a no go in CO.
I carried a 2 way radio for years. They sucked.
Now they are antiquated
Antlerless, they are only illegal if used in an illegal activity, per #22.
So has or is someone on this thread going to turn that illegal violation of him not having his orange hat and vest on during the final stalk and kill into the CO authorities?
Gotcha. So poachers beware you can’t use radios everyone else feel free.
Yep, illegal to: "to use electronic device to communicate information that VIOLATES ANY WILDLIFE LAW or regulation"
Doesn't say it is not legal to use radios, only to use them to violate any laws.
Radios are legal! You can take that to the bank.
Interesting, they don't seem to care about telling the world where they hunt.
I wouldn't have camped there in that crappy little tent, far tougher than I.
Finally watched the video. Nice bull!!
There is no footage actually showing the hunter stalking or shooting THIS BULL without hunter orange. Many people "reenact" scenes of a stalk for "TV" and that could be their claim. He is carrying the gun without hunter orange, but was it before or after he shot the bull. I agree it is very suspicious, but not sure enough evidence to convict?
Interesting. I had always been under the impression that radios were illegal to use to communicate the location of animals. It seems it would be legal to use cell phones for locating animals?
Sounds like this is one of those times when you just have to ask yourself whether or not it’s The Right Things To Do.…
And if you’re not sure how you feel about it, you can always ask yourself how you’d feel if you were hunting a particular hillside, sneaking in Peking, and there was another guy on the same hill who was being directed towards a herd of Elk by his partner who was a half mile away with a spotting scope and a radio. It’s not exactly the same thing, but
And FWIW, a cell phone is just a very fancy RADIO. If you think you could bluff your way out of a ticket by drawing a distinction between a walkie-talkie with a range of a mile or two and a device which is capable of receiving a live video feed from a drone or even a satellite (we’ll get there sooner than you think!)....
I’m gonna guess that the warden would be SO impressed by your legal acumen that he’d give you a written invitation to strut your stuff in front of a judge...
Now I’m wondering... Drones can’t be legal for ANY purpose in a Wilderness Area, can they?
johnw- a big part of why they changed this law was due to cellular phones and other technologies. None of the die hard P&Y types have piped up yet that even if it is legal to guide someone in with a radio, it would not meet the P&Y fair chaise rules for entry. Just in case that is important to you- good to know.
From: txhunter58 06-Mar-18 Finally watched the video. Nice bull!! There is no footage actually showing the hunter stalking or shooting THIS BULL without hunter orange. Many people "reenact" scenes of a stalk for "TV" and that could be their claim. He is carrying the gun without hunter orange, but was it before or after he shot the bull. I agree it is very suspicious, but not sure enough evidence to convict?
*** Just carrying that rifle during the open season is a violation if you don't have on an orange hat and 500 square inches of blaze orange on you torso.I don't know what video you watched, but in this one from 15:35 on they had both taken off packs and all orange until the fatal shot you can see and hear and it was even replayed in slow mo you can see the bullet hit the bull high through the lungs.
It seams if he actually wore orange for the kill, you would have a clip or two of him in orange as the were filming from a long ways away. Just my thoughts.
What a dumb thing to put in writing, it's illegal to use radios to commit an illegal act. Well no shit Sherlock. It's also illegal to commit an illegal act while wearing camo, or while driving a chevy, or while in ownership of a pet parakeet. Committing an illegal act is illegal, regardless of the way you go about said ILLEGAL act. lol
Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right... 100% unfair advantage over the animal. Ed F
Topgun. I watched it again, and nothing has changed. I see no UNEDITED footage of him stalking or shooting the live bull without hunter orange. He could claim he shot footage later after the kill to recreate the stalk. Just like the big boys do on TV. Do I believe that is what happened. H#ll no. Looks guilty as sin. But what I believe and what can be proved in a court are 2 different things. If I am missing something please point out the exact time. But all I saw was a hunter slinking along the ground with a rifle LIKE he was stalking, but there was no footage that showed him and the live elk in the same unedited footage. They should definitely get these guys in separate rooms and question them, but I see nothing ironclad in the video that would convict. Either way, they were incredibly stupid about the video with regards to hunter orange. . .
"Just carrying that rifle during the open season is a violation if you don't have on an orange hat and 400 square inches of blaze orange on you torso" .
If that is true, then they have them. So you are saying that after you kill and pack your elk out and go back and pack up camp to carry that out, if you are carrying a gun, you have wear hunter orange? I wasn't aware of that.
If you’re carrying a firearm in the field without your orange and without a valid tag in your pocket... better make damn sure it’s neither loaded nor primed.
And if you’re on the hill during firearms season..... why wouldn’t you wear the orange, just ‘cuz??
All good points GF. I wear orange anytime I am in the field during a hunting season, whether or not I have a tag or a gun. Just makes sense. I have had too many animals walk right past me with solid orange on to think I need to not wear it. When I have bowhunted during muzzleloading season, I wear a camo blaze orange hat and vest.
Mathewsman - good to know. Usually hunting solo anyway, and cell reception is spotty at best. Would also agree that its not exactly fair chase with either cell phones or radios to guide a hunter in.