# Silencer use during coyote hunting...



## Jvans (Sep 3, 2009)

Just wondering if anyone had ever used a silencer while coyote hunting and if you can get multiple kills before the critters figure out what is going on?


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## craigsexton (Sep 3, 2009)

They will definitely help as the critter will not know where the noise is coming from. But a .223 still sounds like a loud .22 long rifle. 

Other than this it couldn't hurt at all and they are sooo cool. 

Craig


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## Throwback (Sep 3, 2009)

This should be interesting. 

T


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## gobblingghost (Sep 3, 2009)

I don't know if it would be legal to hunt with a suspessor. The few I have been around when they used seem to just take the crack away from the shooter but the bullet seemed to a have crack like sound evertime it passed a solid object.


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## wksinatl (Sep 4, 2009)

I'm pretty sure using a can while hunting in Georgia is NOT legal.  Double check to make sure.

Keith


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## craigsexton (Sep 4, 2009)

actually the crack is what you hear. its the sonic boom due to the bullet traveling faster than the speed of sound. subsonic ammo will help allot at this. This is all theroretically speaking.

Legally speaking:
YES, hunting on WMA's is definitely illegal with a can. not sure about private land as I've not done it here in GA but you had better check the rules!


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## Throwback (Sep 4, 2009)

They're not legal. 

T


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## Randy (Sep 4, 2009)

Throwback said:


> They're not legal.
> 
> T



You're no fun.


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## hizzoner51 (Sep 4, 2009)

Aahhhhh, but if no one can hear you hunting...........


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## Throwback (Sep 4, 2009)

hizzoner51 said:


> Aahhhhh, but if no one can hear you hunting...........



Dont count on it. 

T


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## Steve Thompson (Sep 4, 2009)

Feds would love to see that. Anyway or anyhow, its a bad rapp.


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## wwboater (Sep 4, 2009)

NO you can not hunt with silencers! As far as killing pest like yotes in a populated area there may be other laws.....

But 22 Hornet can be silenced very well. Yes there is still sonic crack but it is not that loud and the critters would not be able to pinpoint the shooter as quickly. 

If you have never shoot a silenced gun you can do so at the Silencer shoot in 2 weeks...... Google silencer shoot...


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## Luke0927 (Sep 5, 2009)

What page of the regulations is it on....if you legally have a can where the law saying I can't hunt with it on Private Property?  Not saying you can but i just want to see some regulations?  I'll start reading and see if i can find anything.


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## Luke0927 (Sep 5, 2009)

Well our new regulations online suck!  I don't have the PDF copy and the search function with the new way is awful but i flipped through all 68 pages and didnt find it.  Also nothing came up under suppressor either.  I did a search and this is the only spot i pulled up silencer.....So am i missing something or does someone have an OCGA statue that says you can't hunt with a suppressor?


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## Hunley (Sep 5, 2009)

Luke0927 said:


> So am i missing something or does someone have an OCGA statue that says you can't hunt with a suppressor?



It's in the new Rules & Regulations book you can pick up almost anywhere under what firearms are allowed for hunting. 

And as for the .223, it depends on what you are shooting it in. An AR with regular ammo can still be pretty loud depending on the gas block. Some canned ARs are still pretty loud because of the gas blowback system.


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## Luke0927 (Sep 5, 2009)

Yep on page 15....Told you the search function sucks on the new way they have the regulations online


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## Throwback (Sep 5, 2009)

Luke0927 said:


> What page of the regulations is it on....if you legally have a can where the law saying I can't hunt with it on Private Property?  Not saying you can but i just want to see some regulations?  I'll start reading and see if i can find anything.




§ 27-3-4.  Legal weapons for hunting wildlife generally 

   It shall be unlawful to hunt wildlife with any weapon, except that:

   (1) Longbows, recurve bows, crossbows, and compound bows may be used for taking small game, feral hogs, or big game. Arrows for hunting deer, bear, and feral hogs must be broadhead type;

   (2) During primitive weapon hunts or primitive weapons seasons, longbows, recurve bows, crossbows, compound bows, muzzleloading firearms of .44 caliber or larger, and muzzleloading shotguns of 20 gauge or larger loaded with single shot may be used;

   (3) Firearms for hunting deer, bear, and feral hogs are limited to 20 gauge shotguns or larger shotguns loaded with slugs or buckshot (except that no buckshot is permitted on state wildlife management areas unless otherwise specified), muzzleloading firearms of .44 caliber or larger, and center-fire firearms .22 caliber or larger; provided, however, that firearms for hunting feral hogs, other than those weapons specified in this paragraph, may be authorized by rule or regulation of the board. Bullets used in all center-fire rifles and handguns must be of the expanding type;

   (4) Weapons for hunting small game shall be limited to shotguns with shot shell size of no greater than 3 1/2 inches in length with No. 2 lead shot or smaller or federally approved nontoxic shot size of F or smaller shot, .22 caliber or smaller rimfire firearms, air rifles, muzzleloading firearms, longbows, recurve bows, crossbows, and compound bows; provided, however, that nothing contained in this paragraph shall permit the taking of protected species;
      (5)(A) For hunting deer, feral hogs, and bear, shotguns shall be limited to a capacity of not more than five shells in the magazine and chamber combined. If a plug is necessary to so limit the capacity, the plug shall be of one piece, incapable of being removed through the loading end of the magazine.

      (B) For hunting all other game animals, shotguns shall be limited to a capacity of not more than three shells in the magazine and chamber combined. If a plug is necessary to so limit the capacity, the plug shall be of one piece, incapable of being removed through the loading end of the magazine;

   (6) It shall be unlawful to hunt turkey with any weapons except shotguns using No. 2 shot or smaller, muzzleloading firearms, longbows, crossbows, recurve bows, or compound bows. Any person taking turkey in violation of this paragraph shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as for a misdemeanor, except that a fine imposed for such violation shall not be less than $250.00;

   (7) Weapons for hunting alligators shall be limited to hand-held ropes or snares, snatch hooks, harpoons, gigs, or arrows with restraining lines attached. Lawfully restrained alligators may be killed with any caliber handgun or bangstick and shall be killed immediately before transporting;

   (8) There are no firearms restrictions for taking nongame animals or nongame birds; and

(9) The use of silencers for hunting within this state is prohibited.

http://www.lexis-nexis.com/hottopics/gacode/default.asp


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## germag (Sep 5, 2009)

It's illegal for me or you to shoot coyotes or other varmints with a silenced weapon, but.....

There has been at least one instance that I know of where the DNR actually hired sharpshooters to reduce the population of deer in a state park by shooting them at night with silenced rifles, rather than to allow bow hunters to take them.


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## iowa-boy (Sep 6, 2009)

state paying big bucks to sharpshooters or state making big bucks of bowhunters to help herd poulation.nobody said the state knew how to do economics.


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## redneckcamo (Sep 6, 2009)

just put a can on a 22 an shoot em then dont brag on it !!!!


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## Coastie (Sep 6, 2009)

germag said:


> It's illegal for me or you to shoot coyotes or other varmints with a silenced weapon, but.....
> 
> There has been at least one instance that I know of where the DNR actually hired sharpshooters to reduce the population of deer in a state park by shooting them at night with silenced rifles, rather than to allow bow hunters to take them.



Those "Sharpshooters" are typically U.S. Department of Agriculture agents or USFWS agents assigned to a specific job for herd control. The silencers, suppressors, cans or whatever you choose to call them are to help avoid problems with antis and other folks with phobias concerning weapons.


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## Coastie (Sep 6, 2009)

iowa-boy said:


> state paying big bucks to sharpshooters or state making big bucks of bowhunters to help herd poulation.nobody said the state knew how to do economics.



Doesn't cost the state anything, they are (usually) U.S. Government employees doing their job. If you want to shoot Coyotes on your own property with a silenced weapon, get the BATFE license required to own and use a silencer and then buy and install one and have at it. Coyotes are not game animals and on your own property you can do nearly anything you want with them within reason.


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## germag (Sep 6, 2009)

Coastie said:


> Those "Sharpshooters" are typically U.S. Department of Agriculture agents or USFWS agents assigned to a specific job for herd control. The silencers, suppressors, cans or whatever you choose to call them are to help avoid problems with antis and other folks with phobias concerning weapons.



Yep, I understand all that, but I fail to understand why they couldn't just have an archery-only quota hunt. I absolutely agree that the herd needed thinning. You could stand anywhere in the woods and see unobstructed for 150 yards because the browse line was so high....they were absolutely overpopulated and most of the does were about 40 or 50 lbs....even the bigger bucks would have struggled to be 100 lbs. It was pitiful.

Sometimes I think the right way to handle the antis is to just tell them to kiss off and mind their own business, then act like they aren't even there....if they try to interfere with the hunts, round them all up and lock them up and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.


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## Throwback (Sep 6, 2009)

Coastie said:


> Doesn't cost the state anything, they are (usually) U.S. Government employees doing their job. If you want to shoot Coyotes on your own property with a silenced weapon, get the BATFE license required to own and use a silencer and then buy and install one and have at it. Coyotes are not game animals and on your own property you can do nearly anything you want with them within reason.



I refer you to post #17. 

Specifically #9. BATFE or not. It merely says it is illegal to HUNT with silencers, it does not say "game animals only" cannot be hunted w/o silencers. It also does not say on your own property that it's legal. It says:



> (9) The use of silencers for hunting within this state is prohibited.



I'd take that to mean just that. 






GR


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## Coastie (Sep 7, 2009)

Throwback said:


> I refer you to post #17.
> 
> Specifically #9. BATFE or not. It merely says it is illegal to HUNT with silencers, it does not say "game animals only" cannot be hunted w/o silencers. It also does not say on your own property that it's legal. It says:
> 
> ...



You may be correct, however, there are any number of things that you may do in Georgia, on private property, that seem to be contrary various laws. Coyotes, Armadillos and Beavers are considered nuisances here in Georgia, not game animals and therefore any control of them falls outside of the normal interpretation of hunting. They may be taken by any legal means including trapping and shooting without a license of any sort on your own property but on public property you require a license. I take that to mean that if you have the necessary license to own and use a silencer on your own property, then Copyotes and Beavers would be legal for you to use that silenced weapon on. I would strongly suggest that anybody owning or contemplating acquiring a silencer and the requisite license for same to research the laws as to just exactly where they can be legally  used and not to look to this forum for legal advice. That can best be accomplished by going to an attorney that is expert in that particular area and get advice from him/her. A secondary choice would be a law enforcement agency although most LEOs don't usually have that kind of expertise. They can tell you what they would write a ticket for or make an arrest for but not what the court would necessarily uphold. There is a major difference between the law as written and the enforcement policies of the various agencies that enforce them.


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## Coastie (Sep 7, 2009)

germag said:


> Yep, I understand all that, but I fail to understand why they couldn't just have an archery-only quota hunt. I absolutely agree that the herd needed thinning. You could stand anywhere in the woods and see unobstructed for 150 yards because the browse line was so high....they were absolutely overpopulated and most of the does were about 40 or 50 lbs....even the bigger bucks would have struggled to be 100 lbs. It was pitiful.
> 
> Sometimes I think the right way to handle the antis is to just tell them to kiss off and mind their own business, then act like they aren't even there....if they try to interfere with the hunts, round them all up and lock them up and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.



Although you didn't come out and say it, I think you are referring to the Red Top Mountain thinning from several years ago. I wasn't there and I have no idea why the decision was made to thin the herd in the way it was done. I have to assume (dangerous) that it had something to do with getting the job done as quickly as possible with the least amount of disruption to the intended use of the facility. I believe that area is a State Park and parks have historically been administered under regulations different from any other property in the public domain. Even today there is no mention of any hunting on that property (by name) in the regulations. I don't live in that area and am not familiar with it at all so I don't know what condition it is in today or what is being done to continue to control the deer herd on that property.


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## Throwback (Sep 7, 2009)

Coastie said:


> You may be correct, however, there are any number of things that you may do in Georgia, on private property, that seem to be contrary various laws. Coyotes, Armadillos and Beavers are considered nuisances here in Georgia, not game animals and therefore any control of them falls outside of the normal interpretation of hunting. They may be taken by any legal means including trapping and shooting without a license of any sort on your own property but on public property you require a license. I take that to mean that if you have the necessary license to own and use a silencer on your own property, then Copyotes and Beavers would be legal for you to use that silenced weapon on. I would strongly suggest that anybody owning or contemplating acquiring a silencer and the requisite license for same to research the laws as to just exactly where they can be legally  used and not to look to this forum for legal advice. That can best be accomplished by going to an attorney that is expert in that particular area and get advice from him/her. A secondary choice would be a law enforcement agency although most LEOs don't usually have that kind of expertise. They can tell you what they would write a ticket for or make an arrest for but not what the court would necessarily uphold. There is a major difference between the law as written and the enforcement policies of the various agencies that enforce them.




It is 100% ILLEGAL to hunt coyotes with a silencer. I can assure you and all on this forum this is accurate. 

The legal definition of hunting is as follows:

OCGA 27-1-2


> (39) "Hunting" means pursuing, shooting, killing, taking, or capturing wildlife or feral hogs. This term also includes acts such as placing, setting, drawing, or using any device used to take wildlife or feral hogs, whether any such act results in taking or not, and includes every act of assistance to any person in taking or attempting to take such wildlife or feral hogs.



Coyotes are not legally classified as game animals or furbearers, however they ARE wildlife. 



> (77) "Wildlife" means any vertebrate or invertebrate animal life indigenous to this state or any species introduced or specified by the board and includes fish, except domestic fish produced by aquaculturists registered under Code Section 27-4-255, mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, and mollusks or any part thereof



So, because 27-3-4 says specifically that:


> (9) The use of silencers for hunting within this state is prohibited.



And the coyote IS being "hunted" because it is "wildlife" and the person is trying to kill it, it would be ILLEGAL to use a silencer to hunt said coyote. 

And there is NO exception for private landowners. 



T


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## MIG (Sep 7, 2009)

yep, illegal.


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## germag (Sep 7, 2009)

There's no doubt that hunting anything in Georgia with a suppressed or silenced weapon is illegal, whether on your own property or not. Same with full-auto weapons....can't do it.


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## Coastie (Sep 7, 2009)

Throwback said:


> It is 100% ILLEGAL to hunt coyotes with a silencer. I can assure you and all on this forum this is accurate.
> 
> The legal definition of hunting is as follows:
> 
> ...



I already stated that I could be wrong, but in this instance I beleve I would follow my own advice and contact an attorney to be sure. You have never stated that you are an attorney or even a LEO so pardon me if I don't just take your word at face value. The Georgia State Attorney General would also be a good source of information for anybody interested in getting the straight skinny on anything like this so there is another option. Personally, I can see no benefit in using a silencer for most legal applications and unless I were to be doing a lot of night work as a Nuisance Control operator, can see no benefit in procuring the necessary license and incurring the expense of ruining a perfectly fine rifle or handgun to operate with one. So, unless and until you identify yourself as a licensed Attorney in the state of Georgia, pardon me if I don't accept your opinions as legally binding. I don't mean this in any derogatory manner, again, just following my own advice.


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## Throwback (Sep 7, 2009)

Coastie said:


> I already stated that I could be wrong, but in this instance I beleve I would follow my own advice and contact an attorney to be sure. You have never stated that you are an attorney or even a LEO so pardon me if I don't just take your word at face value. The Georgia State Attorney General would also be a good source of information for anybody interested in getting the straight skinny on anything like this so there is another option. Personally, I can see no benefit in using a silencer for most legal applications and unless I were to be doing a lot of night work as a Nuisance Control operator, can see no benefit in procuring the necessary license and incurring the expense of ruining a perfectly fine rifle or handgun to operate with one. So, unless and until you identify yourself as a licensed Attorney in the state of Georgia, pardon me if I don't accept your opinions as legally binding. I don't mean this in any derogatory manner, again, just following my own advice.



I spoke with 4 rangers, two were sergeants and two corporals, three of which are the "department legal eggheads" with 65 years + of dnr LE experience between them to get the answer. EVERY ONE of them could quote the law  relevant to it like a preacher quotes scripture. I asked them independent of each other and they all agreed. 

When the much lauded attorneys/prosecutors and judges in their assigned area want to know about game and fish law THEY CALL THEM for advice/input. 

That pass the test? 



T


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## Jhunt (Sep 7, 2009)

germag said:


> There has been at least one instance that I know of where the DNR actually hired sharpshooters to reduce the population of deer in a state park by shooting them at night with silenced rifles, rather than to allow bow hunters to take them.



Happens (or has happened) at Lake Lanier Islands, Chateau Elan, and The River Club in Gwinnett County.   I'd bet a lot of the residents of those last two have no idea.


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## huntfish (Sep 8, 2009)

I'd trust Throwback's answers.   Otherwise you'll be having a nice discussion with the man in green.


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## MGD45 (Aug 6, 2010)

Throwback has led you to the exact Georgia Criminal Statutes that spell out what is legal & illegal with respect to this topic.  It ain't that difficult to read or understand.  If you have any doubt, simply call your local DNR office.......


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## olchevy (Aug 6, 2010)

DNR does use silenced rifles at night....I was at one their night shoots before with a friend.....They do it, because most people would freak out hearing gunshots in the middle of the night.


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## MGD45 (Aug 6, 2010)

Besides......they're LEO.....so they have an exemption.


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## flyingfrog509 (Aug 19, 2010)

DNR should have to play by the same rules...if we can't shoot silenced, then they shouldn't.

Then again I'm just whining because I'm to cheap to buy a silencer to shoot with in the first place just to eventually do something that will get me in trouble.


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## callaway (Aug 27, 2010)

Yep Illegal.  What about a silenced air rifle?  Hmmm?


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## Gadestroyer74 (Aug 31, 2010)

throwback is the man in green i am sure he knows what he is talking about!!!


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