# pretending to hunt, is it legal?



## dixiecutter (Jan 27, 2017)

If you took a 5 year old "hunting" for "squirrels". If you believe you won't see a squirrel, and your 100% certain the kid can't hit one if you do, you're really just playing dress up, enjoying the woods letting the kid believe you're really trying to hunt, question: does the species you're pretending to hunt have to be in season?


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## carver (Jan 27, 2017)

If you have a gun....I would say yes


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## JustUs4All (Jan 27, 2017)

I would agree with Carver.  

If you were sitting in a deer stand with a grunt tube, a rifle, and deer scent out and it was 2 weeks before season I expect the GW would hand you a ticket.


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## b rad (Jan 27, 2017)

if your pretending to carry cocaine but your really  carrying corn starch or baby powder can the cop arrest you?


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## b rad (Jan 27, 2017)

its all what you can prove in court if u don't have a squirrel on u how can they prove ur poaching? you can sit in a tree with a rifle all u want as long as u don't kill anything.


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## dixiecutter (Jan 27, 2017)

Brianduffey said:


> if your pretending to carry cocaine but your really  carrying corn starch or baby powder can the cop arrest you?



no.


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## sinclair1 (Jan 27, 2017)

dixiecutter said:


> If you took a 5 year old "hunting" for "squirrels". If you believe you won't see a squirrel, and your 100% certain the kid can't hit one if you do, you're really just playing dress up, enjoying the woods letting the kid believe you're really trying to hunt, question: does the species you're pretending to hunt have to be in season?



I pretended to be a NASCAR driver once ....didn't work out real well. pretending is doing


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## dixiecutter (Jan 27, 2017)

only the kid would have the gun. cricket .22 with un-usable iron sights.  a SMALL child. obviously at 6 or 7 years old, pretending goes out the window. None of this matters if the daddy is liscensed and the species in question is in season. hypothetically- can a kid thats too little to hunt pretend to hunt in the offseason (would it fly?)


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## sinclair1 (Jan 27, 2017)

dixiecutter said:


> only the kid would have the gun. cricket .22 with un-usable iron sights.  a SMALL child. obviously at 6 or 7 years old, pretending goes out the window. None of this matters if the daddy is liscensed and the species in question is in season. hypothetically- can a kid thats too little to hunt pretend to hunt in the offseason (would it fly?)


You answered your own question with he probably wouldn't hit anything, but what if he does?


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## carver (Jan 27, 2017)

Brianduffey said:


> if your pretending to carry cocaine but your really  carrying corn starch or baby powder can the cop arrest you?



I think they can shoot you


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## b rad (Jan 27, 2017)

dixiecutter said:


> only the kid would have the gun. cricket .22 with un-usable iron sights.  a SMALL child. obviously at 6 or 7 years old, pretending goes out the window. None of this matters if the daddy is liscensed and the species in question is in season. hypothetically- can a kid thats too little to hunt pretend to hunt in the offseason (would it fly?)



your land or wma or public land that's the question if its ur land have at it just don't go on wma carrying a gun in off season u will for sure get a ticket if they see u unless u have a carry license and I would think that it would only apply to a handgun for defense during scouting 
all u have to tell GW is ur target shooting on ur own land bc really that's all ur doing if ur not really killing a squirrel have him kill armadillos my son has fun doing it


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## Hooked On Quack (Jan 27, 2017)

sinclair1 said:


> I pretended to be a NASCAR driver once ....didn't work out real well. pretending is doing


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## b rad (Jan 27, 2017)

carver said:


> I think they can shoot you



only if they catch me


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## Miguel Cervantes (Jan 27, 2017)

dixiecutter said:


> If you took a 5 year old "hunting" for "squirrels". If you believe you won't see a squirrel, and your 100% certain the kid can't hit one if you do, you're really just playing dress up, enjoying the woods letting the kid believe you're really trying to hunt, question: does the species you're pretending to hunt have to be in season?



Yes.


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## swamp hunter (Jan 27, 2017)

Your land ..Do what you want..
Land owners are usually the best Stewards of Their land anyways. Have some fun with the young Hunter before he finds out what Women are....


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## bfriendly (Jan 27, 2017)

dixiecutter said:


> If you took a 5 year old "hunting" for "squirrels". If you believe you won't see a squirrel, and your 100% certain the kid can't hit one if you do, you're really just playing dress up, enjoying the woods letting the kid believe you're really trying to hunt, question: does the species you're pretending to hunt have to be in season?



Your land, no problem, but make sure you are pretending to be Hog hunting, or maybe Coyote or Crows causing agri damage......... if you go on public land, there would need to be a season going on.......change up the game. Definitely get the little one in the woods


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## bfriendly (Jan 27, 2017)

Be sure to find a place and time so the little one gets to Shoot the gun..........dont think they'll hit something? Let them try. ......you may be surprised
The young ones have better eyes than an old geezer like me..........my kid is 13, but has been a really good shot with a Marlin 60 .22lr, since he was about 7 or 8.........fix the iron sights if you can. That little one needs to be confident and will be as soon as they blow up a can or water bottle


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## dixiecutter (Jan 28, 2017)

yes. walking and shooting. and throwing sticks. and peeing as far as possible. that's the idea really. but when i tell _him_ we're squirrel hunting he gets excited, when what we're doing in almost no way resembles a squirrel hunt. really my only concern is if a leo asks us what we're up to he'll say "WE'RE SQUirL HuNTING!" which would then demand an explaination.


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## bfriendly (Jan 28, 2017)

dixiecutter said:


> yes. walking and shooting. and throwing sticks. and peeing as far as possible. that's the idea really. but when i tell _him_ we're squirrel hunting he gets excited, when what we're doing in almost no way resembles a squirrel hunt. really my only concern is if a leo asks us what we're up to he'll say "WE'RE SQUirL HuNTING!" which would then demand an explaination.



BUSTED!! That is so true and the honesty of the little ones is so refreshing

What you are trying to do is surely something we all get.............but I also bet he'd be ok if you told him Squirrels are "out of season", but we can go Wild Hog Hunting.
 I think its more about him LOVING his time with his Daddy


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## bronco611 (Jan 29, 2017)

save yourself a lot of time and money, if someone was pretending to deer hunt on your lease or land after or before season would you call the warden or the cops ? forget the fact they are trespassing just pretending to hunt. If you honestly can answer yes then you answered your own question. M y other ? is why not go now while squirrel season is in then you have no problems, looks like you are just looking for an angle or controversy.


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## turkeykirk (Jan 29, 2017)

Let him shoot a BB gun


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## onedude (Jan 29, 2017)

yep let him carry a bb gun. would be safer too.


Jn. 3:16


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## bluemarlin (Jan 29, 2017)

While you're out there pretending, kill a coyote then have the talk about how some animals you kill and don't eat... That's hours of fun!


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## Dustin (Jan 29, 2017)

Take your kid hunting... even if he said squirrel hunting if you dont have one then just laugh it off and explain to them that you take him "squirrel hunting" but it's really just time together, if any game warden is so high and mighty that he doesn't think a 5 yr old should be out having fun hunting squirrels in or out of season then he needs to get a life.


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## AllTerrainAngler (Jan 30, 2017)

dixiecutter said:


> no.





Actually yes. Fake drugs is still a felony... 

§ 16-13-78.2 - Possession, manufacture, delivery, distribution, or sale of counterfeit substances


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## dixiecutter (Jan 30, 2017)

bronco611 said:


> save yourself a lot of time and money, if someone was pretending to deer hunt on your lease or land after or before season would you call the warden or the cops ? forget the fact they are trespassing just pretending to hunt. If you honestly can answer yes then you answered your own question. M y other ? is why not go now while squirrel season is in then you have no problems, looks like you are just looking for an angle or controversy.



no. I'll do what i want. was just wondering what everyone thought. none of these analogies to a grown up or a trespasser pretending to deer hunt even make any sense. definately not looking for controversy. I posted a good question. thank you.


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## kmckinnie (Jan 30, 2017)

dixiecutter said:


> no. I'll do what i want. was just wondering what everyone thought. none of these analogies to a grown up or a trespasser pretending to deer hunt even make any sense. definately not looking for controversy. I posted a good question. thank you.



Go for the pretend hunt. Afterwards y'all can pretend to clean & cook them.


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## dixiecutter (Jan 31, 2017)

kmckinnie said:


> Go for the pretend hunt. Afterwards y'all can pretend to clean & cook them.



good one. you never disappoint kmc. thanks for chiming in everybody. im sure we'll be fine.


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## oops1 (Jan 31, 2017)

I say go..if you get a ticket for "fake squirrel hunting" pay it. Times sure have gotten confusing. The stuff I did as a youngster would have me on death row In this day and age. It was a non issue and I'm not too terribly old.


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## mattech (Jan 31, 2017)

Great question, personally if I was in the same predicament, I wouldn't think twice about the law. My debate would be, if I am teaching my child to follow the rules or not. I would find a way to take my child to the woods, but  when my kids ask to go hunting for a certain animal, I'm quick to say it's not season, I want them to have respect for game laws. The thing is, there is a season for something year round.you can take him armadillo, coyote, hog, and any other nuisance animal hunting whenever.


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## kmckinnie (Feb 1, 2017)

Mattech getting all technical


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## PopPop (Feb 1, 2017)

Why not just take him squirrel hunting? In season and all.


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## dixiecutter (Feb 1, 2017)

PopPop said:


> Why not just take him squirrel hunting? In season and all.



i do. we're pretending then too, you know, since it's impossible for him to shoot one. don't get me wrong, first time he hits a 2 foot circle with his tiny rifle, we'll graduate to sitting still, and actually hunting...and only during actual hunting season. i'll bump this thread with his first squirrel, which will be killed legaly, in about 2 years if we're lucky. I love my boy, he thinks the woods is better than disney world.


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## Muddy Water (Feb 2, 2017)

Brianduffey said:


> if your pretending to carry cocaine but your really  carrying corn starch or baby powder can the cop arrest you?



We read a case on that in my first year of law school. The answer is yes and you can be charged with felony possession w/ intent to distribute cocaine even if you don't have a speck of actual cocaine on you. 

Let me know where i should send my bill haha


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## roperdoc (Feb 3, 2017)

dixiecutter said:


> i do. we're pretending then too, you know, since it's impossible for him to shoot one. don't get me wrong, first time he hits a 2 foot circle with his tiny rifle, we'll graduate to sitting still, and actually hunting...and only during actual hunting season. i'll bump this thread with his first squirrel, which will be killed legaly, in about 2 years if we're lucky. I love my boy, he thinks the woods is better than disney world.



Pretending, or just not hunting very well? Impossible or just unlikely? You may meet the world's unluckiest squirrel.  Well,the unluckiest one since the one I met in the highway a while back that just could not commit.
But he doesn't have to be good at it to have a great time. Otherwise most of the guys on here would take up golf! Wait, they may not be good enough to enjoy that either....

I think its great that he's excited and you're willing to take him, even if it means giving up a "real" hunt of your own. Keep up the good work. Just never doubt that its real to him. I enjoy lots of things I'm not very good at, too!
 And I keep thinking one day our boys will give up a day to take us old men out and help us get set up so we can pretend to hunt again also.


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## LIB MR ducks (Feb 26, 2017)

mattech said:


> Great question, personally if I was in the same predicament, I wouldn't think twice about the law. My debate would be, if I am teaching my child to follow the rules or not. I would find a way to take my child to the woods, but  when my kids ask to go hunting for a certain animal, I'm quick to say it's not season, I want them to have respect for game laws. The thing is, there is a season for something year round.you can take him armadillo, coyote, hog, and any other nuisance animal hunting whenever.



Well said. Teach them right from the start.


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## Jack Ryan (Feb 26, 2017)

dixiecutter said:


> only the kid would have the gun. cricket .22 with un-usable iron sights.  a SMALL child. obviously at 6 or 7 years old, pretending goes out the window. None of this matters if the daddy is liscensed and the species in question is in season. hypothetically- can a kid thats too little to hunt pretend to hunt in the offseason (would it fly?)



Just buy a license. If you feel you need to ask, you know the answer.
 How would you like to stand in front of a judge and rattle off all this blather in front of you kid trying to explain to the judge you are only pretending to hunt?

If you want to teach a kid right, then teach them right. Gt a license.


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## kiltman (Feb 27, 2017)

Is this the real "Jack Ryan" of the CIA?!?  We're in trouble now.....


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## elfiii (Feb 27, 2017)

dixiecutter said:


> yes. walking and shooting. and throwing sticks. and peeing as far as possible. that's the idea really. but when i tell _him_ we're squirrel hunting he gets excited, when what we're doing in almost no way resembles a squirrel hunt. really my only concern is if a leo asks us what we're up to he'll say "WE'RE SQUirL HuNTING!" which would then demand an explaination.



Then don't tell him you're squirrel hunting. Y'all are just walking through the woods with a loaded gun looking for good tree stumps to shoot at.


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## dixiecutter (Feb 28, 2017)

Jack Ryan said:


> Just buy a license. If you feel you need to ask, you know the answer.
> How would you like to stand in front of a judge and rattle off all this blather in front of you kid trying to explain to the judge you are only pretending to hunt?
> 
> If you want to teach a kid right, then teach them right. Gt a license.



i'm licensed. thanks though.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Feb 28, 2017)

elfiii said:


> Then don't tell him you're squirrel hunting. Y'all are just walking through the woods with a loaded gun looking for good tree stumps to shoot at.



Seems simple enough.


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## elfiii (Feb 28, 2017)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> Seems simple enough.



When I was that age just getting to shoot the gun was yuge. Actually going hunting made me hyperventilate.


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## Jack Ryan (Feb 28, 2017)

kiltman said:


> Is this the real "Jack Ryan" of the CIA?!?  We're in trouble now.....



Real as rain. 

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/CIA


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## b rad (Mar 7, 2017)

Muddy Water said:


> We read a case on that in my first year of law school. The answer is yes and you can be charged with felony possession w/ intent to distribute cocaine even if you don't have a speck of actual cocaine on you.
> 
> Let me know where i should send my bill haha



you have to be caught in the act trying to sale it as coke not for just carrying it in your possession hints intent to distribute


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