Stalking in fog

hi russ a big nono as far as im concerned visibilty right down and you dont know what kind of backstop or if there is anybody /or animal wandering behind what you can see
happy new year to everyone
atb tom
 
I was out in it this morning
It was not that bad when I started out and had reasonable visibility of several hundred + yards but it soon came in and visibilty got less
lucky for me I know the ground well and knew where I was walking and which direction
as for shooting deer in it , the fog makes it harder to be sure of your backstop thats for sure
But Personally I would not set out to stalk in thick fog anyway, as it is often a complete waste of time
 
Wouldn't do it. There is a legal angle for the police to show that you are unfit to hold firearms because you have shown intent to use them when it is unsafe to do so. That is if you were actually using them ofcourse and not just caught out on the hill say.
 
Fog is a no no but i still go out normally were i live it will lift an hour or so just after first light and the deer will be out in it if the cops want to chalange me on that one paul so be it. But there is also a differnt problem and that is deer can see alot beter than us in fog and because they use others sences unless you know were to go were to wait then it is not worth the effort and i would never take a guest out in fog.

Somtimes its not to bad and a deer can be shot in light fog

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Wouldn't do it. There is a legal angle for the police to show that you are unfit to hold firearms because you have shown intent to use them when it is unsafe to do so. That is if you were actually using them ofcourse and not just caught out on the hill say.

That is an interesting angle to think about

I hav often set out in the fog/mist to some of my favourite haunts/highseats and waited for it to clear ~ as I did this morning
Now I do not call that unsafe but still set off in conditions which would been classed as with a firearms with intent
when it did not clear, but got heavier
I packed up and came home for breakfast:)
 
Fog, or in our case here, more usually mists rising from large areas of water, instantly curtail foxing / vermin control, as does the recent snow flurries.
 
nah, no finger pointing from me. It's just there was a case a bit back were a shooter lost his ticket for many months because he shot a beast in fog beside a road at darkening that was iffy poaching beside his ground for fallow. It wasn't the iffy poaching bit that got him, it was the reckless discharge in fog. It didn't help that he admitted shooting in fog with very poor visibility.

I know that mist and fog lifts in the morning and blows in in some areas with no warning. I was just offering food for thought that all. cuddle?:norty:
 
That's a judgement call really, you can also ask 'when is it too dark to shoot', same thing. You/We are the judge(s) of when the visibility is good enough, and that's part of responsible shooting etiquette.
 
Wouldn't do it. There is a legal angle for the police to show that you are unfit to hold firearms because you have shown intent to use them when it is unsafe to do so. That is if you were actually using them ofcourse and not just caught out on the hill say.

Where do you get this stuff from:rolleyes:
 
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Ahhh now fog and mist are two different things surely :-|. The only time I really got wet wearign my Deerhunt jacket was stalking Roe in Sussex in Mist. The mist wet the outer layer so well that the sweat could not pass through and walking up and donw the hills well I was sweating. Visalibity was abou 75-150 yards mostly and on the estate backstops and location of footpath access tracks well know.

Opening day in Norhtern Missouri 2003 saw heavy fog come in. I was in a high seat and it cleared about midday. I heard some shot in the very thick fog but persoannyl I never lifted my rifle until it cleared enough to see properly. I considered it unsafe to do so not beign able to see what may lay/be behind any deer I could see:-

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This was taken just after lunch as I recall and the fog was still thinning

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A couple of hours later and the area caould be seen. What made it more difficult was that I didn't know the area. There were five of us hunting 1100 acres once it cleared up properly one could be seen in his high seat with binos at the other side of that cut corn abou 1/2 mile away.
 
Still not sure were I stand on this.........
I usually still go out if the visibility is good enough for a few rabbits or a chance at fox.
Yesterday I was working with 3 or 4 others around the lakes, I arrived a couple of hours early so I could get the tools ready and loaded in the trailer and the Quad hitched up.
I then spent an hour looking for rabbits but failed, during the morning the fog changes to a heavy mist, visibility varied but was generally around 50 yards.
While working several shot gun shots were heard, not unusual as other people do shoot the farm, just not the lakes, they are for me alone.
After work was done I was on the quad and on my way back to the tool store and my car, rifle unloaded and in the quads gun boot, I spotted 3 or 4 people standing in a group beside one of our lakes, so went to see who it was.
Turned out to the farmers grandson and mates, all had a perfect right to be there, while talking a shot was heard and I was peppered, no damage but made me jump, turns out another member of the group had taken a low pheasant and we were standing in the fall out area.
Now as I couldn't see the shooter I have to assume he could not see us either, but he was no more than 70 yards away.
Now the surprising thing, nobody other than I commented on the shot ?
I also wasn't happy to see the shooter then send his spaniel on the retrieve, across ice which broke.
So now I feel fog and heavy mist is a no go for me.
Sorry for rambling on but it is sort of on topic :-|

Neil. :)
 
What are the opinions on whether the deer are spooked by the fog, it removes one of their senses just like strong wind etc.
 
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