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Topic: Lights At Night To Monitor Wildlife Behavior and Movement  (Read 351 times)

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Hojoman

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May 26, 2011

Question:Is it legal to use lights to monitor wildlife if you do not have any guns in your possession? Watching wildlife at night is a very interesting way to educate kids to be on the lookout for and gain an interest in wildlife. I’ve always wondered if using lights to do this would be considered harassment somehow and not be allowed? (Bill T.)

Answer: It is not illegal to shine lights since you won’t have a “method of take” with you, but your activities could alert a game warden who might think you are using the spotlights to poach game at night. Be aware that there are vehicle code laws that prohibit shining a hand-held spotlight from a motor vehicle, and another provision that requires “off road” lights to be covered while traveling on a public roadway or highway.

Instead, you might consider using a trail cam like those sold through most outdoor gear stores. These will allow you to capture (via night vision equipment) images or video of wildlife that might be visiting a watering hole or passing through an area where the camera could capture their image. There are some cameras that take photos when a light sensor is tripped and some that take photos at certain time intervals. The trail cams would not bother or harass the wildlife and you’d be able to capture them while they are act ingnormally, doing whatever they are naturally doing at night. You might also be surprised by the different species that will appear that you probably were not expecting!