Its not a question of ethics.

Smitty

Smitty

Six Pointer
I know it isn't ethical to say the least, but is it legal? I have been looking for that answer and can't seem to find it. I'm not looking for opinions, just legal answer.

Can you legally shoot a deer from a bedroom window in any county in NC? I don't see anything in the hunting regs or even county ordinances.
 
aya28ga

aya28ga

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
You probably won't find one single legal answer to cover all situations / locations. If you're living in a municipality like Charlotte / Raleigh, than there's going to be local ordinances prohibiting discharge of a firearm within city limits. If you're living in a rural area, you're usually fine. As far as being ethical - that's up to the individual. I have a tree stand about 60 yards from my house, and I've shot deer off of my back porch. It may not fit the strict definition of "fair chase," but I don't see an ethical dilemma, unless you're breaking some other law when doing it.
 
Buxndiverdux

Buxndiverdux

Old Mossy Horns
Some counties have a specific distances for the discharge of a firearm near other dwellings.

Personally, I wish I could hunt deer out of my house. That would be fantastic for the days when I had other plans and needed to get caught up around the house.

I see no ethics problem with that at all.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Smitty, You would make someone's day at the NCWRC with that question. They would be happy to help you.
Someone here said one time that in abscense of a restriction it's legal.
If a county doesn't have restrictions listed in the reg book, it's probably ok but that's not what you are looking for, That's just my opinion.
 

Packfan

Eight Pointer
Some days we raise the window and shoot from the dining room table; some days we walk out on to the porch; others we go sit in a condo or ground blind. I’ve never found where it’s illegal in a rural setting. Local warden several years back was ok with it when I ran into him at the processor. I personally don’t see it as any less sporting than shooting one hundreds of yards away from a condo with windows and a buddy heater (no I’m not casting stones as I am sitting in one right now with the heat running).

Happy hunting.
 

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QBD2

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
Why isn't it ethical?!? I promise you that deer doesn't care where the bullet comes from...As far as dwelling distance rules in some areas, pretty sure they don't apply to your house.

Heck, one of these days I fully intend to live somewhere I can, and will, bust one out the window;)
 
nontypical

nontypical

Ten Pointer
Packfan said:
Some days we raise the window and shoot from the dining room table; some days we walk out on to the porch; others we go sit in a condo or ground blind. I’ve never found where it’s illegal in a rural setting. Local warden several years back was ok with it when I ran into him at the processor. I personally don’t see it as any less sporting than shooting one hundreds of yards away from a condo with windows and a buddy heater (no I’m not casting stones as I am sitting in one right now with the heat running).

Happy hunting.
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That is pretty cool there. One day when I can afford my own piece of land I will put the food plot right behind the house. I don't see any ethics issues with it either.
 

bb1970

Six Pointer
To each his own, I " could" shoot them out of a window of the house but for me personally I don't, doesn't really feel like hunting to me so i make the hike up to my stand on the ridge and do all my hunting there....Least there the wife cant hollar at ya ever 5 mins....lol.......... But on the other hand I have a brother-inlaw that lets his son shoot them off his porch just over the hill from me.......so like I said to each his own.
 

LanceR

Six Pointer
Contributor
There's surely nothing unethical about taking a shot out of you house, barn door etc. Fair chase has to do with the condition of the deer not the location of the hunter. If the deer is able to roam free and it chooses to be in your yard that's a fair chase hunt. The only thing left is to figure out whether you are running afoul of minimum discharge distances etc.

I've never been much of a trophy hunter. My trophy rooms are the freezers and I've always keyed in on big round bodied does in the 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 year classes. When we had our Central New York farm and had an orchard with pears, plums and apples I shot more than a few out deer of the barn door, the garage's upper hay loft doors (the garage was a small barn attached to the house) etc. If the kitchen or family room windows had overlooked the orchards I'd have taken a few out those windows, too.

Here in NC we have a very sheltered back yard due to the shape of the land and the tree line. We often have deer under the oak trees out back and the only reason I haven't shot one from the deck yet (now on my second season here) is due to still having some late winter of 2016-2017 NY deer in the freezer.

The closest I came to shooting one in our current backyard was the second occasion the same really big racked buck showed up courting a pair of does on the last day of muzzleloading. After running to the basement for powder, bullet, primer and sabot then scooting to the other end of the house to dig my Savage 10ML II out of the back of the safe he was sky-lined with our road behind him where it curves at the end of our property.

Shooting him out of the bedroom window wouldn't have been unethical. Shooting him with the road and someone else's land behind him would have been unethical. I haven't seen him since.....but hey! Maybe next year!


Lance
 
turkeyfoot

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Heck I'm getting old and lazy they better not start showing up out my window I like to eat em to much. Only thing is don't start watching and feeding them they will all have names and die of old age
 
Tipmoose

Tipmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Need more info. What are you shooting it with? A bow or crossbow? Shotgun or rifle or muzzleloader?

Are you inside City limits? I'd say nope to shooting them inside City limits unless it's some weird urban archery area or self defense.

Out in the country you could probably get away with archery. Rifles usually cant be fired inside a set range from an occupied dwelling.

So my professional legal factual answer is.... Maybe
 

shaggy

Old Mossy Horns
This picture was taken by my dad out if his bedroom window. He is inside the city so no go on shooting from the window.
 

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darkthirty

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
I have nothing to add to your actual question but.....I got two food plots I can see from the kitchen window. I “hunt” every evening as I cook supper. I put in the work planting those plots on my own farm that my wife and I busted our asses for years to be able to afford. I have zero moral or ethical concerns about shooting one out the kitchen window even though I haven’t killed one yet. It’s gotta be a big’un (wife’s rules?).
 
sky hawk

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
The laws relating to your question would be:
1) city limits, yes or no
2) county rifle/elevation laws
3) county discharge from occupied building laws *

The first one is obvious, the second is listed in the back of the regs digest and is easily found, the third is probably what you are looking for. If your county does not have a minimum distance to discharge a firearm from a dwelling, then you are good. Even if it does, this is probably very rarely enforced unless reported by a neighbor.

If you have kids, I recommend not setting the precedent of shooting from the house though, even with squirrels. Make hunting special. Something a step better than picking groceries off the aisle. I could shoot them out the window, but I don't. If I was hungry enough I would.
 
darkthirty

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
sky hawk said:
The laws relating to your question would be:
1) city limits, yes or no
2) county rifle/elevation laws
3) county discharge from occupied building laws *

The first one is obvious, the second is listed in the back of the regs digest and is easily found, the third is probably what you are looking for. If your county does not have a minimum distance to discharge a firearm from a dwelling, then you are good. Even if it does, this is probably very rarely enforced unless reported by a neighbor.

If you have kids, I recommend not setting the precedent of shooting from the house though, even with squirrels. Make hunting special. Something a step better than picking groceries off the aisle. I could shoot them out the window, but I don't. If I was hungry enough I would.
Click to expand...

Come on skyhawk!!! The first time my daughter ever told me she wanted a gun was while she was watching me shoot English sparrows off my bluebird houses from the kitchen window..
She was learning the importance of non-game, song birds, non-game habitat importance (told her how important it was not to shoot the box) and eliminating non-native invasives!!! ???
 
Smitty

Smitty

Six Pointer
Alamance county/Orange county and not even close to city limits. It would most likely be a rifle shot. For a bow I'd have to be in the woods to be close enough. Don't want to smoke or stink up the place with a muzzle loader.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
Tipmoose

Tipmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Smitty said:
Alamance county/Orange county and not even close to city limits. It would most likely be a rifle shot. For a bow I'd have to be in the woods to be close enough. Don't want to smoke or stink up the place with a muzzle loader.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Be sure your area doesn't have a minimum height requirement, or if it does, that you meet it. Same with the occupied dwelling prohibition. How close are your neighbors?
 
Smitty

Smitty

Six Pointer
Closest neighbor is to the left or right, and at least 50 yards or more. Cutover behind my property.
974d4e5628205f446e57bab7f7875f4d.jpg


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Hevi 13. Anson

Hevi 13. Anson

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
For years we have had opportunities to shoot deer from our backroom. After my better half moved in, we decided against shooting any turkey or deer in the yard. Everything has remained the same until we received this pic less than 100 yards from our yard. They will not get a pass
 

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