Today in NH Fish & Game...

[KBCraig]

View: https://www.facebook.com/Craig4Coos/posts/2751216158428558


Today was public hearing day for the six bills assigned to the Fish & Game & Marine Resources Committee. Things ran fairly smoothly; by far the smoothest blended meeting (both in-person and via Zoom) that I've ever experienced.

The bills, in order:

HB 529, relative to cruelty to a wild animal, fish, or wild bird -- Previous versions have left too many people open to prosecution for unintentional acts or even legitimate hunting and trapping. This version exempts any legal method of taking game, even if the person is unlicensed or out of season. Prosecution requires intent; accidents (such as a farmer hitting a hidden fawn while cutting hay) are exempt.

We gave a recommendation of Ought To Pass by a vote of 19-1. It will be placed on the consent calendar.

HB 192, relative to pistols permitted for the taking of deer -- This bill expands the list of calibers that are legal for taking deer with handguns. It also increases the number of rounds that can loaded in the handgun from five, to six. This reflects the full capacity of most revolvers, and avoids problems for hunters who carry a handgun for personal protection while hunting.

We gave a recommendation of Ought To Pass by a vote of 17-3. It will be placed on the consent calendar.

HB 342, relative to the taking of game by certain lever-action firearms -- In areas where hunting is restricted to a handgun or pistol, this bill allows the use of lever-action rifles chambered in the handgun calibers of .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, or .45 Long Colt. This improves safety by improving accuracy of shots fired.

An amendment changed the number of rounds that may be loaded into a rifle from five, to six, to keep consistency with HB 192.

We adopted the amendment by a vote of 20-0, and recommended the bill Ought To Pass by a vote of 20-0. It will be placed on the consent calendar.

HB 490, permitting the use of live-action game cameras -- This bill intends to change an administrative rule that restricts taking game on the same day that it was seen on a game camera that is accessed remotely.

Because of complicated language, and our general preference to not legislate what should be changed in the rules, we voted 20-0 to retain this bill for study while the Commission looks at changing their administrative rules.

HB 241, relative to trout -- This bill intends to correct language that includes multiple species as "brook trout". Both the law and administrative rules need clarification. In order to let the Commission propose changes that will create uniformity, we voted 20-0 to retain this bill for study.

HB 118, relative to the fish and game commission -- This bill would change the composition of the Fish & Game Commission, to add scientists to the commission. This has been an ongoing debate for years. Two different amendments were offered that would have different qualifications and different numbers. The amendment that most committee members seem to prefer has some language that must be cleared up. We voted 20-0 to retain this bill for study.

 

[Vermonster]

Thank you for the update.

 

[KBCraig]

Pass along to your shooting clubs: the emails opposing HB 118 were correct, based on the original Harvey bill, and even with Harvey's amendment to her own bill. With the Spillane/Read/Howard amendment, it becomes a good bill.

But, the good amendment needs some work to fit all the statutory puzzle pieces together.

Once it comes back up after study, I'm confident it will be more than acceptable to hunters/trappers/fishermen.

 

[TTA89]

"HB 192, relative to pistols permitted for the taking of deer -- This bill expands the list of calibers that are legal for taking deer with handguns. It also increases the number of rounds that can loaded in the handgun from five, to six. This reflects the full capacity of most revolvers, and avoids problems for hunters who carry a handgun for personal protection while hunting."

Just curious as I'm not a hunter and have never been hunting:

1. What is the argument for even having a round limit?

2. How many people are carrying revolvers for personal protection these days? 5 rounds? 6 rounds? It sounds like the 1960s... My "personal protection pistol" holds 18 rounds.

3. If I was hunting with a rifle or shotgun and had my pistol on me for personal protection with 18 rounds; would I be in violation of this law even though I'm not hunting with my pistol?

I'm not trying to start a debate, I'm just curious what the rational is for these limits?

 

[KBCraig]

"HB 192, relative to pistols permitted for the taking of deer -- This bill expands the list of calibers that are legal for taking deer with handguns. It also increases the number of rounds that can loaded in the handgun from five, to six. This reflects the full capacity of most revolvers, and avoids problems for hunters who carry a handgun for personal protection while hunting."

Just curious as I'm not a hunter and have never been hunting:

1. What is the argument for even having a round limit?

2. How many people are carrying revolvers for personal protection these days? 5 rounds? 6 rounds? It sounds like the 1960s... My "personal protection pistol" holds 18 rounds.

3. If I was hunting with a rifle or shotgun and had my pistol on me for personal protection with 18 rounds; would I be in violation of this law even though I'm not hunting with my pistol?

I'm not trying to start a debate, I'm just curious what the rational is for these limits?

I haven't researched the history, but I suspect that it goes back to having the hammer down on an empty chamber, for safety, on old SAA revolvers.

I don't know how five rounds ever became the limit in rifles, except maybe to keep things consistent with the old handgun law.

There's no restriction on your handgun unless you're actually using it for hunting. But, we acknowledge that some people have caught grief, and we want to limit that.

 

[Racenet]

I haven't researched the history, but I suspect that it goes back to having the hammer down on an empty chamber, for safety, on old SAA revolvers.

I don't know how five rounds ever became the limit in rifles, except maybe to keep things consistent with the old handgun law.

There's no restriction on your handgun unless you're actually using it for hunting. But, we acknowledge that some people have caught grief, and we want to limit that.

Yeah, it seems like the stupid crap just never goes away. The NRA handgun safety course still only allows 5 rounds per mag in a semi-auto pistol. It gets to be a real pain in the ass during live fire for the instructors to dole out your 5 rounds between each set.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

Thank you for the updates.

 

[AFAR/PFAR]

Thanks for the updates. What is the possibility of readdressing RSA 207:7? Section 207:7 Hunting from Motor Vehicle, OHRV, Snowmobile, Boat, or Aircraft.

I know progress was made on it a couple years ago, but it still reads so as to prohibit anyone except for farmer john from carrying anything other than a handgun on an OHRV.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

Thanks for the updates. What is the possibility of readdressing RSA 207:7? Section 207:7 Hunting from Motor Vehicle, OHRV, Snowmobile, Boat, or Aircraft.

I know progress was made on it a couple years ago, but it still reads so as to prohibit anyone except for farmer john from carrying anything other than a handgun on an OHRV.

Yeah, I'd like to see that nonsense get scrapped. It's pretty obvious it is just a tack on charge for when they get you on something else.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Yeah, it seems like the stupid crap just never goes away. The NRA handgun safety course still only allows 5 rounds per mag in a semi-auto pistol. It gets to be a real pain in the ass during live fire for the instructors to dole out your 5 rounds between each set.

That is so a revolver shooter isn't handicapped in a class.

Some of us NRA instructors are a bit more practical when all our students are using handguns that hold 10 (or more, now that I'm in Free America) rounds.

 

[Racenet]

That is so a revolver shooter isn't handicapped in a class.

Some of us NRA instructors are a bit more practical when all our students are using handguns that hold 10 (or more, now that I'm in Free America) rounds.

They weren't timed rounds, so how could revolver be handicapped?

 

[Howland]

Yeah, I'd like to see that nonsense get scrapped. It's pretty obvious it is just a tack on charge for when they get you on something else.

Nope. It is intended as a stand alone charge for when they can't find anything else.

 

[HuntMaine]

Dumbass rule on game cameras.

 

[Len-2A Training]

They weren't timed rounds, so how could revolver be handicapped?

You obviously have never run one of the more advanced NRA courses. The time on the range is multiplied when you have someone with a revolver or only 1 or 2 6-7 rd mags. The shooting drills aren't timed, but when you are spending 3 or 5.5 hrs on the range for an NRA Personal Protection class, all that running back to the bench to reload your revolver or 1 or 2 super-low capacity mags really drags the class down.

 

[KBCraig]

Dumbass rule on game cameras.

That's why we're giving them a chance to change the rule.

 

[HuntMaine]

That's why we're giving them a chance to change the rule.

That’s a good thing. I never used cameras in NH but I have them on my land in Maine and mixing them with standard cams is great.

 

[AFAR/PFAR]

Nope. It is intended as a stand alone charge for when they can't find anything else.

It's essentially F&G enforcing a thought crime. You can be out on your own with a slung rifle because you intend to test fire in a safe location in the woods. Fish cop sees you and despite the fact there is no season, you aren't out there hunting, and you have a spotless record is still able to harass you for it.

Well you could be hunting.
But I'm not.
It doesn't matter you have the means to hunt and you're on an OHRV.
So you're saying if I ice skated across the lake with a rifle, I would have been OK.
Yes.
That's stupid
Fish cop turns to the cameraman "in this case we're just going to issue a small ticket to educate this hunter"
I'm not hunting dude.
Fish Cop:

 

[Racenet]

You obviously have never run one of the more advanced NRA courses. The time on the range is multiplied when you have someone with a revolver or only 1 or 2 6-7 rd mags. The shooting drills aren't timed, but when you are spending 3 or 5.5 hrs on the range for an NRA Personal Protection class, all that running back to the bench to reload your revolver or 1 or 2 super-low capacity mags really drags the class down.

So, it really isn't a handicap for the revolver shooter. It is just to speed the range time up.

 

[Len-2A Training]

So, it really isn't a handicap for the revolver shooter. It is just to speed the range time up.

Exactly. I've been able to shave an hour off the NRA stated times, if I have good, safe, experienced shooters (NRA PPIH/PPOH) and after all the required drills I sometimes add some relevant fun drills.