I have been considering, over the last few months, the limitations put on hunting with air guns. I firmly believe the laws are outdated. I believe the laws are there to protect game from unnecessary injury, deformity, or disability due to use of hunting implements that are not powerful enough to take a game animal.
In the case of waterfowl/migratory birds, perhaps safety and fairness to the hunted animal are considered. With most air rifles, you have to be within 75 yards to insure a clean kill on an animal the size of a duck/goose. There are inherent dangers when shooting firearms near bodies of water. Generally there are livestock and homes present near water, so a ricochet is a real danger. However, I have shot my 22 disco at turtles, and in the cases that I've missed, the pellet has skipped across the pond like a rock. No one is going to seriously consider taking a game bird in the air with a pellet rifle, so the danger of a distant injury/damage to property is very unlikely. There is also the case of shotguns doing damage to migratory birds due to multiple pellets striking multiple birds. Again, pellets limit this possibility, unless, of course, it's a through and through strike, which would possibly happen with a shotgun as well.
In the case of larger game, I understand there should be limitations, but there are obviously air guns capable of taking game as large as deer and with big bore air rifles, there are very few limitations.
There is surely something I'm missing. Anyone?
MOD EDIT: DISCUSSION MOVED TO HUNTING FORUM
In the case of waterfowl/migratory birds, perhaps safety and fairness to the hunted animal are considered. With most air rifles, you have to be within 75 yards to insure a clean kill on an animal the size of a duck/goose. There are inherent dangers when shooting firearms near bodies of water. Generally there are livestock and homes present near water, so a ricochet is a real danger. However, I have shot my 22 disco at turtles, and in the cases that I've missed, the pellet has skipped across the pond like a rock. No one is going to seriously consider taking a game bird in the air with a pellet rifle, so the danger of a distant injury/damage to property is very unlikely. There is also the case of shotguns doing damage to migratory birds due to multiple pellets striking multiple birds. Again, pellets limit this possibility, unless, of course, it's a through and through strike, which would possibly happen with a shotgun as well.
In the case of larger game, I understand there should be limitations, but there are obviously air guns capable of taking game as large as deer and with big bore air rifles, there are very few limitations.
There is surely something I'm missing. Anyone?
MOD EDIT: DISCUSSION MOVED TO HUNTING FORUM