Is shooting a snake from your boat legal on the river?

Dunno. Why would you shoot a snake from the boat? There was a fella around town that sank his jon boat shooting at a snake that fell in the boat with him. He didn't kill the snake either. LOL!!!

Unfortunately you could be charged with reckless endangerment shooting a gun in most any public place.

probably depends on what type of gun it is.

hey Terd, then I guess duck hunters should be charged as well???

It depends on where you are at, and what type of gun. You cannot shoot lead shot on any public Alabama waterway, and you cannot shoot a rifle. I am not sure about pistols, but I would imagine they cannot be discharged on the river.

You also cannot legally shoot any gun from a boat if your fueled motor is running or is in motion from the motor (basically, you can't come in at 40 mph and kill the motor and start shooting while still moving).

Also, there are lots of places in lakes and rivers throughout Alabama that it is illegal to hunt - thus fire any firearm (less than 100 yds from a residence, some city limits, etc.)

Basically, I would probably just get away from the snake to be safe. It he starts coming in the boat, just knock him back in with a paddle and haul arse.

B'ham Buck, can you provide regulations or laws to support your post?

I sure can't and could be wrong on some of them, but if you think it is legal to shoot a snake out of a moving boat at state park in Guntersville with a .270, be my guest.

WEll mister buzzard puke, they sure as hell can if they are near private property and the owner complains or in a lot of cases they are in water that is in a city limits with no shooting ordinances such as might happen on Logan Martin Lake and most other lakes in Alabama.

Clem, I think you will find that BirminghamBuck is "just about right" in every case that he stated.

ummmmm......OK! Thanks I think!

I've not seen that rule about shooting lead in the water. I could be wrong, but I don't think that's against the law

Unless you're hunting waterfowl where lead shot is prohibited or in an area where it is prohibited, such as a refuge, use of lead shot on public waterways is not against the law. Someone prove me wrong.

Unless you are in a bird sanctuary, area prohibiting hunting or are shooting toward private property, an owner complaining about gun shots does not mean you have to quit hunting or that it is illegal, as turdspot stated here: they sure as hell can if they are near private property and the owner complains

Show me the regulation prohibiting shooting a gun from a boat with the motor running. There isn't one unless you are pursuing specific game or waterfowl, and then it must be off and the vessel at a complete stop before you shoot. That's been in effect for waterfowling for years.

If you shoot a rifle from a moving boat at a snake then you're an idiot and deserve whatever happens. But I still want anyone to find me a law or regulation prohibiting that or any of the other things stated.

Unless you're hunting waterfowl where lead shot is prohibited or in an area where it is prohibited, such as a refuge, use of lead shot on public waterways is not against the law. Someone prove me wrong.

It appears I was wrong on this, and leads me to question the validity of the laws regarding the use on non-toxic shot for waterfowl.

Unless you are in a bird sanctuary, area prohibiting hunting or are shooting toward private property, an owner complaining about gun shots does not mean you have to quit hunting or that it is illegal, as turdspot stated here: [b]they sure as hell can if they are near private property and the owner complains [/b]

220-2-.139 Hunting or Discharging a Firearm Near a
Dwelling, etc.
It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or attempt to hunt within 100
yards of any dwelling belonging to another, whether occupied or not, without
the permission of the owner or lessee of said dwelling. Provided further, it
shall be unlawful for any person to discharge a firearm while hunting in
such a manner that any projectile strikes any dwelling or building used
for human occupation, whether occupied or not, or any commercial vessel,
without the permission of the owner or lessee of said dwelling, building or
vessel. This regulation shall not apply to a landowner or member of his or
her immediate family hunting on his or her own property provided that no
projectile strikes any of the above stated property of another without the
permission of the owner or lessee of said property.

Show me the regulation prohibiting shooting a gun from a boat with the motor running. There isn't one unless you are pursuing specific game or waterfowl, and then it must be off and the vessel at a complete stop before you shoot. That's been in effect for waterfowling for years.

Wrong. Notice the "kill any bird or animal part".

220-2-.11 Prohibited Methods and Devices for Hunting
It shall be unlawful to concentrate, drive, rally, molest or to hunt, take,
capture or kill or attempt to hunt, take, capture or kill any bird or animal
from or by the aid of:
(1) Any automobile, motorcar, airplane, train, motorboat, sailboat or any
type mechanically propelled device, or any other device being operated
in conjunction with any of the above mentioned devices of
transportation. Provided, however, that nothing in this regulation shall
prevent hunting from a floating craft (except a sinkbox), including those
propelled by motor, sail and wind, or both, when the motor of such craft
has been completely shut off and/or the sails furled, as the case may be,
its progress therefrom has ceased, and it is drifting, beached, moored,
resting at anchor, or it is being propelled by paddle, oars or pole, and
provided further that nothing in this regulation shall prevent the taking
of game birds and game animals from any stationary motor vehicle or
stationary motor driven land conveyance provided any forward motion
is ceased and engine is shut off. Nothing in this regulation allows the
hunting, taking or killing or
attempting to hunt, take or kill any bird or animal from any vehicle on a
public road.

If you shoot a rifle from a moving boat at a snake then you're an idiot and deserve whatever happens. But I still want anyone to find me a law or regulation prohibiting that or any of the other things stated.

Perhaps you do deserve what could/would happen, and I will not dispute that. However, the guy standing across the river with his kid that gets hit with a ricocheting bullet does not.

I'm in total agreement with Clem. Laws that govern the shooting of ducks and other waterfowl have no bearing on the shooting of snakes. I would not carry a shotgun with birdshot for this task as you could potentially be accused of illegally hunting waterfowl. However, if you have a pistol with ratshot (lead) or a Judge that shoots .410 shells, then I think you would be perfectly within the law even though you are shooting lead.

You just don't want anybody to have any fun.

I killed dozens of moccasins on the river with an old Crosman pellet gun.

You proved Clem's point. It is NOT illegal to discharge a firearm from a moving boat unless you are shooting at animals. I could ride up and down the river and have my buddy throw skeet from the boat and I could shoot them and the law you posted does not address it.

If we are specifically talking about shooting snakes from a moving boat, then the law you posted would take precedence, but that was not disputed.

None of my posts pertain to shooting skeet, we were talking about shooting a snake out of a boat.

And yes, it was disputed. It was disputed when he incorrectly stated that the law only pertains to specific animals or waterfowl. It pertains to all. I guess I could have clarified my original post to refer specifically to shooting animals out of a moving boat, but I figured the folks around here were smart enough to take it in context of the conversation.

I'd take that to be hunting game species and might challenge "any" in court if given a citation.

Bottom line is it's not illegal to use lead shot on public waterways unless hunting migratory birds or on a national wildlife refuge, it's not illegal to discharge a firearm on a waterway and unless you're hunting - the regulation cited pertains to hunting, which is specifically stated in the header - it's not illegal to shoot a snake or animal from a moving vessel (except maybe in certain situations).


Crossman pellet rifles are OK, Dixie!

Reckless endangerment would cover that.

That covers most of your other smart assed asweres. :p