[LEAPSECS] Legal violation for failure to know sunrise/sunset to nearest minute

[Gerard Ashton]

On 9/24/2011 1:39 AM, Doug Calvert wrote:

> The applicable precedent for an issue like this does not have to come

> from a previous hunting decision.

>

> I thought i mentioned that in my previous post...oh wait I did:

>

> "It is very likely that the answer/precedent is not about the timing

> of hunting season but the timing of any number of vermont state

> regulations."

There is a strong chance that Mr. Calvert is correct that cases about
the interpretation of state regulations may bear on the meaning of
"sunrise" and "sunset" in hunting regulations, for example, whether
the meaning coincides with civil sunrise and sunset as described
in nautical almanacs, and whether a table provided in regulations,
in the absence of clear wording, is mandatory or a safe harbor.

But only hunting cases will clarify how much leeway game wardens
actually grant, and thus, the precision required for sunrise
and sunset calculations, and timepieces, to satisfy the hunter who doesn't want
to get caught. Then there is the question of the hunter who
wishes to voluntarily obey the rules, even if he/she was sure
of not getting caught. I expect minute precision would suffice
for the conscientious hunter.

Gerard Ashton