apr1775:

You may be right.

Alot of Eastern State hunting rules go back quite far in our history. Sunday bans, etc. Also, they are not necessarily linked to common-sense ballistics, either. For example, in New Jersey where I grew up, it is illegal to use a rifle for deer, but legal for varmints {at least it was}. I always found this very weird, in light of the fact that most varminting involves shooting at low angles toward the ground, with the corresponding high potential for ricochet and rifle bullets flying about in densely populated areas was the big concern of the no-rifle-for-deer law.

Actually, a regulation that requires shooting a rifle from an elevated stand makes a lot of sense, but how in the world it is enforced I have no idea. I mean, once the fellow has his deer down, who's gonna say it was shot on the ground or from a stand? Angles of entry are fine well and good, but not conclusive. I wonder if the regulation IS enforced?