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If you could change your states deer season?

DOR

Life Member
This question was posted on another site and I thought it made for good discussion. Here was my reply:
 
SE MN
Archery Sept 10- jan 5th

1st Gun season -Doe only, buck by permit draw only starting thanksgiving day lasting 7 days. (for the traditional guys in our state).

2nd gun season 7 days following this -either sex.

Muzzleloader 10 days following 2nd gun season.

Or something along these lines, anything to push the gun season out of the main rut and to decrease overall buck harvest while increasing doe harvest. Hence, increasing age structure of the bucks and balancing the herd.

Problems in our state right now.
Resistance to change
Traditionalists who have "always done it this way so why change now" mentality
Potential problems with land access for hunters.

This proposal will never happen, but it is needed.

In our state we cater to the once a year hunter/fisherman and those of us who put most of the time and money into the sport every year have to settle for regulations catering to these uniformed/ non-caring (maybe less-caring would be a better phrase) people.




What are your thoughts?
 
I really like how Iowa's seasons are set up. It's usually too hot to hunt in Sept. anyway, and we get to bowhunt during the rut.
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Maybe they could do something about the special anterless late season because some bucks have dropped already by then.
 
My honest opinion:
Youth season should be antlerless only.
I think the original intent was a great idea. Giving kids a chance to hunt with family, in a low pressure atmoshere. It's turned into a huge buck hunt. It would be another way to tackle the population issue with deer.
 
The only thing that comes to mind is the late bonus season for antlerless deer. It's not that I dislike the season, it's just a matter hoping people are carefully sure of their targets. Hate to see shed bucks harvested.

Other than that, I'd say we've got the best whitetail season structure in the country. Hope it never changes.

It' is a shame how politics keep most states from changing their seasons. I've read where Pennsylvania has enacted an antler size restriction in some areas and they are seeing positive results. To bad more states don't get onboard with that line of thinking. I would think that would be an easier alternative than changing season structures.
 
I dont think I would change a thing, with the seasons in iowa. the only thing I would change (which would never happen) is have it to where you have to shoot a doe before you can get a buck tag with a bow.
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Season timing in Iowa is pretty good. The shed buck issue on late season & how many really get shot is probably a low number. We may want to look at license cost for encouraging a better doe/buck harvest ratio. Lots of shotgun bucks may make it another year or two if the tags were cheaper for does.
 
Here in PA,I'd like to see the archery season continue until the start of gun season.The way it is now,bow season ends mid Nov.,(prime time)with a two week period of no deer hunting until the start of gun,STUPID or what? That's why I also hunt the neighboring state of Ohio,which leaves their bow season in for 4 months straight.I'm not one to gun hunt that much,I'd rather be bowhunting.
 
as far as ohio goes i wouldn't change a thing.in my opinion it is the best set up of any. i think our shotgun season is brought in at a perfect time(the first monday after thanksgiving thru the first sunday of december), because by the time it comes in more then likely all the does that can get bred have been bred and it gives the bucks a little bit of time to relax before the crack of that first gun. i also believe that they have our muzzleloading seasoned timed perfectly also. it comes in dec. 27th thru the 30th. that is almost a full month that the deer have to clam down from gun season and get to the point of feeling comfortable again. i feel that ML season is the best time to take a deer, i feel that by this time they have let there guard down and we kill a lot of deer here during ML season, last years statistics were 6,745 deer per day, that's a lot of deer. then being able to hunt from the first saturday in oct. to january 31st, non stop, with a bow couldn't be better. one thing i am glad about is that we don't have an early ML season around sept like some states wether it's youth or not, to me it just seems like that would keep the deer on the top of their game from sept. to whenever, with all the different seasons, just seems like it would be tougher to kill them and make for some tough times.
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DOR,

I was pretty much going to type exactly what you said. You hit it right on the head. I think the #1 thing you said is to try and get the gun season after the rut. Hell would have to freeze over before that happens in this state. But atleast the DNR is much more liberal with all the doe tags. Step in the right direction I think.
 
I like the way our seasons are setup, but I would like a change on the early muzzle loader restrictions. The only way to get an early ML license and still get a shotgun lic is with a landowner tag. I would like this changed so that I can hunt with groups out side of my small timber acres. I would be very happy to restrict one or the other to antlerless only tags. Just give us the chance to hunt more and harvest more does. With the increase in antlerless tags a person should be able hunt about as much as they want, just spread it out over more seasons.
 
You think somebody would listen eventually. I heard something about Missouri looking into making their seasons more like Iowa's to bring in hunters, therefore more money. Maybe that would convince lawmakers in Minnesota as well. I'd think both would have the genetics. Not positive about Missouri changes. More speculation then anything I think.
 
The only thing that I would change would be the bag limit on antlered deer. We can kill 3 bucks in one season and I think that is too many. There are alot of 18 month old deer taken here and that is not going to help produce mature bucks in my opinion. They did however makes changes to help thin out the doe population this year.
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I wish Missouri would change the dates of the gun season to post rut but instead they are trying a pilot program in a few select areas using a four point(on one side) antler restiction.

They said that the majority of the hunters surveyed would rather go this route instead of the other options. Bunch of dumb stump broke hillbillies in my opinion. Maybe someday.
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They never surveyed me Rack about which way I thought it ought to be when I was there. Just write letters to Lonnie Hansen In Columbia like I did and just express your ideas. Sooner or later, he will get the idea.
 
Rack, I agree, I wish they would move the gun season to the end of November, first of December.

I do think the antler restrictions for the upcoming season is a step in the right direction though.

Shredder, I spoke with Mr. Hansen at one of the many deer shows I attended this past winter. I got the impression that the proposed changes are just a first step, and more changes are to come in the future.
One thing is sure, the MDC has some great minds concentrating on the issue. I'm excited about the future of Mo deer hunting.
 
I think that Iowa should change a couple of laws, but never will. They should get rid of party shotgun hunting and introduce some kind of registration system like most other states.
 
I wouldn't change any of the seasons or dates, but I would very much like them to change the way antlerless tags are issued. I buy a bow and shotgun 2 statewide tag every year. I'd like to buy an Antlerless tag and be able to fill it during either season. Don't regulate me to fill it during one or the other. The computer tag issuing system should know what seasons I have purchased already. Just print both Shotun 2 and Bow on the darn thing and let me shoot a doe in either one.
 
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