What is the plan?

[Jethro]

What do you think is the DNR’s future plans with anterless bonus tags? Is the DNR trying to get the deer population down to where you will only be able to get one any sex tag just like the old days? I was in a conversation with a guy last night about this and he was wondering the same thing. It’s kind of a catch 22 the way you look at it. One being that they finally did get the deer population back in check where it was 15 years ago, still having good opportunities at successful hunting either buck or doe and helping to cater to the farmers/landowners and insurance companies issues, but on the other hand it would lessen the hunting opportunities in all (gun/bow) seasons for extra hunting and meat. The deer being donated to the HUSH program I believe would drastically decrease if a hunter was only allowed one deer as well as the extra revenue the DNR would lose for the extra tags. If it did get to where you could only get one tag will they still charge us an extra dollar for the HUSH program? I cannot say enough about the DNR and there past years efforts in reducing the deer population and still maintaining some of the best hunting in the nation but I also enjoy the extra hunting opportunities to harvest does. Also with the DNR being on a tight budget anyways I would think that losing the extra revenue from anterless tag sales would be a vital part in there yearly budgeting. Just curious as to what your thoughts were on this.

 

[Blaster]

Jethro,
I think the only place they got the deer population back to normal is up to the north and west. The deer population is still real bad to the county's south of Des Monies. I can't see the doe only tags going away for a long time in those county's. The only way i could see the population falling into a reasonable area down south is if we get a couple of real bad winters in a row.

 

[doublerack]

I think they may decrease the antlerless tags in certain counties over time, but it will be at the very least, another 15 years before the DNR will even start to consider eliminating the antlerless tags.

 

[Steve-O]

I dont know where you guys are getting your info as well as the DNR, their aint no deer down here south of the Des Moines area