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How many bucks are poached ...

JOSHBRNDT

JOSHBRNDT

Active Member
during the early doe season. I have had 3 people that bow hunt regularly find bucks with their heads cut off. They were fresh kills with bullet holes in the deer. I imagine it happens all over the place. Is anyone else out there finding the same thing. I found one last year that was shot on a property that I had a tree stand on. I had passed on this buck numerous times as he was only a 1 1/2 yr old 10 point with tremendous potential. I found him under my tree stand with a bullet hole in him. It made me sick and very angry. This early doe season, IMO, is not a good season. It gives people another avenue of shooting bucks and a way for them to get away with it. I frankly wish the DNR would shut this season down. It does no good.
 
I agree on shuting the season down. I know it is for herd management and all, but there aren't really that many does shot in this season compared to the high power season in Jan. But the DNR doesn't want my opinion and you guys probably don't either.
 
Brew Crew. Yes they shot this buck and left it under my stand with the head on. It was shot with a 20 gauge slug it looked like right thru the heart and left there. People just kill to kill and that is sad.
 
I got news for ya, poachers are gonna be poachers period! You can't tell me that bucks don't get poached during bow season. Does that mean we should shut that down? You guys that want to fix poaching and law breaking by shuting down leagal seasons and keeping the honest people at home drive me nuts. If a deer was poached in your area, REPORT IT. If you witness someone poaching and don't report it, you are part of the problem too.
 
hawkeybucker said:
I got news for ya, poachers are gonna be poachers period! You can't tell me that bucks don't get poached during bow season. Does that mean we should shut that down? You guys that want to fix poaching and law breaking by shuting down leagal seasons and keeping the honest people at home drive me nuts. If a deer was poached in your area, REPORT IT. If you witness someone poaching and don't report it, you are part of the problem too.
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This bonus season is just giving poachers a better opportunity, as it gives them a "legal" avenue which allows them to "legally" carry a gun loaded with slugs. Poachers will be poachers, indeed, but this season just makes things easier for them. Regardless of this poaching crap, I think the season needs to be re-evaluated. Deer populations are crashing and many parts of the state could do without it. Honest people have plenty of other opportunities to kill deer. A gun season over Thanksgiving is just plain stupid, IMO.

I agree, we all need to do our part to report unlawful acts!
 
I understand doing away with the season if the deer #'s won't support it. I got no problems with that. But seriously we all as "hunters" need to stand together to save opportunities to hunt, not point fingers at some low life poacher, saying "this is why we need to close this season". You turn in poachers to the proper authorities and go back to enjoying time hunting with friends and family. Why not close all seasons, we'll get rid of all the legal avenues for poachers. :thrwrck: Who will this really hurt? The majority!!

Your way of thinking sits right up there next to: Let's go ahead get rid of the right to bare arms to stop criminal activity. Better yet why not get rid of cars to cut down on speeders and reckless drivers.

Stop and think about things and be careful what you ask for, cause you just might get it!!!
 
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DannyBoy said:
This bonus season is just giving poachers a better opportunity, as it gives them a "legal" avenue which allows them to "legally" carry a gun loaded with slugs. Poachers will be poachers, indeed, but this season just makes things easier for them. Regardless of this poaching crap, I think the season needs to be re-evaluated. Deer populations are crashing and many parts of the state could do without it. Honest people have plenty of other opportunities to kill deer. A gun season over Thanksgiving is just plain stupid, IMO.

I agree, we all need to do our part to report unlawful acts!
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Read this link, apparently the DNR doesn't agree with your opinion of the deer pop crashing. They are under pressure to redusce the herd numbers across the state. like hawkeybucker said poachers are the problem not the season. Any one that sees poaching or evidence of poaching needs to report it and keep after the CO to try and get something resolved. I was glad that there was no doe season in my area this year again, 9wasn't one last year either) but I am skeptical that there is still some poaching going on.
 
We are going this direction again,,,,but there will always be too many deer in the state. As far as most farmers are concerned,most drivers are concerned,Insurance companies,Subburban Lanscaping, etc. It could get to the point it did where I came from. Up there the DNR eventually handed out an Antlerless permit a day to anyone, for months. Got so you were lucky to see a deer in a week. My friends there say deer sightings are still low.
 
deeraddict said:
Read this link, apparently the DNR doesn't agree with your opinion of the deer pop crashing. They are under pressure to redusce the herd numbers across the state. like hawkeybucker said poachers are the problem not the season. Any one that sees poaching or evidence of poaching needs to report it and keep after the CO to try and get something resolved. I was glad that there was no doe season in my area this year again, 9wasn't one last year either) but I am skeptical that there is still some poaching going on.
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You argue my point well. It doesn't matter what the DNR or hunters think anymore. It's all about insurance companies, etc., etc. Certainly, many areas of the state still have too many deer, nobody can argue that. And a season like this is a valuable tool in reducing those numbers. But, if the DNR listened to the real experts in deer numbers (hunters), don't you think some changes would be made? We are the ones out there patrolling. We cover far more ground. We see what they don't. We put the time in.

I mainly hunt two different farms. One of these I will not waste my time with anymore. It used to be full of deer, now I'm lucky to see one or two in 3 or 4 sits. This is the norm for many of the hunters I know that hunt all over this particular county. Yet, they keep jacking up the quota every year. Figure that one out... The other farm still has deer. Probably a healthy amount. I'm sure that will be different in the next couple of years though...

I don't like the Thanksgiving season mostly because of it's timing. But factor in the increased poaching and no need for it in some areas, yep, I hate it!
 
DannyBoy said:
This bonus season is just giving poachers a better opportunity, as it gives them a "legal" avenue which allows them to "legally" carry a gun loaded with slugs.
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It's illegal to carry a shotgun loaded with slugs outside of deer season?:confused:
 
hawkeybucker said:
I understand doing away with the season if the deer #'s won't support it. I got no problems with that. But seriously we all as "hunters" need to stand together to save opportunities to hunt.

Your way of thinking sits right up there next to: Let's go ahead get rid of the right to bare arms to stop criminal activity. Better yet why not get rid of cars to cut down on speeders and reckless drivers.
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It's during bow season, you can still hunt.

MY way of thinking says this:

1. Numbers are dwindling. If you want to argue that, then be prepared to argue with the majority of this site's members. No, not everywhere, but in many areas. I hope the DNR takes a closer look at that after this season in preparation for setting quotas in the future.

2. Like I said, it's during bowseason, you can still hunt. Is it really that great of an opportunity? You could still hunt a shotgun season, late muzz, and late-season does. Sorry, but I don't find the need for 4 gun seasons that span nearly two months. 3 of which you can party hunt, and the one that doesn't allow "party" hunting still allows people to conduct deer drives.

3. It falls during a time where bucks are much more vulnerable. Still cruising, rutting, etc. Just makes it too easy for poachers (the minority), but it sucks none-the-less.
 
DannyBoy said:
No, but I'm pretty sure you get my point. Think about it. :way: I'm sure it will come to you.
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I knew what ya meant. ;)

There is hope though, as the county I hunt just dropped the November and late January antlerless only seasons this year. We still have good deer numbers. Maybe the DNR will drop your county soon.

I worry more about the jacklight poachers than I do the November antlerless hunters. The jacklighters are targeting the true trophys while the Nov. poachers are more opportunistic, IMO.
 
Danny, sorry wasn't meaning to "argue" your point as much as showing you what the powers that be say. Myself I don't care for the Thanksgiving season either. When it has been open in my area it screwed up our gun season IMO. Selfish for my own concenrs I know but that is how I felt. I too think the numbers are down unfortunately like you stated they are not down to where the DNR and ins companies want. Yes you are correct that we are the "skeaky wheels" that may get something done, but I guess I am thinking that telling them the #'s are down when they don't believe so won't work. Making a big deal out of law breakers may, I don't know, I wish I did.
 
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DannyBoy said:
2. Like I said, it's during bowseason, you can still hunt. Is it really that great of an opportunity? You could still hunt a shotgun season, late muzz, and late-season does. Sorry, but I don't find the need for 4 gun seasons that span nearly two months. 3 of which you can party hunt, and the one that doesn't allow "party" hunting still allows people to conduct deer drives.
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So....... since you don't want to hunt 4 gun season's, knobody else should be able to. It doesn't shock me at all if that is how you think. Who are you to tell someone else how they should enjoy a legal activity. Sounds like you need to wory more about what's going on in your neck of the woods than mine!!!

And just for the record I do not partake in the November doe hunt. There is not enough does around my area. I also enjoy watching deer while I'm hunting. Why let government restrict you, go ahead and restrict yourself, if there isn't enough deer in your area, quit shooting them> DUH
 
I still think the harvest report system is problematic. I'm not sure if the DNR has any idea how many deer are out there anymore. What % of people don't call in their deer? I think it's a huge number and has been for a handful of seasons now. Even the guys that have the best of intentions can forget to call.

Almost makes a guy want to call in every tag he gets (harvest or not) to help offset the problem...not that I'm recommending said action.
 
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Well; somebody must have complained, because you can't hunt public land this year during the Nov. doe season. I think a few first and second season shotgun hunters were fed up with the deer being driven off public land before they had a chance! The private land around me was blaze orange for three solid days that i was bowhunting. I heard more shooting, and saw more deer than last year first season shotgun! I also saw two does with gun wounds. One shot in the rear, the other gut shot. I know it happens, but it still makes me sick! If they would have given me the oppurtunity; i would have filled my bow tag to end their misery.
 
cedar creek said:
I also saw two does with gun wounds. One shot in the rear, the other gut shot. I know it happens, but it still makes me sick! If they would have given me the oppurtunity; i would have filled my bow tag to end their misery.
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Seriously!! That is something you just had to talk about? I suppose this makes you look real good?

What it does do is makes hunters look bad.
 
Well I shot two - a 140 & a 125. I believe in this November antlerless season!! Its the bees knees!

IMHO I think we should open an any sex rifle season in early November. Could you imagine the bucks we could lay down then?!?! It would definitely be something we should write our legislators about. I know there is a definite safety issue with rifles but I know us "knowledgeable" hunters could make do.
 
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