Just because you could take 5 deer doesn't mean everyone was. Would like to see the harvest #s specifically related to one hunter using more than a couple of tags. I know when they had the all season license, which I would love them to return to, I never took three deer. (You could take one buck and two antlerless depending on your area, throughout archery, gun and muzzleloader seasons.) I think in many cases, there were a lot of deer in those areas but the DNR realized how ridiculous a number 5 was for a bag limit when they were asking the rest of the state to crack down. I see all these predictions about how this year will be a much lower harvest with the reduced bag limits and doe tags available throughout the state, but I'm not sure if it will be as low as they think. You're going to have lots of party hunting going on with wives and girlfriends and buddies who will be hunting for the first time. Well, not really. But they'll buy tags. I too live in an area with mucho deer and have to live with the one deer limit. The DNR admits it sets limits based on societal preference. Nothing really scientific about it. Enough hunters complain that they want to see more deer, the silent majority stays silent, and everyone must abide with the consequences. Would love to see our DNR survey hunters when they buy a license each year on the previous season. Did you see enough deer? What do you feel is an appropriate limit, etc.? And get feedback from a larger group.
I think we can all agree that Mn has mismanaged their deer herd for quite some time. Should never go from a buck and 5 does to 1 either or. As for the moose population, wolves are the biggest solo factor for baby moose kills, the DNR even said this but Fitz is right wolves have always been in moose territory so either it's the higher populations of wolves causing the current decline in moose or the climate. I personally think it's a mix of both. Here in MN I don't think we are "there" yet but I think we are on the right track to improvement. The thing with MN is there are sooo many hunters out there... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You're spot on. As much as we'd like to see the herd managed with scientific data the truth is, the DNR is a public agency and receives much of its dollars and direction from the legislature. The DNR can make recommendations and work in a direction, but the squeaky wheel always gets the grease. If enough people complain one way or another to their state senators/representatives, the DNR will be pushed that direction whether they agree with it or not. The point restrictions in the southeast, not a DNR initiative, it was legislators receiving enough pressure from very boisterous whitetail groups in the southeast that the change was made. The three rooster limit in December, not a DNR intiative, a senator who made that change. There is certainly blame to be put on the DNR, but remember its your elected officials who ultimately control how things run. To be honest, I find whitetail management in Minnesota to be a nearly impossible job. Except for the northern 1/4 of the state, the vast majority of Minnesota is private land and how do you successfully manage deer numbers on private lands? Some landowners close it off to everyone, some landowners let everyone hunt, some land gets no pressure, some land sees relentless pressure, so to some, there will never be enough deer and to others there will always be way too many.
Yes, there are a lot of hunters, about half a million to be exact. I recently spent $6 on a copy of D&DH's Almanac. Like the section at the end that gives your a run down on the historical stats behind each state. You'll see a state like Minnesota has 500,000 gun hunters, 100,000 bowhunters, while a state like Iowa has about 1/2 the gun hunters and 3/4 the bowhunters, but only about 1/5 the deer if you go by the different state's estimates. And Iowa supposedly has more bigger bucks. And Wisconsin has roughly the same amount of deer according to both state's estimates - 1 million. Yet they killed roughly twice as many deer last year with nearly 900,000 gun and bowhunters (or main licenses sold). And doe tags are liberal. What's different? The overall management, the limits, the rules? I don't know but will make a commitment to finding out more this off season. That's because I'm a data person in my work and realize I should be in my deer hunting as well. So the next time someone says, we don't have enough deer or I want to see more deer or you're killing too many deer, we can talk facts versus speculation. Back to the original question, which I should have answered, its changed my season by not being able to shoot a doe until late season if I've decided enough is enough in light of family and work. Don't get me wrong, I consider a doe sacred. Just that I have a chance at arrowing many of them early to mid-season and want to wait for the rut. Nothing like being in the woods in November. So bottom line, I guess its taken some meat off my table is how its changed my hunting season.
We had a large amount of winter kill last season which never helps our populations. But we are a one deer state. But most zones don't issue doe permits, so you get one buck per year. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Strictly waterfowl hunted up until now. I have been in the tree once this year and that was only because I was moving a stand mid-day so I brought my bow with and sat the evening. If I hadn't decided to move that stand my first sit would have been this coming weekend. I don't mind the one deer limit because I love waterfowling so I just focused on that until now. The only thing the one deer limit did to me was shorten up my season to rut-late season... and saved a slick head in my area, at least until the last week of the season.
I like to think the DNR had the liberal doe permits to encourage the youth to hunt. Face it kids these days don't enjoy hunting if they are not shooting deer. Will be interesting to see what the next 5 years brings deer wise and hunter numbers
Nevada is one deer regardless of sex. The early archery season is a month long, and the late season is 10 days in November. Having the late tag and the area we do, we are prepping to hike in and set up deer camp and hunt hard everyday until the season ends or we tag out.
