From what I’ve read, all of the changes including the early antlerless firearms season are solely to reduce herd numbers in an effort to combat the spread of CWD. I live and hunt in Carter County, one of the counties clustered in and around the bootheel where CWD hasn’t appeared yet. Despite the fact that the deer population is getting crazy, the powers that be have never increased the firearms quotas here until this year. The early antlerless firearms season isn’t open here. The only increase in my county is that we can now, for the first time, purchase one additional firearms antlerless tag. As to the “orange army with their terrible weapons handling and atrocious woodsmanship”, you’re pretty much talking about my entire family. They do handle their weapons well and their woodsmanship skills are above par though. With the exception of my son I’m the only bow hunter in my family, and while I’m primarily a bow hunter I do love gun hunting and I’ll never be ashamed to admit it.
I think to us for killing pregnant doesis something we decided not to do. Don’t really care if others do it but we decided we didn’t want to. Plus the benefit of only hunting does early on for us was we weren’t blowing into where we wanted to hunt bucks. I could be convinced it doesn’t matter quite easily, though. As far as my orange army comment, I still hunt with a rifle and know plenty of people that do well with rifles, but I’ve also been scoped on public land and have washed truly atrocious woodsmanship and weapons handling, which is why I do not hunt public land during rifle season. The comment wasn’t necessarily meant to be demeaning, but I have never heard of someone accidentally being shot because they were mistaken as a deer during an archery only season. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well this is 2 cents from a dummy. So take it with a grain of salt. It will be interesting to learn from thats for sure. Biologically I would think the same things will be going on. Bucks will start getting that itch. They feel testosterone levels starting to rise. Weather and food is changing. A lot happens environmentally and biologically in that time. Dominance will start to be established. No amount of hunting or gunfire will stop their instinct to breed. Imo ,for whatever its worth, it wont deter prerut activity it will still happen but may influence nocturnal activity in areas with more pressure, would be my guess. Same that normal gun season does. Come to think of it, it may have more of a profound effect as far as causing nocturnal behavior because the deer havent completely lost their minds. When it comes down to it though they are going to breed and everything leading up to it. Only one way to tell for sure.
Don’t worry. Your comment wasn’t demeaning. I just found it funny. I’ve seen some real slob gun hunters and bow hunters alike over the years.
I had a family decline my prior permission bc the son of the owner didn't want a bow hunter "messing up the deer movement for his rifle season"...I'm sure weekend warrior gun hunters hate all us sticks and strings guys too. Lol
Hey- if you’ve got 2 cents I’ve got 1. I don’t think you’re wrong on a deer and their instinct to breed. Can’t stop it. The direction of my conversation was initially geared more towards if we think the rut is dictated on dates and/or weather and how a (new) surge in hunter presence may impact that. Like you say, only one way to tell for sure but I have my suspicions. Not all guys get a “yes” on a door knock and most don’t have private access by means of family so there’s a large group of individuals who will have to evolve. Maybe it means walk further to a less disturbed area. Maybe it means walk less because everyone already seeks out the purple OnX layer. Idk. I can tell you this, the 2023 and 2024 harvest data will lay out the data I’m speculating at. Environmental factor aside, if the buck harvest data shows decline in 2024 after Oct, then we can speak with more information. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I think there are two scenarios that typically unfold for us in the Midwest each year that produce great opportunities. The first extreme cold front in the second half of October will typically get your resident mature bucks on their feet during daylight unlike anything I’ve seen other than late season cold fronts over food. If you have a mature deer living on your property, it’s likely one of the best times to kill him before he wanders off during the rut. The second best scenario is the high pressure post cold front that happens during the first three week of November. I have seen many times that this pattern will get your local deer on their feet, but you will also see the wandering satellite bucks that are out cruising as well. This is probably your best time to kill a deer that does not live on your property, and how I killed my best buck to date.
I think gun seasons should be much later than what many states have. Sorry if I hurt feelings, but having any gun seasons during the first peak rut is a terrible idea in my opinion. While there is plenty of pressure from archery hunters during the first couple weeks of November, the pressure from gun season is ten fold, especially here in my home state of PA. I'm thankful our game commission and biologist are smart enough to put our gun season the week after Thanksgiving. This at least gives the deer the first rut to do their thing without running for their lives from deer drives, etc. The deer are still plenty "rutted up" in late November with chasing, etc, but by then, we're seeing second rut activity. I couldn't image the carnage if our gun season started at the beginning of November.
Planning on hunting the week before the rut this year in KS. During the rut last year there were so many hunters it was crazy.
