Question for you.

[Crappie Rage]

Since it looks like global warming is over for the next 30 years or so, how many guys will quit deer hunting when most of the state goes back to bucks only and lottery for doe tags.

Will you personally quit? Do you know that your shallow brother-in-law will quit? How many of you are old enough to remember 13 guys in rifle camp, 2 doe tags and 5 deer shot being a good year?

[sticknstring]

Quote:

How many of you are old enough to remember 13 guys in rifle camp, 2 doe tags and 5 deer shot being a good year?

Those days weren't that long ago. I don't think many will quit, will just need to work a little harder. Nothing wrong with that.

[Crappie Rage]

I don't know the stats, but I bet there was a drop in the number of hunters, mostly firearm, after the winters of 96 and 97. Anyone have those numbers??

[mrklean]

if people want to quit thats fine with me, more deer for the rest of use die hards. I think the people who will quit arent hunters there the people who say they are hunters 2 days a year up north to drink beer and shoot anything brown. No offence to anyone who falls under that category.

[kingr]

"Those days" are here. This year 13 guys, 7 deer. We've noticed that the amount of hunters have dropped, especially the "hardcore" hunters that take off the whole week to go to deer camp and hunt. Come Wednesday, we might see 2 vehicles parked in the 15 miles we drive from our deer camp to our parking spot

[DonBo]

Personally I'll be looking fwd to "bucks only". The areas I hunt need a break from unlimited antlerless tags big time!

[mrklean]

one bad season in everyones eyes but really its a top 10 harvest wont change anything i expect to see the same seasons next year, only thing that will change maybe a couple areas will go from intensive to managment or whatever but i dont see any major changes at all. If the next couple season turn horrible then maybe changes but i see nothing big happening anytime soon.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I dont hunt to kill a deer, that is only a added bonus to the hunt if I should be so lucky. I do love the taste of venison, but can live without it.

I will continue to hunt no matter what laws they decide... I just love to be in all camo and do my best to become one with the woods.

[archerystud]

I'm almost in total agreement with Dietz. I do prefer to get one deer and get some venison in the freezer since my family and I love it. So I somewhat feel obligated to get ONE every year!

I will be hunting as long as the big guy up above lets me. I will be interested to see what the license numbers are like this year. Did we have the All-Season license last year? If so then I guess I'll be comparing apples to oranges.

I think the single gun season changes coupled with the economy are going to have fewer deer hunters in the woods. Those people that came from a long way OR just showed up to party in the deer camp are going to be rethinking their hunting seasons IMO.

[Bear55]

I will never quit deer hunting as long as I am physically able to get out of the house and shoot a bow or gun. I remember those bad winters, one year 13 hunters in our group got skunked but we all kept hunting. I'm sure there will be years like that again but I don't there we are anywhere near those years as far as deer numbers, of course this winter could change everything.

[bigbucks]

I expect to get at least one deer & realistically a few every year, but it sure wasn't always that way.

I remember one year having 8 or 9 hunters & no doe permits. We saw one deer period that season, a doe, & a flash of another one. This would have been around 81-82 something like that. Then a year or two later we were really excited because we had 3-4 doe permits. We didn't always fill them. Not because we were picky, but because we couldn't. Now there were a few missed shots, but not that many. If you saw a deer of any kind, you shot at it. I shot my first deer in 87, was lucky enough to shoot a 2nd one 45 minutes later. That was 2 of the 3 we got that year. We had about 200 acres of good private deer hunting land in Central MN, there just weren't that many deer. Even in 91 we had 4 doe tags for the 9 of us. We had 1 deer at noon on Saturday when we started a drive. I was lucky enough to fill the other three on that drive. We got one buck the rest of the season & we didn't see that many, it's really changed since then.

About 95 is when the population started to really boom around here. There was very little impact from those bad winters, probably because there's enough agriculture here. 96 was the really bad one I think. It's been fantastic around here since then. The population has been gradually decreasing again the last probably 3 years, but it's still way better than it was 25 years ago & we still hunted then.

[Crappie Rage]

Maybe some of you did not get my point or are to young to know what it used to be like. I know you all assume you will shoot one or two deer per year, but 30 years ago it was normal to shoot one deer every 3 or 4 years. Not 3 or 4 every year.

If the weather brings us back to that point, how many guys do you think will drop out. I know the die hards will not. I am one who won't. I have deer hunted every year since 1979. But when things are easy, everyone will do it. What if it is not so easy anymore??

[mrklean]

i stick by my original post

[tedl]

I don't think there will be a drop in hunter numbers due to lack of deer. There have always been areas that were lottery some where in the state. The only thing that will drop hunter numbers is the lack of access. And if some people get their way most of the private land will be leased up by hunters with the big money.

[DaveT]

By get their way, do you mean getting a few laws changed so we have a deer herd that is represented by all age classes and balanced buck/doe ratio, instead of a deer herd that is 20 percent bucks, of which 90 percent are yearlings?

I will gladly pay what the market demands if that day comes, even though I am far from having "big money".

[The Donk]

No Dave, this is not what he means... although I respect and agree with your opinion, don't turn this thread into the back and forth like your last two.

Anyways, I have hunted for 18 years and shot 10 deer. All but this year have been bucks, and this year I decided that I kinda missed having some meat in the freezer for a good change in dinner plans. I hunt for two reasons.

To get outside and enjoy nature.

To have some comraderie with my family that only gets together for deer hunting and christmas.

Its as simple as that, and no number of deer in the herd will change it.

Good luck to all in the woods this cold winter, I gotta go get a stand this weekend and it will be my last hunt. Time to fish!

[Crappie Rage]

I have to agree with the Donk. Don't turn this thread into your last two!

[Black_Bay]

I know I won't quit. After the back to back severe winters in the 90's our group agreed we'd still go to deer camp to cut wood, fix up things, and just relax.

[vister]

i am lucky to have 100's of acres of hunting land, privately owned by my father. i have 3 brothers that also hunt, so if that day ever comes, hopefully no time soon, i would think the land would be ours. but if not, i don't have the big money to lease up a bunch of prime land, however unless that is, you take checks!

[Eskimoman]

"Those days" are here. This year 13 guys, 7 deer. We've noticed that the amount of hunters have dropped, especially the "hardcore" hunters that take off the whole week to go to deer camp and hunt. Come Wednesday, we might see 2 vehicles parked in the 15 miles we drive from our deer camp to our parking spot

Those days are here? You were over 50% successfull and there are more deer now in the state than ever. I cant believe the number of people who complain on this site how bad the hunting is. Its not hard to shoot a deer with a rifle in Mn. if you are willing to travel and hunt all day it will come.

[LOTWSvirgin]

Yep some people might want to try some patience and maybe get of there truck once in a while. I know plenty of hunters that dont understand that and cant figure out why they cant get a deer.

[Rippinlip]

I have hunted since either '79 or '80, can't remember. So I have been through the bad and the good.

With that said I will be chasing deer to the end of my time.

I believe the chase is almost as fun as the harvest.

[kingr]

I'm not saying we did bad. Next year will be our 29th yr at our deer camp. The 7 for 13 is about our average since oh say late 80's early 90's. We aren't complaining. Everyone gets some steaks and sticks.

What i'm concerned about is that minus 2 fawns, we shot everything we saw. The increase in bonus tags really knocked down the population. The preliminary reports are that the harvest in our area is down about 35% during rifle season.

Personally, the 10-11 days at deer camp with the guys out weigh shooting the deer. Heck if there isn't any deer in the woods in the future we'll be able to sleep in and go duck hunting.

[HNTNBUX]

I started deer hunting in 1982 when I was twelve and did not shoot, or shoot at a deer until 1992. The only years I missed were 1988 and 1989 when I was in basic training and Korea. If I could keep it going as a kid during those years I know I will be out there as long as I am physically able. And count me as one of those that expect to shoot at least one a year.

[sparkydm]

It does seem to me that weather patterns are changing back to colder weather. True, when we have harsher winters the herd suffers because it's harder for them to find food. But what if there was more food? We all know how logging affects deer, right? More food, right? Well, it seems to me that there was a lot more logging done in recent years due to the construction boom of the late 90's/early 2000's. More habitat means more deer. I believe that creation of habitat along with milder winters is why we have had the higher deer populations. More food and more cover=more deer. JMO