deer seasons ending-question-do you think your permit zone should

[juniordo1]

Musky Buck,

Back when 170 was lottery, I used to see a lot of adult deer. I saw the biggest doe I've ever seen on a year when none of us had a doe tag. I agree that there don't seem to be as many "real" does around anymore. The most deer I've seen in a season is 34 and that was 1984.

Until the bag limits increased, I would have never dreamed of shooting a fawn because I'm looking to put meat on the table and a fawn isn't going to feed my family for long. Also with one tag, it was always a pride thing to see who could shoot the biggest buck. As one of my uncles said after I shot my first doe "we don't take pictures of does."

Admittedly, with the increased limits, however, I have bagged some fawns but the experience doesn't compare to bagging the big buck.

It seems that with the higher bag limits, there are groups that go "brown is down" right from day one.

One thing that seems odd to me is that in the lottery days there would be a lot more shooting during the season, especially opening morning. When the deer population in 170 was healthy in the higher bag limit years, it was much quieter on opener and throughout the season.

[Musky Buck]

I hear ya and great points juniordo, the most deer I've ever seen too was 1984, 2 day season saw 41 that I could've shot, sure sunday some may been the same but those days were really special and even specialer now.

[JimmyJames]

Excellent posts juniordo1, I hear where you're coming from.I hunt the first 8 days and I hunt hard. I think the DNR is screwing up big time on managing the northern MN deer herd. I saw 7 diff. deer out of my stands this year,2 doe, 2 fawn, 3 bucks.My son shot 1 doe, very exciting and I shot 1 buck.I always hold out for a mature buck, but it's to the point now that if you want a deer, you're better off shooting any buck, over a doe.It's important to get young hunters into it, the dnr is making it tough .They say hunters better get used to it, this is where they want the herd to be, why? Doesn't make any sense.I'm very disappointed . I always tell people there is no better place to be then in a deer stand , and I still feel that way. It just makes it more fun when you're seein deer.

[jltimm]

Yeah, I like to read about how the DNR has the population right where they want it! Is that just about depleted to nothing in parts of the stste? "The harvest numbers are right where they figured they would be." "The weather was to warm, or to windy." There is alot of crops still in." All pathetic excuses to make us think they are doing a good job! Get rid of party hunting,drop the early antlerless season, move the season to a later date, and allow only 2 deer per hunter one buck and one doe.

[laker1]

Good replys. Yes their is some evidence that the old does do lead the younger deer to traditional winter areas when they believe it' s needed like deep snow. Also are we losing some of are better breeders. Seems like the 1980 era you seen some very old and fat does always and you expected to see maybe at least a deer a day, now its like after opening weekend hunting is very tough. Also in the northern forest zones with more roads and access points in recent years, deer have less areas to escape and hide. With the increase in anterless permits also I just think are age structure is getting younger.

[eyehead]

I'd like to see an end to party hunting for bucks.....You shoot a buck and your done!!! Too many guys around here are shooting two sometimes three, 1 1/2 old bucks.....I dont have a problem with guys shooting small bucks whatsoever. I just think that shooting multiple little guys is just ridiculous.

[sodajerk]

I hunt 341 with bow and shotgun and this year 341 was a managed (2 deer) area again after having been intensive several of the past ten years or so.

My goal each year is to fill both my tags with the bow and be done before the gun season mob scene hits, plus then I don't have to shell out another $27 for the firearm license. This year, as most years, that didn't happen due to my own decisions. I let a lot of deer walk by while I was bow hunting, because I love to be out hunting and didn't want my season to be over yet. I saw over 100 does (many repeats of course...seeing the same deer weekend to weekend) and about 12-15 different bucks over the 11 weekends, a bunch of weeknights and a couple weekdays that I hunted from mid-September to Thanksgiving weekend.

I had my best season ever in 29 years of deer hunting as far as the number of deer I saw. I also put in a record number of hours in the woods to see them, though, logging around 220 hours on stand this year.

I ended up taking two does this year, first one with bow, the second with shotgun and I'm satisfied with that, as I'm primarily a meat hunter and chasing the big rack is second. I missed my chance at the biggest buck I saw this fall on Halloween night, but it's all good.

As far as deer limits and regs, I want to be able to take two deer per year. That's just about the right amount of meat for my wife and me to be able to eat venison two or three nights per week, we don't have to buy any ground beef on grocery day, and that suits us.

I don't know if two deer per year, per hunter is sustainable or not with the number of hunters against the number of deer everywhere in the state, or anywhere in the state for that matter.

All I know is that with the number of deer I saw this year, and with the amount of deer and deer sign that was still around at the end of the firearm seasons, barring some unforeseen circumstance there are plenty of deer in my little corner of the woods to sustain me taking two a year until I'm too old to hunt 'em anymore.

Beyond that, Johnny Law can keep his laws out of my freezer! Just kidding, in that I know we need laws that can work to keep the masses happy while keeping deer populations healthy and I'm all for that. Just let me take my two deer per year whether they be bucks or does, that's all I'm asking.

[Musky Buck]

Get your wife into it a bit, get a heated stand and you'll both be able to get those 2 deer regardless of how many permits you guys are allowed and or can "party" hunt with her and or get 1 deer and have them add 75 pounds of hamburger to it like I do and it's plenty until next September for my family and son. Some call fawns does, if you are seeing that many adult does you should bring in friends or family to take some out. Just ideas.