Is Gun season to long???

[youngie22]

Have been chattin' w/ a buddy; and it really seems you can take a gun w/ you during deer season for weeks and weeks. Do you guys think its a little much? What do you guys think is the reasoning, and how would you make the the seasons if you had a chance? I personally think gun hunters have way to much opportunity to fill the freezer. Is it because of the a huge # of hunters that need to get into a limited amount of space? is it the insurance company lobbyist trying to irradicate deer? Is it just to bring in more revenue for the state? Or is it because thats how the majority of hunters prefer it to be. If I were to draw up the seasons I would first get rid of muzzy season and conjoin it w/ regular firearm season. Not sure what would be best for the state or for me. But I think if some of the hunyucks were out of the woods I could harvest more deer w/ my bow. And then this 3a and 3b debate; a whole nother story.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Really?

Why can't we all just get along? Why all the fights between the different means to the same end? Bow vs. gun, bait vs flies, spear vs jigs, Marcum vs Vexliar...... Who cares how someone pursues their quarry? Be thankful they are there sharing in the same thrills you are. Align with them, don't srug them off and disrespect them just so it benifits YOUR agenda.

There is a lot of land out there, FOR EVERYONE!

[youngie22]

Just saying 6 weeks of being able to take a deer within 200+ yds from you can put a big hurt on the population. Should we have a n open deer seson from sept. 1 to Jan. 1 choose your weapon; rifle, muzzy, bow, or spear, etc... Just wondering whose agenda these seasons are supporting. Not the Deer thats for sure. THere is alot of land out there, but not everywhere or for everyone. I hunt public land 95% of the time, it can be very hard to get it to yourself. Maybe a Tuesday morninging in late sept. Probably shouldn't have brought it up, but just my thouhgts.

[InTheNorthwoods]

No, gun seasons are not too long. If too many deer are getting shot in the window of time you are speaking of, it isn't because of the length of season - it is because of the number of tags people are allowed, coupled with party hunting.

For example, it really wouldn't matter much whether the season was 10 days or 30 days if you could only shoot one deer. I personally like the extra time, it allows me a better opportunity to get on a mature deer.

Edit - I am a bowhunter, and prefer bowhunting, but much of the state is only a 9 day gun season (and muzzy season is only 16 days) so 6 weeks of gun season is really not accurate.

[Matt Breuer]

Combining muzzy and rifle was a horrid suggestion. I hunt muzzy only, and enjoy the cold and solitude. I don't see nearly as many deer as I did when I hunted rifle and bow, but it's the challenge that I like!

I think you should have to choose your season, and stick to it. I don't agree w/ being able to hunt every season.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

THere is alot of land out there, but not everywhere or for everyone. I hunt public land 95% of the time, it can be very hard to get it to yourself.

I hunt public land 100% of the time. I also bow hunt, too.

I fully agree with IntheNorthwoods! No matter how you pursue your game, you can only shoot as many as tags will allow.

[96trigger]

The only problem I see with lengthy seasons is party hunting.

Aside from that, I love to chase whitetails. I love the challenge and the encounter. I hunt them from Mid September until December using whatever method I am allowed. What is the difference if I shoot 2 opening morning, or two over a 3 month time span? I pass on a lot of little bucks every year because the seasons are so long and I am willing to hold out for a nicer one. In reality, down here, they get pushed hard during the firarm season, but before and after that its not too bad.

[sticknstring]

The season is long, agreed, but I think it's mostly about opportunity. The majority of the deer harvest takes place during the 1st week of firearm season and after that, it's just a way for guys to get out. I have no issue with the length of the season. Heck, push the muzzy season out until the end of the year. I hunt the entirety of the season & see very few hunters in December. I'm just opposed to when the gun season starts. But that's another issue all-together.

[Wanderer]

Until the muzzle loader popularity boom of the last 5-7 years, nobody hardly knew the season was even on. It's been there for a lot longer than that.

The first 3 weeks in November is all bowhunters really used to worry about.

[Musky Buck]

Agree with ya trigger, I know myself and many relatives that we let many bow hunters hunt our properties, most of us are on the fringe of bowhunting, if the gun season wasn't what it is we might turn away lots of these guys and take it up ourselves. I think our tagging system is or has caught up to some deer herds in certain areas where some almost seem to have an endless supply of tags at their disposal always saving their own for late bow or muzzy. If the meat is that important to the groups though have at it. I think sometimes I get caught up in there is no huntable grouse pop. like the 80's in my area, no duck population to speak of and now a very low deer population compared to 5 years ago, will the deer rebound in numbers, I'm hoping so and time will tell.

[CC Hurl]

I do not mind how long the season is and deal with the down south A & B season. I still get out and enjoy all the memories.

Now let me open up a can of worms on this one and get some opinions on here.

The one thing that i do not like is the addition of the early antlerless hunt. I also hunt 225 and that is an area were this hunt takes place. Nothing worse than spending a couple weeks moving in on an animal you are seeing often only to have that patterned changed for good in early October. Just my 2 cents worth.

All in all i enjoy our seasons in Minnesota.

Now do we want to go as far as point restrictions on them male advisaries? I like the idea but also understand that what is a trophy is the choice of all hunters.

Have fun and enjoy our natural recourses.

CC HURL

[Bear55]

I'm kind of torn on this one, up north you have back to back 16 days seasons of rifle and muzzy. I love having all that time to hunt but when the population isn't all that large to begin with the year after year pressure can take its toll.

[lakevet]

Is gun season too long? (length of firearm season ranges 9 to 16 days, plus muzzleloader season 16 days so total of 25 to 32 days of hunting deer with weapons capable of 100 to 150 yards)

If you are pursuing a Big buck, hunt by yourself, have access to land where you can hunt the way you want and now can use more effective longer range weapons for a longer period of time (up to 32 days total), then you likely will say no.

If you are the DNR and need to get deer numbers down to population goals(don't want to start a rabbit trail on what population goals should be) and want hunters to have a larger window of time to fill their tags then the answer is no.

If you manufacture, sell, or provide any product or service that hunters use, then it is likely you want a longer season (use more hand warmers, buy muzzleloader equipment vs just having rifle or shotgun, etc.)

If you want to hunt uncrowded woods locally and public land during muzzy and be able to harvest any animal then the answer is yes.

If you are a bowhunter who wants the deer to have unpressured movements on public land then the answer is yes.

If you used to hunt private land during muzzy because the owner hunted firearms and couldn't also buy a muzzy license, but now lost access because now the owner can hunt all seasons and denies you access then the answer is yes.

If you used to archery hunt private land after the regular firearm season, but now the owner also muzzy hunts that property keeping the deer pressured, and/or denying you access, then the answer is yes.

Any other points of view?

lakevet

[heat checker]

The only problem I see with lengthy seasons is party hunting.

What is the difference if I shoot 2 opening morning, or two over a 3 month time span? I pass on a lot of little bucks every year because the seasons are so long and I am willing to hold out for a nicer one. In reality, down here, they get pushed hard during the firarm season, but before and after that its not too bad.

The difference is less oportunity= less tags that are filled. While maybe in your area that has a ton of deer, thats fine, but low population areas don't need all those tags filled.

[Musky Buck]

Bingo lakevet, our state is diverse, just look at what temps can be on the canadian border vs. winona to luverne and it varies from county to county, herd to herd, section to section. Went from tons of deer to very few so I guess I need time to tell if it rebounds, if it does then we're ok. I'm leaning toward it being to long in the farm belt although many of us appreciate the extra days when we are after 1 caliber of deer and I do appreciate being able to certainly hunt some ok weather meaning when we had the 2 day season and the blizzard, didn't get out that year, no easy answers.

[InTheNorthwoods]

Originally Posted By: 96trigger

The only problem I see with lengthy seasons is party hunting.

What is the difference if I shoot 2 opening morning, or two over a 3 month time span? I pass on a lot of little bucks every year because the seasons are so long and I am willing to hold out for a nicer one. In reality, down here, they get pushed hard during the firarm season, but before and after that its not too bad.

The difference is less oportunity= less tags that are filled. While maybe in your area that has a ton of deer, thats fine, but low population areas don't need all those tags filled.

Less opportunity isn't necessarily tied to shorter seasons. The fact of the matter is that a majority of deer are shot the first weekend of the gun season, and that a minority of the hunters shoot a majority of the deer. If shooting less deer is the goal, issue less tags and get rid of party hunting, don't shorten the seasons as that will only cause people to shoot more indiscriminately to try fill tags.

[lungdeflator]

thats a great point NorthWoods. shorter seasons and less "oppurtunities" will result in more immature bucks being shot and more of these arguments popping up about APR and EAB. It would be interesting to move the muzzy season to the last 2-3 weeks of the year. were i hunt its 32 days of rifle and muzzy season straight. With all that pressure plus the rut would be disastorous to the herd if we have another tough winter like last year, they basically have no time to gain weight for the winter peacefully.

[lakevet]

If population is low, have hunters choose rifle or muzzy. Have lower harvest due to less of a time window available to pull that trigger. Still have 16 days to hunt no matter what your choice if in the 100 series area.

lakevet

[96trigger]

Quote:

The difference is less oportunity= less tags that are filled. While maybe in your area that has a ton of deer, thats fine, but low population areas don't need all those tags filled.

Then it shouldn't be a multiple deer zone. I don't think time in the field should be effected. If the deer population is as bad in some parts as they say, end party hunting for a year and limit doe permits. Get your deer, and get out of the woods.

[96trigger]

Quote:

If population is low, have hunters choose rifle or muzzy. Have lower harvest due to less of a time window available to pull that trigger. Still have 16 days to hunt no matter what your choice if in the 100 series area.

I don't disagree with this, but I think that there needs to be pot sweetener for ML season or you will get a bunch of guys that jump the ML bandwagon. Not many will give up rifle season.

I'm not being stubborn, there is no doubt that a shorter season would not hurt the deer population, but is it the most effective way to increase the population?

[Scoot]

I don't feel the gun season is too long. However, I'd like to see the timeframe that it happens at changed. Holding the gun season at a time other than the peak of rut will improve the quality of bucks in an area. A good number of states have done this and the results are impressive. Beyond that, I'd like to see the muzzy season shortened. But, that's just my opinion and I'm one among many. ...and you know what they say about opinions...

[Coach1310]

I would be curious to see what the results of this question might be if it were posted in the Deer forum instead of the Bowhunting forum... I think it is easy to say "yeah the season is too long for gun hunters" when you are a bowhunter and that is your passion/weapon of choice...

For me... I would hate to see anything done that would "limit" your ability to be hunting. Bowhunting is a huge challenge, usually very peaceful and easier to watch deer in their natural state. Rifle Season.. a tradition for almost all of us, hanging with family/friends, getting out in the woods, spending some quality time with ones we love, doing what we love. Muzzy Season... another step back to a greater challenge, but now with less food sources to compete with and tougher weather along with educated deer and a ONE SHOT limitation.

They all have their "niche" in my opinion and making someone choose because some hunters aren't seeing enough deer, is a mistake in my opinion. We have enough rules already... we don't need a shorter season or a choose your season rule too!

[gr8icefishinmind]

How about gun season being just that, gun season! Decide your weapon of choice and use it! No need to have two seperate gun seasons!

[Bear55]

Giving this some more thought, I don't think the longer seasons are all that bad. I just think there were too many tags given out in certain parts of the state.

In my area for example you have a 16 day rifle season. Its been that way forever and wasn't a big deal. We were a lotto area this year but the previous 5-6 years we were a managed area and I think that hurt us more than anything. The deer population would decline each year over the past 3-4 years but harvest number stayed up because we shot too many extra does. Looking back to the early 2000's most deer poles were full of bucks with a few does, in 07 and 08 that trend had reversed to a few bucks and many does for the larger groups of hunters. A little more balance would have been nice.

[sticknstring]

Quote:

I would be curious to see what the results of this question might be if it were posted in the Deer forum instead of the Bowhunting forum... I think it is easy to say "yeah the season is too long for gun hunters" when you are a bowhunter and that is your passion/weapon of choice...

I don't think one bowhunter has commented that that gun season was too long. Did you read any of the posts?