New Zone 3 proposed rules

[lichen fox]

I got this from the dnr site...they will be having a series of public input meetings coming up late February through March at various locations...other changes open for comment also include the youth hunt, trapping, duck hunting, etc....

Buck cross-tagging: Public comment is being taken on requiring hunters in Zone 3 to tag only bucks that they shoot. Hunters would no longer be allowed to tag bucks for others in their hunting party.

Antler point restriction: In an effort to protect the majority of yearling bucks and encourage the harvest of does. Zone 3 hunters would be restricted to harvesting only bucks with at least four antler points on one side.

Zone 3 season length: If an antler point restriction were enacted, the Zone 3A season would be lengthened to nine days under this proposal.

[mrklean]

i like the cross tagging thing i have been wanting that gone for awhile

[HNTNBUX]

If it is good enough for zone 3 lets go statewide.

[96trigger]

Lets start with zone 3, let some of the states population recover, and go from there. By the time some of the lottery areas get back on their feet. The DNR should have an idea of how the new zone 3 regs worked if they get enacted. I think hunter satisfaction will play a large role in this going statewide. I can see it down the road a ways if everything from zone 3 goes well. It is going to take about 5 years for this to set in, but hunter satisfaction might increase in as little as two years, as more 2.5 year old deer will get shot after year one instead of 1.5 year old deer.

[picksbigwagon]

What will this do to the 3B season? I have hunted the 3B only and this last year I hunted in Iowa....Is it going to be worth my time to hunt 3B this year?

[96trigger]

I thought it would be worthless last year after the changes. But I saw a large amount of hunters during 3B. A surprising amount of hunters in 3B. There is still a draw with it being Thanksgiving week, it opens up land for some.

Last year was basically a free for all the first 7 days. There was no difference in regs than the 3B. If people were going to jump ship, they would have done it last season.

If the restrictions get placed upon zone 3, I don't see any difference. If 3A can't cross tag there will be more bucks available for 3B. I'm actually not a fan of 9 days for 3A and 3B, running continuous with ML season, that is 6 straight weekends of firearm deer season. Thats alot.

[james_walleye]

Im all for it and im going to try to hit up the meeting that is here in Rochester.

[Hench]

I agree with picksbigwagon. I'm a little concerned with what will happen with 3B. I'm seeing little advantage to hunting 3B. With 3A you generally hit prime rut activity.

[96trigger]

Hench, I agreed with you last year. I saw no real drop in either 3A or 3B hunters in my area. I also did not see the increase in 3A hunters that I thought I would. Honestly, I thought EVERYBODY would go 3A. I mean, why wouldn't they? We went 3A for the first time but there was still a ton of hunters that went out in 3B. It might change, but it seems that the extra time off for Thanksgiving might be enough incentive to keep people going 3A. I am not disagreeing with you at all, it is just my observation from last year. And I will be the first to admit that last year, I was wrong. I don't know what this year will bring.

[InTheSchool]

Check out this month's "American Hunter" there is an article there on Pennsilvania's deer hunting. I think it sums up my feelings for these "managment" plans.

[james_walleye]

APR were implemented in 29 counties a few years ago in MO with an approval rating of 40%. A few years later approval rating went to 85% and 34 more counties were added. Why the increased approval rating? People were VERY happy with the results. These hunters felt they gained something, not gave something up.

The latest poll in zone 3 show 58% of hunters would like to see 1 1/2 year old bucks with some protection.

[honker23]

The main reason people choose 3B is land access. People hunt 3B because most land is locked up for 3A, so they "settle" for the 3B season. I don't hink anyone would choose to pass up hunting the deer in the peak of the rut, especially now that you can shoot a buck and doe in the early season.

I like the new ideas! Hope it happens. I would be fine with shorter seasons though.

[96trigger]

I agree to a certain amount, but I don't think it is the main reason. We had lots of private land to hunt and always chose to hunt 3B, even though nobody hunted their 3A. Mainly, that was due to the fact that we liked to be able to shoot a buck or a doe. I couldn't convince them to go during the rut for anything, but now that we can shoot does during 3A, they switched. They were hard headed about it, they still wanted to go 3B because they "always went 3B". There are plenty of those guys out there, at least in my area. I know of couple of groups that didn't switch, when I asked them why, they just said they have always hunted 3B, or if they were farmers, it was because 3A was always right during the harvest. They had more time to enjoy the hunt after they were done picking corn and beans.

Also, if you have kids, it can give you and your kids a couple extra days to hunt with the Thanksgiving Holiday.

[james_walleye]

The main reason people choose 3B is land access. People hunt 3B because most land is locked up for 3A, so they "settle" for the 3B season. I don't hink anyone would choose to pass up hunting the deer in the peak of the rut, especially now that you can shoot a buck and doe in the early season.

I like the new ideas! Hope it happens. I would be fine with shorter seasons though.

I don't know if i totally agree with that. Most all people that I know that have hunted 3B still hunt 3B and its not land access, its tradition and more days in the woods without taking vacation. They like the idea of heading out to stand thanksgiving morning with the family or doing deer drives thanksgiving afternoon and then getting an extra day to hunt in friday as well. They get 6 days in the woods without taking time off from work. Alot of the people that hunt 3B are big family hunting parties that could care less about horns and arent going to change longtime hunting traditions just to hunt the rut.

[smilee_54]

james I thing that it is both. Land access and tradion. We don't trophy hunt its for the meat. If we hunted 3A we would be land locked and no where to hunt. The land we hunt is owned by us but we also hunt the neighbors land. They hunt our land during the 3A season

[Hench]

In our case we started in 3B when 3A was strickly bucks only (I know....it goes back a few years). My Dad figured the doe season provided me with more opportunities to be successful (once again he was right) not to mention we were mostly meat hunters. Over time with the changes to 3A and another group now hunting the same property during 3A we have found ourselves locked to 3B unless we want to go elsewhere. I guess for tradition we don't want to move.

I do like the idea of having a better chance at older deer although the last 3 years we have noticed an improvement in age of the deer we see. Passing on the 1.5 yr olds certainly helps.

I'm for trying different regs, but I'm hoping the 3A season doesn't end up 9 days.

[zepman]

The main reason people choose 3B is land access. People hunt 3B because most land is locked up for 3A, so they "settle" for the 3B season. I don't hink anyone would choose to pass up hunting the deer in the peak of the rut, especially now that you can shoot a buck and doe in the early season.

I like the new ideas! Hope it happens. I would be fine with shorter seasons though.

This is the case for our group...it's all about the land access and it's changing every year for our group. It's getting a little scary for us as some of the neighboring land is starting to change hands and borders are now being questioned that weren't before.

[honker23]

That sounds like the same story for our group.

I should clarify we are in 349. 3B is pretty big, I think land access is different for those a little further north in 3B. There is a new generation of land owners out there. We have lost 3 different spots when the dad passed away and the kids took it over. They wanted big money to hunt and we moved on.

[james_walleye]

Hey Trigger, i have a friend who has really worked his rear off with trying to get something into SE MN to protect young bucks. Im going to go to the March 9th meeting here in Rochester. You want to join me? Or anyone else for that matter? I'm going to put my $$ where my mouth is and support what is going. There is going to be a questionaire to be filled out that is going to be crucial in this movement. Heavy progress has been made the past couple weeks and its time for the now zone 3 majority to speak and push this through. There is also an online questionaire that can be filled out if you can't make it to one of the meetings and i can get people that link.

I should add that included in this questionaire, beyond young buck protection, is whether or not you would like to see the 3A season extended to 9 days. Let your voice be heard boys.

[Hench]

Thanks James_Walleye!

Please post the questionaire link.

[96trigger]

James, I'd like to go, I have to check my calendar. Start of track, end of wrestling, busy time for me. Post the link if you get a chance.

[james_walleye]

Not sure if its ok to post the link??

How about you guys email me [email protected] and i'll send you the link.

If anyone else wants the link feel free to email me.

[PEATMOSS]

Trigger,

Congrats on a great season, best of luck to your individuals at state.

[picksbigwagon]

If it is a link to the DNR HSOforum, post it, that is not against forum policies....if it is on a HSOforum with forums, etc similar to HSO, then I will axe it......

[96trigger]

Thanks PEAT, we got our you know whats handed to us by Kasson-Mantorville. We just looked flat. KM will represent section 1 very well. Hope to get multiple kids through for individuals. We will know by Saturday night.