Lottery areas for deer?

[triggertrav]

Anyone figure out the new regs on applying for doe permits in lottery areas? The first time i read it i took it that i could apply for a doe permit and use it either in shotgun or muzzleloader season? Do i need to buy both licenses and apply for both tags with hopes of getting only one? anyone that could clear this up - that would be great.

[Jameson]

Anyone figure out the new regs on applying for doe permits in lottery areas?

[lcornice]

Jameson has it right. The only 'new' regulation is you can now apply using both licenses. For the last 35+ years you had to pick a season. I get the confusion if you're drawn for both; however, there's no way around it other than limiting you to one application. Why? The ELS system doesn't know which you prefer and can't limit your application once you've been selected for one or the other. Look at it this way, if the system arbitrarily drew firearm first but you really wanted muzzleloader, you'd complain. Or, if it drew muzzy first and you wanted gun, you'd complain. This way, everyone is treated equally and it's up to the hunter to put in for firearm, muzz, or both. Your call but it's the hunter's obligation to understand the permit is only good during that season and you can only kill one deer in a lottery area.

The easy fix would be go back to 1970 and force you to pick one application. However, people want the opportunity to hunt multiple seasons and with that opportunity comes some trade-offs. To be honest, there are enough people calling in to pre-complain about applying with both licenses (most haven't looked at the book and just 'heard it' from someone) that it may not be worth offering the opportunity!

I hope that answers the question. Also, I've written a fairly detailed explanation in a booklet we put out online every year. You can find it here: 2010 Deer Season Information

Remember, THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS TOMORROW: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH!!!

[triggertrav]

Thanks for that explaination.

But please clear this up - i hunt bow, muzz and shotgun and want to apply for a doe tag. Do i need to buy both licenses to apply for both seasons(knowing i will only get one)? The part about this is that i buy three tags, go out and tag out on a buck opening weekend of archery - i am out the other 2 tags??

[lcornice]

Thanks for that explaination.

But please clear this up - i hunt bow, muzz and shotgun and want to apply for a doe tag. Do i need to buy both licenses to apply for both seasons(knowing i will only get one)? The part about this is that i buy three tags, go out and tag out on a buck opening weekend of archery - i am out the other 2 tags??

You need to buy both by today, yes. Buying the 3 tags and being done in lottery areas after killing 1 deer hasn't changed. It's always been that way. The only change is you can now apply using both licenses. Either way, you're not out the other 2 tags. While you can't kill another deer in a lottery area (again, that hasn't changed), you can still party hunt or kill deer in managed or intensive areas. Since all licenses are pretty much statewide now you're not restricted to any permit area (or zone for that matter). The reason areas have an either-sex permit quota is to limit antlerless, not increase it by letting people use multiple licenses. That was allowed when the all-season license existed and we're still trying to recover some deer populations in the SW.

Now that we have the ability to hunt all 3 seasons, there are trade-offs. I know I say that a lot but you can now hunt deer during more seasons and for a longer period of time than ever before. That added opportunity means you may have restrictions on the number or type of deer you can take or where you can take them.

I hope that answers your questions.

[BLACKJACK]

Good explanation lcornice!! I (and many others on this forum) appreciate getting the answers to deer license and management questions straight from the source.

A management question for you: How do you decide whether to make an area intensive, managed, or lottery? I know you do some type of surveys but what kind? The reason I ask is becasue the area I live and hunt in, 277, its seems like there are lots of deer, I can go out any evening and see deer, my trail cams pick up 4-7 deer at a time, last winter I regularly had 15-20 deer, and up to 40 deer feeding in my food plots - yet we still are a lottery area.

So how are deer numbers determined and how does that translate into intensive, managed, or lottery hunting areas?

Thanks again for the info!!

[koonie]

I'm curious what the odds are of drawing an antlerless tag for both firearms and muzzy. Seems that it would be a waste of an antlerless tag that another hunter could have used.

[Matt Breuer]

This applying for a doe permit for muzzy season is ridiculous. The end.

[Bear55]

This applying for a doe permit for muzzy season is ridiculous. The end.

Not really when you consider how the number of muzzy season hunters has exploded recently. It also won't stop you from hitting a managed or intensive harvest area and shooting a doe.

[Gofishleech]

seems to me to be a way to get our money, and yes they got mine. If im lucky enough to get a nice buck with my bow I have wasted $54 and possibly 2 doe tags.

[Jameson]

This applying for a doe permit for muzzy season is ridiculous. The end.

Not having everyone, archery-gun-muzzy, apply for doe permits is ridiculous. When the DNR assumed that muzzy hunters in the past wouldn't shoot too many doe it bit us, and now we are still trying to recover in some areas that currently have limited youth only doe permits.

Or perhaps you meant that muzzy hunters should be limited to bucks...

[Jameson]

I'm curious what the odds are of drawing an antlerless tag for both firearms and muzzy. Seems that it would be a waste of an antlerless tag that another hunter could have used.

Agreed on the waste...that is why I didn't apply for doe tags in two drawings, but I did apply in both drawings.

I don't think anyone can tell you the exact odds ahead of time, but if you search the DNR site you can find how many folks applied in years past.

[96trigger]

Quote:

seems to me to be a way to get our money, and yes they got mine. If im lucky enough to get a nice buck with my bow I have wasted $54 and possibly 2 doe tags.

I didn't think you had to buy the tags when you applied. I thought you only had to apply. Its been awhile since I had to apply for a permit, but always thought we applied first, and then bought the license later.

[Crow Hunter]

96, that got changed a while ago- you have to buy the liscense to apply for a permit. This prevents the anti's from applying to take antlerless permits away from hunters.

[mrklean]

96, that got changed a while ago- you have to buy the liscense to apply for a permit. This prevents the anti's from applying to take antlerless permits away from hunters.

I like that idea, then if permits arent bought by a certain date they become OTC. I wish they would do that with Bear you need to buy by a certain date or they go OTC another way to keep the antis away.

[96trigger]

Thanks, I tried to find it in the regs, but couldn't. Its been awhile since I've had to apply for a deer license.