Can my son shoot another deer?

[ZapMan]

I know this prob. been answered and talked about, but I cannot find an answer.

So here goes: My 12 yr old shot a fawn in a lottery zone. I shot nothing.

We plan on muzz. hunting next weekend in a managerment area.

I know I need to buy both of us muzz license.

Can he shoot, 1)a buck and tag it with his muzz license, or 2)a doe and tag with his muzz license, or 3) ONLY a doe and must use a management permit, or 4) A buck if I tag it for him?

Thank you for your answers.

[Jameson]

Pretty much whatever he wants. The lottery deer doesn't count against his limit in a managed area. He hasn't shot a buck yet, so he can still shoot one.

1) yes

2) yes

3) ummmm...no, unless he fills his either/or tag with a buck first.

4) sure, than he can go shoot another one on his own tag.

[triggertrav]

agree with jameson.

he can shoot 2 more deer in the management area.

[schmoe147]

NOOOOO !!!!! If he shot a fawn in a lottery and tagged it with his license, did he have a doe permit?? If not he burned his either sex tag. Yes he can still hunt in managed area for a doe with a managment tag, also can party hunt with you for a buck. But if he tagged his own fawn in that lottery without a doe permit his either or sex tag is gone even though its a new season.

[Coach1310]

He can shoot another deer, but he cannot tag a buck no matter what AND he can't tag a doe unless you buy a bonus permit and you hunt in a managed or intensive harvest area. He needs to have a muzzy license and the only way he can shoot a buck is for you to have a muzzy license and you tag it for him....

He burned up his either sex tag on the fawn, so there is no way for him to have his own buck tag anymore.

[Jameson]

He's getting a 'new' either sex tag when he buys a muzzy license.

[Todd Caswell]

Our wonderful state has it so screwed up nobody knows the right answer.

Coach I don't think you are correct, he is under 16 so his tag in a lottery are was a either sex tag, and he has not tagged a Legal buck yet.And why would he need to buy a bonus tag in a management or intensive harvest area to tag a deer??

[Coach1310]

Correct, his tag was either sex, but it was his ONE and ONLY tag for a lottery area and he burned it. I may be completely wrong, but that is how I understand it. His being under 16 allowed him an either sex, but not a dual tag. Maybe he can buy a license for muzzy and that tag will be good for a buck.... I see what you are saying about not having to buy a bonus though, I think his regular muzzy license will cover that as long as he is in a management or intensive zone.

[Jameson]

NOOOOO !!!!! If he shot a fawn in a lottery and tagged it with his license, did he have a doe permit??

[Coach1310]

The whole idea of him being a Youth got me all confused. After looking at it a bit, I think Jameson is dead on. He gets another either sex tag with his muzzy license AND he hasn't tagged a buck yet, so he can still tag one.

[schmoe147]

Coach has it correct. Call your local CO he will explain it to you guys who are confused, The system is very confusing but coach is correct. His either sex tag is done. He can buy a bonus tag and shoot a doe. The only way for him to get a buck is if someone he is hunting with tags it for him (party hunting)

[Jameson]

Correct, his tag was either sex, but it was his ONE and ONLY tag for a lottery area and he burned it. I may be completely wrong, but that is how I understand it. His being under 16 allowed him an either sex, but not a dual tag.

[Jameson]

Coach has it correct. Call your local CO he will explain it to you guys who are confused, The system is very confusing but coach is correct. His either sex tag is done. He can buy a bonus tag and shoot a doe. The only way for him to get a buck is if someone he is hunting with tags it for him (party hunting)

For sure if the original poster is confused they should call a CO or the dnr's info line. I would say reading the regs would help too, but I could see them already reading them twice and still being confused.

schmoe147, do you know that their was a change a few years back allowing for us to use more than one either/or tag? We can still only tag one antlered buck per year.

[Todd Caswell]

He tagged his Fawn (Not legal Buck) in a lottery area, there are no either sex tags just permitts and under 16 they do not need a permit. So he has yet to tag a legal buck, he can buy a either sex muzzy liscence in a Managment are and take one more deer of EITHER sex, he could then go into a intensive harvest and buy up to three bonus tags, wich all must be antlerless deer.

[ZapMan]

Boy, I still don't know the right answer after reading all of that. I did read in the book and got no answer either. I knew it was a can of worms, but I have to know. I know i'm safe if I tag a buck for him, other than that, its all up in the air.

[Todd Caswell]

I just read it and now I'm not sure, I do know that he does not need a bonus tag, nor does it apply because he has already taged one deer and you will be hunting in a two deer area, but he may be be only able to tag a doe with his muzzy tag. Like I said OUr DNR leaves me shaking my head all the time and this is no acception.

[motley man]

Make the phone call to DNR - I'm totally confused by the bylaws in booklet. I wish they would keep it simple!

[Ebiz]

If he buys a muzzleloader tag and hunts in a managed area he can shoot a buck, it complicated but not really if you spend as much time analyzing it as we do here.

[hockeybc69]

Here is my thought.

If you have license questions, dont ask on a forum.

Call the DNR at 651-296-6157.

I have seen this for years on here and other forums. All the bickering and confrontation.

Call the DNR. Dont ask a bunch of online Shmucks!!!

[triggertrav]

you can email them also - i did the same for the same question, got an answer in about a day.

then it is in writing also. (becasue no-one is gonna believe you when you tell them the rules. )

[Powerstroke]

Who you calling a schmuck?!?

Jameson is correct. Since MN allows you to hunt with multiple weapons in different seasons the young man can shoot a buck if he does so with a muzzy license or bow license and he is in a managed or intensive area.

The regulations were updated a couple years ago to reflect this. That is why the regs reflect an emphasis on the number and type of deer taken and not the weapons.

You are allowed to buy a muzzie or bow license and continue to hunt with an either sex tag if in a managed or intensive zone. This would be true for anyone who hunted during the firearms season and tagged an antlerless deer in a lottery zone with a legal antlerless tag.

[hockeybc69]

Sorry to generalize schmucks, but I have always been amazed at the questions asked on forums about what people can or can't do.

I know there is a lot of great info to be had, but to ask questions online about what is legal is not a good idea.

I have seen more false answers(or better described as how someone interprets the law in their eyes), followed up by bickering online than I care to talk about.

No doubt there are many people here that know the rules, but I strongly suggest calling the DNR for rules and regs.

How would you like to use the excuse like, "Well I asked on an internet forum and they told me it was legal."

That wont fly.

[eyeguy 54]

LOL, Good old MN. I moved here 20 years ago from ND where I knew what I could do very easily. I just bowhunt here so it's easy for me. I'd do as some say and email the DNR and print the responce and carry it with you cuz the CO in the field might have a different idea.

[Archerysniper]

Bag Limits

Bag limits can be confusing if you move around a lot and take deer in more than one area. However, the licensing system is designed to provide for maximum flexibility and allows people to travel and hunt statewide. The trade-off for this flexibility is time spent learning how many deer you can take in an area. The licensing structure is designed to allow for the over-harvest of deer in local areas and it is the hunter’s responsibility to know the bag limit for the areas they hunt. The alternative to flexibility is to limit the number and type of licenses a person can buy, which is the opposite of what hunters have requested. Below is a general explanation of statewide bag limits and what you can and cannot do.

• Only one buck is allowed per calendar year, without exception.

• Although you can buy 3 licenses, the bag limits for individual areas may not allow you to fill all 3 licenses.

• Most Minnesota deer hunters only tag 1 deer. In 2009 individual hunters tagged:

o 1 deer – 86%

o 2 deer – 12%

o 3 deer – 1.5%

o 4 deer – 0.4%

o 5 deer – 0.1%

• The total allowable bag limit for youth antlerless, lottery, managed, and intensive areas is 5 deer.

• Deer area limits are as follows:

o Youth Only Antlerless – 1 buck for adults, 1 either-sex deer for youth who are successful in the lottery. Unsuccessful youth or those who don’t apply are limited to one buck

o Lottery – 1 deer per year in 1 lottery area.

o Managed – 2 deer per year, using any combination of licenses and permits.

o Intensive – 5 deer per year, using any combination of licenses and permits.

o Early Antlerless – 2 extra antlerless deer during this season.

o Metro and Bovine TB – unlimited number of antlerless deer.

• You can mix and match seasons, areas, and permit types to reach fill your tags.

• Bonus permits are not allowed in any youth-only antlerless or lottery areas.

• Examples of what you CAN do:

o 1 lottery, 2 managed, 2 intensive = 5.

o 1 lottery, 1 managed, 3 intensive = 5.

o 1 managed, 4 intensive = 5.

o 5 intensive, 2 early antlerless = 7 (yes, you can do this).

• Examples of what you CAN’T do:

o 1 lottery, 1 youth only.

o 2 lottery.

o 2 youth only.

o 2 managed, 4 intensive = 6.

o 3 managed.

• Important points:

o You can only take 1 deer in any one lottery or youth antlerless area. In other words, you can’t kill deer in 2 different lottery or youth only areas.

o You can take up to 2 deer total in any 2 managed areas. In other words, you can’t kill 2 deer in 3+ different managed areas.

o You can take up to 5 deer in any of the intensive areas. Again, mix and match but don’t exceed the general limit.

This is straight from Lou head of Minnesota DNR posted on the forums a month or two back.

[lakevet]

Congrats on taking him out and having guided him to his deer this year. Great job Dad!!!! Fawns are great eating.

Unless you are in the goofy experimental youth opportunity limiting 300 series area, just give your son the gift of your tag(s) and he can shoot whatever you are able to shoot. Just be afield at the same time as him. Easy to understand, and your son will remember Dad gladly letting his son fill Dad's tag. It is THE BEST way to have my tag filled, by one of my kids. It also makes it easier for him to figure out what he can shoot. Basically any deer he decides to. And any deer shot muzzy hunting is quite an accomplishment for a 12 yr old.

have fun,

lakevet