40% of MN deer hunters refuse to shoot an antlerless deer

[TRZ II]

I started hunting in 98' by myself with one guy, skunked first 2 yrs. Either of us knew what we were doing. By 2001 I was shooting at least 2 a year and seeing way more. the late 90's were tough in woods country. Getting tough again the last 2 yrs.

[BobT]

Something else to consider. Being able to see deer is a learned experience. Most hunters just starting out will notice that they don't see as many deer as others hunting the same area. We have to train our brains to pick out the target from among the background.

I remember this happening when I first started showshoe hare hunting in the winter. My buddies were seeing and getting hares everywhere and I was not. After a few hunting weekends with them I too started to see them. I got to the point I could pick out an eyeball or the tip of an ear. The same is true for deer hunting. Ever notice how some guys just seem to have a knack for seeing more deer? They've trained their brains to pick out an eyeball, leg, even the tips of antlers from among the brush.

Not seeing deer doesn't mean they aren't there.

[Bear55]

Good tip BobT, also not pushing APR or QDM here but you also see a lot more deer if you don't blast the first one that shows up. They can be really fun to watch for a while and you can learn a lot more by watching then shooting.

[BobT]

I would agree with that. For one thing it can train your brain to see their colors and shape. Plus, once they catch sight of your presence, remain dead still and enjoy the show. I've about busted a gut laughing at some of the antics deer will go through when they know you're there but haven't identified you as a threat yet. Had one dancing a jig 10 yards from me last fall. Saw her heading my way across corn stubble so I ducked down behind a small bush about 2' tall along the fence of my alfalfa field. That was the only place I had to hide and it wasn't much. She got to within 10 yards before she realized there was something there. The rest was a gas.

[JimmyJames]

Now it might depend on the area, it seems some areas still hold a lot of deer while others have a much lower population then the boom years of 2003 to 2007.

If you guys are happy with what you are seeing and shooting by all means keep it up. I would just try to keep an eye on things in your area, the DNR uses a very broad brush to control the population which they have to do, I just like to take a little more personal responsibility in my hunting areas and shoot does where the populations are healthy and only target bucks or more specifically mature bucks where the populations are lower.