ATTN: Deer hunters

[mnhunter79]

Just curious on what everyone else thinks, would you be (for) or (against) end of Nov. slug opener? and or a antler point restriction statewide?

Im all for both! Think it would do wonders on our quality of deer.(strongly beleive this) my .02. Lets hear from others.

[CrewJones]

I dont eat the horns, so im bias

[Archerysniper]

I would be all for it,and a cut down of antler less tags. My area has taken a huge hit over the last few seasons with a seven deer area counting the early antler less season. I can't eat the antlers so I don't shoot unless it's going on the wall that is my view and I will not push that on others either they pay for their tag and it's their choice on what they tag. I normally take a doe for the freezer.

However this will never happen that would push us competing with the sconnie season and both states would lose $$$$ with hunters not crossing the border because their home states season is going on at the same time. Still kinda funny how the tag sales and $$$ still decide how to properly manage our heard.

[snapcrackpop]

The antler craze is the demise of hunting for the average joe.

[hockeybc69]

Bring it on. I am tired of the same old same old in MN deer management.

[psepuncher]

Moderate fire danger...right now state wide.

Fires start easily and spread at a moderate rate. Fires can start from most accidental causes, but with the exception of lightning fires in some areas, the number of starts is generally low. Fires in open-cured grassland will burn briskly and spread rapidly on windy days. Woods fires spread slowly to moderately fast. The average fire is of moderate intensity, although heavy concentrations of fuel may burn hot. Short-distance spotting may occur, but is not persistent. Fires are not likely to become serious, and control is relatively easy.

what I see for next year is moderate growth as well. bucks antlers that is

A bucks antler growth is going to deminish somewhat due to the fact that the whole state is in a drought situation now. How is that going to affect antler growth next year? Given that winter will freeze the ground now, the soil will not have a holding capacity of moisture.

Topsoil moisture

supplies were rated 24 percent very short, 43 percent short, and 33

percent adequate, a decline from the previous week. Subsoil moisture

supplies were rated 11 percent very short, 46 percent short, 42 percent

adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Pasture and range condition was rated

16 percent very poor, 21 percent poor, 35 percent fair, 26 percent good,

and 2 percent excellent, a decline from the previous week.

Scattered showers occurred in areas but produced little measurable

precipitation. Amounts ranged from no precipitation in southwest and

south central areas to .18 inch in southeast areas. Weekly temperatures

were nearly 1 degree above normal statewide, continuing a warm, dry trend

that began in late July. Prolonged dry conditions have made fall tillage

difficult in several areas. Some producers have delayed fertilizer

application until more substantial precipitation can soften the soil

surface.

Next season will be good for saving immature bucks.

This season even with antler point restrictions...not so much.

[Archerysniper]

I do see it as the demise for the average joe also that gets to go a day or two a season,their is no real good way around it and it wont bother me one way or the other, I just put more time into find the quality deer I'm after. Maybe 2 separate buck tags kind like texas game farm hunts you can shoot anything with 3 on a side but if it has 4 you have to get a trophy buck tag.

[psepuncher]

I do see it as the demise for the average joe also that gets to go a day or two a season,their is no real good way around it and it wont bother me one way or the other, I just put more time into find the quality deer I'm after. Maybe 2 separate buck tags kind like texas game farm hunts you can shoot anything with 3 on a side but if it has 4 you have to get a trophy buck tag.

huh?

TX may have game ranches, {as most are over 1000 acres with open range or high fences} but you get the same tags for either public or private lands.

As it's the TXPW that sells the tags, not Jim Bob's game farm.

So public or private, whitetail deer are managed during the same season's and restrictions. A trophy tag?...really?

[Archerysniper]

Sorry pse,I should have stated that the{ranches} will charge you more for a quality/trophy fee deer over a management deer. I have nothing against with the way they run their operations just not for me.

[psepuncher]

Sorry pse,I should have stated that the{ranches} will charge you more for a quality/trophy fee deer over a management deer. I have nothing against with the way they run their operations just not for me.

Thanks for clarifying.

I mean after all,

the outftters that capitalize on the hunters ambitions, they do put in the effort to produce those trophies.

[hoytshooter]

apr is all good but most of minnesota doesnt have adequte food supply/cover to grow antlers like iowa or ill. I would love to have to chance at a 160" + but where i hunt (guthrie)i dont think apr would increase my chances. A statewide apr would just increase poaching in places that are lottery i believe. i think most people would be under the asumption whats the point of buying a tag that i dont have a chance to fill. And as it was stated above money drives this whole process and the dnr isn't going to do anything that is going to reduce revenue.

Have a Safe hunting season

Justin Muller

[DHost21]

All for APR statewide!! I love the thought of it. Later season would be outstanding too. Im a bowhunter so biased on that forsure cause I would love to bowhunt the rut before the gun nuts come around

[leech~~]

Bring it on. I am tired of the same old same old in MN deer management.

If you are try reading the last page of todays Sport section in the Star today. I sure doen't want to go back to the way things were in the 60-70's. After reading that I am not so against some of their management practices in place now a days.

[hockeybc69]

I dont read that Star Diaper leftist paper Leech....

[Scoot]

apr is all good but most of minnesota doesnt have adequte food supply/cover to grow antlers like iowa or ill.

Justin, I'm not following your logic on this. In my estimation the vast majority of MN has exactly that, plus good genetics- it'd be a perfect storm. Certainly there are areas that lack adequate cover/food, but I see this as hugely the exception and not the rule across the state.

[smnduck]

You need to visit the south west 1/4 of the state. After the river there is nothing. Just black desert.

[paceman]

"All for APR statewide!! I love the thought of it. Later season would be outstanding too. Im a bowhunter so biased on that forsure cause I would love to bowhunt the rut before the gun nuts come around"

Yeah what he said

[fivebucks]

APR is just fine in the southern part of the state - I don't hunt there. I don't think it is feasable in the north woods and personally I like rifle hunting the rut. My 2c is stay the same. Last year I saw 2 deer only and that was on the last Sunday after 12 days in the field of hard hunting. Now last year was abnormal but another respectable winter up there took some more deer. I hope I get a doe early so I can be picky about a buck but if we're not seeing deer it will be the old brown it's down method. A year without venison like last year is not a good year.

[Jameson]

Just curious on what everyone else thinks, would you be (for) or (against) end of Nov. slug opener? and or a antler point restriction statewide?

Im all for both! Think it would do wonders on our quality of deer.(strongly beleive this) my .02. Lets hear from others.

I might be able to support APR's if we were to make it so that it was antlerless only prior to firearm's season. An easy way to make it so bow hunters still had all season with still being able to buck hunt would be to have two firearm's seasons. One corresponding with opening weekend of bow season, and another at a more traditional time.

I am as bias about this as everyone else is. I started bow hunting due to continually seeing the local bow hunters get most of the nicest bucks prior to firearm's season. Not saying that happens state wide, but locally it was. Now after bowhunting a few years, it is nearly the only reason I still bow hunt. I'll be in my stand later this afternoon hoping for Mr. Big knowing their is a good chance he'll get blasted in a couple of days.

[leech~~]

I dont read that Star Diaper leftist paper Leech....

Me either other then the last page of the sport section ever Wednesday because they have Outdoor stuff and it's free at work!

[psepuncher]

with MN having such great habitat and genetics

we're not saving immature bucks due to APR's

[Scoot]

You need to visit the south west 1/4 of the state. After the river there is nothing. Just black desert.

I totally agree this doesn't apply to the entire state. However, I think 1/4 is an exaggeration, isn't it? Plus, even within that portion of the state there are exceptions. I still believe that the vast majority of the state is more than adequate with regard to food and cover.

I can see how this discussion, which has been a good one, is going to become yet another peeing match in the pro vs. con apr debate. Accordingly, I'm going to bow out of further discussion.

[InTheNorthwoods]

apr is all good but most of minnesota doesnt have adequte food supply/cover to grow antlers like iowa or ill. I would love to have to chance at a 160" + but where i hunt (guthrie)i dont think apr would increase my chances. A statewide apr would just increase poaching in places that are lottery i believe. i think most people would be under the asumption whats the point of buying a tag that i dont have a chance to fill. And as it was stated above money drives this whole process and the dnr isn't going to do anything that is going to reduce revenue.

Have a Safe hunting season

Justin Muller

Guthrie, MN? I.e., just south of Bemidji, MN? I disagree %100 with your statement that your area (and that almost all of MN) isn't capable of producing far more big deer.

I have spent most of my life in the Bemidji area, and there is great potential for big bucks in the area. The biggest issue preventing more big bucks in the area (and in most of MN) is the fact that so many young bucks get killed (I am not arguing this is right or wrong). But the potential is here, and throughout the state. The best proof of this is to look at the local areas that for years were restricted to bow hunting only (some still are, or have reverted back to bow only). There were many great deer taken with archery tackle (P&Y and B&C caliber deer) in these bow only areas where gun hunters were not able to come in and take a large number of deer which protected quite a few young bucks. For example, the Schoolcraft Refuge, which is not far from Guthrie, produces some great deer.

The only thing stopping MN from having more trophy size bucks is the age structure of the herd. If you disagree, why are so many big deer killed in Canadian provinces that are not in ag land? It is because of the age structure, bucks simply don't grow big antlers without first surviving several hunting seasons.

Now, whether or not anyone likes the idea of APR's or other measures of control that are meant to improve the number of mature bucks, is a separate issue. There are lots of reasons to oppose such rules. But it is simply unfair to say that "my area" isn't capable of producing big deer or because you aren't seeing big deer. My guess is that if people aren't ever seeing big deer in Minnesota, it is because of the amount of pressure in the area they hunt and the fact that the age structure doesn't contain mature bucks. I.e., if you and everyone in your party (or surrounding party) shoots every young buck they see, there aren't going to be mature bucks to shoot.

[Muskie456]

I hunt public land in the SE part of the state. As everybody knows there is very little public land and what is there gets POUNDED by hunters. I think even more now with APR in place. My consern is this. The majority of young deer (1.5 and 2.5) that support the head gear to get killed will die. Those younger deer are the dumbest and will take the biggest beating in the buck population (excluding buttons maybe). These are the deer that we want to grow to the age of 3.5 and up. The genetics to get the young deer to be legal are the same animals we want breeding our does. I think over time we will be loosing our good genetic pool. If people want mature bucks without hurting the average joe move the gun season to thanksgiving week.

[slimngrizzly]

I dont believe APR's is the answer but I support it because its a step in the right direction. The later gun season and possibly an end to party hunting would be huge.

As far parts of the state where big bucks grow... ANYWHERE in MN has the potential to grow incredible bucks if they can live long enough! Some places may be better than others, but anywhere theres MN soil, giants will grow!

It will take baby steps, but as more hunters LEARN what a buck is cabable of becoming from 1-2 years old, then 2-3 years, then 3-4 years etc. it will become a voluntary thing for hunters to not be interested in killing little bucks. The anticipation of what that buck will become will be more satisfying than the kill itself!

Plus with food plots, nutrient supplements, and most of all, game cameras, it makes the average joe feel more like they are playing a more active role as a game manager. Nowadays more than ever hunters and landowners can see the results of their work!