Proposed 'Big Buck' Season

[SOL]

I am already out muzzle hunting just saying a scoped up slug gun with 5 shots and no crops or cover seeing that almost all of grassland is being taken out. These deer even the trophy 1 and 1/2 year old 8 point will not stand a chance.

[hockeybc69]

Quote:

Not saying I agree with it, I just know what everyone would be doing.

I disagree with that. It would be a much smaller group doing it.

For me, after opening day of rifle, we are lucky to see a few deer the rest of the season.

I for one dont think I would do it, as I already spend enough days in the woods watching squirrels after the guns are broken out.

I can break out my bow if I feel the need for more hours on stand watching squirrels in late season.

[Jameson]

..create a special 'big buck' season after the regular firearms season. This would allow rifle/shotgun hunters with unused buck tags to extend their season for deer with 8 or more antler points...

Let's throw some more possible details at this as see how it looks- Call it 4 points to a side, not 8 points or better for starters. Than lets add days, an extra week in zone 2. That's it, so it lines up with zone 1's dates.

Might it get more people to pass up on small bucks during regular season?

...

At first I thought it was a terrible idea. Now maybe not the worst that I've heard, but still, no-thanks.

[nonteepical]

before we need a so called trophy buck season, we need to grow some trophy bucks first. labeling a tag as a trophy buck tag dosen't make trophy bucks just appear out of thin air, the people around brainerd need to vote that moron out what other kind of rediculous stuff does he come up with, not to mention MDHA is considering supporting it but they are against zone 3 trying to get an older age class of bucks! they need to go to.

[LightningBG]

Anyone have a link to the article?

This is the senator "supposedly" with the idea.

Senator Paul E. Gazelka

[lichen fox]

I haven't seen the wording, and/or if the DNR would even look at this as a management tool...if they do...then do it somewhere along the lines of what Jameson said...add some days, etc...how about if the hunters with the "Trophy" endorsement on thier license start hunting on Wednesday of the first week of season and go for four additional days after everyone else is done...Oh, and if it's all about "Money"?? How about making the "Trophy only" license fee $400 for Residents and $1,500 for non-residents? Most true trophy hunters would gladly pay that much!

As for "giving the deer a break"? Really? Deer will do what they need to do to fill thier stomachs when it needs filling regardless of whether there are humans, wolves or coyotes pursuing them...The best "break" you can give a deer is a mild winter, with little or no snow, like we got going now...

I really don't like the idea, but then I have not seen the entire proposal...anyone got a copy of the wording??

[JBone]

geez, what a joke!

[WalleyeChamp]

Sorry Hockeybc69. I didnt mean to lump everyone in the same group.. I shoudl have said a high majority of guys would be out there.

The thing I dont get about this is.......Why do they think that adding more time will result in more big bucks being harvested? The season is already 9 days and 16 in the northcountry. In most cases the big bucks are in complete lockdown after the first day anyways AND we have ML season if we want to get back after it. (and ML doesnt traditionally produce a ton of big bucks either.) This is dumb. And it wont go anywhere.

[Musky Buck]

I actually thought this was a hoax, I did read the outdoor news and to me it sounds like the guy was heavily drinking at deer camp and they threw some things around in a drunken state, 1 dude happens to know how to scribble legislation. But what is wrong with giving the deer a break, it wasn't many years ago in my area the gun pressure in a lot of sections stood at 2 days. Not the 25 we have now. Add this drunken legislation in and it's how many days ? The farmland deer could use a breather lol. I agree they are good at nocturnal nibblies, I'm just tired of people days afield 1st, deer get the runner-up red ribbon, lets put them 1st people 2nd. What is the % 2 day season vs 25 day, that's a major increase % wise.

[walterman]

I have to laugh at how MN manages its deer herd. Ridiculous is the first thing that comes to mind. There are so many ways the state could come up with more revenue from hunting licenses other than this.

[Musky Buck]

This big buck season, 8 points or better, so a dripping wet yearling 120'er with 8 would fit the criteria.

[eyehead]

Ya, terrible idea! Dont get me wrong. We have some really nice deer in this state, but I dont think we have the kind of mature buck numbers around here to warrant a "Big buck Season". I know where I hunt we are LUCKY to get a 120"-130" deer to survive hunting season and winter...I pass quite a few 120" deer that end up getting shot or succumb to winter.....No party hunting, limit the amount of buck tags and maybe this would fly years down the road. Right now our bucks need a break!

[InTheNorthwoods]

I haven't seen the wording, and/or if the DNR would even look at this as a management tool...if they do...then do it somewhere along the lines of what Jameson said...add some days, etc...how about if the hunters with the "Trophy" endorsement on thier license start hunting on Wednesday of the first week of season and go for four additional days after everyone else is done...Oh, and if it's all about "Money"?? How about making the "Trophy only" license fee $400 for Residents and $1,500 for non-residents? Most true trophy hunters would gladly pay that much!

Trophy hunters may be crazy, but they aren't stupid. You can buy a bow tag, firearms tag, and muzzleloader tag for less than $100 combined and hunt from the middle of September to the end of December. I don't see why anyone in the world would spend four times that just to add a couple days to their regular firearms season when they could already be hunting those days with an alternate weapon?

[lichen fox]

So, then "it's not about money!"...good! Then it can only be about a "special interest" group wanting something that will benefit them more than any of thier competition...Glad we cleared that up!

[Musky Buck]

That 120'er I meant in pounds, I hope the guy scribbling legislation throws it in the fireplace.

[Muskie456]

After the "Big Buck Season" passes they will find the need to add antlerless tags to it. That is what happened to the 3a bucks only season

[candiru]

I agree, doe tags would be added down the road a couple of years. The intention may be a foot-in-the-door for something more. Maybe the legislator has a buddy that wants to start guiding/outfitting and wants as longer season.

I would say the bill to allow baiting by those over 65 is the beginning of complete legal baiting.

[Musky Buck]

Let's add baiting, scopes on muzzy's, extra seasons, etc. Maybe we can relive was it 1974 again ? I wish every deer taken was tagged and registered. Again, today, an hour ago I talked with a 16 year old, asked him how'd you do ? I got 3. I said we're in a 2 deer area, he said it doesn't matter, tagged 2 of 3 and just butchered the other in with them. I added you were still out the last day of season so you had no tag, he just laughed/snickered. This young guy hunts the land across the road from me and I know his dad etc. they don't deer hunt, the bot does. Why is it every other person I ask how'd the season treat you I get stuff like this ? I live in a bad area. 16 years old and already tagging or whatever is meaningless. Anyway, wow, I'm done even mentioning deer hunting at this point. A big N O to this add on big buck season, let em be for the next season.

[paceman]

Not just your area musky. That stuff happens every year everywhere.

[Musky Buck]

Geez paceman, what really is the deer count each year ? There must be hundreds never registered and if they were could my area have abandoned the 5 tags a year sooner maybe ? Starting to think we call them rules and regulations so they aren't looked at as laws like our regular laws. This kid is 3 years removed from gun safety training, maybe there should be a renewal so to speak after the age of 18 since I think once 18 you're no longer required to take the class. I don't know, I don't ask for any illegal data to these people I've talked to but they have no problem sharing it. Deer season seems to be a free for all in my area, in my section here, almost every deer law was broken, early shooting, bait, untagged, etc. A few of these same people would definitely save their tag to extend hunting. Man.

[WalleyeChamp]

I feel your pain guys. It's to the point where some dinks treat ML season as an extension of rifle season.....and then they brag about shooting a deer with their rifle cause "nobody would know the difference". These are usually the same guys that complain and complain when they dont see any deer for a few sits in a row!

[Rippinlip]

Quit with all these new and proposed laws!!!! DI

Lets go back to simplier times. Everyone gets (1) deer liscense and run the dates they are now and shoot what you want. 1 deer and if you want a trophy, you wait. With only 1 deer per person enough deer will live to become big.

[LightningBG]

MB, why dont you turn the kid in?