2011 Deer Harvest Results Available

[Gordie]

Some of my notes from my first observations of the results:

Not many deer are harvested out of 117, BWCA. Duluthians harvest a lot of deer by bow. Must be an error on table 19 area 299 has 0 firearms harvest. A lot of deer are shot in 346. In lotto/HC areas archers shoot more bucks than does, opposite is true in M and I. (Likely same for gunners, I haven't checked, yet.) Archers harvested deer in 287 where no arching is allowed. Muzzy hunters harvested deer in 224 where no muzzy hunting is allowed.

sounds like they didnt have enough time to go over the final results

[jay83196]

I don't doubt they have a hard job, 6 wks is excessive (it is almost if not all computerized) but who cares when we get it. What kills me is the comments of how thankless their job is...they get paid to do a job in a field most people would love to work in ( way more people looking for jobs in the field than there are jobs avail. so can't suck that bad) . Bottom line they get paid to do a job, most of us are probably under appreciated or paid in our jobs or taken for granted. I can say one thing if my company or if I did as bad a job on some levels as DNR I would get fired or my company would go under or get sued. Our DNR is not run as well as other states, we have more rules and controls in place and yet fishing and hunting often is not as good....not a sign of job well done in my book! Seems like there are computer or rule communication errors every year that there is no exscuse for, but some people just say its a hard thankless job, poor DNR....B.S they have a job like the rest of us many companys under manned under funded but many comanys still get it done with good management. Like most government programs its run poorly but held to little accountability and given excuses as to why this or that failed or didn't work. We should hold our government to the same standards we are held...

[nonteepical]

I work part time for the DNR and don't feel sorry for them, i see things that go on with typical government waste, heres an example with two of my local CO's one dosen't have a set of binoculars and uses their spouses because their isn't money in the budget, the other has a pair of state issued steiners and them things are over a grand for a pair. Our QDMA meeting last summer our local CO came asking for a donation for a deer decoy, because the DNR only has 2, and 1 that works, and is shared through out the state, we purchased a decoy for the DNR with a stipulation it stays in our area but we had a hard time funding the DNR with basic tools for their job with the costs of liscence fees we all pay and they want that to increase as well. Six weeks for the harvest report is pretty good, lots of paper work, paper work and more paper work at the DNR and probobly out this fast because of the electronic registering, if it wasn't for irresponsible spending and paper work they wouldn't have to raise liscence fees.

[nonteepical]

By the way the 2012 QDMA report is out http://www.qdma.com/media-room/ and their might be some legitimate complaints on our harvest data getting out to late because minnesotas data is unavailable when they did the report, but all other states data was available, and last years 41% yearling harvest was a number from a state hunt from ripley wich was the only data available at the time QDMA was doing their report.

[john skarie]

Jay many of the DNR rules and regs are laws put into place by our state govt.

When you actually get a job in the DNR and have some understanding of what they do maybe you can judge them on job performance.

Until then you as little about thier "busines" as I do about yours.

It's easy to talk big when you are ignorant to the subject at hand.

JS

[Getanet]

I don't feel sorry for the DNR, but I certainly feel it's a thankless task. No matter what decision they make there will be a good portion of the population that thinks they're idiots. Many times they get blamed for decisions the legislature makes - when their only role is to enforce those decisions. And sure, we're probably all under appreciated and underpaid at our jobs, but I doubt many of us have websites like this where people debate exactly where on the idiots spectrum we land.

And I certainly wouldn't want to work there. I'd rather play in the outdoors than have all my time spent working in it. Sort of like the resort on Leech we frequent. I was talking to the owner one time, saying "man, you must have the life, being able to fish this lake all the time." He just laughed and said running a resort keeps him so busy he rarely has time to wet a line.

[jay83196]

J.S

That is why I included it in state or government programs, not just

saying DNR in general. People like you are part of the problem, making excuses for them. If I said I worked for G.M you wouldn't have to know what I do to know we did a poor job leading up to the past couple years and I don't need to know what they do to know what's in place doesn't always work or work as well as other plans in place in other states. Open your eyes look across the border better yet head over see for yourself when you hunt or fish over there and the rules in place much more fisherman/hunter friendly.

[Musky Buck]

In a way don't we get the results unofficial, but during muzzy, they already were giving the % down from the previous years total. I can figure by the lack of shooting, the genereally empty meatpoles, etc that the harvest was down some, don't really need the exact %, it was down from previous years.

[john skarie]

Maybe you should read my post again.

The DNR enforces laws passed by the MN govt. It's ability to make new regs and adopt new policies are hindered by public input and our lawmakers.

In Canada the MNR is given the leeway to make laws that they see fit to benefit resources whether or not public or govt. agrees with them.

I'm part of the problem? Only one of us even has an understanding of how things work in the MNDNR, and it obviously isn't you. I'm not making excuses for anybody. I think they do a fine job. I will put up MN fisheries against any state in the US for quality and opportunity despite the inability of the DNR to manage many things the way they want to.

JS

[jay83196]

Getanet,

I agree, your right it is a thankless job and not everybody is going to be happy. I'm not trying to sit here and bash them or insinuate I could do better. I am saying they make a lot of errors some of which if a company makes lawsuites would fly and jobs lost, but its a government agency so more is tolerated. And I don't believe they are doing a good job in contrast to many other states.

[Musky Buck]

I've never understood the anti-dnr. I've seen signs dnr stay off my land, further up the driveway, did you read that it's your funeral. Etc. The way I see it the dnr is going to outlive all of us and I feel they do the best they can, sure some things and decisions haven't gone toward my best interests but if you live each day as you can forgive and forget it makes daily life a lot easier. Bet their backs hurt. The whipping boys and girls of Minnesota. Here comes they can't manage money etc. I bet they wish they could bellyache at your company or mine just once. I wish them well and thank them for getting the goose spread out statewide and thank them even more for choosing my grandpa's farm area to get 1 of the first transplants in 1979ish.

[jay83196]

B.S

You are part of the problem in that people like you don't hold our governing bodies accountable and make countless excuses for issues rather than help hold them accountable. They make mistakes, have poor laws in place or communication and if its not them making the laws its certainly their job to fight for us and communicate them to us better.

I'm not going to argue your entitled to your opinion, I don't appreciate being called ignorant but again your entitled to your opinions, however misguided and nieve they may be

Later,

[schmoe147]

Couldnt agree more Jay well said " I am saying they make a lot of errors some of which if a company makes lawsuites would fly and jobs lost, but its a government agency so more is tolerated."

This is so true. I myself am by no means anti-dnr But I will say there are always some bad mixed in with the good ones.

[matchset]

How come it takes a year to release the moose harvest data ??

[Scott M]

I miss lcornice. He always gave a straight answer. He moved up the food chain and won't be handling the deer data much longer. Of course, you could email the DNR and ask these questions directly, but it was nice when lcornice used to jump in...I imagine his new duties keep him a lot more busy.

I think deer management is right up there with northern pike management in this state or some might say the other way around...different expectations and different approaches mean that no matter what you do you can't make everyone happy.

[1johntimm]

Maybe it was to "windy" to get the deer harvest info out sooner?

[jay83196]

Perhaps they used the same computer program that choose the bear lottery last year...that was probably not their fault either...

[certified jumbo]

wow. i didn't think my original post would create 5 pages of complaints about why it took 6 weeks to get the info out. unfortunetly, almost every subject on this site these days turns into a mess. i'm not taking that route anymore. i can't wait for hunting season to begin when we can all share pics and stories again instead of pointing blame at everything and everyone.

instead, i reviewed the data given. my hunting area's, mostly 183 and 227 had some interesting changes. first, 183.......in our opinion the deer numbers were down, however, the harvest stayed the same as 2010. but, our group shot the same amount of deer as 2010, but deer sightings were way down. So I think next year could be tough for us.

Deer sightings in 227 for our hunting party also seemed lower than 2010. The numbers of deer harvested in 2011 showed a decent drop in harvest. So numbers here are likely down.

I'm glad for a mild winter so far and hopefully we have a nice fawning spring and early summer.

Not trying to stir the pot, but maybe some more of you could share your thoughts on deer numbers and changes in harvest vs the goat rodeo of complaining. It just gets old.

[hockeybc69]

Lots of pots calling kettles black in this thread... LOL....

Hey nonteep,,,,,,,

If you are a part time contributor to the DNR, you complained about this year finally having a breakdown of fawn buck harvest.... You missed my post about the fact the fawn buck harvest is in all the reports online that go back to 2003.

What part of the DNR did you work for? Obviously not the big game division...

[hockeybc69]

B.S

They make mistakes, have poor laws in place or communication and if its not them making the laws its certainly their job to fight for us and communicate them to us better.

Jay,

Why such a big axe to grind???

Yep, they make mistakes. I make mistakes in my job. I wish I was perfect like you.

As stated earlier the laws in place for things come from our good friends in St Paul at the capital.

You dont think our DNR fights our own government with proposals made by people sitting in the big chairs in the capital??

You dont know anything is what I am seeing.

Give us one solid example where the DNR failed to do their job on a particular issue. You seem to know a lot...

[jay83196]

Really....I never said I was perfect why do some of you feel the need to be an a&& when somebody else disagrees ! So far I've been call ignorant and that I think I'm perfect because I say that other states do better job and that DNR makes some pretty bad blunders at time that the average guy would get canned for... What is incorrect with that?

The facts.....

last year they had to run bear lotto 3 times all three with different results I know guys had permit given and taken away twice. ( if mcdonalds ran contest in which too many winners won and they said oops sorry half your winning tickets are void sorry computer error. What would/should happen? They would be held accountable and the guy that caused it ( almost always someone at fault or made mistake ) would get canned.

Baiting- its ignorant to ban baiting and claim one reason of it spreading of disease but allow recreational feeding. Maybe they didn't make this law but to use this reason and enforce this on private land as well as public, could be handled better. Not to mention All the confusion with enforcing baiting- example the lawsuit with pumpkin farmer they lost on appeal.

Rule book having errors in it, and just plain confusing on some topics, can't say how many times I have called DNR for clarification only to get mixed answers or read on this site a lot of guys ask legitimate questions due to not understanding rules because they are way too confusing.

Fishing managment only one pole allowed or two in the winter, across the boarder fishing is better and they allow one more pole, some higher limits and some how manage to beat us in almost all state record sizes.

Dear zones/regs just plain confusing, and do we need to have 5 deer taken in some areas?

Moose/wolf populations just plain out of control in one direction or another...

Like I said its goverment and DNR to blame for much of these issues and other states just have better fishing/hunting success with far less rules or simpler rules.

I personally don't bait or care too, I have never broken a law that I know of, or have a personal axe to grind , I just feel they don't do a very good Job as a whole based on other states with better fishing and hunting with simpler or more hunter/fisherman friendly rules in place. I think its hard to argue that in many cases , but I'm sure some of you will.

[nonteepical]

Lots of pots calling kettles black in this thread... LOL....

Hey nonteep,,,,,,,

If you are a part time contributor to the DNR, you complained about this year finally having a breakdown of fawn buck harvest.... You missed my post about the fact the fawn buck harvest is in all the reports online that go back to 2003.

What part of the DNR did you work for? Obviously not the big game division...

I work in forestry, and 20 or so years ago i had a private fish farm and worked with the DNR then also, even being around part time you get a good idea of how things go, not to mention working and talking with full time employees. I knew the breakdown of antlerless on the regristration but for some reason i never noticed the breakdown in the report don't know how i missed that one. I still wish they had yearing harvest, thats the biggest part to figure out age classes of the herd. like i posted last year we kill off(turn over rate) our buck population about every 3 years.