New "Hunters Choice" area and rules

[pooly_31]

I am getting back into bow hunting this year and will be bow hunting in zone 105 and rifle hunting in zone 111. These are both hunters choice areas meaning that i can tag one deer of either sex total, whether with a bow or rifle.

My question is if i tag a deer with my bow prior to rifle season, how can i legally party hunt during the rifle season?

I understand i can't tag a deer in both seasons but i'd think there would be a way to legally party hunt after i've used my tag during the bow hunt, just as i could party hunt in prior years after i tagged a deer with a rifle.

Would i (should i) need to purchase my rifle license/tag now, before i used my bow tag so that i have a valid license during rifle season? Sorry for all the questions, just trying to wrap my head around the new (to me?) rules.

[TruthWalleyes]

Party hunting is legal, and all you need to participate in party hunting is a valid license, not a valid tag. A valid tag must be present within the hunting party.

You may party hunt during firearms season if you buy a firearms season license and shoot a deer with a bow prior to firearms season.

Same reason why you can contine to hunt in a party if you fill your tag...

You can wait to purchase your firearms license, but if your already planning on hunting it, then might as well buy it now.

[pooly_31]

right, that's where my question came in. If for some reason i shoot my bow deer before i purchase my rifle license, can i still purchase the license?? For the record, i did call the dnr this morning but the lady couldn't comprehend my question.

[Finlander]

You can party hunt as long as there is someone in your party with an unused tag and you are in the field hunting the same time!

Otherwise if your buddy with an unused tag is not in the field and you are, and you shoot a deer, then you just broke the law.

You can only be in the field hunting when someone else is hunting with an unused tag! And only in the same field or woods!

You can purchase all the licenses you want any time!

[pooly_31]

yup, well aware of the party hunting laws, my question was on if i fill my tag, register my deer, can i still purchase a license for rifle season...does a tag still print, does it print without a tag? do i throw out the tag? whatever, i guess it doesn't really matter if i just go buy the darn thing now.

[TruthWalleyes]

yup, well aware of the party hunting laws, my question was on if i fill my tag, register my deer, can i still purchase a license for rifle season...does a tag still print, does it print without a tag? do i throw out the tag? whatever, i guess it doesn't really matter if i just go buy the darn thing now.

YES OF COURSE YOU CAN!!!!

Because...you could use that tag that comes along with your firearms license to go hunt a management area or intensive, etc.............

Buy now or later, no problem.

They didn't understand you question because you can definately buy a license even if you shoot a deer with your bow. Not a stupid question BTW, but you are good to go.

[Jameson]

yup, well aware of the party hunting laws, my question was on if i fill my tag, register my deer, can i still purchase a license for rifle season...does a tag still print, does it print without a tag? do i throw out the tag? whatever, i guess it doesn't really matter if i just go buy the darn thing now.

We can use more than one main tag now. You could go hunt a managed/intensive area and fill the tag that comes with the rifle license.

edit: TW beat me to it.

[Bear55]

Yes you can shoot and tag a deer with a bow, then buy a rifle license and party hunt.

[CrewJones]

what happens if you only rifle hunt, you shoot a deer and tag the deer. Can you back out and party hunt? or because you actually used the tag on the animal now you have no license in hand?

would you have to go back out and purchase another license ?

thats why this party hunting rule is confusing

[TruthWalleyes]

what happens if you only rifle hunt, you shoot a deer and tag the deer. Can you back out and party hunt? or because you actually used the tag on the animal now you have no license in hand?

would you have to go back out and purchase another license ?

thats why this party hunting rule is confusing

You STILL have a license, you just used the TAG is all.

Yes, after TAGGING A DEER, you may continue to party hunt AS LONG as someone HAS A VALID TAG that you are hunting afield with.

[TruthWalleyes]

Same reason why you can contine to hunt in a party if you fill your tag...

From above

[TruthWalleyes]

No worries, the group i hunted with the last 3 years still doesn't know what the heck a managed zone means...and that is the type of zone we hunt

[schmoe147]

on this topic- is it possible to shoot 2 does in a management using bonus tags then still buy rifle license and hunt hunters choice and tag a deer ? I would think so. I did email the DNR on this and havent heard back from them yet.

[hockeybc69]

Management areas are a 2 deer area. So if you shoot 2 does, you are using your primary tag and your bonus tag.

So, no, you cant buy a rifle license and go to a Hunters Choice area and tag yet another deer.

[bwana_d]

hockeybc69 - double check your source on that, that was true a few years ago (by accident that is they way the statute was written, not the way it was intended by Lou C.) it was changed the following year and you can use any combination of tags in a bonus area - 2 bonus tags for anterless deer, 1 bonus tag and 1 archery tag for anterless deer and still go hunting in a 1 deer area with a rifle tag and fill it based on what you are allowed - hunters choice - buck or anterless, lottery if you are drawn buck or anterless, lottery if not drawn - buck only - in any case you could take up to three deer between managment areas and hunters choice/lottery areas.

This was also covered in FAQs on the DNR HSOforum, but it is missing this year.

I know they say the laws are getting easier to understand, but....this is a perfect case and point of how confusing they still are...they have to be awful for someone who is brand new compared to those who get to see the new changes each year and figure out only those out.

[hockeybc69]

OK, scratch my reply....

Are you frickin serious??

Holy cr@p.....

Stupid me.... I have posted on here many times... Call the DNR if you need info.... I truly thought on this one, it was very clear.

I will go back to replying with, "Call the DNR, dont trust your peers"....

[jerkbait]

Hockey, that is the way I understand it also. Time to email the DNR. I did email them and ask if I shoot a Buck in a mananged area can I still shoot a doe in a hunters choice area and the answer was no.

[TruthWalleyes]

Hockey, that is the way I understand it also. Time to email the DNR. I did email them and ask if I shoot a Buck in a mananged area can I still shoot a doe in a hunters choice area and the answer was no.

Within the same season with the same license, you are correct, you cannot shoot a buck in a managed zone (because you must use your main tag for a buck) and then go to a choice zone and shoot a doe (Because you must use your main tag in a choice or lottery zone).

You can however shoot two does in a managed zone and shoot another doe in a choice zone assuming you use TWO BONUS tags in the management zone.

Last year for example i got a anterless permit for a lottery zone, but i primarily hunt a managed zone. So my plan to utilize both was to fill both tags in managed zone with firearms license and then fill my tag in the lottery zone with a muzzy license....Turns out all i did was shoot my anterless during muzzy season and passed on all the deer during firearms season.

[TruthWalleyes]

Management areas are a 2 deer area. So if you shoot 2 does, you are using your primary tag and your bonus tag.

So, no, you cant buy a rifle license and go to a Hunters Choice area and tag yet another deer.

You can however use TWO BONUS tags and avoid using your main tag, but you are also not able to shoot a buck with a bonus tag, you could however shoot a buck in the hunters choice or lottery area..

[pooly_31]

Thanks for the clarification Truth and others,i hadn't thought about it in the terms of the new "statewide" license.

[Jameson]

Management areas are a 2 deer area. So if you shoot 2 does, you are using your primary tag and your bonus tag.

So, no, you cant buy a rifle license and go to a Hunters Choice area and tag yet another deer.

....and a tear runs down lcornice's cheek in deep sadness.....

[eyeguy 54]

it's all very clear now.... LOL

[TruthWalleyes]

What's not clear?

[jerkbait]

Thanks Truth, i did not know that about using 2 bonus tags in a managed area.

[TruthWalleyes]

No problem,

The statewide license is a big change from how we used to sign up for a license. This is much more flexible, allowing you to hunt many areas of the state with the same license. Unfortunately, you can only tag 1 deer in a lottery or harvest choice area. You can't hunt one lottery area, tag a deer, and go tag a deer in a different lottery or hunters choice area. But you can go hunt in any of the managed or intensive zones.