Lotto Area, bowhunting

[BowTech03]

So im confused with the lotto areas this year. Being that the limit is one deer, can you shoot only a buck, or only a doe or can does it not matter as long as it is only one deer when bowhunting? Not sure how exactly the rules read. If someone could clear this up that would be great.

Thanks

[not_nuf_time]

One deer any deer while bow hunting. But I also have question if this is a highjack its not ment to be, but may be in the same line of your question. If in a lottery zone, during firearms season and you have no doe permit can you still take a doe with archery or do you have to hold off shooting a doe during firearms season?

[Oak_Ridges]

You can take a doe with your bow during the firearms season (gun or muzldr) in loto areas as long as you are not in possession of a firearm. So you cant sit with a gun and a bow then decide to shoot a doe if it walks by with your bow. As long as you just have your archery equiptment you are legal to shoot either sex during the entire archery season. Just remember to wear the proper blaze orange during the gun season. Hope that helps. Jay

[KrashR]

Another thing to think about is if you shoot a doe with your bow in a lottery zone you have to use your MAIN buck/doe tag. So in other words even though you haven't taken a buck by bow you cannot take one with a bow after this. You CAN however take a buck by firearm or muzzleloader though.

[Bear55]

Another thing to think about is if you shoot a doe with your bow in a lottery zone you have to use your MAIN buck/doe tag. So in other words even though you haven't taken a buck by bow you cannot take one with a bow after this. You CAN however take a buck by firearm or muzzleloader though.

Just to clear this up a little, if you shoot a deer in a lotto area you are done hunting in lotto areas. To shoot another deer you need to hit a manage or intensive harvest area or party hunt off another tag.

Best bet, if you only want meat shoot the first thing you see with a bow. If you want to chase bucks only shoot one you want. If you want both hit a managed or intensive harvest area with an extra tag and hold onto that buck tag until you have no choice but to shoot the buck in front of you.

[Bowfin]

If I shoot a deer in a managed area and use my regular archery tag (not a bonus tag) can I tag a deer with my regular firearms tag during firearm season in a lotto or a managed?

In other words, can I use both my regular archery and regular firearms? I don't believe you could years ago but the language isn't clear anymore. It just limits you on the number of deer and says you can only tag 1 buck per season.

[nofishfisherman]

Bear55 is correct. Based on how it was explained to me if you are in a lottery or hunter choice zone you are allowed 1 deer and it must be tagged with your main/buck tag. It doesn't matter if it was taken by bow, rifle, or muzzy. Once you tag a deer in one of those zones you are done hunting in any lottery or hunter choice zone.

Since you have to use your main/buck tag in a lottery/hunter choice zone I believe you are also done hunting bucks for the season as well even if you go to a managed zone since you'd no longer have a valid buck tag. You can go to a managed zone with a bonus tag and harvest another doe but that would be your only other option for a second deer.

[Bowfin]

You can go to a managed zone with a bonus tag and harvest another doe but that would be your only other option for a second deer.

What about going to a managed zone with bow and muzzy and shooting a doe with your regular archery or muzzy license? You are still shooting the proper # of deer and still only tagged 1 buck for the year.

[harvey lee]

Bear55 is correct. Based on how it was explained to me if you are in a lottery or hunter choice zone you are allowed 1 deer and it must be tagged with your main/buck tag. It doesn't matter if it was taken by bow, rifle, or muzzy. Once you tag a deer in one of those zones you are done hunting in any lottery or hunter choice zone.

Since you have to use your main/buck tag in a lottery/hunter choice zone I believe you are also done hunting bucks for the season as well even if you go to a managed zone since you'd no longer have a valid buck tag. You can go to a managed zone with a bonus tag and harvest another doe but that would be your only other option for a second deer.

Exactly how I understand the law.

Lets say you go to zone 601 after a archery buck has been shot, then I believe you can take all the does you want as that is unlimited. 1 lottery deer is what I understnd unless you are in a mgmt area or intensive harvest area.

[deerminator]

Though you could still take a buck to my understanding if you haven't taken one with your main bow tag. This is, if you used your main bow tag on a doe. You just have to use a firearm license with its main tag in either a managed or intensive harvest area. That is my understanding from posts from year's past.

[Wanderer]

If I shoot a deer in a managed area and use my regular archery tag (not a bonus tag) can I tag a deer with my regular firearms tag during firearm season in a lotto or a managed?

In other words, can I use both my regular archery and regular firearms? I don't believe you could years ago but the language isn't clear anymore. It just limits you on the number of deer and says you can only tag 1 buck per season.

I understand how there could be room for debate on this one and I can't qoute the regs right now for an interpretation but I always have the state of mind to covet my main bow tag for my pass to shoot a buck in MN. Usually (this year sucks) I hunt several areas of the state in a season and will never put a doe on my main tag in order to keep my firearms tag open for a buck. I believe once your main tag is spent, you're done tagging deer in a lottery zone period. You could still party hunt however.

[nofishfisherman]

What about going to a managed zone with bow and muzzy and shooting a doe with your regular archery or muzzy license? You are still shooting the proper # of deer and still only tagged 1 buck for the year.

If you tag a doe in a managed zone while bow hunting I believe you'd still be able to tag another deer in a lottery or hunters choice zone using your main rifle tag. Although I haven't ever seen it explicitly stated that way before. Hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

These things start to get very confusing when you are talking bow, rifle, muzzy, and jumping to different zones. I wish the DNR would do a better job explaining the different scenarios.

[Rippinlip]

My understanding is your main tag is the only one you can fill with a buck.

If you fill that with a Doe and you hunt Managed/Intesive/Unlimited areas you can only take a anterless deer.

If you buy a Muzzy/Gun tag, you are able to hunt that season (Managed/Itensive Harvest/unlimited), but are only able to fill that with an anterless deer.

I think I just added to the confusion....

[harvey lee]

Maybe just shoot some deer, 1 buck only and no more does than you have tags for. Thats alot easier.

[fishattacker]

Here is a question I asked the DNR on the internet machine: "I plan on archery and muzzleloader hunting this year for deer. If I tag a doe with my archery tag in a lottery zone can I shoot a buck with my muzzleloader tag in a managed deer zone?"

Here is the response I got: "Yes you can. Good luck."

[Wanderer]

Great! Thanks for asking them; however we were discussing if the inverse were legal.

Shoot a doe in managed or intensive area and put her on your main archery tag, then can you shoot a buck on a firearms tag in a lottery area?

After thinking about this a little I vaguely recall a discussion from last year with the surprising outcome that you could. Of course laws change on a regular basis so that could have changed too.

I guess a couple more minutes on the internet machine are in order.

[Jameson]

...Shoot a doe in managed or intensive area and put her on your main archery tag, then can you shoot a buck on a firearms tag in a lottery area?...

Why wouldn't you be able to?

[ANYFISH2]

Wanderer, the answer is yes. I am 100% positive on this.

Essentially bow, firearms, and muzzy are seperate seasons all "main" tags are valid, as long as one is with in there bag limits for the respective areas, of course only one buck across all 3 seasons.

[deerminator]

Yes you can. One deer in a lottery area period. And one buck statewide. So if you took a doe on a main archery tag in intensive or managed, you can still take a buck on your main firearms tag in the same intensive, managed or different lottery area. No question about it.

[Bowfin]

I also emailed the DNR - the answer is yes, you can tag deer on all your main tags (archery, firearms, and muzzy) as long as you abide by all the general rules (i.e. only 1 buck per hunter per year and know the limit in the permit area you are hunting). Here is my question to the DNR with example scenarios:

DNR,

As long as I abide by the "overall rules" of tagging only 1 antlered buck per year and up to the maximum number of deer allowed (i.e lottery and hunters choice maximum of 1 deer, managed maximum of 2 deer, and intensive maximum of 5 deer, and in no case can an individual tag more than 5 deer - ((unlimited zone and early doe seasons aside)), can I use my regular firearm, regular archery and regular muzzleloader licenses all to tag deer?

For example: If I tag a doe with my regular firearms license during firearms season in a lottery zone (because I got a doe permit), then can I use my regular muzzleloader license to tag a buck in a managed zone? End result - both "regular" license are used to tag deer but overall rules met.

Another example: If I tag a buck during archery season in a managed zone with my regular license, can I tag a doe with my regular firearms tag in a lottery zone in which I received a doe permit? End result - both "regular" license are used to tag deer but overall rules met.

Example 3: If I tag a doe with my regular archery license in a managed zone, then tag a buck with my regular firearms license in a lottery zone, can I tag a doe with my regular muzzleloader license in a managed zone? End result - all 3 regular licenses used, overall rules met, but did so without having to buy a bonus tag.

Example 4: If I tag a doe with my regular archery license in a managed zone, then tag a doe with my regular firearms license in a lottery zone (with doe permit), can I tag a buck with my regular muzzleloader license in a managed zone? End result - all 3 regular licenses used, overall rules, met.

The examples are endless but it appears we should keep the "overall rules" in mind regardless of the license used to keep this simpler and a hunter can tag deer with multiple "regular" licenses as long as the overall rules are met. Is this correct?

Thanks,

Here is the DNR's response:

You absolutely got it. All he examples you give will work and you have it figured out. Hope you get the chance to use them all. Good Luck.

[Jameson]

Once you get it, it's actually pretty simple.

[matchset]

bonus tags are cheaper than regular tags