Tweak the APR?

[pikerliker]

I have an idea (look out) and was wondering what you all thought of it? I know the current APR says 4 pts on one side. The problem with that is that occasionally you run into the big mature 6 pointer with no brow tines. So you have a big mature buck and can't take him.

What about changing the APR to 3 pts on a side with the stipulation that you can NOT include the brow tine as one of the 3? That in essance would still save most deer making it to 8 pts before beings shot and would allow hunters to harvest the occasional 6 pt deer that has no brow tines. Hopefully that wouldn't be too confusing for hunters, but maybe it would. What do you think?

[TruthWalleyes]

I think we should have to count 10 - 3" points before being a legal buck to harvest. I'd support as much as 12. Even for kids. That way nobody's confused

[MJ1657]

And it has to weigh 200 pounds. Field dressed of course.

[hockeybc69]

What about a mature 6 pt that has brow tines, but no G3?

I like the simple 4 pts on a side.

[eyeguy 54]

The six with no brows just gets to sire for many years... :>)

[lichen fox]

It's like this...we are not idiots...at least I don't think we are...we don't need someone telling us what we should or, can shoot...APR's may have a place on a private ranch, but for the Legislature, or anyone else to tell a deer hunter how big of a buck is "big enough" is totaly absurd...IMO, they are telling you that you can only shoot a buck that meets "their" standards...it doen't matter to them if you really like venison and don't care about the antlers...it doesn't matter to them if you maybe really need the venison in your freezer...it doesn't matter to them if you don't really even care if you ever shoot a "big" buck by "their" standards...it only matters to them to know that they "think" they know more than you, and they need to take care of you and tell you what you should and shouldn't do, 'cause, in their opinion....you don't know anything!

[Rippinlip]

How about a license change instead?

If you want to shoot a buck(make it a 4 point minimum) or a doe with a HC tag - STATEWIDE, then its normal price.

If your zone where you hunt and you only want a anterless for harvest then the permit is 1/2 price.

That way we all get the best of both worlds.

People that want horns HAVE to wait for qualifying bucks and those that want meat for the freezer get the license at 1/2 price.

Eliminate all these confusing zones and its 1 deer per year per hunter. (PERIOD).

You can still buy for different seasons, but still one deer per person and still same rules apply.

[shortfatguy]

Sounds good except for only one deer per hunter. Some areas need more deer harvested than one deer per hunter would produce.

[zepman]

How about a license change instead?

If you want to shoot a buck(make it a 4 point minimum) or a doe with a HC tag - STATEWIDE, then its normal price.

If your zone where you hunt and you only want a anterless for harvest then the permit is 1/2 price.

That way we all get the best of both worlds.

People that want horns HAVE to wait for qualifying bucks and those that want meat for the freezer get the license at 1/2 price.

Eliminate all these confusing zones and its 1 deer per year per hunter. (PERIOD).

You can still buy for different seasons, but still one deer per person and still same rules apply.

+1

[muskiemanAD]

Lichen fox, So you must also not like being told to release those big Muskies, only being able to keep 6 Walleye with one over 20 inch. Not shooting hen pheasants and only being able to take 1 hen Mallard must really annoy you. What I am saying is that there are a million regulations out there telling you what you can a can't keep/kill. If you want a doe in Zone 3 they are not that hard to get, so you can get your meat for the freezer. Everyone thinks they are entitled to a deer because they bought a license...

[monstermoose78]

Lets just stop killing deer then!! I think if I want to keep a musky to eat I should be able to, but I can not because of some people who want big fish. As for ducks I am not a good shot when they fly so if i get one or 2 ducks i am happy. Apr will become like musky regs bigger and bigger until wait none can be harvested and if some one keeps one everyone B it chs so much its sicking. Screw apr!!!

[MJ1657]

Lets just stop killing deer then!! I think if I want to keep a musky to eat I should be able to, but I can not because of some people who want big fish. As for ducks I am not a good shot when they fly so if i get one or 2 ducks i am happy. Apr will become like musky regs bigger and bigger until wait none can be harvested and if some one keeps one everyone B it chs so much its sicking. Screw apr!!!

exactly!

[leechlake]

no party hunting or cross tagging state wide during gun season.

[Wanderer]

For all those big 6s running rampant out there a tweak in the APR could be 4 on a side or 16 inch minimum spread. Of course people would complain they'd have to run up to the deer and measure it now when in reality if the beams are outside the ears, you'd be good.

Be thankful I guess you don't have to decide if that Alaska moose is 50 inches or if that ram has a full curl.

Buck harvest in the APR zone will be back to what it was before APRs this year except this year the buck harvesters will all have 8+ pointers and more meat per deer in the freezer due to larger body sizes.

So yeah, the comment "Don't shoot any" does work out in the long run. You'll have more to shoot later.

[muskiemanAD]

The ones on here, that I work with and I live by that have never hunted zone 3 are the biggest anti APR group......

[jerkbait]

It's like this...we are not idiots...at least I don't think we are...we don't need someone telling us what we should or, can shoot...APR's may have a place on a private ranch, but for the Legislature, or anyone else to tell a deer hunter how big of a buck is "big enough" is totaly absurd...IMO, they are telling you that you can only shoot a buck that meets "their" standards...it doen't matter to them if you really like venison and don't care about the antlers...it doesn't matter to them if you maybe really need the venison in your freezer...it doesn't matter to them if you don't really even care if you ever shoot a "big" buck by "their" standards...it only matters to them to know that they "think" they know more than you, and they need to take care of you and tell you what you should and shouldn't do, 'cause, in their opinion....you don't know anything!

Agree a million-bazillion times!

[96trigger]

Quote:

we don't need someone telling us what we should or, can shoot.

Your right we should be able to shoot whatever and whenever we want. We are not idiots, if the DNR completely took all regulations off the books, there is no way that the public would ever misuse or abuse our natural resources. Why do we need a regulation book at all, heck why stop there, why even need a department of natural resources. No body would ever think of taking more fish than they need or shooting more game than they need. Wouldn't happen, right, we are not idiots, right?

[pike79]

I think the DNR's purpose of managing the size of the deer herd has been good, but someone telling me the antlers hanging in my house is too small bothers me. I hunt deer for the purpose of having some good tasting quality meat.

[monstermoose78]

I don't eat antler!! Do you? I know I will complain and fight against it and know most of the hunters I know will as well. Because we can make the call on are own if its a deer we want to shoot. If you want a big buck go BUY ONE!! And then shoot it if all you want is ANTLERS!! Then you could feed it growth hormones to produce larger antlers. People are allowing yearling to walk any way and around Princeton a yearling can have for 4 points on a side. It is hard enough to get a deer archery range. To me every deer I take with my crossbow is a trophy. Even the fawn I took in camp ripley it was a doe fawn and I was looking to see in it was a button buck. If it was it had a free pass.

[lichen fox]

Muskie...No, I don't think I need to be "told" what to shoot, or keep...that being said...I don't keep big fish for the table even if regs allow me to...I release every fish over the slot even if I'm allowed one...as for pheasants, I understand the reasoning from the numbers standpoint and I very seldom hunt pheasants anyway...But I guess I was wrong in my original assumption...I should have just said..."I'm not stupid"...I guess I really can't speak for anyone else!

[muskiemanAD]

Lichen, I see where you are coming from! Sometimes I think that I am the stupid one!!

[bowhunternw]

It's like this...we are not idiots...at least I don't think we are...we don't need someone telling us what we should or, can shoot...APR's may have a place on a private ranch, but for the Legislature, or anyone else to tell a deer hunter how big of a buck is "big enough" is totaly absurd...IMO, they are telling you that you can only shoot a buck that meets "their" standards...it doen't matter to them if you really like venison and don't care about the antlers...it doesn't matter to them if you maybe really need the venison in your freezer...it doesn't matter to them if you don't really even care if you ever shoot a "big" buck by "their" standards...it only matters to them to know that they "think" they know more than you, and they need to take care of you and tell you what you should and shouldn't do, 'cause, in their opinion....you don't know anything!

The thing is you have to please the majority of people, the only reason that apr hasn't caught on statewide is that it doesn't have the support percentages yet. You don't have to shoot a deer of the DNR's standards. This is something that is gaining popularity and this is a test of the regulation to my understanding. I love deer hunting and chasing big deer, that said I am still on the fence about apr's, the only reason is I don't want it to turn into a rich mans sport - which it is slowly anyway. Of course apr is going to grow bigger bucks that is undeniable, just not sure if it is the best thing.

[Musky Buck]

Since it's such a 50/50 argument lets have every other year APR, then 5 out of 10 years you can wail away like you want to and the other 5 years you have to check those small bucks over. Fair enough ? There's way to many hunters wanderer that don't think long term, we'll worry about next season on November 8th next year not realizing the decisions made this year by people in your hunting area have a big impact on next season, these deer don't just magically surface because November is here, we chose to shut down all doe harvest in our 2 sections, there weren't many deer around this year, same as ND Mulie doe take for 2012, 0. We decided to leave what few there were around be. Glad all parties agreed, we'll have better luck next year.

[lichen fox]

Remember last year? Lot's of folks from many different area's of the state, not seeing as many deer, not near as many bigger bucks harvested...many were complaining "numbers are down", need to rebuild, need to do what some other states do that have more big bucks than MN...but, if I remember right, at least where we hunt the freakin wind blew "hard" every day of the regular firearms season and the deer were just hunkered down...mainly moving at nite...This year, the weather has been decent and alot of nice bucks have been harvested...they sure as heck weren't fawns last year...they were all there..."somewhere"....

[bowhunternw]

Remember last year? Lot's of folks from many different area's of the state, not seeing as many deer, not near as many bigger bucks harvested...many were complaining "numbers are down", need to rebuild, need to do what some other states do that have more big bucks than MN...but, if I remember right, at least where we hunt the freakin wind blew "hard" every day of the regular firearms season and the deer were just hunkered down...mainly moving at nite...This year, the weather has been decent and alot of nice bucks have been harvested...they sure as heck weren't fawns last year...they were all there..."somewhere"....

I think that unintentionally you are supporting apr, saying that last year not many got harvested and all of a sudden this year lots of big bucks.

Another thing that influnenced alot of areas is that many of their hiding places have been removed. While in the short term it increased mature deer harvest it will have a very negative impact going foward.