One hunter legally shooting two bucks in zone 3

[lakevet]

DNR is gathering survey input on zone 3 regs. In the survey they raise the idea of allowing an archery or muzzleloader hunter to shoot an extra buck. Idea also presented in latest Bluffland Whitetails newsletter where they have a copy of DNR's survey. Here is link to newsletter: www.blufflandwhitetails.org/news.html . It is in the winter 2013 newsletter.

Seems odd to ban cross-tagging bucks then open up the option for everyone to shoot two bucks

Any idea where this is coming from and what do you think? I am thinking extra license sales for DNR income stream. And extra options for repeat business for guided hunts as customer can come back and shoot another buck.

Seems like xtra pressure on bucks for income reasons.

Again, anyone know where this idea originated from?

lakevet

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[Musky Buck]

Great idea wow why haven't we been doing that for years ? I can skim not 1 but 2 bucks off before the orange army hits the woods, just hope they don't find the couple I hit and couldn't recover. The 1 buck per calendar year is a good rule in my book, we need to share a little more with fellow sportsmen and women and "the kids".

[TruthWalleyes]

I thought you APR guys didn't care as long as nobody shoots a small buck. I bet the majority of you would drool over 2 racks hanging over the wall each year. Afterall, what your trying to achieve is a herd of all 120+ point deer...That isn't going to happen.

[Musky Buck]

Truth I'm an APR guy not hunting in the SE because small bucks mean small weight means less venison and I don't party hunt I mean party tag so I'd rather go deerless than swat 1 one of 3-4 yearling bucks I see each season. They are hopefully seed for next season but I know if seen they will be shot immediately which is unfortunate some because that is the cycle in my area with so many veteran hunters/shooters that can't put the safety back on sitting in their heated box stands with unlimited tags, so while some pray for a good buck fawn crop to drill them as yearling bucks I pray 1 of those yearlings from the year before survives the season and winter and cars and finds me next November 9th. I know getting your deer and a buck regardless of size means a lot to a lot of people but I've been there done that, I need a tougher challenge at my age, I leave the small bucks for younger hunters, 1st timers, and older people, they should be thanking me and my dad every other year because they'd be way less successful if my dad and I took 2 of them out each season. 30 years now we've been practicing APR, I say heavens no to a 2 buck idea.

[Jameson]

...Any idea where this is coming from and what do you think?...

Wisconsin does it so we should, too!!!!! Wisconsin is #1 in B&C the last few years so they must be doing it right. As long as the little bucks aren't being shot, there is no reason to even have a buck limit. This will keep hunters in the woods longer leading to more does being killed.

I don't like it.

[NoWiser]

I don't like that idea at all.......

[TruthWalleyes]

I need a tougher challenge at my age,

This statement is completely opposite of what APR is supposedly achieving. The challenge is there. You want it to be easier.

Musky - I'm not picking on you either. I've read many of your posts and understand how difficult of an area you hunt in and that your opportunities to shoot the size of deer your looking for is a fraction of what that opportunity is in SE MN. I chose to start hunting in SE MN because there is simply more deer, and more deer also means more big deer.

If you want to increase your odds, head to an area of the state that has deer.

Forcing your neighbor to pass on a deer is also another way, i just don't agree with it, and i understand that in the hunting forum on HSO i am the minority on this issue.

[Musky Buck]

I agree in a way truth, but the easier I don't know, what should make it easier is they inflated the days afield which is part of why so few bucks are making it through the season, when you're trading trailcam pictures with some around you in certain areas and there's nothing you'd be willing to harvest or try to harvest, you soon realize that is the new normal for your area so you put your land up for sale and no 1 wants it because you can't grow larger deer because of the way the hunt goes down. I can show potential buyers plenty of pictures from the 80's, then they ask how about lately, well lately we can't get a dead picture when there's no real life pictures on our cams. The last 5 years have really been ugly, thankfully I have other options that at least give us a slim chance at a decent buck and that slim chance is good enough nowaday, worked out last season. My dad he just simply quit altogether because there's 20 guys in the section and no buck is safe. He don't want it easier, never was during our 2 day season, but there were a heck of a lot more nice bucks around that kept you upbeat about the possibility of meeting up with one, we can drive around the section like we have forever and scout as hard as we can, it can't change the fact that there basically are 0 bucks we'd like to harvest and year after year after year it really is getting old seeing such little deer if you see any at all. But, like you said get it figured out, there's options out there and I think I found the county for that thankfully just way lower hunting pressure where I'm zeroing in on.

[james_walleye]

I thought you APR guys didn't care as long as nobody shoots a small buck. I bet the majority of you would drool over 2 racks hanging over the wall each year. Afterall, what your trying to achieve is a herd of all 120+ point deer...That isn't going to happen.

Haha look at the sterotypes fly......

I don't like the idea.....

[TruthWalleyes]

I believe you called me part of the 2 day pumpkin party...So don't think your so innocent.

You wouldn't take 2 bucks if allowed?

I should rephrase the question. If there were an abundance of Large Antlered Deer (IN YOUR APR DREAMS) - Would you take 2 of them for the wall?

[james_walleye]

Ya I made a sterotypical post here once....and was in direct reference to the non stop sterotyping that goes on here about Apr guys.

Would you shoot 2 of these bucks in a season on my Apr dreamland?

Do I need to post the pics of the other 4 big ones from this single property.....aka my Apr dreamland.....to prove my point? I know I know......APRs don't work.....

[james_walleye]

Here's another one for you. My son and I had a great season last year in the woods.....and believe it not that was without any of those deer hitting the ground. I know you will call me a liar because Apr guys aren't happy or satisfied without dropping a wallhanger every season. But anyway.....its march....and my son and I are still enjoying the woods.....

[TruthWalleyes]

Is that an offer

[TruthWalleyes]

Also, if you can go a season or a few seasons without shooting one, then why the regulation?

[james_walleye]

Here's the deal.....I support APRs. In my expierience in zone 3, if you put in quality time in the woods you will have several chances to fill the freezer. What bugs me is the anti Apr guy who steps into the woods 2 or 3 times a year and expects to shoot a deer. And of course if they don't, APRs is the blame. Heaven forbid you spend more time afield. Simple math....beyond year one.....for every buck that you have to pass up, is now a 2 year old buck from the season before....that wasn't legal, that is now legal. But people don't want to think that hard to understand that. So.....if APRs don't continue, I'll live. I'll do what I've done for 21 years, and in a couple years my kids will get more and more involved.

Myself....as a person who spends quality time in the woods which equals no problem putting meat in the freezer, I fail to see much of a downside, if any at all.

[TruthWalleyes]

I'm 28 and have hunted deer every year since legally allowed. The only buck i have shot was when i was 15. I've shot a doe all the other years. I'm not the problem. But i am against apr.

[lakevet]

Getting back to the original post about one hunter shooting two bucks.

Why ban buck cross tagging then turn around and let everyone shoot two bucks?

1) Sells more licenses

2) Sells more licenses

3) Sells more licenses

If hunters shooting two bucks is biologically sound, then buck cross tagging is even more so as cross tagging system uses fewer tags thus fewer bucks potentially tagged.

This fits with Lou C. statement that allowing cross tagging bucks has very little negative impact on bucks shot, but that he personally thinks it is wrong for anyone to shoot more than one buck.

Conclusion: Ban on cross tagging was to set stage to allow one hunter to shoot multiple bucks, just want him to pay for it! Has nothing to do with biological facts, just personal dislike of another hunters tradition of gifting their tag to another legally.

Lakevet

[TruthWalleyes]

If it's $, double the licenses... Don't know of much deer stocking though. So where's all this deer season $ go to anyway?

[nonteepical]

I think your reading into what Lou's thoughts are, it's only a question on a survey, i wouldn't support it. i'd support an extra buck tag for lottery hunts like Ripley, state park and municipal type hunts where one had to apply and get drawn.

[lichen fox]

This reg if initiated will have little or no impact on the bucks in z3 APR area...Or any other area...lottery, managed, intensive....The vast majority of Bucks...(all deer for that matter)...are taken during the regular firearms season...just because they allow it does not mean every hunter that hunts with all 3 weapons will harvest, or even have an opportunity to harvest, a legal APR buck, or two...And you won't have 200,000 hunters running out to buy the equipment to get into bow or muzzy hunting either...at best, you could expect that 1 - 2%, "of the hunters that hunt two seasons"...would actually harvest that second buck...and that could be a stretch! In the long run it would have absolutly no ill effect on the number of legal APR bucks..."geeze, get the greed off boys!"

[nonteepical]

If it's $, double the licenses... Don't know of much deer stocking though. So where's all this deer season $ go to anyway?

$30 liscence:

$26 game and fish fund

$.50 emergency fund. deer feeding, disease ect.

$.50 wolf management account

$2.00 deer management account

$1.00 deer/bear computerized liscence account

the game and fish fund is spent on payroll, parks/trails enviromental studies and anything else you can think of the DNR does.

[lichen fox]

...and anything else you can think of the DNR does.

What I thought of was all of the new regulations we face year in and year out that just make a bunch of folks...well, let's just say..."not happy"...so they spend a bunch of $$ just to make many folks unhappy...that's not nice!

Oh, I thought of another thing...in some situations the spend alot of $$ doing "nothing"...now, that's just waist!

[TruthWalleyes]

Well I've been buying 2-3 licenses plus bonus tags for a few years now. Good to see where it goes. Thanks.

Please no more dumb wash stations or weed patrol.

[Rippinlip]

My answer to the question?

NO!

1 Buck per hunter per year!

No cross tagging.

[lakevet]

Here is Lou C comment from outdoor news 2010:

"Buck cross-tagging

The regulation likely won't change the harvest of antlered deer much - about 7 percent to 10 percent of successful hunters kill two bucks - but: "I have unabashedly said that if you want more mature bucks in the population, why do we let people shoot bucks for each other?" Cornicelli said.

So that brings up the question.............

If you want more mature bucks why double the number of licenses available to shoot bucks and let all hunters shoot two bucks? From a biological point of view it makes no sense to go to all the effort to get one hunter one buck regs then do a 180 degree turn.

Remember APR's and ban on cross tagging once were just survey questions......

lakevet