Does everyone deserve to shoot a deer?

[Getanet]

I do too also agree that everyone should be able to shoot what they want to an extent. On private land I feel if you want to decimate or preserve your herd then go ahead, but don't complain after you have made the choice to do one or the other. On public land I feel regulations should be different. Not everyone has the opportunity to harvest a deer on private land so they have to resort to public land. Most public lands are already less dense populations than private land in the same area. So controlling what the public can shoot on those lands might make more sense, IMO.

Philosophically and legally this is completely wrong. Deer are free ranging animals. They aren't livestock you paid for. They may be on someone's land but that doesn't make them their deer or their herd. The regulations regarding harvest should be completely the same whether you're hunting public or private land.

While I understand someone who paid for land and/or paid to modify their land to make it more inviting for deer, may feel a certain sense or ownership of those deer - they absolutely don't belong to them anymore than they belong to anyone else.

In many cases I feel this sense of ownership is what is driving much of what is dividing hunters.

[CANOPY SAM]

totally addicted...this was/is a good opening question, and should probably stay on that thread.

There have been dozens of posts over the years about how we could improve our state's deer hunting, and the suggestions are all pretty good, but it's such a huge issue, with so many variables, I'm not sure we'd really gain any ground by re-hashing everything that's been said many times already? If you really have your heart set on this discussion I would recommend opening another thread on that specific topic. At least then new readers would know exactly what they are getting into! Ha ha ha!!!

I'm glad to see that a few folks understand what I'm saying about "deserve". I think for those that truly put in the effort, that truly respect the animal in virtually every way, and intend to harvest the animal with a humane, clean kill shot, and fully use the animal for what (nonteepical says above)

the good lord put them on earth for us to enjoy

Yes, all those people deserve to put a deer in the freezer, and/or a nice memory on the wall.

There are just simply too many folks out there that could care less about eating venison, have no respect or appreciation for the animals what-so-ever, and are simply out there to kill a deer so they can brag to everyone that they did it! IMHO those people do not deserve to kill a deer.

[PurpleFloyd]

My opinion is the license grants you permission to harvest a legal deer by legal means during a specific period of time. It doesn't give any hunter the right to determine what is or isn't a suitable deer for another hunter to harvest.

[bowhunternw]

Of course not everyone can get one, there would be no deer left. I am with the OP, have taken several deer over the years and only one of them was a 1 1/2 year old deer. Now I really enjoy the challenge of trying to score on older deer. I do put in a lot of time thinking and devising plans on how to do it, but that is what I enjoy about it. No one can come on here and say they need the meat, it would be way cheaper to go to the grocery store. People say that they don't want to be forced into what deer they can shoot, but in a sense that is already happening. All the young and dumb ones get shot so they can't grow into old deer. So if we want a deer we are forced to shoot little ones. If you are truly after the meat as you say, why wouldn't you want apr., get a deer weighing 200 lbs. vs 100 lbs.

[PurpleFloyd]

All the young and dumb ones get shot so they can't grow into old deer.

Could you please provide any sort of proof to back that claim or edit it from your original post. I see lots of mature deer in pictures on this forum being taken every day. We took a mature deer last weekend, we took them last year and we take them nearly every year and I suspect that will not change in the future.

Not every deer can be 4 years old and worthy of your particular wall.

[TRZ II]

Of course not everyone can get one, there would be no deer left. I am with the OP, have taken several deer over the years and only one of them was a 1 1/2 year old deer. Now I really enjoy the challenge of trying to score on older deer. I do put in a lot of time thinking and devising plans on how to do it, but that is what I enjoy about it. No one can come on here and say they need the meat, it would be way cheaper to go to the grocery store. People say that they don't want to be forced into what deer they can shoot, but in a sense that is already happening. All the young and dumb ones get shot so they can't grow into old deer. So if we want a deer we are forced to shoot little

ones. If you are truly after the meat as you say, why wouldn't you want apr., get a deer weighing 200 lbs. vs 100 lbs.

Being an "oldstar" who has shot several deer over 200lbs. I can attest that they taste terrible, and after eating two 200+ pound deer in successive years I lost my taste for venison until I again returned to reality and harvested a 1.5 yr. old deer. This year I again harvested a 200 lb. buck, old swamper. It will not be great eating but i will use the animal. In all honesty with several mounted deer on my wall I'm starting to want good eaters vs. trophies. FYI- also not all old deer are big trophies! In my area many of the deer are 4.5 or older and score around 100 because of bad genetics and poor food sources. So remember not all old deer are trophies. That is why APR would never work in the north.

[InTheNorthwoods]

I can attest FYI- also not all old deer are big trophies! In my area many of the deer are 4.5 or older and score around 100 because of bad genetics and poor food sources. So remember not all old deer are trophies. That is why APR would never work in the north.

Not saying APR is the answer for any part of the State, but I have to disagree in large part that there are not adequate genetics throughout the state of MN in general to an extent where any buck at maturity will sport pretty fair headgear. One need only look at the Boone & Crockett records to see that the Northern counties are just as capable of producing large bucks as southern counties.

[Musky Buck]

Read the word "deserve" so the answer is no. Some shouldn't be hunting at all based on like opening morning, hear shooting, here they come deer 1 is a doe missing her bottom jaw, I was nearly horrified and the buck chasing her had a freshly broken leg, then the 2 idiots of course are now trying to track right by me, they saw me I got down, they scented my main deer area all up, never tried to get permission, and wondered what to do I said you boys are not going to catch up to those deer, your nearly an hour behind them now in that water, willow, tall grass, etc. but I said you can continue, next time better ask or better yet don't shoot if you can't make a good shot. Now I know who is likely wounding deer in that area way to frequently, I wish I would've took a few wild shots at them but after identifying them I had very high risk shots if I would've fired away. Do they deserve a deer heavens no.

[Musky Buck]

Oh, btw, 2 hours later the men ages 40-50's came by again heading home and no they never caught up to those deer, they did ask why didn't you shoot I said I'm not dropping a doe back in this rat hole and the buck was to small for my standards. Then realizing they're both wounded yes I was safety off trying to pick them up etc. but there route didn't allow me to shoot.

[muskiemanAD]

To the oringal question......NO! Wow a lot of gripping on the deer forum recently about APR and any other thing someone can imagine......

[monstermoose78]

I have an idea why some people shoot so bad. Here it is:

They bought the gun the night before opener never shot it, but it is bore sighted.

I think it is wrong for any place to sell a gun knowing that the person does not have time to bring the gun to the range and wrong for the person to think they can kill a deer with it. My nephews gun was bore sighted and at 25 yards was 9.5 inches low and 3 inches to the right. Turn that out to 100 yards 38 inches low and 12 to the right. Bore sighted does not mean anything. Take your guns to the range please.

My uncle pulled this on us once. He shot at 2 bucks and missed lucky on his part, but who knows where those bullets went. He now is no longer allowed to hunt at our camp any more.

[mainbutter]

A correlating question to what the OP was getting at:

Should the DNR issue licenses to every person who wants to buy one?

I'd answer that with: Should the DNR issue moose hunting licenses to every person who wants to buy one?

There are plenty of deer in MN, we aren't hunting them into extinction. Make some compromises to let as many people enjoy hunting as possible. I'd rather be able to hunt every year and see fewer deer than only able to hunt every 5 years and be guaranteed an 8 pointer.

[eyeguy 54]

might not get as much of this on a small one but it sure is tasty !!

[Musky Buck]

It was really a sad deal seeing that but now I know what's going on to my south, nothing good. So to the north a group pulled up by me, 5 in the suburban ? was " was that you shooting this AM" answer was no but it was close enough I told them, figured they maybe saw the walking wounded but no they didn't, guy appeared intoxicated, well I shot the guy said, I said I heard 4 rounds how'd that turn out, well he tells me shot 1 and my scope partially fell off my rifle so I ripped it off the whole way and tried 3 shots with open sites. Didn't hit em, said did you check for blood he said no I said did any of you check for blood they all said no what for none of em dropped before they jumped the fence haha. I'm going to talk to the farmer and end their hunting careers at least on his property, drunk, guns, scopes falling off, not checking for blood, these clowns are toast and it will likely open up another 80 for me. I kid you not about any of these stories I would never make you read if not true, man I'm caked with slob hunters, disgusting.

[TruthWalleyes]

That's pretty bad.

[eyeguy 54]

can't stop stupid. bummer. hopefully more stuff for you to hunt.

[Scott K]

I have hunted for 30 years. I have had many years with more then 1 deer, and a couple with no deer. I have had prime private land to hunt on, I have scoped the land out, and have several stands in place on the land. I spend many hours preparing for the hunt, including practicing, and sighting in my weapons. I also spend a lot of time in the woods hunting as well.

I have since bought my own land, made a pond for watering, planted food plots, and apple trees. If I dont get one, I try other land, I will sit all day, walk bogs, I hunt in Wisconsin, and MN. I try to make my hunts successful. If in the end, I dont get a deer, it sure wasnt from a lack of trying. But not once have I ever thought I deserved a deer.

[Stcloudangler]

If in the end, I dont get a deer, it sure wasnt from a lack of trying. But not once have I ever thought I deserved a deer.

I agree. In my 21 years of hunting I have never left thinking that either...

This year was funny for me. I had never shot a deer on opening morning. (high standards?) But this year a mature buck chasing a doe ran by me and I dropped him at 8:00 am. Wasn't up in the stand 2 hours. Strangely, I feel happy yet cheated somehow. We dont really party hunt so that was it. Looks like I will be trying for a doe with the bow a little more than usual this december.

Original question, No. I have eaten tag soup plenty, and never cried about it.