Deer density vs Quality Deer Management?

[PurpleFloyd]

I agree that the state should never be letting hunters shoot 5 deer a year through bonus tags etc. I actually think we should have to pick one season and only buy a license for that particular season. That would eliminate a lot of the pressure and let the herd stabilize without changing things for the the average hunter.

1 Deer

1 Hunt

per year.

[SmellEsox]

The problem with allowing people to hunt multiple seasons is they really aren't limited to one, or two, or 5 deer. With party hunting they can go from season to season and shoot everything they see.

[bowhunternw]

I agree that the state should never be letting hunters shoot 5 deer a year through bonus tags etc. I actually think we should have to pick one season and only buy a license for that particular season. That would eliminate a lot of the pressure and let the herd stabilize without changing things for the the average hunter.

1 Deer

1 Hunt

per year.

I feel the exact same way, it would reduce pressure and I think it would reduce the number of people shooting multiple deer.

[Bear55]

I'm in favor of reducing pressure, but good luck getting the DNR to try and print less $$$. They love the guys who buy 2+ tags every year.

[smsmith]

Given smellesox and P.F.'s last posts...I'd agree with the one season/one deer deal (and throw in Jameson's one zone too). Not that it matters one iota...DNR sold more tags last year than there were deer in the state

[PurpleFloyd]

Given smellesox and P.F.'s last posts...I'd agree with the one season/one deer deal (and throw in Jameson's one zone too). Not that it matters one iota...DNR sold more tags last year than there were deer in the state

Excuse me while I run for cover because if I am not mistaken the three of us kinda agreed on something which means all heck might be ready to break loose

[smsmith]

Excuse me while I run for cover because if I am not mistaken the three of us kinda agreed on something which means all heck might be ready to break loose

ya, kinda amazed me too

[Jameson]

how in the heck?

[zepman]

I'm sure we all know the people who have "tags" for every legal family member and feel the need to kill deer all season long on those "tags"...party hunting (per say) at its finest. X this by the amount of different "tags" a family can buy(archery, firearms, muzzleloader etc...), and during different seasons, and we have a serious problem.

It's this practice that needs to be stopped...how they do it, IDK. It happens more than you can ever imagine.....

There are greedy people out there who could care less what they do to the local deer population...next year, they'll buy those same "tags"... the State lets them... and hunt from September thru December with a "brown, it's down" mentality.

Too many seasons...too many "tags"...not enough enforcement. We ALL need to throttle back a little and just relax come deer season.

Fix the regs...it's at least a start....

[Wanderer]

Given smellesox and P.F.'s last posts...I'd agree with the one season/one deer deal (and throw in Jameson's one zone too). Not that it matters one iota...DNR sold more tags last year than there were deer in the state

Oh, so you guys are saying we should revert back to the same type of regulations we had 20+ years ago when the deer population started trending way above goal due to so many consecutive easy winters? You might be on to something.

Seriously though, it's back to that pendulum thing and the DNR is slow to react the swing. Plus, as nonteepical mentioned, their population goals aren't the same as a hunters might be.

For the record, I agree the regs should be tightened back up a bit for 2014.

In fact, many of the points you guys made about reducing the pressure make good arguments about how it's really bad timing to allow crossbows in the regular MN Archery season! Yes, I just went there.

[candiru]

I think of it as party tagging, not party hunting.

[jerkbait]

Which is already illegal.

[smsmith]

how in the heck?

Just goes to show ya...guys with a history of not agreeing can reach consensus when they keep an open mind and when they keep the best interests of the resource foremost. If more hunters with diverse opinions and viewpoints can pull together and add strength to an already existing strong group....we can indeed effect changes that will be meaningful and lasting.

Put our petty differences aside and focus on what we can all agree on. It ain't that hard

[Jameson]

...In fact, many of the points you guys made about reducing the pressure make good arguments about how it's really bad timing to allow crossbows in the regular MN Archery season! Yes, I just went there.

I would argue that if the do make it so we can only hunt one season, than it would be the perfect time to introduce crossbows. The biggest fear that I read is that there would be a huge influx of crossbow users during the normal vertical bow only time, but if folks have to choose between firearms or crossbow, not being able to do both, most will likely choose not to change. And if they do, they will likely be less likely to fill their one deer tag with a crossbow compared to a rifle.

[PurpleFloyd]

...In fact, many of the points you guys made about reducing the pressure make good arguments about how it's really bad timing to allow crossbows in the regular MN Archery season! Yes, I just went there.

[hockeybc69]

Blackjack and I discussed the crossbow thing over email a week or so ago..... I agree too with what you just said as well.

[SmellEsox]

Excuse me while I run for cover because if I am not mistaken the three of us kinda agreed on something which means all heck might be ready to break loose

LOL! Maybe it had something to do with that lunar eclipse???!

[InTheNorthwoods]

Based on the title of the thread, and the initial poster and post, am I safe in assuming this is a typical "troll" job, and the true meaning/goal of QDM has been discussed ad nauseam?

[B. Amish]

the true meaning/goal of qdm doesn't mean there weren't plenty of folks screaming to 'just shoot a doe' and let the little bucks walk.

the point is valid that that mentality may have contributed to what's going on.

[PurpleFloyd]

Based on the title of the thread, and the initial poster and post, am I safe in assuming this is a typical "troll" job, and the true meaning/goal of QDM has been discussed ad nauseam?

No

[BLACKJACK]

DNR sold more tags last year than there were deer in the state

Hasn't that always been the case?? Somewhere in their deer population goals I would think that the average hunter success rate would have to factor in, not 100% of the deer hunters fill their tags.

[BLACKJACK]

Based on the title of the thread, and the initial poster and post, am I safe in assuming this is a typical "troll" job, and the true meaning/goal of QDM has been discussed ad nauseam?

[smsmith]

Hasn't that always been the case?? Somewhere in their deer population goals I would think that the average hunter success rate would have to factor in, not 100% of the deer hunters fill their tags.

No, that has not been the case most years at all.

[mntatonka]

Hasn't that always been the case?? Somewhere in their deer population goals I would think that the average hunter success rate would have to factor in, not 100% of the deer hunters fill their tags.

[PurpleFloyd]

How do we really know or sure? The DNR estimates 1M deer every year it seems and we sell fewer tags than that a year so if you go by the available data we do not sell more licenses than we have deer.

We DO sell more licenses than we have "Mature" bucks and if everyone only shot mature bucks we would either have absolutely zero left after the season or the population would need to increase by multiples to have enough of them to fill the tags and have enough deer of the other sexes and age ranges to keep things in balance.