Regulation Question....

[harvey lee]

I did talk to a CO and you are incorrect (I was told that the CO would double check to make sure). You are only allowed to take 1 deer in ANY 1 deer zone with ANY weapon. You were also correct that the weapon of choice does not matter, but ONLY in 1 deer zones. But since the Metro is not a 1 deer zone I can take a buck in the metro and then use my rifle tag to take a doe up in rifle season. If you see something in the regs I am missing, please let me know the page and section.... or copy and paste like I did before.

Thanks!

That's the way I was told by the DNR. If you take a deer by gun in the Metro, you will need to have the IH license if you also draw a doe tag in your lottery zone.

Can you shoot a doe in the Metro zone and then hunt bucks in the Lottery zone, yes. If you want more than one doe in the Metro zone by archery, then get the extra tags from the DNR or license vendor.

[Powerstroke]

I removed my posts because the DNR has cleared up this issue and my comments disagreed with that. I don't want them to confuse anyone.

[Jameson]

Once your main tag is used. You cannot hunt in any one deer zones, as you cannot use Bonus tags in one deer zones. Pages 81, 82 & 91 of the Regs book.

Once your main tag is used you cannot hunt in any one deer zones with that weapon, as you cannot use Bonus tags in one deer zones. Pages 81, 82 & 91 of the Regs book.

You could arch a doe in the metro on your main tag, then use your rifle main tag on a deer in a hunter choice area.

[Jameson]

Quick call to the DNR and I have my answers.

I can use my archery license in the Metro zone to harvest a doe and can get extra rags for doe's. I can then also hunt my lottery zone with my gun license for a buck and or a does if I were to draw a doe tag.

I could also get a Metro gun doe tag and fill that and then also take a buck in my lottery zone with my slug gun.

What is a Metro gun doe tag? I think you mean a bonus tag. Bonus tags are good anywhere in the state that isn't a one-deer zone, for any weapon. Not many places in the state this year to use them.

[Scott K]

Well that is simple

[DTro]

Well that is simple

Yeah, no doubt eh! Now just for a moment consider yourself a new or beginner hunter trying to figure this out and get into hunting. LOL Even after a clarification by the CO I still have NO IDEA what you guys are talking about. Metro zone, Bonus tage, Hunters Choice, Special Zone, Intensive zone, Lottery, Park Hunt, Youth Hunt, City Hunt, Archery, Firearm, Muzzleloader, Buck only, Doe only, Clear as mud.

[harvey lee]

Jameson, I should have stated a bonus tag for the Metro zone which one can shoot numerous doe's. I stated that wrong in the wording. I believe the Metro zone is 601.

DTRO--Most states offer numerous seasons for the deer hunters. When the DNR has there regional meetings for hunters to attend and ask what they would like to see, then the DNR tries to make everyone happy, can't happen. Have more hunts and you will have more rules and regs, nature of the beast.

If one just hunts gun in 1 zone, very easy to understand. As you do more hunts depending on the area you hunt in, yes it gets a little harder to understand but it can be done.

Other tough issue is, some area have way too many deer and people complain they are doing damage so the DNR opens them up with bonus tags or make it a IH area where one can shoot numerous deer and that is a entire new set of rules to go along with all the lottery zone rules.

Then, the issues with QDM and disease and we get even more regs like CWD in place.

One wants a youth season, park hunts, special town hunts and then we end up with so many hunts offered and so many rules for each, we get what we have now.

years ago North Dakota was real simple but they also are now getting to have numerous different hunts and it is also getting tougher there but still more simple than MN.

One simple call to the DNR will answer ones questions very well. Tough to ask in the forums as most have a different understanding of these rules.

Not all that tough to figure it out.

[Jameson]

...Yeah, no doubt eh! Now just for a moment consider yourself a new or beginner hunter trying to figure this out and get into hunting. LOL ...

It wasn't that long ago for me. It was actually pretty simple. If someone is just a beginner hunter they are probably just hunting one season in one spot for a couple of days. Maybe getting invited up to a deer hunting camp for opening gun weekend. The regs are pretty simple in that situation.

It is when hunters aren't beginners and want to spend a lot of time hunting in a lot of different areas that the regs get complicated.

And really the problem often is when regs change and people don't read the regs for a couple of years. Seems that is where two people can start thinking two different things are legal or illegal. I would guess that most "incorrect" answers would be correct if the question would have been asked a number of years ago. This thread is a good example. The original post had it figured out, but was just checking for re-assurance.

[Bear55]

The regs aren't terrible hard to understand but there is probably an easier way to deal with them.

Why not just say everyone can harvest 1 buck via any method, then manage the does with separate section tags via lotto or over the counter depending on the area. Sometimes too many options can be a mess, especially when you look at everything (intensive harvest, managed, lotto, bucks only, hunters choice).

[harvey lee]

You got it Bear, now try convincing the DNR, that in itself would be a big task.

[harvey lee]

You got it Bear, now try convincing the DNR, that in itself would be a big task.

I do not like to really complain on how the DNR is handling the deer season generally. I remember 40 years ago, there were next to no deer in our area and now we have pretty darn good hunting, least I do.

Shoot my deer every year with a ok or better buck and a doe or two if the tags are there.

Now I can archery hunt, shotgun or muzzleloader and have been very successful with all 3 weapons. years ago, 1 deer.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Why not just say everyone can harvest 1 buck via any method, then manage the does with separate section tags via lotto or over the counter depending on the area. Sometimes too many options can be a mess, especially when you look at everything (intensive harvest, managed, lotto, bucks only, hunters choice).

That's essentially the way it is now. One buck period and so many does or lottery pick or none at all depending on sub-zone.

[Bear55]

That's essentially the way it is now. One buck period and so many does or lottery pick or none at all depending on sub-zone.

Except there is a maze of rules and options that take a simple idea and complicate it so much so that we've seen several posts where CO's are giving us different "opinions" on things. Remember all the old discussion about if you could take a buck in a lotto zone then 2 does in managed areas. Things are more simple now with a lot of lotto areas/bucks only but back when you had a bunch of zones there were a lot of combinations of tags and areas that gets messy.

Ideally I wouldn't mind one deer tag and I can use any wheapon to take it during that season but then the DNR doesn't bleed us for 3 tags if you want to archery, rifle and muzzy hunt.

Not to mention a lot of the laws are written so they leave a lot of open question about different interpretations. This is likely done on purpose to confuse people. I saw somewhere that Texas game laws are one or two pages, if you want to deer hunt in MN you need to read and understand dozens of pages.

[harvey lee]

I agree the length of the regs, North Dakota has approx. 1.5 pages for the deer hunting, not a entire book like Mn.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

I'm steppin in what you're throwin down, bear. True, very true.

[Getanet]

I agree the length of the regs, North Dakota has approx. 1.5 pages for the deer hunting, not a entire book like Mn.

The regs might be shorter, but I have to say, I've been trying to follow along with the other thread about getting drawn for a non-resident tag in ND, and for someone who has never hunted there it's confusing as all get-out.

Sounds like you guys have a lottery, accrue point, lose points, can possibly buy excess tags from guides if have the right connections, will get a tag if your last name ends in a vowel (sorry, Y doesn't count), but only if you submitted your application on the third Thursday of the month...seems more complicated than the NBA Lottery.

[harvey lee]

ND has a lottery for all who hunt rifle or ML. A archery license can be purchased over the counter by all.

For a NR in ND, I believe 1% of the deer rifle and ML tags to the NR, the balance to the resident hunter who also goes through a lottery.

But as far as how and where you can shoot or harvest a does, it is real simple. 1 buck tag for those who draw one in the lottery and doe tags for anyone who draws one in the lottery, pretty simple.

One cannot but tags if you have connections, but you can buy one from a guide if you are willing to pay the piper. Those guide tags come out of the NR allowance I believe.

If you do not draw a tag, then you gain preference points so one can only go so long before they finally draw one.

Whether it be Mn or ND, 1 buck tag and then doe tags in lottery areas. Mn just has a few more options with intensive harvest and mgmt. areas where the deer numbers are to high and a few special hunts as ND also has a few special hunts now and then.