How many deer can one person take?

[MUSKY18]

Okay, so last night I was talking with my FIL, and he was trying to convince me that a person in MN can only shoot one deer with their primary license of any type of weapon.....meaning, if you were to shoot a deer with your bow, you are no longer allowed to hunt with your firearm.  I disagreed, stating that if you harvest a deer with your bow (lets say a doe), then you are able to still hunt with your firearm license and harvest a buck, or vice versa, harvesting a buck with your bow and then using your firearm to harvest a doe (if legal in the area you are hunting or having a doe permit).  I don't remember seeing anything stating in the regs that you are only allowed to harvest a deer with one type of weapon, and maybe there was a few too many Diet Coors involved, but he made a compelling argument, but I still believe he is wrong.......right?

[ANYFISH2]

You are correct, that you could harvest deer using both your main rifle and main archery tags.  You can not use both in lottery /hunters choice areas. As long as you stay with in your limits for your areas you can use both main tags.

Just one example (there are many combinations);

Hunt area 214, managed area.in 2015,  

I take a doe early with archery,  I use my main archery tag. Now rifle season comes I can shoot a buck or doe and use my main rifle tag as it is still a either sex tag.   2 deer, by any combination of licenses or permits in managed areas.

 

 

.

 

[Bear55]

Very much depends on the area you hunt, you are likely both right depending on the area you hunt.

[triggertrav]

I feel like a few years back - your FIL was correct - that if take a doe with in a managed area and you used your bow tag, you were done state wide with your 'main tags'.

But now it is based on the area you hunt more that the weapon, as stated above.  and the diet drinks usually cause confusion.

[NELS-BELLS]

It has always been that once you have tagged a deer with your primary bow tag, you cannot tag another deer with a primary gun or muzzleloader tag.  You can still buy a gun tag and party hunt.  You can also tag an antlerless deer with a management tag using a gun or bow as long as you are hunting in a management area.  

After reading the regs, I'm a little confused.  I think you can use 2 primary lic to tag 2 deer as long as one of them was taken in the management area.  You would only need to buy a management tag if you wanted to tag 2 deer with the same weapon.

Tagging Deer on Archery, Firearm, and Muzzleloader Licenses

1. In managed and intensive areas, hunter can tag deer on any combination of deer lic so long as they adhere to the statewide bag limits.

2. You cannont do this in bucks-only, youth-only antlerless, lottery or hunter choice deer areas where the limit is one deer total per year.

3. Only one buck per hunter, per year, regardless of the area or the lic.

Nels

Edited August 19, 2015 by NELS-BELLS

[wannafish2]

Here's what the regs say....

A hunter may tag one legal buck per year, without exception. Although hunters can buy all three licenses, the bag limits may not allow all three tags to be filled in a single deer area. It is the hunter’s responsibility to know the bag limit for the areas they hunt. The statewide bag limit for deer is five. Deer harvested in special hunts do not contribute to the bag limit within the surrounding deer permit area; however, they do contribute to the statewide limit. Bucks‑only Deer Areas—The bag limit is one legal buck total per year (see page 71), regardless of license type or season. With the exception of residents of veterans’ homes and hunters who are 84 or older, no antlerless deer may be harvested, by anyone, in a bucks-only area. If you take a deer in a bucks-only deer area, you cannot take another deer in another bucks-only, youth-only antlerless, lottery or hunter choice deer area. However, you can take antlerless deer in managed or intensive deer areas, as well as most special hunt areas with a valid permit, provided you adhere to the regulations and bag limits for those areas. Bonus permits are not valid in bucks‑only deer areas.

Lottery Deer Areas—The bag limit is one deer total per year, regardless of license type. Unless you hold a youth deer license, are a resident of a veterans’ home or are 84 or older, an either-sex permit is required to take antlerless deer in lottery deer areas. If you take a deer in a lottery deer area, you cannot take another deer in another bucks-only, youth-only antlerless, lottery or hunter choice deer area.

Hunter Choice Deer Areas—The bag limit is one either-sex deer total per year, regardless of license type. If you take a deer in a hunter choice deer area, you cannot take another deer in another bucks-only, youth-only antlerless, lottery, or hunter choice deer area.

Managed Deer Areas—The bag limit for managed deer areas is two deer and hunters can use any combination of licenses and bonus permits to tag both deer.

Intensive Deer Areas—Using any combination of licenses and permits, the bag limit for intensive deer areas is five deer.

Confusing, as usual.  I know I bought both archery and rifle tags, but if I shoot a deer with my bow, not only am I done hunting, my rifle tag is useless.

Still, can't wait!  Fall is on the way!

 

[triggertrav]

Unless you are hunting a managed or intensive harvest area.  The under lined note above refers to shooting a buck.   Then you would have filed your buck tag state wide. 

[ANYFISH2]

Unless you are hunting a managed or intensive harvest area.  The under lined note above refers to shooting a buck.   Then you would have filed your buck tag state wide. 

trigger,  I am certain i know what you are meaning. 

However, their is really no such thing as a "buck tag" anymore.  Any main tag is either sex dependant on what classification the area you harvest the deer in.

IF you harvest a buck, you must use the main tag for the weapon used.  The rest of your main tags are still valid statewide to harvest a doe (valid In lottery areas as long as you won the lottery and did not shoot your buck In a lottery, hunters choice, or bucks only areas). Exception is bucks only areas for obvious reasons.

Edited August 19, 2015 by ANYFISH2

[paceman]

I hunt in both HC and Managed. The way i see it. I could take a buck in HC and then go buy 2 management tags and fill those with does in the managed zone.

[NELS-BELLS]

....so you are saying that if I am bow hunting in a management area and shoot a buck and tag it, I can still go and buy a gun tag for a "hunters choice area" and tag a doe with that lic in the HC area?

Nels

[ANYFISH2]

....so you are saying that if I am bow hunting in a management area and shoot a buck and tag it, I can still go and buy a gun tag for a "hunters choice area" and tag a doe with that lic in the HC area?

Nels

yes

[monstermoose78]

....so you are saying that if I am bow hunting in a management area and shoot a buck and tag it, I can still go and buy a gun tag for a "hunters choice area" and tag a doe with that lic in the HC area?

Nels

No because it is a one deer limit in a HC area, however if you are in a Management area you could take 1 doe, because 1 buck plus 1 doe equals 2 deer. If you are in intensive harvest area you could tag 4 more does if you tagged a buck. If you are in 601 you can shoot as many does as you would like. 

Edited August 20, 2015 by monstermoose78

[ANYFISH2]

No because it is a one deer limit in a HC area, ..

 

@Monstermoose78 you are incorrect here.  You are allowed 1 deer per year from HC, LOTTO, bucks only areas.  

if he shot a buck in managed, he HAS NOT used up his HC, LOTTO, bucks only 1 deer. Ithe only means his main rifle tag must be used on a doe, resulting in being done in bucks only, needing to have been drawn in lottery to harvest In a lotto area, and making his rifle either sex tag a doe tag in HC.

[monstermoose78]

@Monstermoose78 you are incorrect here.  You are allowed 1 deer per year from HC, LOTTO, bucks only areas.  

if he shot a buck in managed, he HAS NOT used up his HC, LOTTO, bucks only 1 deer. Ithe only means his main rifle tag must be used on a doe, resulting in being done in bucks only, needing to have been drawn in lottery to harvest In a lotto area, and making his rifle either sex tag a doe tag in HC.

Well my friend got a ticket and visit from the DNR Officer when he tried it to tag one buck from a lottery area and 2 does from a managed area. He got one over limit and it shows on his record. Good Luck to you if you try it.

[ANYFISH2]

I have in the past.

Statewide limit is 5 deer.

If I may ask, when did this occure?

Before like 2008 (?)you could only use on main tag, and could only use one bonus tag(in a managed area). So in effect if you harvested a buck in a lottery area, you only had a bonus permit left that would be valid.  If it happened before 2008, I can see it as a violation.  If after I think he was falsely cited.

Edited August 21, 2015 by ANYFISH2

[SmellEsox]

The way I read it, ANYFISH2 is correct.  As long as you are within the statewide limit of five, you can use your regular archery license in a Bucks only, Lottery or HC zone, then you can use any combination of two bonus/muzzy/rifle tags in a managed zone or 4 of any combination of bonus/muzzy/rifle tags in an Intensive zone.  And he is also correct in that the law changed regarding this a few to several years ago.

[MNice]

Wannafish2 has posted the regulations, it may take a few times to read and comprehend, but it is pretty clear. 

[monstermoose78]

I have in the past.

Statewide limit is 5 deer.

If I may ask, when did this occure?

Before like 2008 (?)you could only use on main tag, and could only use one bonus tag(in a managed area). So in effect if you harvested a buck in a lottery area, you only had a bonus permit left that would be valid.  If it happened before 2008, I can see it as a violation.  If after I think he was falsely cited.

He got busted about a week after he registered does. This happened last winter.  The limit for deer in HC and Lottery areas is one deer. The limit for Managed 2 deer total. IH area is 5 and 601 is unlimited does and only one buck. So the state limit is not 5 it depends on where you are hunting. You buck counts a deer no matter what area you hunt in.

[ANYFISH2]

Monster, this interests me.

Did he try to fight the ticket?

As told to me by my local CO, Former big game coordinator Lou Cornicelli (sp), and an email reply to another person from st.paul,  It doesn't sound like he broke the law.

I have been told and understand that you can:

Harvest 1 deer per year IN ANY ONE, lottery/HC/bucks only area.

Harvest 2 deer per year total In Managed areas.

This would result in being able to harvest 3 total between the two classifications.  Because you are still within bag limits of each area.  You then could only harvest 2 more does in a intensive area because that is all you have left of your statewide limit of 5.

I am not sure of all the details of your friends hunt, but a first glance he was screwed.

Do you know the CO'S name?

[monstermoose78]

I do and I talked to my friend after reading all this but he already paid the ticket and is over it but he might try to fight to get it off his record.  

[ANYFISH2]

I hope it works for him!

If my understanding is wrong, I sure would like to know how it is wrong? 

Gold luck to him and you this coming season.  Maybe run into you this year at Ripley.

 

[monstermoose78]

I know Ripley allows people to use a bonus tag there for a doe. It would be fun to meet up at Ripley

[SmellEsox]

Here is an explanation that is on the DNR page.  There are examples of what you can and cannot do on pages 11 and 12:

 

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/recreation/hunting/deer/2015-season-faq.pdf

Also, read the NOTE on page 13.  Interesting! It says if you shoot an antlerless deer with your regular license in a lottery or HC zone, you cannot shoot a buck anywhere in the state.

[ANYFISH2]

I will definitely have to look Into that Note more closely, as it says, YEAR not season.  Interesting for sure.

Thanks smellesox!

[MNice]

 

Also, read the NOTE on page 13.  Interesting! It says if you shoot an antlerless deer with your regular license in a lottery or HC zone, you cannot shoot a buck anywhere in the state.

I would agree, you used your main tag.  You could buy a bonus tag in an area and shoot an antlerless deer  in a managed or intensive harvest area.  Read farther on down to the FAQ area, it has a better explanation.

Edited August 24, 2015 by MNice