Your Zone, Observations, & Mgmt Opinion

[Crow Hunter]

I am in 241, managed. I would rather it be hunter's choice. The two of us saw more deer than last year, some of that I attribute to no full moon during season this year. We took one buck, a nine point.

[O.T.C.]

In a way it's my fault meaning I can't control the high % of game hogs in our few sections of land that the deer live on it's up to me to make the adjustments I need to make, I need to realize the land(s) are now surrounded by bow pressure from opener right up until rifle season and that is the biggest reason the deer nearly start rifle season nocturnal. I need to forget about my "opener" stand and I need to hunt escape routes exclusively due to the mass amount of rifles and a box stand or 2 in and around every field, no more casual deer just meandering on their own they are using escape routes from the first legal light on. It's a different hunt nowadays and I need to believe that and trust in that and play the wind 100% of the time if I'm going in tighter to the bedding ground on opening day now. Now for zone 1 and maybe a chance, colder for the weekend so maybe that standing corn will do something for me lol.       

[Getanet]

I notice just the opposite.  As a bowhunter, I think unpressured deer move much more and more naturally.  Pressured deer, you might see for a short time, but then they go into hiding, often becoming nocturnal.

 

I think we might be more of less saying the same thing. I have no doubt unpressured deer move more naturally. I'm referring to the rifle season. Once opening weekend comes around and all of us hunters enter the woods, a few shots get fired...those deer go into the thick stuff. And without anyone doing drives to push them out of it, they won't move during daylight hours unless they have to. For example, our party of 9 guys only saw one deer total for opening weekend. On Tuesday, 4 guys were hunting. Two of them walked through a small, thick patch of poplar trees and kicked a doe and a buck out. I'm not saying that's the way it is everywhere, but for us, where we hunt, the clear cutting they did years ago has grown up so thick in so many places they're not going to come out of it unless something or someone makes them.

[certified jumbo]

Smell Esox.  We hunt as a family and a group in northern Minnesota where it is usually 1 tag.  I enjoy being in the woods with my dad, my boys, and want to be part of the experience.  We take days off work, have large meals, and stay at the family cabin.  We would rather sit in the woods with each other than have to sit in the cabin all day because somebody "tagged out" and 6:45 opening morning.  In the end, party hunting works well for us and we have great traditions and experiences in the woods.

[smsmith]

Smell Esox.  We hunt as a family and a group in northern Minnesota where it is usually 1 tag.  I enjoy being in the woods with my dad, my boys, and want to be part of the experience.  We take days off work, have large meals, and stay at the family cabin.  We would rather sit in the woods with each other than have to sit in the cabin all day because somebody "tagged out" and 6:45 opening morning.  In the end, party hunting works well for us and we have great traditions and experiences in the woods.

Why would someone who had filled their tag have to sit in the cabin all day?  Go small game hunting, go along on drives (if that's how a group hunts anyway) without a gun, go for a walk in the woods, whatever....if its simply time together and the feeling of deer camp that you enjoy, why does it have to include guys shooting other guys' deer?

[picksbigwagon]

  There are many states across the country that don't allow party hunting but sons enjoy hunting with there dad's and vice versa.

I am just curious, which states don't allow party hunting?  I read South Dakota either in this thread or a different one here, but I am just curious which ones specifically?  

[smsmith]

Party hunting with gun is legal in WI & IA, but not with bow.  

 

Illegal with any weapon in MI, NE, SD, ND, IL, KY, IN, NY, WY, KS, MS, VA, MO, CO, AZ, TN...not sure on any others

[certified jumbo]

I guess that's what makes IA, WI and MN so great!

[smurfy]

Why would someone who had filled their tag have to sit in the cabin all day?  Go small game hunting, go along on drives (if that's how a group hunts anyway) without a gun, go for a walk in the woods, whatever....if its simply time together and the feeling of deer camp that you enjoy, why does it have to include guys shooting other guys' deer?

oh yea I could see that working well with a bunch of deer hunters in the woods and you walking around with nothing or a shotgun!!!!!!!!

[SmellEsox]

When our group bowhunts IA, when someone fills out, they go out and sit with a camera or go to a new spot and explore.  Great way to scout for future hunts.  And you don't have to shoot the first deer that comes by.  If time in the woods with family is important, be more selective in what you shoot.  If that trophy of a lifetime comes by the first day at dawn, well then you should probably shoot it and be happy with your fortune for the year and be satisfied.  Be camp cook or camp scout for some of the other guys in camp.  I grew up in MI where party hunting was illegal.  When you shot your buck you were done.  You couldn't even assist others with hunting there after shooting your deer.  We still loved being at camp enjoying the atmosphere.  There was always something to do back at camp to keep us busy, besides gloating in front of your deerless friends/family.  And you not out shooting more deer might actually up the odds of your partners shooting their own deer, which I'm sure they'd much rather do.  I realize longstanding traditions die hard, but if it might make hunting better isn't it worth it?  New traditions will develop.  Regardless certified jumbo, it sounds like you guys do party hunting the right way.  Glad you enjoy it.

[certified jumbo]

We may want to nominate that quote by smsmith as "preposterous statement of the year"

At first, I thought he was being sarcastic, but perhaps not. 

[smsmith]

oh yea I could see that working well with a bunch of deer hunters in the woods and you walking around with nothing or a shotgun!!!!!!!!

Why?  I see lots of guys complaining that nobody is out moving the deer around.  A guy's tagged out on deer, go for a walk through the thick stuff with the shotgun for pheasants and/or grouse.  Gets the deer moving, right?

 

I grew up deer hunting in WI.  While it was legal to party hunt there we didn't do it.  Still had deer camp, still had time with friends/family, still had big meals, still had all the B.S.ing...I went grouse hunting a number of times during the years I had tagged out.  Especially during the week and second weekend when not many deer were moving.

 

I know...this is MN...state of shooting whatever moves and putting Grandma's tag on it.  I realize that will most likely never change.  It just baffles me why anybody would want somebody else to shoot a deer for them.

I guess that's what makes IA, WI and MN so great!

IA has world class buck hunting and limited tags.  WI deer hunters register more trophy bucks than any other state in the nation and has a much larger deer herd than does IA or MN.  What does MN have?  Oh ya....the highest yearling buck mortality rate in any deer hunting state...and half the deer that used to be here.  Yay MN 

[leechlake]

I elk hunted in New Mexico for a bit and 3 years I killed a bull opening day and one year on day 2.  My buddy was with me and we were going home Thursday so I had 4 full days three times and 3 full days one year to not hunt.  I had a blast.  I'd sleep in a bit, drive around in no where's ville, run some errands and in the afternoons hunt with him.  If I was at my own place I could have done some chores, cooked some food, and just enjoyed the time.  It was a gift not a burden.

I agree that going out grouse hunting during deer season is just wrong.  Not illegal but wrong.  Common courtesy thing to fellow deer hunters.

[smurfy]

personally I cant stand deer drives. I think its dangerous and throwing lead at a deer running lights out your asking for wounded deer more then a good clean kill!! I have no problem encountering another hunter that's deer hunting...........someone out for a stroll, first thing i'd think is hunter harrassement. again my personal opinion. 

[smsmith]

personally I cant stand deer drives. I think its dangerous and throwing lead at a deer running lights out your asking for wounded deer more then a good clean kill!! I have no problem encountering another hunter that's deer hunting...........someone out for a stroll, first thing i'd think is hunter harrassement. again my personal opinion. 

Someone out for stroll on their own land is hunter harassment?  Okay   I grew up hunting the old man's land and now own my own.  Our land, our rules.

So you're anti deer drive, but pro party hunting/crosstagging?  That accurate?

[certified jumbo]

smsmith.

Strike of nerve and the truth comes out.  "world class buck hunting" and "more trophy bucks".   Need any more be said?

[MJ1657]

smsmith.

Strike of nerve and the truth comes out.  "world class buck hunting" and "more trophy bucks".   Need any more be said?

You sir have nailed it. 

[leechlake]

smsmith.

Strike of nerve and the truth comes out.  "world class buck hunting" and "more trophy bucks".   Need any more be said?

we party hunt, even though I think it would be best if it wasn't allowed.  I'm a hypocrite or give in to our group, I admit it.  I think it would be best if it wasn't allowed but understand everyone's thoughts.

That said, Wisconsin and Iowa are enough south of Minnesota to make most Winters more tame and both states have better feed for the deer than most of Minnesota.  Those two variables make them have more trophy deer than Minnesota will ever have , not the fact that party hunting is allowed.  To equate that party hunting gives them better or bigger deer is not accurate.  Just a point of fact.  Now back to the original topic.

Edited November 18, 2015 by leechlake

[monstermoose78]

I finally got my family to get away from party hunting, because of one uncle who thought it was his right to kill our deer for us.  Telling him he could not shoot my deer or my brothers deer caused a big fight and he is no longer allowed to hunt with us or be on my families land. Deer Camp has be a much nicer place without this uncle, no fighting, no one getting drunk, no fights. and no Cow dump. I have not been up to Deer Camp in a few years, because of college but my dad, brother, uncles, and cousins have thanked me for standing up to the one uncle. 

Grouse hunting during season is dangerous, but it is legal, but I tried it when I was in college the first time. I would only walk down trails that did not have trucks park at the beginning of them. I can tell you when I came up on a deer hunters and they would loose their gourd. I told them I was sorry and that I thought no one was on that trail, because there was not truck or car parked at the beginning of it. I did find some trails without any one and did get some birds but it was not worth worrying if I was going to be shot. This was on public land  near Ely, MN. About 4 years ago my brother and I shot our bucks the first Weekend and we had a week to be at the cabin we grouse hunted our land and then drove out to a walleye lake we fish. We got a few more grouse on the way to the lake. The DNR officer was confused when he came down to the lake and saw our stringer full of walleyes and some ducks laying on the shore, because we were in blaze orange. It was one of the best weeks hanging out with my little brother. 

[smsmith]

smsmith.

Strike of nerve and the truth comes out.  "world class buck hunting" and "more trophy bucks".   Need any more be said?

I was pointing out that IA and WI are different than MN and how they're different.  Interesting that you cherry picked what you did and left out the fact that I said IA also had limited tags and that WI has a much larger deer herd.  Agenda much?  Am I interested in shooting large, mature bucks?  Duh.  I'm sure you on the other hand have no such interest   It always amazes me why so many Minnesotans are resistant to anything that would make their deer hunting better for either numbers of deer or numbers of older bucks.  

 

Carry on with the piety 

[Farmsfulltime]

I finally got my family to get away from party hunting, because of one uncle who thought it was his right to kill our deer for us.  Telling him he could not shoot my deer or my brothers deer caused a big fight and he is no longer allowed to hunt with us or be on my families land. Deer Camp has be a much nicer place without this uncle, no fighting, no one getting drunk, no fights. and no Cow dump. I have not been up to Deer Camp in a few years, because of college but my dad, brother, uncles, and cousins have thanked me for standing up to the one uncle.

Grouse hunting during season is dangerous, but it is legal, but I tried it when I was in college the first time. I would only walk down trails that did not have trucks park at the beginning of them. I can tell you when I came up on a deer hunters and they would loose their gourd. I told them I was sorry and that I thought no one was on that trail, because there was not truck or car parked at the beginning of it. I did find some trails without any one and did get some birds but it was not worth worrying if I was going to be shot. This was on public land  near Ely, MN. About 4 years ago my brother and I shot our bucks the first Weekend and we had a week to be at the cabin we grouse hunted our land and then drove out to a walleye lake we fish. We got a few more grouse on the way to the lake. The DNR officer was confused when he came down to the lake and saw our stringer full of walleyes and some ducks laying on the shore, because we were in blaze orange. It was one of the best weeks hanging out with my little brother.

Good post and im glad you enjoy your time in the woods with family, Im also sure you would not wish to impose non party hunting laws on hunters that enjoy time in the woods with family legally party hunting , That's what is great about the outdoors is there are so many positive ways to enjoy it and I would certainly not impose law changes that would impact how others enjoy themselves just because I don't choose to hunt that way.

[leechlake]

Let me give this a whirl...

In a normal year Mn rifle season I have killed a deer about 40% of the years since I started hunting.  One of those bucks was a pretty fair 9 pointer the rest does and small bucks.  I have seen one big buck in the same area with deer hunt near Walker and that was bow hunting beginning of October, it was huge.  So in 30 plus years of deer hunting the same area I've  shot some deer and only seen one trophy.  One year I shot two deer rifle hunting.   I bet I get to hunt more than the average zone 2 hunter during the nine day season.

What if in those 30 plus years party hunting never existed?  My answer is that the one year I wouldn't have shot two does which I assume would leave one deer still in the woods and it most likely would have had a fawn the next year.   Some of the bucks I have shot I wouldn't have (for about a 12 year stretch I passed on some small bucks hoping for a trophy that I've learned most likely doesn't exist) and they would have had a chance to reach 2.5, 3.5,4.5 , 5.5 years of age and thus a chance to be either a trophy or a "nice" buck a few years later for me.  I know that many of those small bucks I wouldn't have shot because I didn't want my season over.  Many of the does I wouldn't have shot for the same reason leaving more to breed increasing the population.

That's my story. What's yours?

 

[Satchmo]

I believe party hunting is as riddled with fraud as the phone registration system is. I think doing away with both would go leaps and bounds toward boosting herd numbers and allowing more people to be in managed areas where they could take a deer of each sex. That being said, I don't believe either will change because of some of the same accusations being leveled at the guys trying to lower doe harvest. The loudest proponents of party hunting don't want THEIR traditions messed with, because the way THEY do things, it has no impact on the herd (haha). I know how the system works for the hardcore guys cause I used the loopholes myself in the past. They bow hunt early season, then party hunt during rifle season and have someone else tag their deer so they can either muzzy or bow hunt late season. The legal ways to be able to kill multiple bucks per year are alive and well too. I'm sure this has NO impact on the buck quality in MN either.

[Satchmo]

 

Edited November 18, 2015 by Satchmo
cause it ain't worth it

[monstermoose78]

Good post and im glad you enjoy your time in the woods with family, Im also sure you would not wish to impose non party hunting laws on hunters that enjoy time in the woods with family legally party hunting , That's what is great about the outdoors is there are so many positive ways to enjoy it and I would certainly not impose law changes that would impact how others enjoy themselves just because I don't choose to hunt that way.

Nope If you choose to party hunt just follow the laws