Your Zone, Observations, & Mgmt Opinion

[NWKR]

I know that making party hunting illegal won't do much for hunters already breaking the law but when these bozos are caught they should NEVER be allowed to hunt again. From the Hibbing area CO (bucks only area):

A deer hunter checked said he shot a spike buck and now he’s “looking for horns.” He said he had been party hunting, however he was hunting alone the day he was checked and the day he shot the spike, using a family members borrowed license, which apparently had been standard practice for 20 years. The tag had not been validated and the deer had not been registered.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/outdoors/3883903-mn-dnr-weekly-report-nov-16-2015

[nonteepical]

I also think there are plenty of game and fish laws that had good intentions, but negative consequences.

so then, your admitting that cross tagging has a negative impact on deer hunting.

[hockeybc69]

Cross tagging is B. S.

As my CO told me last year...... the most common offense cited is "lending and borrowing" of tags. Also known as "party hunting" by many......

Get rid of it. The COs jobs will get much easier when they check people in the field and they dont have a valid page tag on them while they are out and about with a firearm. Can you imagine the games our COs have to go through to get to the bottom of some of these talk stories they have to listen to?

Shoot your own deer. 

As others have said, why is it so tough to have a good time at deer camp if you have shot the deer that fills your desires? Maybe some of you who say deer camp is such a great experience are really only at deer camp to kill deer and not so much for the camp experience after all?? 

Our neighbor on our NE corner shot 3 deer this year. Why cant people shoot a deer that they want, and give up the hot stand to someone else in the party to shoot a deer? I dont get it. And I dont agree with it.

 

Edited November 21, 2015 by hockeybc69

[Todd Caswell]

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?

Yah I'm going to go small game hunting opening weekend on public land after I tag out.... Sorry Charlie not going to happen.....

[ANYFISH2]

Cross tagging is B. S.

As my CO told me last year...... the most common offense cited is "lending and borrowing" of tags. Also known as "party hunting" by many......

ALREADY ILLEGAL !!  AND IS NOT PARTY HUNTING. A NEW BAN WILL NOT CHANGE THESE PEOPLE'S ACTIONS!

Our neighbor on our NE corner shot 3 deer this year. Why cant people shoot a deer that they want, and give up the hot stand to someone else in the party to shoot a deer? I dont get it. And I dont agree with it.

IF PEOPLE PREFER TO HUNT "THEIR" STAND, AND IT IS NOT THE HOT STAND, AND ARE OK WITH THIER HUNTING PARTNER SHOOTING A DEER FOR THIER TAG, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IF 3 DIFFERENT PEOPLE HUNTED THE SAME SPOT AND SHOT THE 3 DEER. NONE, 3 DEER KILLED, 3 PERSONS TAGS USED.

 

Just because you chose not to party hunt, does not make those that do less of a hunter or less ethical hunter.

I could care less if party hunting stayed legal or not, however, I will not support the continued attack on a legal practice, because of the few (to many I agree )that act illegally. 

If your feel like change, educate people to your reasoning, while not insulting the hunters that act responsibly. 

I guess, this is one thing I will respectfully disagree with you on.

[Farmsfulltime]

Generally speaking there certainly enough division in the world , Thoughts everyone recognize and accept each others chosen hunting methods and support each other ,, hunting in general can and does have enough distractors that would like to stop or hinder sportsmen , We have enough laws and regulations to protect the deer populations now without dividing our selves internally .

[Jameson]

I am just a c idee-it these days with no good knowledge of any one zone, so my observations are fairly worthless. 

Hunted zone 172 for the first time ever this year, it is Lottery.  Seemed to be some does and fawns around, and a ton of hunters.  Our party of 8, with really only 5 somewhat hard core hunters, got 2 bucks opening weekend.  The one youth in the party decided to pass on a doe wanting a buck.  My opinion is that lottery is the correct designation for this area.  Also did a day of hunting in 223 in a state forest.  Some deer sign, but not much.  The area was Hunter Choice and that is probably correct for the private land in the area, but this chunk of public could use some Bucks Only for a couple years.  Finally did some hunting in 159, Lottery this year.  Saw some deer sign, but very little.  With the potential of the area the area should be Bucks Only for a few years to hopefully get the deer numbers up.

 

Got thinking a bit about wolves and how we now manage deer differently after a harsh winter.  It used to be that the deer season was closed during low deer population years.  Now hunters get to still hunt bucks.  The wolves don't have regulations, and just eat whatever deer is put in front of them.  With hunters shooting most of the bucks in an area, the only thing left is does for the wolves to eat.  If we closed our deer season completely it would save many does from wolves as the wolves would have bucks to eat, too.  Under the current regulations of allowing buck harvest and not allowing wolf harvest we may never see the deer herd rebound in wolf country even without shooting does. ..........I don't know, maybe too much time to think for me on stand.

Edited November 22, 2015 by Jameson

[Paradice]

We just wrapped up our season last night.  Some rays of hope, but we've still got cultural problems.  On our 40, we've taken one deer in three years.  The 40 next to us, 6 antlerless deer were shot, and 3 of them were recovered this year, despite zero tags awarded via lottery.  One of the does wounded lives on our property most of the time.  I had to watch her gimp around yesterday with a rear hoof that is now folded under and with two fawns still in toe. 

The takeaway here is to make sure kids can shoot accurately and know their effective range before you take them out.  That first deer can quickly become their last hunt if they are traumatized by a fawn bawling in the bush with a leg blown off. 

 

[Getanet]

so then, your admitting that cross tagging has a negative impact on deer hunting.

Nope. Nice try though. Hope you had better luck in your stand than you did coming up with that zinger.

Edited November 23, 2015 by Getanet

[NoWiser]

Part of our hunting party went back up to 172 on Thursday night.  They had 2 8 pointers down after 15 minutes of hunting, and were tagged out until a few more guys got up there with more tags.  Lots of deer up there this year!

One of the guys shot 3 of the small bucks our group took this year and missed 2 more.  He only tagged the last buck because there were no more tags available.  Otherwise, he'd have saved his for bowhunting.  Eliminating party hunting would definitely decrease the number of deer our group takes and would increase the quality of the hunt for everyone in the area.  I am not a fan of party hunting so when I shoot my deer, I am done for the year. This year that was opening morning. I still went up this past weekend and duck hunted instead.  Had a lot of fun at deer camp, but just didn't hunt for deer.

Do what you want as long as it's legal, but I do have to say that the last few years when I've traveled out of state to hunt, the people I've run into absolutely can not believe that there is such a thing as legal party hunting.  In most states, if you tag your animal with someone else's tag, you are a straight up poacher.

[certified jumbo]

In Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and Oklahoma it is legal to bait deer.   We look at that as crazy in Minnesota.  So to each there own I guess.

Edited November 23, 2015 by certified jumbo

[bigbucks]

In Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and Oklahoma it is legal to bait deer.   We look at that as crazy in Minnesota.  So to each there own I guess.

I agree, we were just talking about that how in MN it's taboo to bait, although many still do, & that's just hunting other places.  In WI you can bait, but you can't place salt?

Many places they have feeders on timers, like TX or wherever.  Out East they hunt deer with dogs, here we think dogs that EVER chase a deer should be shot.

[Deet]

197
buck sign was down (even down from last year), deer sightings were down for the group but up for me. Buck sightings down from usual, same as last year. I think the area needs to continue building the population. If 'bucks only' accomplishes that, then it needs to remain bucks only.

But I sometimes wonder if bucks only for years on end actually decreases the recruitment rate. 

[smurfy]

197
buck sign was down (even down from last year), deer sightings were down for the group but up for me. Buck sightings down from usual, same as last year. I think the area needs to continue building the population. If 'bucks only' accomplishes that, then it needs to remain bucks only.

But I sometimes wonder if bucks only for years on end actually decreases the recruitment rate. 

hey deet where in 197 abouts you hunt??? I hunt in the sand lake cemetery area off cty road 4!

[smsmith]

 In WI you can bait, but you can't place salt?

 

Where baiting is legal in WI, you can place 2 gallons of bait (apples, corn, grain, salt, whatever) per 40 acres (I think that's the rule).  It doesn't matter what you place as bait, only the amount.  If the bait you place is consumed (again, where legal), then you can replenish it to the maximum amount (2 gallons)

In Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and Oklahoma it is legal to bait deer.   We look at that as crazy in Minnesota.  So to each there own I guess.

Not if you read Outdoor News.  Illegal baiting is the number one citation for MN COs every year.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where all that "wildlife corn" that every big box store, co-op, and creamery sells goes.

[certified jumbo]

.

Edited November 24, 2015 by certified jumbo
not worth my time anymore

[ANYFISH2]

Stu, with all due respect, find something other than others ILLEGAL actions, as justification against a lawful activity.  

[fishadb]

Zone 275, lottery, I have not seen quite as many deer as in previous years, but i blame that on the mild weather. The deer have no reason to be in the river bottom they are all hanging out in the CRP,  the grass is very tall this year and the sweet clover patches are huge. I think the population is about right. We could maybe use a few more deer but all it takes is one wet fall where there is corn in the fields during slug season and the population seems to double. IMO if you want a nice buck you have to hunt. Can't come out for one weekend, not shoot a deer and then whine about it. 

[nofishfisherman]

 IMO if you want a nice buck you have to hunt. Can't come out for one weekend, not shoot a deer and then whine about it. 

But its tradition!  What would deer season be without the whining at the end of  8 hours of hunting over two days?

[O.T.C.]

I'm done stirring the hornets nest but with the practices so many are cheating away with and now after googling Black bears and fawn mortality, bobcats and fawn mortality, coyotes and fawn mortality, timberwolves and fawn/deer mortality and even adult male fishers and fawn mortality no wonder there's no fawns around etc, few hunters are hoping for a nice fawn. It's more a predation issue then the other hunters as the deer go just as nocturnal on those guys, they just help that along by hunting along even when successful and should be tagged out. I was blown away to read those articles on fawn mortality one was a 1986-1991 NE MN bear research article( I suggest all google that study and read it) and eye opener it was as in the past 3 years bears are thick in our area and weren't before, sure one here and there passing through over the years but now they are not moving along,by 10 weeks and older only the wolves tend to kill fawns, coyotes even struggle to get em then. The fawns biggest issue is urinating it seems. They often urinate down their legs and then the predators mainly bears and coyotes can really smell em and hunt them down quickly. So our fawns locally here are not making it to 10 weeks. Man I'd think the food sources have dried up around here, hopefully moving some of these predators elsewhere. Issue is a guy can only take out coyotes, fishers bobcats wolves and bears are basically protected but by May 6th I'll be applying in permit area 51 for a bear and if no luck will hope someone on here has that tag and is looking for a place to hunt cuz you'll be more then welcome and should have a great chance at a large bear or 4.   

[Paradice]

Can you post the link to the study?  I'm always up for a good read.  As far as bears go, we're in bear zone 44 and we had 7 unique bears on our property.  We had a sow with new triplets, two that she had a couple years ago, and a huge boar.  I tremble to see what's going to happen to my fruit trees on the property once they start producing. 

[MJ1657]

I'm done stirring the hornets nest but with the practices so many are cheating away with and now after googling Black bears and fawn mortality, bobcats and fawn mortality, coyotes and fawn mortality, timberwolves and fawn/deer mortality and even adult male fishers and fawn mortality no wonder there's no fawns around etc, few hunters are hoping for a nice fawn. It's more a predation issue then the other hunters as the deer go just as nocturnal on those guys, they just help that along by hunting along even when successful and should be tagged out. I was blown away to read those articles on fawn mortality one was a 1986-1991 NE MN bear research article( I suggest all google that study and read it) and eye opener it was as in the past 3 years bears are thick in our area and weren't before, sure one here and there passing through over the years but now they are not moving along,by 10 weeks and older only the wolves tend to kill fawns, coyotes even struggle to get em then. The fawns biggest issue is urinating it seems. They often urinate down their legs and then the predators mainly bears and coyotes can really smell em and hunt them down quickly. So our fawns locally here are not making it to 10 weeks. Man I'd think the food sources have dried up around here, hopefully moving some of these predators elsewhere. Issue is a guy can only take out coyotes, fishers bobcats wolves and bears are basically protected but by May 6th I'll be applying in permit area 51 for a bear and if no luck will hope someone on here has that tag and is looking for a place to hunt cuz you'll be more then welcome and should have a great chance at a large bear or 4.   

How many coyote sets do you have out? 

Edited November 27, 2015 by MJ1657

[O.T.C.]

I have a box of double 00 buckshot. I have no traps and I finally convinced a neighbor to bring in a trapper. The neighbor has coon hounds and says I do not want any of my coon hounds in a trap and we hunt them with dogs so I'm infringing on their passion. They were not happy when I hammered one in July but you can't have it kinda both ways. Do you want fawns to make it or coyotes to hunt ? In a very touchy coyote area, all the locals feel they own everything and can trespass at will. I find empty rounds each spring on the road when I pick up the ditches, I'm thee outsider guy. Every truck that comes by us now has the dog box in the back and the antenna's for communication. Last Winter with no new snow ever really hurt the coyote hunt. I agree that's why trapping is the best method. Now, believe it if you want but I just went into my daughters school to have lunch with her. I know some of the kitchen staff and they asked did you ever get a deer ? I said no still trying with a muzzy tomorrow and sunday possibly weather permitting. They asked did you get a license for your wife ? I said no I'm having trouble enough getting A deer the way it is. The lady I would know best said we all did ! 7 ladies in the kitchen, none of them hunt, but all of them tag. I looked at each woman and they were all nodding in unison. The one even added we even get my divorced sister a tag. I went with a skim chocolate milk and walked out. Deer hunting is all about getting away with cheating and what's the DNR supposed to do about that ? I realize there truly are more females that actually do hunt deer but man that number is seriously inflated if they go off license sales. All 7 of them, 7 for 7, I wasn't even sure all their husbands deer hunted. What a crappy thing to hear on a Friday that another 7+ families are cheating every deer season. But really, what's new. Even our neighbor boy 12 year old got a doe bowhunting. We gave them a pie and he returned the pan and told us his story. Now he's in his little boxblind with a muzzleloader. How does that happen in a hunter's choice area ? Time to talk to Pa and set things straight, Pa's doing that to. Sad but true. 

[fishadb]

I have always thought we should get one tag per year and take a deer however you like. I've got three tags in my billfold right now. I hunt in a lottery area and have not taken a deer yet. I have purchased an archery a firearm and a muzzleloader license. Pretty easy to tag a deer while bow hunting not register it and keep on hunting. 

[O.T.C.]

I think I'm printing off a shirt that says I do not want to talk about deer hunting ever again because why do these people feel so free in sharing all of this ? Because it doesn't affect humans? It's getting away with something sneaky, but really it does take deer off the ground that should've been safe and sound. This type of cheating isn't peeking over a kids shoulder during a 9th grade algebra test, this is killing a live animal that no 1 has the right to cheat to get. I turn the whole crew in, how will it go for my son and daughter through the lunch line the next 10 years ? With their sons and daughters and cousins at school ? This must be part of why few if any do turn any of these things into the CO's. It's stopping me also. Other then speeding down the HWY none of these ladies are law breaker types but what is it about deer hunting that makes people feel like it's ok ? Certainly the husbands are nudging them along and their sons. The scary part about it is it will never clean itself up, if anything it's going to get more crazy then it likely already is. Part of why I like these forums is at least I'm convinced that 99% of the people in here are doing things the right way figuring most that don't want no part of these forums. I hope it comes down to that fishadb but still that solves nothing with the above scenarios. The CO's literally need to go to these female license holders residences and have them get dressed in their blaze orange outfit and show the CO how they load and unload the gun they use. Heck most wouldn't even have proper blaze orange that fits from the waist up. Then well don't got a gun. Etc. think that'll ever happen lol, no dice. But man what a feeling of joy and relief to tag a dandy buck right away and spare your tag for the rest of the season, what a joy in this holiday season !  Time to put the # 11 on my musket and finish off the season, good luck to everyone who plays by the regs ! Bad luck to all who should be tagged out already.