Zone 2/4 realignments for deer hunting are possible

[Mark Christianson]

Gissert put me on this one. I had not heard it.

BIG GAME - DEER ZONE REALIGNMENT

Seven Zone 4 permit areas south of U.S. Highway 10 (410, 411, 413, 414, 415, 419 and 429) would become part of Zone 2 under this proposal. This would create one continuous nine-day season instead of the current split seasons in these areas. Boundaries will remain the same. In addition, permit areas 417 and 418 north of Minnesota Highway 55 would become part of Zone 2. Portions south of Highway 55 will be combined into a single permit area but remain in Zone 4. Similarly, permit area 412 north of Interstate 94 would become part of Zone 2 with the south portion remaining in Zone 4.

[Cootz]

It's the greatest thing since sliced bread what happened this past year. I used to be in zone two but now I'm in zone one. Now I've got 16 days instead of 9!

[jerkin'm]

Yeah, I saw that in the Outdoor News a couple weeks ago..I think there was a public input meeting at the Prairie Wetland Center in Fergus Falls too. Did anyone go? I can't imagine many people being opposed to this change...

[Gissert]

Personally, I like it. I am a big lover of venison. It never lasts long in our house. With the previous structure, I was always hoping someone in our party would get a couple of does first, so I could let the smaller bucks walk.

Now with 9 consecutive days to hunt, I will be much more inclined to let that small guy walk and wait for a doe or a good shooter buck.

[Mark Christianson]

I am undecided.

I wonder how much more pressure opening weekend might see in zone 4 now due to the fact people dont have to pick and choose 4A or 4B(unless you buy the multizone or all season). Theres a lot of people around us now with things being split up the way there are. Are we going to see a big increase in hunters in the woods on opening weekend with this? Time will tell, and we just have to deal with whatever happens.

[BLACKJACK]

It just missed where I hunt in 417 by about 10 miles, it will be interesting to see how it evolves in future years, whether zone 2 keeps getting moved farther south. I think it will put more hunters into the first weekend, and if the cover is sparse, farmland type, you'll see alot of deer getting run from woods to woods and getting shot. It will be interesting...

[Cootz]

What I saw in what is now zone 111 instead of 211 this past year was LESS hunters in the woods. I was really surprised to see that we weren't bothered nearly as much as in the past with other "new" hunters coming to hunt the area where we have been hunting for the past 35+ years. I've been hoping that the DNR would push the season back a week forever and now they did one better, they gave us another week to chase them.

[biglake-ike]

This is fantastic! Now I don't have to buy a multizone lic. to hunt both weekend$

[lcornice]

The Fergus meeting was 60% for/40% against. The zone changes last year actually reduced the overall buck harvest rate because people didn't have to buy a multizone buck license. The cheaper Zone 2 license lets you take an either-sex deer so some people wound up taking a doe instead of a buck. As for harvest pressure, last years change definitely spread the harvest out over the whole season. Under the 4A/4B structure, 80% of the total harvest comes during the A season. When the permit areas went to Zone 2, the first weekend harvest was "only" 60%. The rest comes mid-week and the second weekend.

The main concern from people has been a perception of increased buck harvest rates (they actually went down) and safety. Some people feel that for whatever reason a longer season is somehow less safe. However, there's no data to indicate a correlation between season length and firearm accidents.

[CodyDawg]

I love it! more days to hunt, less overall pressure. reduced buck harvest, it is fantastic.

[Mark Christianson]

Buck harvest went down???

How soon can we implement this change???

Tomorrow too soon?

Honestly, I like what I am hearing about this now.

[Gissert]

Hey BLB,

I spoke with a neighbor tonite, and he agreed with me that we personally will let baskets walk now. I think this is gonna be a good deal.

However, I spoke with another neighbor who still is a meat hunter. Overall, I think we may be able to keep some of the smaller bucks around now.

[bigbucks]

I've mulled it over quite a bit & I really can't come up with many negatives to this. In the case of some land where two parties have hunted it separate weekends for many years it may complicate things, but that can be worked around. I'll still be buying the All-Season license personally, so it won't save me any money, but it will be nice to have the option of hunting during that first week. I talked to quite a few of the guys in my hunting party & they were pleasantly surprised about it.