Please, say it ain't so...

[chucker34]

that the new hunting regs (described in a DNR news release on 7/3 - text below) say I can only tag one deer period in my area no matter what license I buy, which will most likely be a lottery area again. I guess bowhunters must be decimating the deer population in lottery areas. I can see one for gun season but whatever happened to one of each sex for archery season. Tisk, tisk. A sad day. I guess tagging a doe for the freezer early on and waiting for a nice buck is a thing of the past.

"BAG LIMITS

Minnesota has three tiers for managing deer areas: lottery, managed, and intensive. This year, the bag limits have been simplified and there will be no deviations based on license types. In lottery areas, the bag limit will be one deer per year, managed areas will have a bag limit of two, and intensive areas will have a bag limit of five. These bag limits are the total allowed per individual hunter per year, and apply regardless of the season or method of take -whether by regular firearms, muzzleloader or archery."

[lawdog]

Does this mean the "all-season" now doesn't have two tags? I'm confused, not that that's anything new when it comes to the changing regs all the time...

I see this is explained more in the deer/bear/moose forum.

[chucker34]

I'm not certain. I think you get two. But the main thing to look at is what type of area you are in.

It appears to me that they simply watered down the all-season license for lottery areas. They decided the lottery area hunter could get one deer no matter what seasons you hunted or weapons you hunted with. Whereas last year, even in a lottery area, I could take up to three deer by a combination of archery, ML and regular firearms.

So with an all-season license in lottery areas this year its one deer period. And that deer cannot be a doe unless you draw a permit if using a regular firearm or ML. It can be a doe without a permit if you are using a bow. (Sidenote, the release says you can tag a doe without a permit with a regular ML license but not using a ML with an all-season license... Who's on first? ).

So an all-season license in this area would be a waste of money if you're looking to tag multiple deer.

[Jameson]

Lets not be so quick to assume that all areas that were Lottery areas will remain so with the new 1 deer for everyone restriction. I can see (hope) many areas that were Lottery areas changing now to Managed areas. I am happy that they are trying to make the regulations more consistent.

chucker34- How about doing some traveling? You could get an all-season license and tag away on does in an Intensive harvest area. Maybe find a spot to hunt in one of the now 22 areas with an early-anterless season, and tag a doe or two there that don't count against your regular season tags.

I know if I tag a deer in a Lottery zone opening morning I will not be done hunting. There is too much great public hunting land in some of the Intensive harvest and Managed areas.

[Powerstroke]

Chucker, if you don't mind what deer zone do you hunt?

[chucker34]

Zone 4. And I wasn't trying to be bitter. I know they have their reasons for doing it the way they do. Just venting.

[chucker34]

Update: I did call the DNR and they did confirm that my area is a lottery area this year and that it's one deer period, regardless of weapon or season. Again, don't take it as that I'm all teed off that the DNR or anything. I think they're doing a great job. Just disappointing that's all. Like getting a brownie without frosting. The brownie is still good. Just would be nice to have some frosting with it.

[BLACKJACK]

Yeah we've been spoiled, we could shoot an early doe during archery season, hunt the rut hard, shoot a buck during the gun season, and still get out for some late season archery hunting. Now the candy store has been shut down For the past several years I've been able to say that the deer hunting is as good as I've ever seen it in my 20+ years of hunting but I won't be saying that this year....

Patience is a virtue though. In our part of the state it takes a really severe winter to knock down the deer herd. With less does being shot, and as productive as they are, it won't take long - four years max - and we'll be back to being able to shoot a couple deer per year again.

[chucker34]

If I'm not mistaken, I think 417 was Managed 3 or 4 years ago so with the lottery system and the buckling down this year, you could be right. And the good thing is, that with the number of does on our property and the nearby food sources, the deer numbers could provide plenty of regular opportunities during bow season so instead of seeing half a dozen to a dozen in the hour following first light, we'll be seeing two to three dozen. That actually would be pretty sweet. I am tring very hard to convince my wife she should take up firearm hunting as I would love to tag a doe - or even better yet, buck - during bow season and help her set-up during gun season.

[Powerstroke]

Hey chucker. I wasn't syaing you were bitter. I was curious as to which zone you were in purely out of curiosity. I went to the DNR's HSOforum to compare statistics from the last couple years and I found some interesting things even if they are just on paper.

When your zone was 417 before the split I"m assuming you were still in 417 and not 418.....anyway, in 05 over 3000 deer were killed in les than 1000 sq. miles. That means a little more than 3 deer per sq mile (or 640acres). Also of the deer killed about 2/3 were antler less deer. Muzzy hunters took almost 3/4 does. I can kinda see where to DNR are getting there numbers.

Then I checked out '06 and they don't have all the numbers broken down yet by what licenses were used, but in the new 417, almost as many bucks were taken as does. 1100 bucks, 1300 does.

In the new 218.....does were shot at a 2-1. 1600 does to 800 bucks. It is zone 2 and everything else, but I think in past years before the split the bulk of the anlerless deer were shot in the north end of the old zone.

Just by looking at numbers I think the DNR made the right decision by splitting the zones. It seems that they are trying to protect the doe population in 417 because it obviously doesn't do as well in the noerthern area that is now 218.

It will be interesting to see what the new regs look like and how they read. Apprarently everything needed to be dumbed down for some folks.

[Powerstroke]

I just checked out the DNR's deer HSOforum about how they plan on managing the deer this year. Your area was one of concern. They have a little slide show about it and ask that you take a survey. It looks as if the people in your area would like to see MORE deer in the area. They (the DNR) is trying to increase deer numbers by 25%. They said in order to do this that they are making areas lottery and using other management techniques to increase the population to a level people are happy with.

If you do or don't agree with this I can't quite tell, but what I can say is if you have an oinion one way or the other you should take the survey. The original surveys like 3 yrs ago are the reason they are making all these changes. They are actually trying to lower the deer numbers in my area so its been "intensive" for at least 3 yrs now. My zone gets anywhere from 7-12 deer per sq. mile on average.

[Rippinlip]

Wonder how this works in the Zone I hunt?

I hunt in a Zone 4 area, but the first weekend is a Lottery area and the second weekend is a Managed are? How is this going to work? If I apply for a tag first weekend and succeed, does that mean I cannot take a deer during the second weekend(even though this area is a managed area second weekend). Took me 20 years to understand the constant changing of our laws, with all these new application of laws I will just wait to see how it all pans out.

[chucker34]

Thanks for the information Powerstroke. I did take that survey shortly after the link to it was posted on here a month or so ago. I said I liked the levels the way they are. I see a lot of does and almost no bucks during bow season and a lot more does and a few bucks during gun season when the pressure is on. Now, I'd like to see more bucks but not sure we'd get them by limiting does taken if there are a good number of does. I'm not saying this is the way it is 417-wide, just in my area.

I would be interested to see the results of the survey, who responded and how many responded. It was my fear as I took this survey that it could be skewed - one way or another - depending on the number of people who answered and why they were taking the survey. People who want change are more likely to take something like this than those who are happy with the way things are. Not saying one or the other is right. That's just how these things usually work. It's the same with political elections. The politicians who are well-liked need to make sure their voters turn out and aren't complacent, thinking re-election is automatic.

[Powerstroke]

I totally agree chucker.

I'm not sure I understand your question rippin. Are you able to hunt both seasons of an A/B season?

[Jameson]

Good question Rippinlip. Powerstroke with an all-season license we have been able to hunt both 4A and 4B seasons.

I hope the regs. get out soon!

[Rippinlip]

This pertains to where I Gun Hunt, this is the SAME Zone. Zone 4A is a lottery drawing(first 2 days of season) Zone 4B is a management area(second weekend 4 days) according to the laws I am only allowed 1 deer for the year in a Lottery Zone. 2 deer in a Management Zone, here is the problem, can I shoot 1 or 2?

I have been buying an All Season License for a while now. This year I am getting back into bow hunting cause my kids are getting older and require less Daddy home time. Still spend alot of time with them, just more outside time now.

I also have been blessed with a family that loves to eat venison. I do use all 3 of my tags to shoot and eat the venison, just wondering now if I have to do alot more traveling to shoot 3 deer.

[USPENAMC]

here i go again.... they say A dumb question is the question that isnt asked....but sometimes i question myself he he he.

first of all thanks to everyone i am surely learning alot as time goes on. every year i have bought the MULTIZONE BUCK LICENSE this year since i was going to start bow hunting i was looking into the ALL SEASON LICENSE i normally hunt area 157 for rifle but loved the option of maybe getting up during the middle of a weekday and going close to the metro without being restricted and maybe taking a buck. i always bought an extra tag if a doe came along and depending on what zone i was in.

getting back to the question for the ALL SEASON LICENSE do you have to select an area you choose to hunt? or are you open to any area. i would love to have the option to either go to area 157 as well as 235 or 337 or whatever the case may be during ARCHERY SEASOn and then acompany my father to area 157 during the RIFLE season.

[Powerstroke]

For rippin, the way I understand it, you are allowed one deer per LICENSE. I know when you bought your all-season, they would give you 3 tags. So, if you have an all-season license then the new regs will decide if you will even get to use an all-season in a lottery zone. I don't know if anyone has that answer unless you call the DNR or wait for the regs to come out.

For uspen, an all-season is important if you plan on using all 3 weapons. If you If not you can buy a rifle tag and a bow tag seperatly. You are still only entitled to one buck. This is what I do. I bow hunt the entire season, but I buy a rifle tag for gun season to hunt with my dad.

When buying those licenses you have to specify a ZONE but not a permit area. So you choose Zone 1, but you don't have to label it 157 unless you shoot one. The bonus permits are generic in this fashion and you are required to know the rules of the zones you want to hunt if you're using an antlerless permit.