Mn zone 422-427 and 431

[JASONY]

I am hoping there is a misprint on the number of doe tags that are available for these areas. Just got the pamphlet and see that there are only 15 doe tags available for each area. If its real, what are they thinking because there are lots of deer out there. This also will greatly reduce the potential of a decent buck the next couple years because of the fact that everybody will fill their tag with any size legal buck. Alot of year and a half olds will be taken without a chance to mature. I think its another example of the dnr not quite thinking of the real results of not shooting does. Just my 2 pennies.

[ortonville]

i live and hunt area 431. alot of deer in this area i dont think so.it is the first step in the right direction.all of the 1 1/2 year old bucks got shot any way. it wont be any different. now i dont know about any of the other areas but for 431 this is the best thing that could have happened

[JASONY]

I hunt in 424. Lots of does. Not alot of bucks. So I see it that i probably have a 0% of getting a doe tag cause i had one last year. So i guess i will go deerless along with about 40% of mn hunters although i think there are plenty of deer in our area.

[ortonville]

in area 431 the buck harvest is always higher than the doe harvest. 1 1/2 year old bucks make up the majority of this harvest.so by limiting the doe harvest i understand that mother nature will let more buck fawns be born.the only way we will see bigger bucks in 431 is if the dnr would limit the buck harvest.and i dont think this will happen.most people are just happy to shoot a buck they dont care how big it is just that it has horns.the best thing for 431 would be to have a lottery for a liscense but then you may not be able to hunt the area you want for a year or 2.south dakota has been doing it for years.and it seems to work.i know i would love to see it happen.we hunt the early bow season,slug season and the muzzloader season for big horns. if we not fill our tags after muzzloader season we will take a doe with the bow so this could be an option for you go bow hunting.i let a lot of little bucks go to only be shoot on the next land over.last year slug hunting i let a nice buck that would have been great go and the people that hunt my uncles land shot him.so if the dnr would limit the bucks taken it would help

[BLACKJACK]

jason, you are right, without a doe permit a lot of hunters in those zones will shoot the first deer they see, whether its a fork horn or a 10 point. But in a way I don't blame them, if you like to have venison in the freezer, you have to shoot the first buck you see, you might not get a chance at another one in a short two day season.

I know that I've hunted some years in a group of 4 without a doe permit - it gets to be a long 2 or 4 days!!@! You can't shoot a doe and bucks get real scarce!!!

The good news is that deer are very prolific, if more adult does survive because of less permits, most will have twins and even triplets, and in a few years the population should be back up again.

I know that if I had the choice in the past, I'd always pick out the big doe, more meat in the freezer. The past few years, with deer numbers dwindling, if I have a choice I shoot one of the smaller deer or does without fawns, let the big, smart prolific does walk to produce more deer next year.

[BigTen]

Lots of deer in 424??? You must be mistaken......Maybe you didn't catch the stats that were posted here for the deer harvest earlier this year. In 1995 (give or take a year or two) the harvest in 424 was about 2300 I believe. That was before muzzleloading caught fire, and before people could take extra deer. Last year (or maybe it was 2005) the harvest was about 500 I believe. And I surely would believe there were more man hours spent afield in 2005 or 06 than there were in 1995. Muzzleloading is wildly popular now.

I guess if you consider a 75% decrease in harvest a plentiful state for a deer herd, you have a little different perspective than most.

Good day now.

[BigTen]

I have found the post that included the numbers and here they are:

(By the way, Grizzald is the one who did the research and posted this, good job griz)

I finally received deer harvest information for zone 424 from the DNR a few days ago. I knew the numbers were gonna be down but not this bad. The harvest chart went back 13 years with 1996 being the best year with 2,257 deer taken in 424. Here's the kicker, in 2006, there was a total of 495 deer taken in 424. It's been a stedy decline since '96. Now this includes all three choices of wepons combined. Now granted we had that bad winter in '96 killing a lot of fawns in our area, but we havent had a bad winter since and numbers SHOULD be on the rise. I feel the main factor is way to much hunting pressure. One hunter does not need to take 3 three deer in a season. Thats just over doing it, especially in a area that doesnt have any deer left. What got me was in a email I received from the DNR they stated that "we no the numbers are low in 424, and we may take action in future years". Why not take action now! It's only gonna get worse from here on out until something is done.

I was just talking to people last weekend about this issue, and people are happy the DNR is trying to do something, however there were a couple concerns, one major and one minor:

1. If they are only giving out 15 doe tags, why give out any?

2. Why are muzzleloader hunters allowed to shoot either sex still? There have been DNR officials on the radio quoted as saying that muzzleloading has had an adverse affect on the deer herd in the greater Lac qui Parle area, yet they allow them to shoot does while nobody else can? I understand and totally agree with cutting down or eliminating doe permits but don't understand why muzzleloaders should be special? don't give me any reasons about how its a primitive weapon either. Tight patterns at 150 yards is primitive?

As far as everyone shooting small bucks, what would you rather have a severely depleted and vulnerable deer herd, or a good population where it might take a few years to build up the quality buck numbers again? And IMO, there will always be a certain percentage of bucks who will wise up quickly and vanish once season rolls around.

Just my opinion and that of peeps I talked to this weekend.....

[lcornice]

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1. If they are only giving out 15 doe tags, why give out any?

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Because if there were none, youth would be restricted to bucks only. DNR has made an effort to recruit kids into hunting. In order to do that, they need to be successful. So, the decision was made to offer a few gun tags so everyone wasn't stuck bucks only.

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2. Why are muzzleloader hunters allowed to shoot either sex still? There have been DNR officials on the radio quoted as saying that muzzleloading has had an adverse affect on the deer herd in the greater Lac qui Parle area, yet they allow them to shoot does while nobody else can? I understand and totally agree with cutting down or eliminating doe permits but don't understand why muzzleloaders should be special? don't give me any reasons about how its a primitive weapon either. Tight patterns at 150 yards is primitive?

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Simple answer. Regular muzzleloader hunters aren't the problem. It's all-season hunters during the muzzleloader season that's the problem. For example, in lottery areas during 2006, regular muzzleloader hunters killed 300 antlerless deer. All-season hunters in the same areas killed 3,100. Regulated the guy who buys the $26 muzzleloader license (there are less than 10K of them statewide) would have no effect and isn't necessary. Regulating the guy with 3 tags in areas where deer populations are declining could be viewed as necessary.

I hope that answers the questions.

[BigTen]

I see. Thanks for the answers. Makes a little more sense now, although I'd rather see the muzzleloaders have to draw a doe tag just like everyone else, but that's just my opinion. What they are doing is a huge step in the right direction. You need does to make bucks.

As far as the kids thing I agree with giving them the tags.

I usually am not impressed with the MN DNR but I must say I am impressed with many of their new actions this year.

[BLACKJACK]

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I usually am not impressed with the MN DNR but I must say I am impressed with many of their new actions this year.

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Thats kind of a back handed compliment!!!

[lcornice]

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Thats kind of a back handed compliment!!!

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I noticed!

[BigTen]

It wasn't intended to be so I apologize if you took it that way. In the past I haven't agreed with some things, but this year I really think the DNR took a large step in the right direction on several fronts. Nice job.

[lcornice]

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It wasn't intended to be so I apologize if you took it that way. In the past I haven't agreed with some things, but this year I really think the DNR took a large step in the right direction on several fronts. Nice job.

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Bigten - I did take it as a compliment so please don't retract it!