early season antlerless reports

[BKB]

Just curious how this year compares to last year?

[lcornice]

Quote:

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Just curious how this year compares to last year?

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It's not really comparable because it went from 8 to 23 areas. Also, some permit areas were adjusted in the NW so I can't do an apples to apples comparison. I do know that in 8 areas last year we had 5,700 hunters. Expanding to 23 areas increased participation to 24,000.

The interesting piece of information is deer killed/hunter. Statewide, only 25% of hunters kill more than 1 deer. For people who participated in the EA season last year, 50% killed more than 1 deer. So, the EA harvest is additive in that EA hunters are more inclined to kill a second deer, which is the goal of putting it early, rather than late.

[bigbucks]

My guess is the people willing to do the EA hunts are the ones who want to kill multiple deer, so if they get the chance to take them they will. Naturally they are also are not the guys that think it's not a deer worth shooting if it doesn't have horns. I'm sure you guys realize that, & getting those guys more time in the woods with a firearm is what can have an impact on controlling the population. In our case it's almost the only chance we have to hunt the area we hunted with a firearm, as we hunt our family land in a different area during the regular season. Regular deer season is almost as much about tradition & family as it is about shooting deer.

[vitalshot5]

Are the EA hunts just around the metro area or other parts of the state also?

[bigbucks]

Kind of all over, mostly North. 23 areas is a lot. Go to the DNR site & check it out.

[sportfish]

My wife shot a doe my brother shot a doe and I shot a doe in area 221 and 222. we didnt try to hard. It was my wifes second deer ever taken.