October Rifle Hunt

[splakeshaker]

In intensive management zones this year the DNR had an early rifle hunt weekend in October for does only. As a bow hunter and rifle hunter I did not see the point to this. On the North Shore, there are alot of deer and I do feel that the herd needs to be thinned out. With harvest rates down 25% this year in which many factors can be involved, I have a suspicion that weekend hunt may very well have hurt the harvest rate instead of increased it. I haven't heard the results of the october hunt but would be interested to. Since that weekend it seemed that deer (generally speaking) went immediately to nocturnal movements. My trail cams have backed this statement. I'm curious on other people opinions or insight on the October weekend hunt. I personally feel it didn't get the result it was intended to and also threw off normal deer patterns that bowhunters work so hard to figure out, and put the deer on guard for the normal rifle season.

[DonBo]

I hunt in Wisconsin where this practice has gone on for years and I couldn't agree with you more! The deer really go alert after this early season and bagging one after is a real challenge.

This is especially true on public land. In our area many (most?) private landowners hunt exclusively on public land durind the early hunt so as not to spook "their" deer. This is where I have a real problem. The high deer densities are mostly on private land, not public, yet this is where most of the pressure is. If they held this hunt on private land only I would have no problem with it.

As a side note, in Wisconsin, they have now moved this hunt into December rather than October I believe to appease bowhunters who have a much louder voice in Wisconsin than they do in Minnesota.

[96trigger]

I am not in an area where there is an early antlerless season. The last two weeks in October the deer around here were very nocturnal. I am not discrediting your statement at all, I think that any increased pressure will cause some of those deer to go nocturnal and stay that way. I'm just saying that some of us on here saw the same thing with our cameras even though there wasn't an early season. It was commented on a few times on one of hte trail cam pics threads.

[bigbucks]

In our area I doubt the early season had much impact. The deer hadn't been moving that great anyway & then it rained virtually all weekend. Last year we killed 5 in that season, this year we killed 1.

[Hoyt4]

I do not mind if they are going to do an antlerless hunt but do not think it should take place in OCt.The weekend they choose is opener of pheasant hunting and one of the fall turkey seasons is going on.Just think for more safety then anything they should have this hunt in Dec. or Jan.If the population is really high like the DNR says it would be better in the later months.

[96trigger]

I agree, open it back up after ML season for does only, let the ones that really wanted to get a deer go back out and try and get one. Tough though, when you are gutting that doe in DEC and see the fetus come out, might be a little tougher for some to do than others. Not trying to be gross, just honest, most people probably wouldn't even notice.

[spivak]

One problem with a later hunt is that a few more bucks who've dropped their antlers may get shot.

[Shwangman]

I agree to all who posted, all good points and if the DNR feels they need a early hunt, do it earlier. I heard many others that were out hunting but not deer, that they were very confused and wondered what was going on and in some cases, they were hunting the same land that the deer hunters were hunting and that is just not a good deal.

[Coach1310]

I'm not sure of the effect it had in my area, but something to consider with a later hunt. If you do the hunt in mid December a lot of MN land will NOT be holding deer. Many deer are already in their winter yarding areas therefore less places for the average hunter to have a decent opportunity.