Moving the Firearm Season

[92python]

If the goal is to not kill all of the dumb, horny, 1.5 year old bucks I thing changing the current antler restrictions would help.

Moving the rifle season may work as well but it could be done after the antler restrictions if the management goals are not met.

I'm not entirely sure that the DNR's deer management goal is to keep more young bucks alive although Cornicelli's work did help out the herd in PA and I don't think the hunters there are complaining that much.

Some of my PA buddies has e-mailed me pics of some much nicer bucks than what I saw in the early 90s.

And as far as the bowhunters wanting the rut to themselves deal? If they move the season and you don't bow hunt:

Go buy a bow, practice alot, understand your weapon limitations, get good with your stand placement, practice scent control, and go shoot a big one...

[BLACKJACK]

A week of weather, wind, and temps like they're predicting this week is one reason that the DNR will never move the season back. Yeah a lot of the people on this Forum say 'I'd be out hunting' but the fact is that this board the poeple are more hardcore hunters (and fishermen), and probably younger than the average deer hunter. The average hunter would say to heck with it, I'll wait for the temperature to moderate. And not everyone hunts out of a big enclosed stand where you can put a heater in.

The DNR wants to control the deer populationg and moving the season to a later and colder time slot would inhibit that.

[kr8r.tom]

2007 archery success rate 24%, rifle 37% and smokepole 28%.

i hunt all 3 seasons and have been archery hunting since 1983 and it's always been that way with the hardcore archery guys, they want the rut for themselves and the attitude is we are better hunters than everyone else because they strictly bowhunt...b.s

it might be a good idea, no hunting during the peak of the rut makes alot of sense.

[Bear55]

As a bowhunter I would easily give up the peak of the rut to have more bucks around. Sure it would be nice to be able to bowhunt the peak of the rut but at this point I would be willing to sacrifice a lot to let some of the younger deer make it another year or three. I'd be up for a buck tag lotto or just about anything else within reason.

[Shoot2Kill]

Originally Posted By: smnduck

A big reason some are pushing for it is the bowhunters looking to have the rut to themselves. If the gun season is moved then bow season should be closed for 3 weeks around the rut also to "protect the bucks".

I agree!

For all of you that are for moving the gun season back, would you be in favor of closing archery during the rut as well?

It literally dumbfounds me with some of you on this site that seem to actually be opposed to having larger deer in MN. Seriously, what is your problem? Do you really like shooting dinks year after year after year? How many bucks get killed during gun season solely because it is the rut? How many of those bucks would get killed with a bow if it was bow only during the rut? It benefits EVERYONE to move the gun season back, in 2-3 years EVERYONE in the state would be seeing more and bigger bucks - but evidently to some of you, you just can't handle not shooting your fork horn every year and are going to starve to death if you don't get your deer. If you're opposed to moving it back the only reason I can see is because you wouldn't stand at chance getting "your buck" if he wasn't out chasing does during the rut and you shoot him at 100 yards. You might have to actually hunt if they moved the season back...is that why? If it's not then please enlighten me.

For those of you ready to reply that antlers mean nothing to you, then get a doe permit...then everyone would be happy right? You get your deer to keep your family from starving and the "throphy hunters" are happy because you let all the little ones go....in 2 or 3 years when the bucks have had a chance to grow up a bit then go back to shooting bucks.....I wonder what the topics on this forum would be in 3 years if people actually saw something bigger than all 1.5 y/o deer?? If an antler restriction was in place I bet you wouldn't mind it if you were actually consistently seeing bigger bucks.

[sticknstring]

Not me. I wouldn't be willing to watch from the sidelines during the best time of the year. Archery harvest constitutes what... 10-12% of total harvest? A good portion of the bowhunters I know pass on young bucks anyhow. And rightfully so, we have over 3 months to get the job done. Taking away archery in November wouldn't accomplish anything but give a defense to the gun toters who cry foul.

[Black_Bay]

all deer under 2 yrs old are dumber then a box a rocks.

1.5 year old bucks = 21 year old guys at a bar drinking for the very first time.

[96trigger]

If it came down to closing the bow season during the rut, I would argue against it, pretty strongly to be honest. I have gun and bow hunted for years. They are not the same. Numerous large bucks would have fallen by firearm had I had one instead of a bow. (10 pointer this fall at 10 yards, no shot with the bow) Nice 8 five days later, still no shot with a bow, easy with the firearm. I would be 100x more in favor of antler restrictions than moving the season if it meant closing it for bow hunters also. I wonder what the license sales of archery tags would be if that happened. You want to talk about DNR losing revenue.

[archerystud]

I think three weeks is a little too long. I would say 10-14 days would be long enough. However, I'd prefer bowhunting time off, antler restrictions, moving the season back to anything that we do now.

[Musky Buck]

I don't want my grandpa to have to take up bow hunting to get a deer and I don't want to have to put a propane heater on full throttle if rifle season gets moved back, it's simple, don't shoot immature bucks.

[BLACKJACK]

It literally dumbfounds me with some of you on this site that seem to actually be opposed to having larger deer in MN. It benefits EVERYONE to move the gun season back, in 2-3 years EVERYONE in the state would be seeing more and bigger bucks - but evidently to some of you, you just can't handle not shooting your fork horn every year and are going to starve to death if you don't get your deer.

shoot2kill - You know where the problem is??? Its when the whole 'horn porn' idea catches hold, when the only good buck is a big buck!!! What does that say about your values and idea of deer hunting when any deer besides a trophy buck is looked down upon??! To a lot of deer hunters, any deer is a trophy. Guys like you want the DNR to legislate a big buck behind every tree. My answer is, go out there and hunt one down!!! They're out there, I see pictures in the Outdoor News week after week after week of really nice deer!! But guys like you want the DNR to hand you one on a silver platter. Go hunt one down!!

Its easy to ask 'would you like to see bigger deer', right up front most people would say yes, but there are costs, like not being able to shoot a deer every year (one of the diry little secrets about QDM is that they want you to shoot a lot of does) and you may end up hunting in cold weather like now if the season is moved back and as has been discused, the gun hunters think moving the season back is a conspiracy by the bowhunters to have the rut all to themselves - as a bowhunter myself, I don't want to give up those first two weeks in Nov.

When I decide I'm tired of shooting does and small bucks, then I'll go hunt down a big buck. I don't expect the DNR to do it for me.

[Shoot2Kill]

Originally Posted By: Shoot2Kill

It literally dumbfounds me with some of you on this site that seem to actually be opposed to having larger deer in MN. It benefits EVERYONE to move the gun season back, in 2-3 years EVERYONE in the state would be seeing more and bigger bucks - but evidently to some of you, you just can't handle not shooting your fork horn every year and are going to starve to death if you don't get your deer.

shoot2kill - You know where the problem is??? Its when the whole 'horn porn' idea catches hold, when the only good buck is a big buck!!! What does that say about your values and idea of deer hunting when any deer besides a trophy buck is looked down upon??! To a lot of deer hunters, any deer is a trophy. Guys like you want the DNR to legislate a big buck behind every tree. My answer is, go out there and hunt one down!!! They're out there, I see pictures in the Outdoor News week after week after week of really nice deer!! But guys like you want the DNR to hand you one on a silver platter. Go hunt one down!!

Its easy to ask 'would you like to see bigger deer', right up front most people would say yes, but there are costs, like not being able to shoot a deer every year (one of the diry little secrets about QDM is that they want you to shoot a lot of does) and you may end up hunting in cold weather like now if the season is moved back and as has been discused, the gun hunters think moving the season back is a conspiracy by the bowhunters to have the rut all to themselves - as a bowhunter myself, I don't want to give up those first two weeks in Nov.

When I decide I'm tired of shooting does and small bucks, then I'll go hunt down a big buck. I don't expect the DNR to do it for me.

Thanks, that was a good laugh. I knew you'd probably respond since you always do as soon as anyone on here talks about passing bucks, moving seasons, etc.

Dude, you don't know a thing about me, calm down already. Nice rant, but you couldn't be more farther from the truth about me with just about everything you vomited into that post. I like how you put words in my mouth, and you know that I want the DNR to tie a big buck to a tree for me, and that I have no values, and that I'm not out there hunting one down but waiting for one on a silver platter. Wow, are you a psychic? You know everything about me. Please.

Yes, to the weekend warriors that hunt once a year I could see where they would be afraid of the weather if it were moved back...wouldn't want to actually have to layer up and endure the cold a tad....

You missed my point if you think I was in favor of having no season during the rut....my responses were to the ones that were taking a stab at the bowhunters asking if we'd give up our season then too...read it again. By having it bow only then it would benefit everyone - well...I guess not everyone...not the guys that can't shoot their buck without him being as horny as a 21 y/o male at the bar at 2 AM.

Blast away...

[Shoot2Kill]

If it came down to closing the bow season during the rut, I would argue against it, pretty strongly to be honest. I have gun and bow hunted for years. They are not the same. Numerous large bucks would have fallen by firearm had I had one instead of a bow. (10 pointer this fall at 10 yards, no shot with the bow) Nice 8 five days later, still no shot with a bow, easy with the firearm. I would be 100x more in favor of antler restrictions than moving the season if it meant closing it for bow hunters also. I wonder what the license sales of archery tags would be if that happened. You want to talk about DNR losing revenue.

I was sticking up for the bowhunters to leave the bow season during the rut because we would kill far fewer deer at that time than gun hunters would. I'd be in favor of the AR too vs closing the season then.

[96trigger]

Quote:

(one of the diry little secrets about QDM is that they want you to shoot a lot of does)

Since when is shooting a doe a "dirty little secret" You see, it can often be your average hunter like me, that shoots does, but still would like to see more mature bucks, that doesn't care for comments like that. If shooting does is a dirty little secret, who's for horn porn now???? If does are so prevalent, why shoot the little bucks, what good will that do? Unless you are all about the horns, but then, why on earth wouldn't you want bigger ones? I bust my tail bow hunting to see the mature bucks because that is the ONLY time I see them.

[Musky Buck]

I like the season as it is although if the consensus is to move it back it would only help me a ton especially if we get a lot of snow and had a later rifle season because on all three hunks of land I hunt the deer also winter there. Generally about 75 animals on 1 piece, 40-60 on another and my creek bottom usually holds 30-60 deer. So if the deer season is later and it is colder, frozen up, add in lots of snow, I will have 10x the amount of deer to hunt, excellent lets move it back, I bet I'd see quite a few for sale signs on land that once the first snow flies so flies the deer the heck out of there to my swamp and creek bottom. This is great, more deer for me, none for lots of guys and I'll eliminate giving bow hunting permission on my ground and alright, best idea since sliced bread, to bad to have nots you'll really be a have not if we move it back ! Said very fecitiously (sp).

[Shoot2Kill]

Quote:

(one of the diry little secrets about QDM is that they want you to shoot a lot of does)

Since when is shooting a doe a "dirty little secret" You see, it can often be your average hunter like me, that shoots does, but still would like to see more mature bucks, that doesn't care for comments like that. If shooting does is a dirty little secret, who's for horn porn now???? If does are so prevalent, why shoot the little bucks, what good will that do? Unless you are all about the horns, but then, why on earth wouldn't you want bigger ones? I bust my tail bow hunting to see the mature bucks because that is the ONLY time I see them.

Hey, your post looks like I said that....let it be known that was our anti horn porn buddy BlackJack the psychic who made that comment.

[96trigger]

Sorry, you got your post in there before me.

[sticknstring]

Quote:

you may end up hunting in cold weather like now if the season is moved back

The season won't be pushed back into the 2nd week of Dec! Everyone keeps comparing pushing the season back with hunting in current conditions. WI season starts 2 weeks after MN and has been over with for 2 weeks. Even if it was, it was 38 degrees on Saturday. Pretty darn nice. A 2 week difference isn't really a huge deal. The weather will always be a burden to some, make the best of it. We live in MN, we can handle pretty much anything. Most guys I know have been complaining about the warm openers of the past few years and lack of tracking snow. It's not hard to cut a fresh track in snow and get within gun range. It's beneficial to be hunting later in my opinion.

[Musky Buck]

I agree sticknstring, I'll certainly hope for heavy snow, cold, etc. It will only help me out. My 3 areas I hunt, 2 are tamarac swamp/balsam fir etc and the other is thick creek bottom willows and grass.All 3 hold wintering deer. If all you have is a woods thanks for helping raise the deer that will head my way once the weather gets a little ugly, it would just triple the deer on my land, let's go with a later season and hope for nasty !

[BeezeHound]

Thats exactly what I don't need. My grandparents farm holds a lot of deer until the first heavy snow, then its bye bye to the neighbors to hunker down in the 40 acres of pines. I really hope the season doesn't get moved or I'll be sitting on stand all week just waiting for that one dumb straggler to wonder through the woods with no rhyme or reason to where it's going.

[BeezeHound]

I don't see the reason for moving the season back one bit. The current firearms season can be one of the best times to be on stand. There are many deer moving through the woods which makes it enjoyable to sit in the stand all day. I had my younger sister in the stand with me on opening weekend and she got to witness 5 small bucks come running in to the can call, she had a great time. All those bucks are still running around the woods, at least when they left my stand they were. Even though we didn't get to see any big boys, she shot a doe sunday morning and said this weekend was the best ever watching those bucks come running in looking for a doe. She's hooked for life now. I hope to some day be able to share experiences like that with my own children.

[Musky Buck]

I hear ya boozehound, I was just waking up a few people, it would be a huge plus to me having wintering grounds. I have 3 good wintering grounds and know dozens of parcels that had almost no deer on them come musket season because of snow and cold, there land has nothing, If you own just woods or if they don't like your land once food becomes A #1 you can go sit there until March and not see a single goat. But I'll have roughly 200 animals on my land, sounds good, later rifle season and pray for winterlike weather before it opens and I'm gold.

[Musky Buck]

If I tag a mature buck right away I'll lease my land for 200 bucks a gun and even make money off of it, yes please call your legislators so I can make money on deer and tag my own, vote for as late a gun season as possible.

[Musky Buck]

Hey boozehound where you at in OT. county, maybe those deer you hunt are wintering on my grounds in OT. county ? I know, I doubt it, but I'm guessing deer from about a dozen different property owners end up in my swamp on that parcel, the other 2 I'd guess about the same. My best guess according to last Saturday's track is I have about 40 deer on each and that's a rough guess so about 120 deer calling my grounds home for the winter. In 1984 the total was about 320.

[Bear55]

A two week difference in the gun season isn't going to send the deer running to their winter hideouts, you would catch the end of the rut and some post rut feeding patterns. Once again everyone likes to talk in extremes. People don't see as many deer later in the current rifle seaons because they have been highly pressured for so long they go nocturnal, if you didn't have that pressure the deer movement would be much more natural, not the feast or famine some are describing.