early doe season
Whitetail Deer
sept 18 thru 22 early gun season in michigan up to five permits. this state sucks when it comes to managing a deer heard.
Gomez-you may well be correct and I have no wish to start a debate. But I would like to know upon what you base that statement.
I read the material and it seems the state is taking a biologically sound step in a proper manner. The hunt is before bow season and is designed to reduce the deer population. If hunters take advantage of the opportunity and remove sufficient numbers, the state will not be forced to take even more drastic measures.
In reading all the information, it seems like an ecologicaly and biologicaly sound solution and one that is hunter friendly. Isn't that the duty or goal of a wildlife management agency?
Where can this material be found?
Standman-go to the MI state forum. The DNR info is there.
Thanks Bowriter, Ohio is having high doe number issues, too. I understand gomez concerns. We don't like guns taking the deer we like to see during bow season. TOUGH ISSUE. Wish them well. I hope bowhunters don't get the short end. Have to let dnr do their job I guess.
Thanks Bowriter, Ohio is having high doe number issues, too. I understand gomez concerns. We don't like guns taking the deer we like to see during bow season. TOUGH ISSUE. Wish them well. I hope bowhunters don't get the short end. Have to let dnr do their job I guess.
I like an early doe season. To me a September hunt gives the herd time to settle down before the rut, if you can get guys to participate at all in one. Less does during the rut should cause more searching, thus more visibility of deer during daylight hours. This has been my experience anyway.
Ditto LW.
Also, gotta remember that if herd control is the main goal we ain't the best tool. Gun hunters can knock populations back in a few days better than bowhunters will in a few months.
Also,in Sept., far less chance of shooting a shed-antlered buck or mistaking a button buck for a mature doe.
Buttons getting shot for mature does can be a problem with winter seasons.
I live in Michigans` Iosco county. Iosco is one of the counties involved in the early doe season.
Iosco, and the counties within the TB management zone have always had a high, to severely high deer population on PRIVATE land. Public land needs no firearms season in September to control deer numbers.
I believe more does are killed by cars in Iosco, than are killed by hunters, on private land.
A balanced deer population is something most landowners still do not understand here where I live. When there are fifty deer in a hayfield, and only TWO of them are antlered bucks, there is a severe imbalance.
In the past, hunters could buy UNLIMITED over the counter antlerless permits, for the TB management zones. Unfortunately, many of these permits were used illegally, and were used on deer that were killed on public land. This was the cause for a sudden and extreme loss of deer on public land. Tag availability is limited now, and this should help prevent abuse.
The only problem I see, is when a valuable and wonderful game animal is reduced to the status of a pest, much like a rat. Waste become rampant, and a disgusting situation occurs. This HAS happened in the past.
I hope for cool weather, because we will be hunting. Given the chance, we will kill a doe or two, and it will be a good thing.
I live in Michigan and have not heard about this. You are not talking about the early youth season are you? This is something entirely new and separate from that? Open to anyone with a doe permit, I assume, but only select counties, right?
It is in the Souther Lower Penninsula and in the TB Zone of the NE lower penninsula. It is only open on private lands too if I read it right.
The population in the Southern lower is very healthy, probably over populated really, and I don't really see the harm in having a brief antlerless hunt. It is one weekend long, from Thursday to Monday, and will be mainly focused on Saturday and Sunday likely. The harvest will be significant but won't empty the woods of does like some people seem to fear it will.
In Michigan everybody likes to bi*** about how our herd is way out of whack and we have too many does, not enough bucks, not enough deer in general, the DNR sucks and never does anything about anything. Now the DNR does something and it seems like there are still just as many people whining as there was before. Can't make everybody happy.
O.K. I see now, I went to the Michigan forum and read the info there. Mighty Mouse you are right the deer population in the southern tier counties is very healthy and in most areas could use some thinning out. There are some areas where it is not bad where it is now. A doe hunt in September will no doubt leave many orphaned fawns. This may have some impact on mortality rate of fawns, with higher success of predation without the adult deer by their side. My personal preference is to take does in the December season, however I'm sure there are many that don't get out much when the weather gets rough. Mighty Mouse you are also right about this: the DNR will never make everybody happy. On the other hand, I think Michigan hunters are way over critical of the DNR efforts. I don't agree with everthing either, but if you want better hunting, more and better bucks, then one of the first steps is to balance the herd or atleast get it much closer that it is now. I remember how much hunters complained several years ago when the DNR came up with the resricted buck rule (4 pts. on one side). I also have lived and hunted in Indiana, and hunters didn't like it much when the DNR made a ONE BUCK law for the entire season, bow, gun, muzzleloader combined. But I will say this, the difference in the quality of bucks in Indiana, atleast where I hunt, has greatly improved. The age structure of the bucks is improving. If you want to improve your buck herd, hunters have to STOP killing 1.5 year old bucks, and kill more does. I know i'm probably preaching to the choir here. If your are reading bowsite forums your probably a serious enough hunter to have set the bar higher than that already. Maybe we need to put some effeort into educating the hunting population that are less serious. Oh and did I mention STOP killing 1.5 year old bucks.
Sorry about writing that novel, I'll try to be more concise.
Hunterson,
I would much rather see the does season in September and cancel the late doe season. Way too many bucks are being killed late after they have shed their antlers. I killed one on Dec. 21. I definitely would like to see our DNR go to a one buck limit as well.
Lechwe, Personally I have never seen a buck in December that had already shed, but that would be a waste of what may have been a wall hanger just days before. Before this late doe season and the extended muzzleloader season, the bucks would settle back down and be very huntable in what used to be a fun late bow (only) season. The way it is now, we pressure the bucks for practically a month straight with guns. Too liberal IMHO.
Seems like a great opportunity for you Michigan hunters to introduce a young/new hunter to the sport. The weather will be nice, the summer patterns allow for a great chance at success, and it will help your herd, as well. Not being critical, but don't be part of the problem, be part of the solution...doing nothing to help, is being part of the problem.
I wonder if Ted's ranch is in one of those effected zones?
Yeah, I had to.
We already have an early youth season, but I think it's only two days. They get their choice of weapon, bow, shotgun, or muzzleloader, and they can shoot bucks as well. It is not a doe only season. It is a cool time for the youth, and a great opportunity to get a really nice buck. Hopefully the early doe and the youth do not overlap. If we have a youth season, then we should focus exclusivly on the youth during their season.
