9-Day Firearms Early Antlerless Season
Contributors to this thread:Kansas
From: Matte
09-Oct-23
Wow how did they sneak this 9 day early firearm antlerless season in for unit 12.
From: bentstick54
09-Oct-23
I haven’t seen or heard anything about it, just the 3 day 10/7 thru 10/9. Where did you get your info Matt?
From: Matte
09-Oct-23
Brochure
From: KB
09-Oct-23
Levi mentioned it at the Topeka meeting I believe. Then it did sort of fly under the radar because it took them a few extra meetings to set season dates for some reason. I assumed it was for next year until the reg book came out.
From: bentstick54
10-Oct-23
I thought maybe I missed it on their website, but going back and looking now, I don’t even see the pre-rut 10/7 - 10/9 season listed. I guess I need to check website and brochures both to be able to keep up with current regs?
From: Deerdummmy
10-Oct-23
Why just unit 12? Where is the data to back up such a season?
From: KB
10-Oct-23
They don’t have the recent spotlight survey data online, but in 2015 unit 12 had over double the population of the next highest unit. He’s mentioned 30 deer/sq mile down there multiple times, and pretty sure I’ve heard him say he thinks it’s as high as 70 deer/sq mile in some areas.
It could be a month long and it won’t matter if the outfitters, NR’s and large landowners aren’t participating. Levi claims 3% of the pre rut doe harvest is done by nonresidents. Bet they’re responsible for much more than 3% of the access down there.
From: bentstick54
10-Oct-23
You sure he didn’t mean 3% for the entire season? Just wondering.
From: MDW
10-Oct-23
Whatever the dates, no one is using it. Oct 7 we had a total of FOUR deer brought in and one of them was a bow killed buck. One resident that new about the special season and two fellows from Arkansas that didnt know about the special season and arrowed does. Nothing since !
From: One Arrow
10-Oct-23
I’m sorry, but if they are going to get the doe population controlled in certain areas there’s going to need to be more slaps on the wrist than liberal doe seasons.
Shooting your limit of does requires work and money.
From: drbonner
10-Oct-23
Outfitter down the road from us runs feeders year round and doesn’t allow the taking of does. He’s a resident outfitter
From: drbonner
10-Oct-23
We all shoot a doe each year, but I don’t buy a second doe tag.
From: KB
11-Oct-23
Bentstick, here’s Levi’s quote.
“Generally, following what we have done in the past, we have saved that in certain unit specifically DMU 12, there is an option for proposed extended pre-rut whitetail antlerless season, which includes the normal three days, October 7, 8 and 9 and extends it through the next Sunday so it makes it nine days. Generally, that season is one that is heavily used by residents. Nonresidents only account for about three percent of hunters that take advantage of that season. This is to help with additional harvest landowners would like to see down in that area.”
According to the latest harvest stats NR take about 22% of whitetail does.
From: MDW
11-Oct-23
I have always disagreed with the numbers on the spotlight surveys. Yes it appears there are big numbers if you look at green soy bean fields right now. Beans are still green, but that may be the only green field in a 1000 acres. If they light an 80 acre field and count 10 sets of eyes, do they do the math to get 80 deer per section? Never mind that the next 2 sections are laying fallow right now. Yes, I have seen pictures of 12 to 15 deer around a feeder lately, but everything within a couple miles is burnt to a crisp. Where would you go eat? I know I'm preaching to the choir, but just had to get this off my chest!
From: Deerdummmy
11-Oct-23
I agree a cluster study is a terrible representation of actual numbers. And yes the department uses cluster studies.
From: cherney12
11-Oct-23
Wouldn’t assume nobody is shooting does based on traffic at a locker plant. If residents are the ones taking advantage and shooting does most may be too poor to pay for processing or prefer to do it themselves.
From: cherney12
11-Oct-23
Wouldn’t assume nobody is shooting does based on traffic at a locker plant. If residents are the ones taking advantage and shooting does most may be too poor to pay for processing or prefer to do it themselves.
From: keepemsharp
11-Oct-23
Too bad this state is to pore to fund having a checkout for deer kills so we might really know what is happening. If there is no checkout for deer tags we are just guessing.
From: crestedbutte
11-Oct-23
Dave….do you mean a check stations? If so, I agree 100%!
From: Matte
11-Oct-23
The new e check system hopes to give kdwp a lot of data.
From: sitO
11-Oct-23
You can also help with the deer "log" report they send out if you get one. Just be honest with the data you provide...not like a KU fan...be honest.
From: drbonner
12-Oct-23
Matte, we like the eCheck.
From: Two dogs mobile
12-Oct-23
I took the rifle out Saturday morning and shot a mature doe. I finished the processing Tuesday evening. I had some of the steaks last evening and they were delicious. I do buy the Archery tag as I have no desire to shot a buck with a rifle and I want to be counted as an archery hunter. I like venison and take advantage of the Anterless tags and I don't mind using the rifle with those if I haven't filled them with the bow. I do have one place that needs to have does taken, and I do my best to do so.
From: Two dogs mobile
12-Oct-23
I took the rifle out Saturday morning and shot a mature doe. I finished the processing Tuesday evening. I had some of the steaks last evening and they were delicious. I do buy the Archery tag as I have no desire to shot a buck with a rifle and I want to be counted as an archery hunter. I like venison and take advantage of the Anterless tags and I don't mind using the rifle with those if I haven't filled them with the bow. I do have one place that needs to have does taken, and I do my best to do so.
From: Thornton
13-Oct-23
I don't shoot does any more. Shoot a big doe with fawns this time of year, and the fawns are left to fend for themselves and are usually as dumb towards predators as fat couch dogs. Shoot a doe late season, and she is almost always carrying fawns. If you want one for meat, shoot a young, barren doe. Shooting the old does takes out the smartest of the herd and they are most likely to birth twins and triplets.
From: ksq232
13-Oct-23
Younger does taste better too…
From: MDW
13-Oct-23
Sounds good Thornton, but a lot of guys are doing good to tell buck from Doe, never mind young versus old or barren.
From: Slate
13-Oct-23
I’m with you Jason
From: cherney12
13-Oct-23
why wouldn't you shoot does
From: Thornton
13-Oct-23
Cherney- they bring in the bucks for miles.
From: cherney12
13-Oct-23
yeah even more so if there aren't 3 does to every buck
From: Slate
13-Oct-23
I shoot does I’m just selective.
From: Thornton
13-Oct-23
Owned an 80 for 13 years, and until EHD took out half a dozen bucks some years back, I was 1:1 on ratio. I've hunted the opposite of not enough does, and it wasn't very fun hunting. Manitoba 2016 and 2017. Just a few does every couple miles and bucks would travel miles on miles to find them. You see a nice buck for a few seconds in the poplar forest and he might be 2 miles away in a few hours. Nearly impossible to pattern anything.
