There’s lots of deer but a totally screwed up age structure mostly devoid of mature bucks.
I have no problem shooting a doe instead of a young buck but I seem to be in the minority. I don’t know anyone that wouldn’t like to see mature bucks but I don’t know many that don’t shoot the first buck they see ..... and the next 5 too for that matter. I would love to see party hunting gone..... also a very unpopular idea around here.
Possibly the most shocking thing I see around here is the constant road hunter traffic. I have 60 acres of standing beans along the road and I’ve had to run several people off who were parked on the road trying to shoot deer in them.
Kind of a rant I know. What are your thoughts on the state of deer hunting in Mn?
I will shoot a doe or a small buck for meat. I like shooting big bucks but not that much to let the smaller ones walk. With a growing family and very little time I take the opportunity when it’s presented wether it’s a spike or an 8 point. I hunt mostly high pressure areas because it fits my time restraints.
I hunt private land in South Dakota that has very little pressure especially during archery. It’s nice to see deer be deer for 1 week a year .
I completely understand your point grubby but I’m afraid I’m one of those guys that doesn’t care much about antlers or age. Maybe when I have time it will be a different story. We enjoy venison too much to let it walk by. To each there own
It’s sure fun to spend some time in Wisconsin and see deer be deer. My 15 year old passed a nice 2 year old tonight, I hope he gets a chance at him next year. I don’t have any issue with anyone shooting a young buck, if they are shooting multiple young bucks, well then I think there’s a problem.
There is camps in this area where one guy will fill 15 tags for people who don’t even hunt. If you want or need meat bring your butt in the woods. At the very least party hunting for bucks needs to go, not that making it illegal will stop it. Shooting from your truck is illegal too.
Rd, I might gripe about apr the first couple years I had to pass on yearlings but I bet after I saw the results I bet I would like it. I never hunt se mn but I have friends that do and they consistently shoot mature deer. I wouldn’t be totally opposed to apr restrictions. It’s hard to argue with the results.
Nice to see at least one survived gun season. BIG bucks are hard game, they use every advantage they can (e.g. not being the first in the group). They have and always will be in short supply. With gun hunting, muzzle loader, archery, cars, wolves, bears and old man winter taking them, this should not be surprising to anyone. Passing on smaller bucks may work for a short amount of time but then everyone focuses on the first buck to have 4 points on a side(the exact genetics you don't want to take out). A Pope and Young 6 pointer becomes an "illegal" APR buck. Then mother nature's forces and car collisions catch up. I can't count how many big boys I have seen hit by cars during the rut or Oct chase-before the gun season starts. The focus should be harvest of deer at all age classes not just the antler point system. Improve the registration process(not voluntary by the internet but DNR stations like they used to have), look at teeth (the only sure way to age deer) and award , remove, points per lisc. holder based on what they harvest. That way it becomes a SHARED resource, which is what it is supposed to be not just for Elite with lots of land and a forced APR system that prevents youth, new hunters or meat hunters from taking what they want. Sure shoot a little buck but once registered you have to wait to build up points for another (little buck), or a bigger one. Cross-tagging sure but that person's lisc. is also a registration (by sex, age-teeth not antlers) point system... With direct registration no fair using Aunt Gertie's tag she would have to be actively hunting. Thoughts??
With the weather that is barreling in for Tues-Wed. might be cool to get out Thanksgiving morning in fresh snow.
I have heard of a lot more tickets for illegal party hunting in recent years mainly due to social media.
Different weapons are a different party group, so if using another persons archery tag they better dang well not only be out there with you but be able to shoot a legally defined bow too.
I believe in MN you can not assist in any way, unless you also have purchased a tag. So, if I want to have someone make a drive to me they must purchase a tag - they don't have to actually be carrying a weapon. I can have someone "hunt" with me by making a drive, but they don't necessarily have to shoot a bow/gun or whatever. I'm not 100% certain on that, but that is my take on it - best to talk to a game warden.