New MN deer zone potential changes

[dukhnt]

Everyone who reads the outdoor news. What do you think about the potential of cutting the zones from 4 to 2. I really don't know what to think yet. So used to a 2 day slug season, and with this proposal I would have a 9 day season.

[sweept]

We hunt 4b and have 4 days to hunt. Really don't know what to think yet.

[bassNspear]

i hunt in 3 b, and have a week. interesting to see what happens.

[Gordie]

Used to hunt 4A and had great sucess. Now I hunt with the all-season liecence mostly zone 1 and could possibly hit some spots during the week in the zones there talking about. as always it will be intresting to say the least.

[bassNspear]

where did you get this information that they might be changing the zones around. I was looking on the DNR site, and didnt find anything

[rowdyf]

http://files.mndnr.gov/outdoor_activities/hunting/deer/simplificationreport.pdf

[bassNspear]

thanks, ill have to check it out.

[PerchJerker]

I am a huge fans of longer deer seasons. While I am not a QDM or big buck fanatic, I support passing on young bucks and giving them a chance to grow up. I think a longer season would make it easier for more hunters to pass on young bucks and hold out for something else.

[BLACKJACK]

I just read the proposed regs in the ODN last night and I guess I'm up in the air about it. Personally I think they're wasting their time, the regs aren't that complicated.

As a guy that hunts mostly in zone 4, and like to get out pheasant hunting, archery hunting, and slug hunting, I liked the idea of not encountering any slug hunters during the week while pheasant and archery hunting. Also, people complain about MN having their gun season during the rut, now in zone 4 you'll be able to hunt with a gun during more days of prime rut, I think more bucks could take a hit.

Overall I don't think the changes will affect my hunting that much. The DNR is going more to giving more days to hunt but will restrict the hunt by type of zone - intensive, managed, lottery. It doesn't matter if I have 2 days or 9 days, I'm only able to shoot as many deer as my zone allows. And with the elimination of the all-season license, it will actually be cheaper, I'll just go back to buying an archery license and a firearm license, which is what I did for years.

[Jack Stasney]

Thanks for the link! As a zone 4 hunter I think initially that the season changes would be great. Having 9 days to hunt instead of 2 or 4 would be welcomed. After reading the document I took it that you would be able to buy gun/muzzle/and bow licenses and be able to hunt the seasons you want and only be restricted by the number of deer allowed in that area and that would simplify things from my point of view.

[bassNspear]

so are they going to overlap the seasons that were split apart? that just means we are going to have more and more people around correct?

maybe im reading it wrong.

[bigbucks]

If you're meaning the 4A's & 4B's they'll just be one 9 day season, so I'd say combine would be a better term.

We were in a 4A for years & hunted with the multizone & then all-season licenses as soon as we could. Our area switched into zone 2 two years ago & it really was nice. Gave us a few more opportunities to hunt some more marginal spots during the week that we occasionally would try during the weekends, but without much success. We haven't found there to still be much pressure during the week. You will find if you drive out to your spot a little later you'll see orange in a tree here & there, but it's nothing like the weekend pressure.

We've enjoyed it, haven't necessarily gotten a lot more deer, but got to spend more time hunting. More likely to make you a little pickier first thing.

[WaveWacker]

I was up in the air but now don't think that I like the idea. The doe harvest is already limited by the number of permits that are given out. The proposed 9 days or lets just say more possible days to firearms hunt during the now zone 4 season can in my mind only lead to one thing. That being that more bucks, and in paticular I'm talking about immature bucks being harvested. I personally don't like the proposal just for this reason.

Now will everyone actually hunt the whole 9 days? Probably not, but the option is there.

[bigbucks]

I think you'll find that most of the guys still hunting later in the season that are good enough to get a deer that late have already taken one or more if they didn't it may be because they won't shoot smaller ones. Most of the time they won't shoot that little buck that they see at that point of the season either.

[bassNspear]

big,

you think that most guys that hunt later in the season, are shooting big bucks?

[anyfishwilldo]

I just took a look at the link and I am perfectally fine with the way things are now. What is the deal with this part that I cut out

Regulations Book

1.

Publish an abbreviated regulations book in the Hmong language.

2.

Organize a small group of people to review the regulations book before it is published.

Call me whatever, but IMO if you can't read the book the way it is, you can't go hunting!!!

It is worthless junk like making new books for people who can't read that the new sales tax will be going for. NO NO NO!

[analyzer]

I hunt 3A, I'd sure like a second weekend.

[maddowg1192000]

So what I get from this is by buying an A license I would be able to hunt the 100s after the 200s closed. If that is the case I like the change due to the fact that I live near a border area and some years would like to hunt the 3rd weekend because it was nice or didn't get a deer in zone2. Plus I have to drive to zone1 for work so I would be able to hunt evenings there. I would still hunt my normal area for the first 2 weekends but I like the option.

[lawdog]

 Originally Posted By: WaveWacker

The proposed 9 days or lets just say more possible days to firearms hunt during the now zone 4 season can in my mind only lead to one thing. That being that more bucks, and in paticular I'm talking about immature bucks being harvested. I personally don't like the proposal just for this reason.

wow, I couldn't disagree with this more. I really think a two day brown its down season has been the absolute #1 killer of immature bucks around here for decades. I hate that season where you have no time to be selective and have to shoot what will more than likely be the only chance you get in that little bit of time.

[bcifish]

We have seen the deer heard demminish already in Clay Wilken and Norman counties, the farmland areas. Now rifle north of the Clay county line all the way to the Canadian border. DNR is going to turn loose 5 hundred thousond firearms hunters lose to hunt any where in the state. There's to long of a firearms season in the farmland zones.

[juddH]

I haven't researched this too much, but will this mean that a guy could hunt anywhere in the state? If this is the situation, you will see more problems with people walking on private land and taking over your areas. Yes, people will have more options, but people will be trying new areas that they are not familiar with. Most hunters have ethics and respect each other, but you always have a few dip shi** that think they can go anywhere anytime and I think this is just giving that group ammo!! Just my 2 cents!

[WaveWacker]

I hear what your saying lawdog and you hit the nail on the head by stating the word "selective". Yes I agree that there is the potential that having more days to hunt will possibly make it easier for some individuals to pass on a small buck. Let me emphasize on the words "some individuals".

Now this may not apply to the zone as a whole but around my neck of the woods, I'm not convinced in the least bit that having more days is going to make the majority of people be more selective. In other words...if a person gets an opportunity at a small buck on day 1 now and chooses to shoot that animal, I feel the majority will still probably do so with the new regs.

There are some people that may not see a buck in two days (first weekend) or 4 days (2nd weekend) of hunting under the current/past regulations. Obviously then in having the possibility to hunt/be in the field for more days one could assume that this is going to lead to the increased possibilty to get an opportunity.

I feel this is even more true with some hunting parties (and this would definately apply to the majority from around home) that typically don't fill their tags out in any given year. What's the difference? I can shoot a small buck and still have the opportunity to hunt and get a crack at a big one up until season is over or until all the tags are filled.

Once again, may just apply to around home.

[bigbucks]

No, I don't think that's they're shooting big bucks late season, not very many anyway, but that's what they're looking for. I think a lot of the guys diehard enough to hunt that late will take does before they'll take small bucks. I think most of the guys that haven't had there fill of hunting by then are like me & never get enough & have passed on so many chances to shoot small bucks by then or maybe already shot one & aren't likely to take another.

Most of the guys I know of that will shoot any buck they see & as many as they're party has tags for are over 50 & only firearm hunt. That's nothing against that generation, it's just more the way they were brought up. I know a of several guys under 25 or even younger that won't shoot little bucks already, because they've already had so many opportunities.

[Froggy4371]

I guess my 2 cents is our area can not handle the people from both weekends hunting at the same time. One of the woods we hunt has 8 people that hunt it first weekend and 5 hunt it second weekend. Now you put 13 people in the same woods and hey they will be on top of each other and no one will get deer. I just do not like the that they are taking and redoing the zones for a small margin of people that do not understand the regs. I am very againts this and wish they would have a closer meeting in my area. I have spoke with some people and they already stated that if the changes go though they will not deer hunt because of safety issues. I just do not believe it makes that much sense.

Froggy

[Scott K]

I think it will decrease people in the woods, as they wont be forced to only hunt just the first weekend, or the second! For some people hunting on just the weekdays.

[BKB]

I think it is a good idea, I hunted one time and only one time in the South western part of the state with the in laws. After seeing what goes on with the hunting methods down there I was scared to even visit that part of the state during deer season. Granted it is not everyone that partakes in these methods but it was enough to scare me. With only 2 or 4 days to shoot a deer some of the people do very stupid and very dangerous things. This may or may not stop those methods but I think it may help. Just my opinion.

[BLACKJACK]

I hear what you're saying froggy, I'm in the situation where we hunt two farms the first season and another group hunts the same two farms the second season but what we'll do is just communicate with each other and keep hunting the same season that we have been.

Why can't you keep on with your 8 people the first weekend and 5 people the second weekend?