Star Trib article

[mrklean]

Did anyone else read the article on the back of the star today about the deer harvest this year and how many werent happy, and how people arent happy about the size of bucks. I thought it was interesting they did a survey and the results seemed pretty similar to what was said on here. I would check if out if you havent read it yet.

[kr8r.tom]

with an article like that the dnr forgets how to read.

[archerystud]

Actually I think the DNR has an incredibly difficult job and I wouldn't want it.

In comparison I planned my company's X-mas party for about 150 people a couple years ago. Most loved it but of course some whiners complained incisively. The lesson I learned was that you can't please everyone.

After dealing with that I can't imagine what it's like dealing with 200K whiny hunters!!!!

[daylate$short]

The hunters who put in the time to scout, research, and actually sit in the stands have a much higher success rate. There are alot of hunters who just show up opening morning in the woods and expect to tag a 10 point buck.

[96trigger]

I'm not sure what they are going to do, I noticed that they mentioned SEMN, and I really feel that this area is going to be the guinea pig for buck management because it consistently mainatins a higher population. I wouldn't mind trying some things, but really don't like EAB. Haven't heard a lot of positive comments coming from Wisconsin about it and I don't think that Minnesotans have the trouble shooting does that Wisconsin residents have. 3B season down here is pretty big.

They did mention two things that I thought of earlier, which maybe they are reading these posts, that was to move the first 3A season back a week and have it for 5 days, then close it and open up 3B. And also to end Buck party hunting. I think that would be a start that some people might be able to accept better than antler restrictions or EAB, but I don't want to turn this into another debate.

[mrklean]

I would love to see an end to party hunting, granted people in my party this year did it i have never been a fan, but i also think it would be hard to catch people who still did it, so i see a number of people still doing it, i would also like to see the season moved out of the rut, i think if they did that the harvest would be lower but we would have a more quality deer each year. As i see it if there are restrictions the harvest will be lower and more people will complain, but we would probably have more mature deer out there. So my final thought is no matter what they do someone is gonna cry about it, the "hunters" (guys who go up north opening weekend only all year and shoot anything that moves) will complain, while hunters (guys who put the time in all season to scout, food plots, cameras, etc) will probably see better deer out there. Just my 2 cents and if it were only that easy the DNR would have a quick solution for everything.

[Mark Christianson]

A top ten overall harvest, and a lot of whining.

Crazy.

Wait till next fall, if we have a real winter this year.

It will be the DNR's fault because there are no deer even though natural mortality would be the culprit.

They(DNR) cant win, no matter what they do.

Why cant people accept the fact that some years will be great, some years will be good, and some years will suck. What is so hard to understand about that?

The DNR has adjusted a lot of stuff the past few years. And those adjustments were done based on a lot of hunter input.

So some of those unhappy hunters should be partly blaming themselves if it didnt go as they had wished.

[96trigger]

I bow hunt stateland, I know exactly what you are saying MrKlean, about the hunters that hunt once a year. But we have them in SEMN also, Rochester and the Southern Twin Cities Suburbanites flood the area for 3A and 3B. And I am not saying that there is anything wrong with that, they have every right, but I don't have to like it....

DNR has a tough job, I like what they are doing and trying to do, however, I don't like special interest hunting groups pushing their way into what the DNR thinks is best, its obvious where their interest lies. I think if more of the public wants better deer, lets look at it, if not, leave it be.

[frogtosser]

every year I hear how people say that the DNR is going to add another gun season cause the crops were in and the harvest was low. And every year I hear that its like a top harvest. I dont get it. If people dont get their deer or dont see enough they are gonna whine.

[96trigger]

I think it really varies by how someone did. I though the deer hunting this year was good, not great, but as good as other years. Some people that I hunt with thought it was poor. I got three deer, they got zero. Not surprising. But if you asked each of how many deer we saw, they actually saw more than me, just nothing in range, but they are still going to look negatively on the season.

[mrklean]

The weather was tough this year cold and windy, the deer werent moving a lot, yea there was a bunch of corn in still, you have to work with what you have, if that means doin longs drives in the woods to kick those deer up or out of the corn do it, its deer hunting not deer killing, i was lucky enough to get a doe with my bow and i missed a buck with gun and passed on other does so my gun tag went empty but our cameras were filled with bucks and some nice ones to, i was sad to say i saw very few deer in stand, but hey there is always next year, were gonna put food plots in i hope and do some other work out there, just gonna work for them each year

[kr8r.tom]

your going to have a top 10 harvest if you have record tags available for consecutive years in a row. with record antlerless tags available means record fawns killed. if hunters are complaining they're not seeing deer they're going to shoot the first thing they see and odds are, it'll be a fawn.

[deerminator]

I would love to see an end to party hunting, granted people in my party this year did it i have never been a fan, but i also think it would be hard to catch people who still did it, so i see a number of people still doing it.

I'm not a big fan of party hunting either, but you hit the nail on the head, try catching them. And if you outlawed party hunting, you'd just get a lot of guys tagging deer for their moms, wives, kids, in-laws, like they do illegally now anyway. Sadly, there's not much the DNR can do to stop this poaching.

[Cooter]

There have been similar articles here in WI and believe me the DNR is hearing it from every direction. If they have an EAB season where I hunt again this year there will be a riot.

[BobT]

After hunting through the '70s and '80s, seeing a deer makes the hunt a success.

Bob

[DaveT]

Here's my plan for 2009: Bowhunt MN until Friday before gun opener, pass up some little bucks. Jump in truck. Drive south on 35. Stop in Iowa. Kill Poper. Jump back in truck. Continue southwest. Stop in Kansas. Kill 2nd Poper. Come home. Post pics on this website. Start another heated dialogue on how crappy the deer hunting is in MN.

Seriously, though, for every hour I hunt out of state, I hunt 10 hours in MN. You can kill nice bucks here, but you have to put in a TON of effort, time, money, and a healthy dose of luck. With all of the extra seasons, there was a gun season of some sort open for 1 week in October, almost all of November, and 2 weeks of December in the metro. If you killed a big buck this year in the metro with a bow, you are either Fred Bear reincarnated, or a poacher. No deer with 2 brain cells to rub together is going to move in the daylight with that kind of pressure.

[Bear55]

Originally Posted By: mrklean

I would love to see an end to party hunting, granted people in my party this year did it i have never been a fan, but i also think it would be hard to catch people who still did it, so i see a number of people still doing it.

I'm not a big fan of party hunting either, but you hit the nail on the head, try catching them. And if you outlawed party hunting, you'd just get a lot of guys tagging deer for their moms, wives, kids, in-laws, like they do illegally now anyway. Sadly, there's not much the DNR can do to stop this poaching.

People are going to break the laws regaurless of what they are, it doesn't mean we shouldn't at least put them on the books to protect a few younger bucks. Sure they are hard to enforce and many won't listen but I still think the majority of hunters follow the law so why not make the change.

I agree with kr8r.tom, a top ten harvest sounds nice but when half the state has a lot of extra tags the fawns take a beating and have taken a beating the past few years. It would be interesting to see the fawn harvest compaired to other top 10 years, if I get some time I will try and find some info.

[deerminator]

I'm just a big fan of not over-regulating. I don't like to tell people they have to shoot an 8 point buck or larger when most people would be happy with less than that. And I've seen some six pointers that would kick some 10 pointers butts in body and rack size.

As for the "fake party hunting," I would sincerely disagree that that type of poaching is in the minority in lottery areas. It really tees me off because it goes against the DNR's managment strategies, but it seems like they get away with it year after year.

[BLACKJACK]

As long as we're talking about pet deer hunting peeves, how about the fact that lots of automatic youth doe tags are getting filled by party hunting. Great idea, giving the automatic tags to get young hunters involved, but the adult hunters should have enough class to use it as a teaching moment for the youth hunters to teach them some ethics, like only the youth shoots and tags their deer, instead they abuse it.

[sticknstring]

Top 10 harvest alone doesn't mean squat when you have a top 3 amount of tags available. Of course a lot of deer are going to be killed. Next year could be real bad if we don't get a January thaw. I think or at least hope the days of shooting 5 deer are over.

[96trigger]

Putting an end to cross tagging bucks would be a nice start I think. I also think that any type of automatic tag for youth should not be transferrable. Some might follow the guidelines and it might help.

As for enforcing the end of cross tagging bucks, let this scenario run through your head if cross tagging were illegal. You shoot a nice 8 pointer with your bow in the fall, or even opener of firearm and tell all your friends about it, take it around town, hang pictures up at the local bar and registration station, you are pretty proud of that deer. . Later, during firearm, you shoot another, nicer 12 pointer. If cross tagging for bucks was illegal, you would probably be able to find a tag, but it wouldn't be as much fun. It would be dangerous/stupidity to get pictures with it and show them, go around town with it, how long would it take people to realize that you, not your friend shot that nice buck. Are you really sure that noone will call TIP to have you checked out. Even the taxidermist might raise an eyebrow that you are paying for someone elses mount, or would you involve the other party even deeper, because now, not only is your but on the line, but so is theirs.

Making it illegal might not help a lot, but it might help a little bit, and I don't think a lot of people would be affected.

[winterwalleye]

quit the 5 tag deer season. it's ridiculous.

[SrBrits]

so what is the problem with party hunting? i've party hunted all my life and don't see it as a problem. we stand hunt mornings and eves, and do drives with posters during the day. some years a few tags will go unfilled, due to the fact that a few guys would like to shoot their own animal,and if we can't chase on by them, and if they don't get one it's no biggie to them, we tag animals that we get and we share on all the meat when it comes time to cut it all up. sounds to me that any one that is against party hunting, might be such a gomer or dorvin that no one wants to party hunt with them. time to take a pill, and chill out.

[deerminator]

I don't have a problem with party hunting when people are party hunting. I just don't care for when "gomers" buy tags for every tom, [PoorWordUsage] and harry they know and fill their bag limit ten times over "pary hunting." Sorta goes against the DNR's managment strategies. Not to mention that its poaching. Same thing as baiting or shooting deer at night, etc.

[pinkfloyd4ever]

I'm with sticknstring, high amount of tags high harvest.

[picksbigwagon]

"gomers" are gonna keep shooting, they don't really care what the tags say or what the DNR says. I have Party hunted and Stand hunted. I enjoy both. When we party hunt in Iowa, it is very productive, when I hunt SE MN, I stand hunt or still hunt. More work, more frustration, more fun? Not more fun, but a different kind of fun I guess.

I don't think new legislation is gonna change the un-ethical hunters out there. The DNR is swampped and need our help in calling in TIP when we feel there is a violation. If you have a gomer in your hunting party, get him/her converted to thinking and hunting ethically. Not because the DNR is gonna get 'em, but because of the reasons many of you have posted here. Keep in mind, this could be a multi generational gomer too

96trigger, you said cross tagging bucks should be illegal, did you mean bucks only or cross tagging deer in general?

[harvey lee]

Well said Picks.

The cheaters will always cheat.

The deer hunting is suppose to be fun and not everyone has the needed skills to harvest a wise ol buck unless they are very lucky. Why can't we just go out and enjoy the outdoors and if we harvest a buck larger than average, be happy about it?

[mrklean]

well said harvey

[pinkfloyd4ever]

well said harvey

well said mrklean!

[96trigger]

Picks, I would like to see cross tagging of bucks eliminated. We are technically only allowed one antlered deer tag anyway. Antlerless can get crossed, but whith many areas having bonus tags, there really isn't a need in SOME areas anymore. (notice I never said all areas) We have party hunted for years, but haven't had the need to use someone elses tag since the area was removed as a lottery area.