OutdoorMissouri.com

DMR, I second that! Warmouth is a weasly little sonofabitch.

Dabs, for whatever reason... I've got no alterior motives. I would just like to see more people enjoy the experiance they are going to get from deer hunting.

You are the one that bit JT...and I am not saying you are this peron (s), but the statement you made

Dabs, it's not so much the hunters that kill multiple bucks, it's about the gun season where the success rate is so high on bucks in general.

Let me say that I understand your reasoning...but there are some who want everyone to change their habits and rules to change so they can continue to kill their four bucks per year, or have their chance to kill four bucks a year if they see ones that are big enough in their eyes.

In essence, they want everyone else to be regulated on their killing habits so they can have an opportunity to kill giant deer. For those who kill deer to eat them, the smaller bucks and does are by far better eating, so this is really just another case of the minority of a sport/club/group wanting to have things their way....IMHO.

Again, I don't care that much, there will always be deer to kill - but it is just a darn deer.

dab

I think DMR is on the right track here. From what I see/hear/read, the majority of folks that are pushing for change are primarily bowhunters that are ticked about firearms hunters in general or they are the antler hunters out there looking to put their name on some list of great white hunters.

I generally don't disagree with 2Tall because, well the dude knows his chit. But I'm not sure how making deer less prevalent....or at least " not more prevalent"...translates into an overall improvement in deer hunting.

The whole quality "deer" (meaning antler) managment movement is about bigger headgear, anyway you want to spin it. I don't like the idea of being told what I can or cannot put in the freezer simply because somebody else wants a wall decoration. Last year was the first year in probably 4 or 5 that I've shot a buck and only took that one on my final day of firearm hunting because a shot at a doe never presented itself.

Seems to me this whole debate is simply a have nots vs. the haves.....bow hunters want rifle hunters out of the woods during the rut, so THEY can bow hunt the prime time. If folks are REALLY that worried about protecting the stupid bucks during the rut, close the whole f-ing season during the rut(s) (which will never fly with the antler boys) or limit buck tags to one per year, all methods and hunts (which also will never fly). If they are really worried about increasing doe harvest and protecting the bucks, why don't they go to earn-a-buck regs? This whole thing is purely about .

I'm willing to bet that any movement of the firearm season will end up causing an increase in deer population, which in turn will cause an increase in nuisance tag issuance and everything else that goes along with more deer. Firearms season is an effective method of overall population control.

Six of one half dozen of another... I think it could be better, but it could be a helluva lot worse. Deer are ample now, most folks with any sense at all have no problems wacking them. Everybody is right here, because it's all oppinion anyway. Bucks don't eat as good as does no way no how, even a 1.5 year old, unless you shoot buttons, I do so no judgment passed. Truthfully, I'm a fawn killer at heart. Easy to kill, carry, butcher, and darn tasty.

So I'm goint to lobby for a late mid july season allowing only lassos.

Lassos ? If that's Spanish for " Lassie " sized deer, I'm in !

I have 1 buck on the wall. If I get the chance to shoot one that's bigger, I will. Until then, I will lay waste to as many slickheads as my yearly needs require. Groceries, plain and simple.

That said, I sure don't want to do my killing when it's 65 or 75 degrees outside. How many people do you really think know how to, or are willing to, bother to take proper care of a deer carcass in that weather ?

Half of the does killed in the evening will spoil while laying in a truck bed, or hanging in a tree, while the idiot that shot it gets drunk around the fire.
Then, the next morning, said idiot finds out that the deer he was going to have someone else butcher, won't be accepted at any processors. You gonna tell me that ain't gonna happen ?

That ain't an opinion, that's a fact.

I will meet you at the "Hill" and we will push this lasso season through the Senate...I think it would be manageable.

You are right...it is opinion. To each their own and everyone has a right to have an agenda....unfortunately it is usually the squeekiest wheel gets greased....whoever that might be in this case. Not usually what is best in the long run.

What would be different about the average guy killing a good buck that walks by in October vs. December?

I think those that are going to break the rules are going to break the rules period. Doesn't matter if the doe season is in May and knubby mcvelvet knob walks by...if they have the rule breaking bone in them...they are going to break them.

Glad to see you chime in MO - this thread has been missing your logic.

I'm guessin' that it'll mean one less crazed buck attacking bowhunters during the rut.

Friggin' bowhunters have 3 1/2 months to hunt, and want the heart of the rut too. Naw, y'all ain't self centered. : rollinmyeyesatthegreedsmilie:

It seams this could be debated forever. Have the original objectives driving these changes been lost? Is it bigger racks, older bucks or a reduced doe population? One may compliment the other but the methods used to achieve one or the other will be different. The goal could be both and that is OK too but I think the MDC needs to answer the question before they consider implementing anything major.



If all they want is more does harvested why can?t it be simple? Make those seasons longer? I don?t see any issue with a doe-only season in either early or late season...I would actually vote to have both if they felt it would rebalance things.



To reduce the buck harvest either shorten one or both of the any-deer seasons or even consider switching current rifle season with current muzzleloader season.

Duck Me Runnin said:
Friggin' bowhunters have 3 1/2 months to hunt, and want the heart of the rut too. Naw, y'all ain't self centered. : rollinmyeyesatthegreedsmilie:

It just don't get no plainer than that...and it is spot on!

Duck Me Runnin said:

Warmouth,



Everyone isn't hoping to achieve Il.,Ia, blah, blah status, so that you arrow flingers have big bucks running all over during bow season. And maybe even have a few left over so that rifle hunters could have a chance at one.

By everyone, I meant the bowhunters on this board. You know, the people who count.



I don't really give a darn what MDC does about the season. I'll hunt it the best way I know how. I also don't think there will be anymore bucks killed in an Oct doe season than in a Dec doe season, but like I said before, I don't know if you would get many folks traveling at that time of year to get out for a doe.



I think the whole goal of more does taken and older bucks could be reached by going with a state wide 4pt per side rule durring the current rifle season. You could also limit buck tags, but I don't think there are enough bucks killed with a bow to mean much on the state wide level that MDC should be planning for. It seems to be working for PA, imo.



Its getting to the point that if MDC wants more does killed, they should just issue one tag and let you call in as many as you want when you kill them. $7 unlimited and the general rifle, black powder, urban rifle hunt, all of bow season, and doe only gun hunts is plenty of time to kill them if people were interested in the first place. The only way I can think to make it easier is to eliminate doe tags altogether and let it be a free for all. The fact of the matter is hunters only want to deal with so many deer per year. I could whack a chit ton of them, but I don't want to fork with 20 dead deer per year. Chit a guy could whack 10 on the first day of rifle season, but like I said, who wants to fork with that many freakin deer?



I suppose if there were free donation places, I might though.

TobyfromMO said:
It seams this could be debated forever. Have the original objectives driving these changes been lost? Is it bigger racks, older bucks or a reduced doe population?

I think MDC wants it all- on one side they are getting pressure from the Farm Bureau and Insurance lobbyists about deer damage and want the populations lowered. On the other side they are getting pressure about improving buck hunting for the tourism dollars it generates. Even though the majority of MDC's funding is not through appropriations, I'm sure they feel the political pressure that comes with these issues.

I agree with whomever stated that it is unlikely moving or extending the doe season will result in an increased take. The meat hunters are already taking what they want and the trophy hunters don't give a darn about taking a doe. The only way to remedy that is to institute an "earn a buck" program and you know the hornet's nest that will stir up.