MN deer harvest

candiru wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Youbetcha wrote:</div>
I do think the one thing the kids coming into the sport will have is less pressured public. 5-10 years from now a lot of guys will age out and not many are replacing. I have noticed that a ton with late season. Not many of those folks can handle the below 0 weather. The other thing they will miss is over the counter non resident tags. Those are slowly going away.

The median age of deer hunters in MN and WI is around 60. Things are going to look quite different in 10-15 years when half the people deer hunting now age-out of it.

If we do not have hunter recruitment things will definitely look different in the future as you pointed out.

I would post the article on median age of MN deer hunters but it’s behind a paywall. The article says the median age in 2018 was 41.77.

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Bearcat89 wrote:

Thumper you make it seem like a participation trophy

BearCat – That was not my intent so if it came across that way I apologize. I have nothing but respect for how you and your son enjoy the great outdoors. You seem like a great parent and seem to be raising a great son the correct way. My statement was nothing more than my opinion on the special seasons and not feeling a need for them. You and others are surely entitled to your own opinions. I feel like even without them you and your son would still be out there enjoying the outdoors. If you somehow feel the early / Special seasons somehow increase that enjoyment great. I was simply curious how many people on here felt the Early / Special added value and how many did not. Clearly more are in favor of it than against it. I guess this put me in the Minority on this subject.

fishthumper wrote:

I know several serious deer parties that are not real big fans of either the youth or early anterless seasons. I always find this odd as all the parties have a fair # of youths in them and they like to harvest a few Doe’s to have in the freezer. I think their main reasoning is they feel like those early season mess up the hunting some for the normal season. What are all of your thoughts on the 2 early seasons?

I was simply curious how many people on here felt the Early / Special added value and how many did not. Clearly more are in favor of it than against it. I guess this put me in the Minority on this subject.

So when you said you knew people opposed, you were actually just saying your own opinion? I honestly didn’t even know you deer hunted.

My personal opinions are that I am ok with the youth season. But I fail to see the positives of the early antlerless.

Early antlerless is clearly used to lower populations in area deemed to have a high surplus of deer. The problem I have is there is limited participation throughout our area. However, there are some groups that really hit it hard. I am not sure it truly adds to the antlerless harvest in end.

The youth season I do think is a good way to introduce hunting to our young kids. However, 16 and 17 year olds are now driving themselves and or buddies out to hunt, with limited to no adult supervision. These kids are just getting more hunting time, they’re more than likely long term hunters already, one that will hunt both seasons anyway, they no longer “need” the extra time to be recruited.
Plus, with the change to early antlerless and youth season being the same dates, some kids are again an afterthought, instead of having the entire focus on their development and success.

BigWerm wrote:

So when you said you knew people opposed, you were actually just saying your own opinion? I honestly didn’t even know you deer hunted.

No when I said I know people who are opposed, I meant I know people who are opposed. If it was simply myself I would have said I was opposed. I know several rather large hunting parties and it was them I was referring to who were opposed. The part of I was not in favor of it was a later opinion I later added. As far as deer hunting goes, I’ve hunted deer every year since I was 12 years old. That is now 48 years. For many years I hunted with a bow, Rifle, and a muzzleloader. I have not bow hunted for about 20 years now. I stopped rifle hunting about 4 years ago. These days it just muzzleloader deer hunting for me. From my late teens into my early 50’s I hunted most everything. May get more back into hunting again more once I retire.

Good luck out there tomorrow.

Its gonna be a hurricane. Sustained winds to 25 and gusting to 50 in the western half of the state.

Man the Ravin could get the along ways away if their down wind.

gim wrote:

Good luck out there tomorrow.

Its gonna be a hurricane. Sustained winds to 25 and gusting to 50 in the western half of the state.

I love hunting the wind. But 50 might be a bit much

BC, 10 years ago a friend and I were shooting at a 3D shoot down in Iowa one summer. Some big winds came up and we kept shooting. It was insane how far that wind pushed our arrows. We would have to adjust our aim by as much as 10’ on 50 + yard shots.
Like you said a good breeze helps but high winds flat suck.

Deer harvest is at 89,625 as of today.

My guess is harvest is going to be lower than last years 158,678 number.

I agree

I was wondering how it compared to last year, seemed to see a lot more outrage last year.

I’m still upset with the DNR’s “Kill em All” approach. Literally in 642 we can gun hunt from opening weekend through late December. Ridiculous and hope many more like me won’t!!

jimmysiewert wrote:

I’m still upset with the DNR’s “Kill em All” approach. Literally in 642 we can gun hunt from opening weekend through late December. Ridiculous and hope many more like me won’t!!

I can still take one more in 642 and may or may not. I agree with what you’re referring to as far as three season hunting on dm tags. I’ve been seeing a lot of deer but I am seeing wayyyyyy more orphaned fawns this season. There are four that have been hanging around my stand each day I’ve been out. Two of these guys are like 15-18 pounds.

Hey Jimmy Jones! I hunt over by Oak Center with over 1,000 acres to hunt (fortunately). Most farms have zero pressure except me. One has minimal for 360 acres. This am hunt 64. Use to see deer every sit and a great mix of bucks and does. This year less than a handful of does (one hand) mind you ALL between the sits whereas wasn’t uncommon to see 5 – 19 a sit! Something is askew. I see in 642 so far almost 500 bucks have been shot. 250 does only. That says something and if this trend continues, and doe populations low, coyote deprivation in the near future will take even a bigger toll (few does/fawns mean even more chance for coyotes to take out remaining). I am concerned. Have been and very vocal about it.

jimmysiewert wrote:

I’m still upset with the DNR’s “Kill em All” approach. Literally in 642 we can gun hunt from opening weekend through late December. Ridiculous and hope many more like me won’t!!

Jimmy – you don’t mean hunting with a gun, do you? In 642.

Like if you hunt A season, you can’t hunt B season, right?

We can gun hunt A or B? Not both. But you could hunt archery then the muzzle loader season and back to archery. Plus the Dec. CWD 3 day season

Any unused disease management tags from the gun A season can be used during the gun B season in any disease management area, or the muzzleloader season in any disease management area, or in any disease management season like the CWD 3 day season.

Has to be a disease management tag, cannot be the primary license that could be used to tag a buck.

Archery hunters could hunt from the opener of the archery season all the way thru the end of the year to fill a disease management tag or any tag for that matter.

With 342 now designated a 600 area, 642, the two management tags that we are able to purchase in addition to the regular license can be bought as disease management tags at $2.50 each.

To be clear, I can still take another doe but will leave the rifle to home and take the pistol…. make it a bit more of a challenge. And I may simply opt to pass on another animal during this season so I can hunt the muzzy season after the B season ends. For the muzzy season I will hunt in 341, if I hunt.

Haleysgold and I have talked about these “special seasons” a couple times and he’s aware of my feelings on them. I’m pretty much in line with what Jimmy Siewert is commenting on, right along with much of what fishthumper has addressed. So when fishthumper stated that he “knew” “others” that shred his opinion of the deer season situation, he was not fibbing in the least and I know many people who share my thoughts on this matter. The opposition to the current regs isn’t just random, it is there.

This is to what is concerning Jimmy Jones and Haley’s Gold – MANY PEOPLE think they can use their 642 A season main tags the same during B season….

PS: seen my first mature doe after dozens and dozens of sits. I let it walk. Haley’s Gold knows my areas I hunt so he can tell/see my frustrations

Bucky…. question for you as I think you’re pretty much in the know on our youth seasons and I am not….

Are management tags available to go with the youth license?

I’m almost afraid to say anything these days for fear of the sharp shooters that could be used.
I’ve had very different results and I’m not that far from Jimmy S.
We’ve seen plenty of does and fawns. I’ve seen wayyyy too many small scrapper bucks. Like as in 4″ spikes and forks. And bucks that only have 1 side. I’m still hoping to see what broke em all!
Before season A started, I saw a bunch of nice bucks but no trophy’s.
We only take bruiser bucks and wait for this coming weekend for a couple does. Or wait and take our does in season B with dm tags.
Plus, I can still hunt with the bow for a trophy.
No, I won’t hunt the special season in December. I too do not like these special seasons.
I was all for the youth hunt until they included everybody. It should go back to youth only.

I know exactly where Jimmy S hunts. That is crazy that you aren’t seeing much.
I will say this year is weird. I saw zero deer before the season running in the open. With all the corn out, they should have been all over but they weren’t.

Where does it say you can’t use you your firearm A lisence during the B season? The only thing I see in the regulations is this. Third down from the top. I understand this as I can hunt both seasons with either an A or B lisence, and more disease mgnt tags

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Yup. Hardly anyone knows that so I’m forgetting to tell others

I’m not gonna partake. Deer are wore out enough IMO

We are up to 146,174 deer harvested in MN.
Last year there were roughly 10,000 deer harvested during muzzleloader.
It’s looking like we will surpass last years umbers with the remaining seasons that are left.

Michael Best wrote:

Last year there were roughly 10,000 deer harvested during muzzleloader.
It’s looking like we will surpass last years umbers with the remaining seasons that are left.

Just looking at the harvest data today. MN is currently at 154,000 obviously with seasons still ongoing.

So despite all this “DNR mismanagement” and DNR/insurance company secret collusion to eliminate deer from all of Minnesota, we are now at a harvest rate that is greater than or very close to equal to the harvest rates in 10 of the last 12 years.

The only harvest that is significantly greater in that time period was in 2017 with 167,000 deer harvested.

Yes, there will ALWAYS be areas that for some reason have below-average numbers. But to me, as a state-wide number, I would say this looks to be an pretty average deer season as far as harvest numbers.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Michael Best wrote:</div>
Last year there were roughly 10,000 deer harvested during muzzleloader.
It’s looking like we will surpass last years umbers with the remaining seasons that are left.

Just looking at the harvest data today. MN is currently at 154,000 obviously with seasons still ongoing.

So despite all this “DNR mismanagement” and DNR/insurance company secret collusion to eliminate deer from all of Minnesota, we are now at a harvest rate that is greater than or very close to equal to the harvest rates in 10 of the last 12 years.

The only harvest that is significantly greater in that time period was in 2017 with 167,000 deer harvested.

Yes, there will ALWAYS be areas that for some reason have below-average numbers. But to me, as a state-wide number, I would say this looks to be an pretty average deer season as far as harvest numbers.

I get that Grouse. But in our zone (642) the DNR’s kill them all approach is not warranted. In fact a couple of the “sanctuary” farms in our area – which is one of the reasons historically has made this area special, the landowners are being threatened with court and federal/state sharpshooters if people are not allowed to hunt their property. Again – the DNR’s CWD scare tactics are nothing but a monetary scam. All you have to do is look at all our neighbor states and how they are handling it. Not Minnesota though….

I understand your feelings and I agree that it would not be great to be under CWD population reductions. I’m sorry that you or any hunter anywhere has to go through this.

But I also think there is a bigger picture here. I watched one of my best friends in this world die a terrible death from the human version of this disease–CJD. Very little is understood about if/how the prion diseases like CWD/CJD spread. Nothing is known about if/how they could spread between species. If that doesn’t concern you, well, I’d say think about it a little more.

I won’t go anywhere near a deer that I suspect has CWD and if my zone had the CWD positive rates like the worst zones in WI, WY, CO, etc, I would quit hunting. I don’t trust the tests and to get a deer tested, you have to expose yourself by dressing/processing the deer so even if it comes back positive and you don’t eat the meat, to me you have already potentially exposed yourself to the disease. Again, seeing just one person dying from CJD and this disease instantly tops my list of ways that I do NOT want to die.

jimmysiewert wrote:

All you have to do is look at all our neighbor states and how they are handling it.

Handling it or not handling it? IMO, hope is not a strategy. It looks to me like at least one of our neighboring states has been browbeaten into doing nothing and currently, they are “handling” it by just hoping CWD doesn’t explode and contaminate the entire state the way it has with the 4 worst “hot zone” counties.

Again, I understand how you feel about what’s happening in your zone and I agree, it’s a bad hand to be dealt. But I don’t agree that CWD represents “nothing to worry about” and that the best approach is to do nothing and just hope that it doesn’t suddenly get much, much worse.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

I don’t trust the tests and to get a deer tested, you have to expose yourself by dressing/processing the deer so even if it comes back positive and you don’t eat the meat, to me you have already potentially exposed yourself to the disease.

It’s not an airborne thing. Humans can only get infected with it through direct contact with the prions or by consuming portions of the animal that has it. Wear gloves and wash your hands/knives/equipment properly just like you normally would.

As for the testing of CWD, I can’t comment on how accurate they are. I assume it’s relatively accurate, but not 100%. And technically any deer or elk could have it too, in or outside of a designated CWD zone.

so….what kind of symptoms would a deer exibit if they have CWD??????

serious question.