Brooks in MN Outdoor News

[bwoods11]

Very good article on Batman in the Outdoor News. Some excellent points brought up!! Well done.

I was very happy to see you make mention of looking into a shorter gun season. I've been an advocate of shortening all seasons--bow/gun/muzzy so both bucks and does can increase their odds of survival.

I personally have noticed a decrease in buck survival since the implementation of the 9 day gun season and the 16 day muzzy. This extended season really hurt our zone.

 

[bat man]

Our square 'block' of zones straddled the transition line from NW to SE. The 100 zones were all in much worse shape than the 200 zones, at identical latitudes. The extra week of gun season is the only real difference.

 

[bwoods11]

Our square 'block' of zones straddled the transition line from NW to SE. The 100 zones were all in much worse shape than the 200 zones, at identical latitudes. The extra week of gun season is the only real difference.

That is very interesting. I guess I have no real data to back up my sightings, but I'd say the number of surviving bucks on my farms--- down 50% or more, since they lengthened the gun seasons. The only real data I have is shed antlers and trail cam pictures. I know it is significant and even the state parks have fewer survivors.

 

[West Branch]

Our square 'block' of zones straddled the transition line from NW to SE. The 100 zones were all in much worse shape than the 200 zones, at identical latitudes. The extra week of gun season is the only real difference.

The 100 zones also have much less farmland and get hit harder by winter, for example permit areas 156, 183 and 159 in our block had snow stick around a few weeks longer than 155 and 157 last year. So an extra week of gun season where 200 series hunters can easily come up and hunt public land has some areas going even further backwards.

 

[bwoods11]

The 100 zones also have much less farmland and get hit harder by winter, for example permit areas 156, 183 and 159 in our block had snow stick around a few weeks longer than 155 and 157 last year. So an extra week of gun season where 200 series hunters can easily come up and hunt public land has some areas going even further backwards.

There are guys from my zone that go up and try to fill tags in Zone 1 after our season closes. It's just not a good system.
Some of them have already shot their deer and tagged it on someone else's tag.

 

[tooln]

Do you have a link to the article?

 

[foggy]

The post office quit forwarding my ODN about two weeks ago. They only forward "publications" for 60 days (I just found out today)......so I can't read it. :(

 

[West Branch]

Do you have a link to the article?

They do not have a current one available online, but here is one from Brooks a month ago:
http://www.outdoornews.com/March-20...esotas-deer-herd-will-increase-but-from-what/

 

[sandbur]

The 100 zones also have much less farmland and get hit harder by winter, for example permit areas 156, 183 and 159 in our block had snow stick around a few weeks longer than 155 and 157 last year. So an extra week of gun season where 200 series hunters can easily come up and hunt public land has some areas going even further backwards.

I also see more pressure on the wolves in the zone 2 area I hunt as compared to my area of zone 1.
Information is available on how many deer are killed per day during the second week of zone 1 hunts.

 

[sandbur]

That is very interesting. I guess I have no real data to back up my sightings, but I'd say the number of surviving bucks on my farms--- down 50% or more, since they lengthened the gun seasons. The only real data I have is shed antlers and trail cam pictures. I know it is significant and even the state parks have fewer survivors.

If the scopes on mzzle's is approved your area will get hit harder.

 

[bwoods11]

If the scopes on mzzle's is approved your area will get hit harder.

True. We don't need any more advantages for the hunter, we should simply close that season out here until our deer come back.

 

[Jameson]

Our square 'block' of zones straddled the transition line from NW to SE. The 100 zones were all in much worse shape than the 200 zones, at identical latitudes. The extra week of gun season is the only real difference.

Shorten your bow season to the same length as the gun season then.

Short seasons suck for the hunter. Give me everyother year to hunt, or limited tags before short seasons.

 

[McLovin]

Shorten your bow season to the same length as the gun season then.

Short seasons suck for the hunter. Give me everyother year to hunt, or limited tags before short seasons.

I'm fine with that as long as the archery season starts when the rifle season normally starts and the rifle season moves to first Saturday in December.

 

[sandbur]

True. We don't need any more advantages for the hunter, we should simply close that season out here until our deer come back.

I have begun to understand the problems your area has. Completely different than my area. Different managers as well.

 

[bwoods11]

Nine of out 10 deer are killed during the gun seasons...if you want a shorter bow season that's only a political move. If it necessary to do it to make some people happy, then I'm all for it.

The late season hunt could be shortened
By two weeks?

 

[biglakeba$$]

All seasons should be shortened IMHO. Obviously, looking at the weapon where most deer are harvested (firearm) is a logical first step when trying to increase the herd. I don't think a 9 day season is "short". Plenty long enough

10 years ago or so your area was in Zone 4 Stu.
Zone 4 was a split gun season.
Hunters picked either 4A(Saturday and Sunday opening weekend) OR 4B(second weekend Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday).
2 very obvious things with that.

1) the hunters were split across the landscape. Looking at hunter numbers 66% of the gun hunters hunted opening weekend and 33% hunted second season.
2) the deer had less days of pressure and even a 5 day break between seasons

Fast forward to zone 2. Now 100% of hunters could choose to sit on stand opening weekend. In addition, another 3 days added to the hunt, plus no rest period any more.

The harvest charts all fall in line with the change in hunter density and length of season..... Harvest numbers immediately began a downward turn as zone 4 started transitioning to the zone 2 rules.
I firmly believe zone 2 has been the single largest factor in the demise of our hunting in the area we hunt. There is hardly a woodlot without people in them. When I was a kid, our extended family was spread out over 2 weekends. Farms back in zone 4 days were emply of hunters either opener or seconde weekend, so sanctuaries for deer existed for them to hide.

 

[bwoods11]

10 years ago or so your area was in Zone 4 Stu.
Zone 4 was a split gun season.
Hunters picked either 4A(Saturday and Sunday opening weekend) OR 4B(second weekend Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday).
2 very obvious things with that.

1) the hunters were split across the landscape. Looking at hunter numbers 66% of the gun hunters hunted opening weekend and 33% hunted second season.
2) the deer had less days of pressure and even a 5 day break between seasons

Fast forward to zone 2. Now 100% of hunters could choose to sit on stand opening weekend. In addition, another 3 days added to the hunt, plus no rest period any more.

The harvest charts all fall in line with the change in hunter density and length of season..... Harvest numbers immediately began a downward turn as zone 4 started transitioning to the zone 2 rules.
I firmly believe zone 2 has been the single largest factor in the demise of our hunting in the area we hunt. There is hardly a woodlot without people in them. When I was a kid, our extended family was spread out over 2 weekends. Farms back in zone 4 days were emply of hunters either opener or seconde weekend, so sanctuaries for deer existed for them to hide.

'
You nailed it! We predicted it would happen to--in person at a meeting (DNR) and they said it will have little to no impact on the deer herd. They were wrong.
I like that system. Keep in mind too that you had to choose one season, and that also included muzzy. You had to choose between muzzy and shotgun in my area.

 

[sandbur]

'
You nailed it! We predicted it would happen to--in person at a meeting (DNR) and they said it will have little to no impact on the deer herd. They were wrong.
I like that system. Keep in mind too that you had to choose one season, and that also included muzzy. You had to choose between muzzy and shotgun in my area.

Was the exception the All Season License?

 

[biglakeba$$]

It was the exception, but the numbers of licenses sold statewide was negligible compared to those that bought a dedicated firearms license.

 

[foggy]

^ Many of those changes above don't have a big impact individually.......but COLLECTIVELY they have made a big impact in our hunting.