MN bill to end shotgun zone

[SD51555]

I didn't know there was hostility towards deer in the northwoods like there is in ag country. Did a little searchin and did find where there were some loggers and forest ecology folks pushing back against all the hunter frustrations circa 2014 after DNR opened up the slaughter of the herd for a number of years prior.

That whole situation is an interesting story that fewer and fewer know about. I believe that began the end of the QDMA forum, and certainly caused the birth of this site. There was a relentless group of ruffians that wanted answers to the insanity of corrupt deer management in MN. They pushed very hard on QDMA to get involved and that led to the bannings on the Q forum. It was there that we realized the deer orgs were all nothing more than shadow orgs to carry the water of the state game agencies. QDMA wouldn't dare question the DNR. MDHA was and still is run by ex-DNR employees. We also uncovered the shady focus of hunter manipulation by state game agencies to control the deer herd. That was the work of Gary Alt in PA.

 

[Skeeter]

Well piss on my back and tell me it's rainin.. My 40 (zone 157) went from hunter's choice to two-deer limit and my parent's place by Grand Rapids (now 679, formerly 179) went from antlerless permit lottery to a two-deer limit.

I'm not totally concerned about 157, maybe it'll even allow some of the fudds to shoot a doe instead of insisting on shooting a 1.5 YO buck with their only tag. But the damn population up north shouldn't be considered for two-deer limit. Their goal was to increase the population that is hurting from winters and wolves but now all of a sudden they need to decrease it further.. dumb.

They are letting people take up to 6 deer this year out by Sauk Center. Seems odd to me though that they put the early antlerless season so close to the regular firearm season if the goal really is to reduce the herd. Last year it sounded like a war zone on my neighbors during early season.

 

[sandbur]

That whole situation is an interesting story that fewer and fewer know about. I believe that began the end of the QDMA forum, and certainly caused the birth of this site. There was a relentless group of ruffians that wanted answers to the insanity of corrupt deer management in MN. They pushed very hard on QDMA to get involved and that led to the bannings on the Q forum. It was there that we realized the deer orgs were all nothing more than shadow orgs to carry the water of the state game agencies. QDMA wouldn't dare question the DNR. MDHA was and still is run by ex-DNR employees. We also uncovered the shady focus of hunter manipulation by state game agencies to control the deer herd. That was the work of Gary Alt in PA.

MDHA leadership is changing. We will see what happens next. It may have changed all ready.


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[Wind Gypsy]

They are letting people take up to 6 deer this year out by Sauk Center. Seems odd to me though that they put the early antlerless season so close to the regular firearm season if the goal really is to reduce the herd. Last year it sounded like a war zone on my neighbors during early season.

I’m glad it’s the same weekend as youth season at least so there isn’t two periods of rifle hunting before actual rifle season. Wouldn’t be mad if it was a little earlier.

 

[Troubles Trees]

We had rifle and shotgun zones here in NY, they have gotten rid of most of the shotgun zones including my area. I don't see much of a difference in harvest numbers but it is difficult to discern if it is because overall hunter numbers are dropping. We have, and always have had, 1 or 2 deer season human fatalities (including treestand fall deaths), and those are usually during gun season, but it hasn't gotten better or worse since rifles took over most of NY.

In my opinion laws should allow the hunter to use the weapon he is most comfortable/accurate with for the sake of the game they pursue. In general rifles are more accurate than shotguns especially past 100 yards. I would think places with open ranges and huge AG fields would view this topic differently but I don't think it is a stretch to say that most hunters wouldn't take long shots they aren't comfortable with. Of course there are some I can think of that "throw lead" at deer too far away but they are the exception to the rule, not the general rule. A deer in a common 3X9 scope looks like a dot at 400 yards and at that point you aren't able to aim at the heart/lung area and most people wouldn't even pull the trigger unless they are set up differently for long distance shooting. People that invest in a gun like that, tend to be the type that wouldn't shoot just to try and hit the deer.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

We had rifle and shotgun zones here in NY, they have gotten rid of most of the shotgun zones including my area. I don't see much of a difference in harvest numbers but it is difficult to discern if it is because overall hunter numbers are dropping. We have, and always have had, 1 or 2 deer season human fatalities (including treestand fall deaths), and those are usually during gun season, but it hasn't gotten better or worse since rifles took over most of NY.

In my opinion laws should allow the hunter to use the weapon he is most comfortable/accurate with for the sake of the game they pursue. In general rifles are more accurate than shotguns especially past 100 yards. I would think places with open ranges and huge AG fields would view this topic differently but I don't think it is a stretch to say that most hunters wouldn't take long shots they aren't comfortable with. Of course there are some I can think of that "throw lead" at deer too far away but they are the exception to the rule, not the general rule. A deer in a common 3X9 scope looks like a dot at 400 yards and at that point you aren't able to aim at the heart/lung area and most people wouldn't even pull the trigger unless they are set up differently for long distance shooting. People that invest in a gun like that, tend to be the type that wouldn't shoot just to try and hit the deer.

A deer might look small in a 9x scope to some folks but I promise 9x magnification will not limit you at 400 yards. I'd put a nice chunk of $ on the line that I'd hit a 10" circle nearly 100% of the time at 400 yards with a 9x scope in light winds. The problem IMO is the new interest in precision rifles and long distance shooting has proven how efficient guns can be and hunters who don't understand what goes into that competence hear about it and assume it's just a matter of holding over a little higher or having a range finder or scope that says it compensates for you and they dont think twice before pulling the trigger having never made similar shots before at the range. I have been that hunter when i first rifle hunted in ND after growing up a MN slug hunter and I admit that with shame and embarrassment but there are many more that do the same.

 

[sandbur]

A deer might look small in a 9x scope to some folks but I promise 9x magnification will not limit you at 400 yards. I'd put a nice chunk of $ on the line that I'd hit a 10" circle nearly 100% of the time at 400 yards with a 9x scope in light winds. The problem IMO is the new interest in precision rifles and long distance shooting has proven how efficient guns can be and hunters who don't understand what goes into that competence hear about it and assume it's just a matter of holding over a little higher or having a range finder or scope that says it compensates for you and they dont think twice before pulling the trigger having never made similar shots before at the range. I have been that hunter when i first rifle hunted in ND after growing up a MN slug hunter and I admit that with shame and embarrassment but there are many more that do the same.

I think there will be a learning curve if the switch is made and there will always be some that don’t learn and just keep firing. They probably did the same with slug guns, but the lead will carry farther.

I am in a rifle zone and in quite open terrain.


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