MN bills introduced to allow crossbows during archery season.

[jsasker007]

Many MN zones now allow a buck to be shot with each weapon type, plus unlimited bucks (and does) during the late CWD hunts. Adding crossbows will increase the buck kill.

Looks to be only the southeastern corner of the state?

 

[jsasker007]

I believe native americans can shoot 1 deer per day year round. They were doing it anyway, might as well make it legal due to the lack of room in the county jails already. Governor Walz is clueless and idiotic in my opinion.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Looks to be only the southeastern corner of the state?

CWD has also been found in some central MN areas, but I'm not sure about the season regulations there. I'm assuming they are allowed to shoot multiple bucks in those zones since that is what is allowed in SE MN.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

In talking with family members (who are hunters), it has been a few years since anyone harvested a deer during bow or firearms season. The younger guys (late 30s, early 40s) said they would love to hunt with a crossbow, as sometimes they get busted during the draw.

With the prospect of my wife inheriting some of farm land in northern Minnesota, I looked up the state regulations. While there are some management based practices, there are aspects of Minnesota's regulations that do not make much sense--including buck only zones. I was surprised how low the harvest rate (16%) was in Northern Minnesota. I see lots of deer and deer sign, however, I saw little evidence of private land owner management. Here in Missouri, you see evidence food plots, stands and habitats work when taking a Sunday drive.

I did scope out a couple of great trees for a bow (or crossbow) stand and some a great opening for a late season plot--plus there is already a tractor and some old implements on site.

There aren't many deer in many areas of northern MN, so it is bucks only in those areas in an attempt to grow the herd. Or to at least give the appearance that the DNR wants to grow the herd. There are lots of predators, so one bad winter knocks the herd back and the predators keep the deer numbers low for years.

There are pockets of northern MN with decent hunting, but that depends a lot on the neighborhood hunting pressure and the predator load.

 

[356]

There aren't many deer in many areas of northern MN, so it is bucks only in those areas in an attempt to grow the herd. Or to at least give the appearance that the DNR wants to grow the herd. There are lots of predators, so one bad winter knocks the herd back and the predators keep the deer numbers low for years.

There are pockets of northern MN with decent hunting, but that depends a lot on the neighborhood hunting pressure and the predator load.

There is some public land near the place, and several smaller homesteads, so I would anticipate moderate hunting pressure. My brother-in-law who lives on the property sees bear and wolves periodically, so I would guess the predator load is moderate to heavy. I've seen deer sign in the form of old rubs and droppings, but there is minimal "quality" browse and I notice a browse line on many of the trees, including the crabapples around the homestead.

A good starting point will be hanging a couple of cameras and doing a buck/doe survey. Since I am a qualifying "old person" I will bring the crossbow with me when we come during archery season.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Where my parent's place is it's been a lottery to get a doe tag for some time to minimize doe harvest on the hurting deer #s. Of course a couple tame city deer tested positive for CWD so they opened up the doe harvest so hunters doubled the doe take last year. So in an area where hunters have really been struggling to see/harvest deer, killing more does isn't going to help.

There aren't many deer in many areas of northern MN, so it is bucks only in those areas in an attempt to grow the herd. Or to at least give the appearance that the DNR wants to grow the herd. There are lots of predators, so one bad winter knocks the herd back and the predators keep the deer numbers low for years.

There are pockets of northern MN with decent hunting, but that depends a lot on the neighborhood hunting pressure and the predator load.

Once you get into ag country and out of forest country the hunting gets a lot better for sure.

 

[Angus 1895]

Many MN zones now allow a buck to be shot with each weapon type, plus unlimited bucks (and does) during the late CWD hunts. Adding crossbows will increase the buck kill.

What zones please?

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

What zones please?

604, 605, 643, 645, 646, 647, 648, 649 and 655, 661 and 679

The 600 series zones are CWD zones - most are in SE MN, but some are in central as well. I know the 600 zones in SE MN allow you to shoot a buck with each weapon type and then additional bucks durinig the late CWD hunt. I haven't looked at the central MN CWD zone season structure, but I'm guessing it is the same.

 

[jsasker007]

I'm in central MN IN ZONE 1 AREA 157 and haven't heard of anything like that YET.

 

[jsasker007]

The DNR was talking about birth control for deer just a few years ago. REALLY

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I'm in central MN IN ZONE 1 AREA 157 and haven't heard of anything like that YET.

Same zone as me, we were never a full blown "6" zone and it sounds like there have been no positive tests in the past 2 or 3 years so the testing requirement will likely go away next year. DNR on a goals presentation claimed 40+ deer per square mile in this area. How does that line up with what you've seen? Seems pretty dang high to me but there were a lot of deer around this year.

My parents land is up north in 679 - They didn't allow killing bucks in all seasons, just went from a lottery area to a 2 deer area due to CWD and they are culling in town where the positives came from in grand rapids. I don't believe they did in 604 by brainerd either but could be wrong, i know they had the late season CWD hunt there.

 

[SD51555]

The DNR was talking about birth control for deer just a few years ago. REALLY

Zonastat-D vaccine (also called PZP) was approved for sterilizing deer in 2018.

U.S. government approves STERILIZATION VACCINES to reduce deer populations, proving yet again that depopulation vaccines exist – NaturalNews.com

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reportedly approved for use an immunocontraceptive vaccine known as “Zonastat-D” that will soon be used to manage the population numbers of white-tailed deer. The sterilization shot is the second of its kind in the Zonastat family, with...

naturalnews.com

What to do about deer

Suburban landscapes attract deer, much to the dismay of gardeners, but we can handle deer conflicts with kindness.

www.humanesociety.org

 

[4wanderingeyes]

They also talked about about giving them a COVID vaccination

 

[Angus 1895]

We are most certainly doomed.

Get U an over under thump o matic x bow ………..

A fist full o tags…………

a few cases of quart wide mouth canning jars……

stock up!

 

[jsasker007]

Same zone as me, we were never a full blown "6" zone and it sounds like there have been no positive tests in the past 2 or 3 years so the testing requirement will likely go away next year. DNR on a goals presentation claimed 40+ deer per square mile in this area. How does that line up with what you've seen? Seems pretty dang high to me but there were a lot of deer around this year.

My parents land is up north in 679 - They didn't allow killing bucks in all seasons, just went from a lottery area to a 2 deer area due to CWD and they are culling in town where the positives came from in grand rapids. I don't believe they did in 604 by brainerd either but could be wrong, i know they had the late season CWD hunt there.

40 seems a little high to me. After the does have their fawns maybe 40, after hunting season maybe 20-25 around here. Just a guess. They have been against food plots the last couple of years and no feeding deer to keep them from mingling. Seems like a poor excuse as the deer are always in groups anyways.Definitely room for improvement with our DNR.

 

[jsasker007]

Zonastat-D vaccine (also called PZP) was approved for sterilizing deer in 2018.

U.S. government approves STERILIZATION VACCINES to reduce deer populations, proving yet again that depopulation vaccines exist – NaturalNews.com

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reportedly approved for use an immunocontraceptive vaccine known as “Zonastat-D” that will soon be used to manage the population numbers of white-tailed deer. The sterilization shot is the second of its kind in the Zonastat family, with...

naturalnews.com

What to do about deer

Suburban landscapes attract deer, much to the dismay of gardeners, but we can handle deer conflicts with kindness.

www.humanesociety.org

That just pisses me off! Government using drugs to reduce the population of deer. Reminds me of another thing used recently on people.

 

[Mtyhunter]

40 seems a little high to me. After the does have their fawns maybe 40, after hunting season maybe 20-25 around here. Just a guess. They have been against food plots the last couple of years and no feeding deer to keep them from mingling. Seems like a poor excuse as the deer are always in groups anyways.Definitely room for improvement with our DNR.

wow, I can't imagine 40/mile being accurate, even with fawns running around. You all must have the best soil/forage of all time to support that many animals. And no feeding to keep deer from mingling....ummm, ok ok, where's the cameras? we must be on candid camera here!

 

[jsasker007]

Frustrating to hear the "experts" talk about things that just don't make a lot of sense. That's everywhere.

 

[Brian662]

My neighbor told me this passed through the legislative branch, he cited a Star Tribune article.

 

[bwoods11]

It did ? Ooofff not good !