MN bills introduced to allow crossbows during archery season.

[Brian662]

No more age limits on crossbow usage. Licensed hunters of any age will be allowed to take deer, bear, turkey or rough fish by crossbow during the regular archery seasons.

Minnesota Legislature passes a jumbo-sized outdoors bill with 'transformational' money

Fishing wins big, and hunters and visitors to state parks also will see improvements.

m.startribune.com

This is the mobile link, results may vary.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

There was about a zero percent chance it wasn’t gonna pass. We never go more restrictive as a country

 

[Brian662]

There was about a zero percent chance it wasn’t gonna pass. We never go more restrictive as a country

I agree with you about the first part, but I'm confused about the second part. Plenty of more restrictive laws being passed all over the country, unless you were just referring to strictly hunting?

 

[bwoods11]

It’s time for capitulation. Did the statewide rifle bill pass ? If it did, all the bills necessary to whack as many deer, young bucks as possible can pass….kill as many as we can. Don’t let the deer have any advantage!!

Let’s watch the results, it is just one more step on the way to becoming the worst managed deer state in the Midwest …I think Minnesota & Michigan are about even now!

 

[Wind Gypsy]

There was about a zero percent chance it wasn’t gonna pass. We never go more restrictive as a country

Seemed that we had resistance to it until the main deer hunting "conservation" org (Minnesota Deer Hunters Association) flipped their stance this year to be in favor of it.

Makes a guy wonder what the next step will be to make things easier to kill for under-privileged hunters. The youth get their participation trophy of not having to wait till everyone else does to hunt. Our "primitive weapon" muzzle loader season allows folks to use scopes and smokeless powder to where modern front stuffers are now more lethal than shotguns. And now we don't have to inconvenience anyone with taking 3 hours to become proficient with a modern compound bow.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I agree with you about the first part, but I'm confused about the second part. Plenty of more restrictive laws being passed all over the country, unless you were just referring to strictly hunting?

Yeah sorry hunting. It’s rare to see a proposal defeated that would restrict some groups access or opportunity no matter how many people don’t want it

Seemed that we had resistance to it until the main deer hunting "conservation" org (Minnesota Deer Hunters Association) flipped their stance this year to be in favor of it.

Makes a guy wonder what the next step will be to make things easier to kill stuff for under-privileged hunters. The youth get their participation trophy of not having to wait till everyone else does to hunt. Our "primitive weapon" muzzle loader season allows folks to use scopes and smokeless powder to where modern front stuffers are now more lethal than shotguns. And now we don't have to inconvenience anyone with taking 3 hours to become proficient with a modern compound bow.

this is gonna sound crazy…but I bet some state and some time in our recent future will introduce a minority (pick one marginalized community) only season.

 

[SD51555]

Color me crazy, but is it possible this could help finally break loose the season structure in MN? I've been pleasantly suprised with how the early season pressure has helped my hunting in late October and early November. My area is not high value land, so there's not a ton of ace hunters up there. Lots of intrusion, sloppiness, scent fails, dogs, noise etc. They push a ton of deer towards me. Once the first two days of rifle season are over, the deer are 100% on board with what is going on, and they're nowehere to be seen after that.

Could this increase in early season pressure help save some young bucks from the bullets of a gun rut season? Could it push the rut under the cover of night instead of day?

 

[Troubles Trees]

Could it push the rut under the cover of night instead of day?

That is what our season structure produces unfortunately, we get a few days of rut during bow season and just as things are getting hot the orange army turns everything nocturnal. I am an optimist so I am still happy we get the very beginning before the numbers drop, I just know my best chance at a good buck is the last week of bow season so that is my vacation every year.

 

[SD51555]

That is what our season structure produces unfortunately, we get a few days of rut during bow season and just as things are getting hot the orange army turns everything nocturnal. I am an optimist so I am still happy we get the very beginning before the numbers drop, I just know my best chance at a good buck is the last week of bow season so that is my vacation every year.

I had 7 nocturnal bucks on my place starting in mid October last year. Never saw one of them during daylight hours. Once the commotion starts up by me, the deer know what's up. They're still out there, but it's rare to see hard horn in the daylight. My best chance is before leaf drop, or hoping that I get a resident buck that stayed way out in the swamp and came straight to my place. If its been bumped off of each private 40 for a mile in each direction, that animal ain't coming out in the daytime until mid December.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Color me crazy, but is it possible this could help finally break loose the season structure in MN? I've been pleasantly suprised with how the early season pressure has helped my hunting in late October and early November. My area is not high value land, so there's not a ton of ace hunters up there. Lots of intrusion, sloppiness, scent fails, dogs, noise etc. They push a ton of deer towards me. Once the first two days of rifle season are over, the deer are 100% on board with what is going on, and they're nowehere to be seen after that.

Could this increase in early season pressure help save some young bucks from the bullets of a gun rut season? Could it push the rut under the cover of night instead of day?

Wouldn't surprise me at all if more pressure during archery season saved some bucks by making them nocturnal before the orange army. Would also expect more bucks to get killed before rifle season. Both of these add up to a lesser hunting experience during rifle season. Definitely not going to make archery season better for existing archery hunters. So only people winning are those who want their new thing and xbow manufacturers.

 

[SD51555]

Wouldn't surprise me at all if more pressure during archery season saved some bucks by making them nocturnal before the orange army. Would also expect more bucks to get killed before rifle season. Both of these add up to a lesser hunting experience during rifle season. Definitely not going to make archery season better for existing archery hunters. So only people winning are those who want their new thing and xbow manufacturers.

It'll be interesting to see. I've only seen a buck come into a food plot to eat once in 16 years of hunting up there. It was last season, and it lasted for about 3 minutes. I'm not sure how anyone gets on a buck up there outside of the rut. They just don't seem interested in food in October, at least during daylight hours.

 

[bwoods11]

What will be the next season Minnesota will add ? Someone out there can’t get his or her deer from September-December 31 … they need more options!!

Longer seasons, and more weapons.. that always helps quality !!

 

[Wind Gypsy]

It'll be interesting to see. I've only seen a buck come into a food plot to eat once in 16 years of hunting up there. It was last season, and it lasted for about 3 minutes. I'm not sure how anyone gets on a buck up there outside of the rut. They just don't seem interested in food in October, at least during daylight hours.

Hunting travel paths, which never seem consistent like in ag country i'm guessing because being on a pattern results in deer being converted into wolf scat. In my experience, once there is a good pattern on food up there it's just a matter of time until the wolves are onto it as well and then that pattern is busted.

I don't have the answers. I just know that all of the work on my parents itasca county place has likely made the buck hunting worse because the food attracts deer and they promptly detect all of the human presence on top of the food. Get opportunites on 1 YOs and an occasionally a 2 YO. We've killed one buck up there the last 4 years that i believe was a 3 YO but he might have just been a nice 2 YO that was killed walking through some small plots opening day of rifle.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

No more age limits on crossbow usage. Licensed hunters of any age will be allowed to take deer, bear, turkey or rough fish by crossbow during the regular archery seasons.

Minnesota Legislature passes a jumbo-sized outdoors bill with 'transformational' money

Fishing wins big, and hunters and visitors to state parks also will see improvements.

m.startribune.com

This is the mobile link, results may vary.

Happy to see there was no ban on wolf hunting that made it through at least.

 

[Maddog66]

That’s how we found out in WI also. Newspaper.

Those of us opposing it never had a chance, but we tried anyway.

 

[Mtyhunter]

There are leases I've had in the past that are bowhunting only, and one of the best lottery hunts in Ok is recurve only. There are 2 things notable when i hunt these areas. 1-You can still pattern bucks like I'm used to 2-90% of the hunters on these places are like 50+yrs old.
What worries me is that us older guys have no issues doing the work to hunt with string/stick, but as we're getting older, it's getting harder to move/hunt out of appropriate hang on stands. There's always talk about hunter numbers going down, so it seems if they legalize more weapons that make it easier, the hunter numbers will come up. Very typical of the world we live in today, instant gratification.

I predict air bows coming your way next. Oklahoma legalized their use, but only during gun season. Good luck!

 

[Davyalabama]

I use a crossbow in Alabama, yeah, I've got a few that look down on me, who cares. You hunt with what you want and I will do the same, as long as it is legal. There isn't much difference in using a crossbow versus using one of these new in-line muzzleloaders for primitive weapon season. It is all about what you feel comfortable using that is allowed by your state. I am just glad I am not being made to use an all copper bullet in my state.

 

[Mtyhunter]

yeah man, think i could speak for most here that no ones looking down on anyone for using a xbow. like u said, if it's legal, it's cool. I own one, as well as an in-line muzzleloader.
after 30+yrs of string/stick, and 50/50 chance of smokepole actually firing, I do appreciate new tech. i personally hope that the new hunters (who we do need to preserve our heritage) who go immediately for a crossbow to get into hunting, will then up their game to maybe a compound, then even a stick/string, to enhance the challenge and their skills.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Agreed with @Adam Goins, the desire to restrict crossbows more than vertical bows in the regulations doesn't mean I look down upon people who legally use them. I maximize the legal effectiveness in weapon choices at times too. I have my beliefs about what regulations would create the best hunting experience for the most people and if those regulations were enacted, I know it wouldn't play out exactly like i'd hoped!

RE Muzzle loaders: My MN legal muzzle loader uses smokeless powder, a scope, and a Large Rifle Magnum primer. It's more accurate than any slug gun and accurate a hell of a lot further. It's got damn near the same trajectory as federal fusion 180 grain 308 ammo but with a 275 grain projectile. I'd be perfectly fine if the state changed the rules because aint nothing primitive about it to limit harvest. It's a more lethal option than my scoped rifled barrel slug gun.

Same thing with the new Garmin electronic bow sights. IMO they are a step too far on a "primitive weapon" but I've nothing against folks that use them. My best friend does.

 

[Mtyhunter]

Agreed with @Adam Goins, the desire to restrict crossbows more than vertical bows in the regulations doesn't mean I look down upon people who legally use them. I maximize the legal effectiveness in weapon choices at times too. I have my beliefs about what regulations would create the best hunting experience for the most people and if those regulations were enacted, I know it wouldn't play out exactly like i'd hoped!

RE Muzzle loaders: My MN legal muzzle loader uses smokeless powder, a scope, and a Large Rifle Magnum primer. It's more accurate than any slug gun and accurate a hell of a lot further. It's got damn near the same trajectory as federal fusion 180 grain 308 ammo but with a 275 grain projectile. I'd be perfectly fine if the state changed the rules because aint nothing primitive about to limit harvest. It's a more lethal option than my scoped rifled barrel slug gun.

Same thing with the new Garmin electronic bow sights. IMO they are a step too far on a "primitive weapon" but I've nothing against folks that use them. My best friend does.

Technology, for all of its great benefits, does carry it's own burdens. Very tricky to figure it all out for the masses to be somewhat satisfied. Makes me kinda feel like the old man who talks about how he had to walk to school 5 miles uphill in the snow with a raw potato for lunch. I don't want to come across that way, but I have paid my dues using the "primitive" tech of the past, and I've also learned to accept the new tech as best I can.
Talking about tech, had my first experience with livescope for fishing recently. Holy crap. While it won't put fish on a hook for you, or work in a river/current well, the intel you get is just as valuable as game cameras are for hunting. Its a game changer for fishing