What is the mental dynamic involved

[SD51555]

There’s too many hunters in Minnesota. That’s why it’s difficult to get bucks to survive beyond 2.5 years old.

Anyone that says we have a lack of hunters is not assessing the entire picture ?? Maybe in a few remote areas? There’s plenty of orange in the areas that I hunt, which is multiple zones. Public land can be a zoo .

Timing of the gun season, and long seasons simply add up to difficult hunting. It’s not that we don’t have pockets of deer and some very nice bucks , but the odds are stacked against buck survival in Minnesota!

The more acres of private land you have the odds increase.

I'd plan for it to get more busy in zone 2. I was up at the social club last weekend for the big buck drawing, and I bet you 80% of people I talked to never saw --a deer-- this past season. Even ND seems to be off. In hindsight, my sightings were pretty piss poor through bow hunting this year too.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I'd plan for it to get more busy in zone 2. I was up at the social club last weekend for the big buck drawing, and I bet you 80% of people I talked to never saw --a deer-- this past season. Even ND seems to be off. In hindsight, my sightings were pretty piss poor through bow hunting this year too.

Yep. Was a terrible season for us in Itasca County. The public stuff appears to be getting increasingly more pressure for the last 3 years too.

I had a great 2.5 days in eastern ND though.

 

[Mortenson]

With the price of food in the store I'd expect public hunting to keep getting worse. And poaching too.

 

[H20fwler]

Well I did my part this gun season and let all the deer go, the neighbors took them all out. Small, doe, fawns, all of them.

Exactly the way it is here, and I live in one of the lowest deer density counties in the state.
Couple of my neighbors are big road hunters with pretty good sized groups. They circle a section with trucks, send some pushers through and shoot every single deer they see.

With them it’s a culture thing like that is what gun season is all about…stacking deer. Wether they tag them or tag deer for buddies and co workers…if they even tag them in. Ohio is a tag in over the phone state.
We haven’t shot a doe off our property in a few years, I almost consider our places sanctuaries for them to hide from the mob. And the older I get the more empathy I seem to feel for wildlife.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Exactly the way it is here, and I live in one of the lowest deer density counties in the state.
Couple of my neighbors are big road hunters with pretty good sized groups. They circle a section with trucks, send some pushers through and shoot every single deer they see.

With them it’s a culture thing like that is what gun season is all about…stacking deer. Wether they tag them or tag deer for buddies and co workers…if they even tag them in. Ohio is a tag in over the phone state.
We haven’t shot a doe off our property in a few years, I almost consider our places sanctuaries for them to hide from the mob. And the older I get the more empathy I seem to feel for wildlife.

What a chicken s*** way to hunt

bill

 

[PrairieShadow]

Couldnt agree more. Of the dozen bucks on my wall, two were killed during our primary rut period Nov 1 - Thanksgiving, one killed early Oct, and the rest killed in December. I have a lot of food. I think the bucks after rut are more pattern-able as they are trying to take in calories post rut.

Exactly the way it is here, and I live in one of the lowest deer density counties in the state.
Couple of my neighbors are big road hunters with pretty good sized groups. They circle a section with trucks, send some pushers through and shoot every single deer they see.

With them it’s a culture thing like that is what gun season is all about…stacking deer. Wether they tag them or tag deer for buddies and co workers…if they even tag them in. Ohio is a tag in over the phone state.
We haven’t shot a doe off our property in a few years, I almost consider our places sanctuaries for them to hide from the mob. And the older I get the more empathy I seem to feel for wildlife.

I seem to be getting the same way more and more. The things wildlife endure just from Mother Nature. Now toss humans into the mix and they really are incredible surviving.

 

[H20fwler]

What a chicken s*** way to hunt

bill

It totally is, wish that more farmers in the area would post their property and call the law when trespassed on.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

It totally is, wish that more farmers in the area would post their property and call the law when trespassed on.

Wish more landowners would shoot tires out and engine blocks of road hunters but most landowners have something to live for!

 

[SD51555]

Yep. Was a terrible season for us in Itasca County. The public stuff appears to be getting increasingly more pressure for the last 3 years too.

I had a great 2.5 days in eastern ND though.

I'm surprised people even try public land up by me. I think my brother has seen 1 deer in 3 years having sat public for a total of 12 days over those 3 years. I saw lots of looks of wonder on people's faces gathering intel about potential new spots as if it might change their luck.

Public squatters are big problem up by me. There are some big camps that'll look you right in the eye and tell you a section of public land is theirs, and they hunt so densely, you wouldn't want to force the issue anyway.

I really wonder how long those guys will put up with those results.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I have had a group on public land tell me that it wouldnt be safe for us to hunt there, that they have a big party already hunting. I took that as a threat, and we left. I should have called the warden.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Texas game wardens frown on road hunting and you really dont want to jack with law enforcement here

bill

 

[omicron1792]

There is no way you can equate shooting only "mature" bicks with a healthier deer herd.
Want a healthy herd? Provide supplemental food sources, cover if you can, water sources, and above all dont kill all of em. Letting a 2 1/2 yearold pass does none of those things, except for not killing them i guess..lol

Man. This is just not true.

 

[omicron1792]

Its not what is said but how its worded. Yours are only opinions also, you just believe they are not.
What science? Is there science somewhere that says food plots and supplemental feeding is not benificial?
Is there science that says if i shoot a 2 yearold buck the deer herd will be destroyed? Show it to me please.

Yeah, I don’t know a wildlife biologist that would recommend supplemental feeding on free range deer

 

[Bill Loser]

Yeah, I don’t know a wildlife biologist that would recommend supplemental feeding on free range deer

but almost everyone on this site does just that now? Are we actually killing the deer by supplying food? After all they are called FOOD plots......

 

[Bill Loser]

Man. This is just not true.

Whats not true?

 

[omicron1792]

but almost everyone on this site does just that now? Are we actually killing the deer by supplying food? After all they are called FOOD plots......

I’m speaking of protein feeders.

I feed some. Just saying you seem to be mad and just throwing stuff out there.

 

[omicron1792]

Whats not true?

Harvesting more does and changing ratio of bucks to older and more mature is the definition of increasing the health of the herd.

Our state wildlife biologist told me personally to kill 5 does the first year and don’t harvest any deer under 3 years old, regardless of antler size.

He’s not even big on food plots. Improve habitat and soil health, and harvest deer In a responsible manner.

You have the right to shoot any deer legally you want. But some of the stuff you are saying in anger is just not true.

 

[Bill Loser]

Ok?

I’m speaking of protein feeders.

I feed some. Just saying you seem to be mad and just throwing stuff out there.

Mad? Lol. Kinda grasping arent you?

 

[Bill Loser]

Harvesting more does and changing ratio of bucks to older and more mature is the definition of increasing the health of the herd.

Our state wildlife biologist told me personally to kill 5 does the first year and don’t harvest any deer under 3 years old, regardless of antler size.

He’s not even big on food plots. Improve habitat and soil health, and harvest deer In a responsible manner.

You have the right to shoot any deer legally you want. But some of the stuff you are saying in anger is just not true.

When did i ever say not to shoot does? Shoot em, they taste good.
Do you have food plots?

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I'm surprised people even try public land up by me. I think my brother has seen 1 deer in 3 years having sat public for a total of 12 days over those 3 years. I saw lots of looks of wonder on people's faces gathering intel about potential new spots as if it might change their luck.

Public squatters are big problem up by me. There are some big camps that'll look you right in the eye and tell you a section of public land is theirs, and they hunt so densely, you wouldn't want to force the issue anyway.

I really wonder how long those guys will put up with those results.

There's 2 big campers and some tents that set up deer camp on USFS land about 50 yards from our main gate up there. Must have been 6 or 7 vehicles there 2nd weekend when i was up this year. Really nice folks that have been hunting there for generations, used to lease the my parents property before they bought it from the timber co. Has the makings of a situation that could have bad blood but it's become closer to a friendship. Anyways, sounds like they had shot a 2 YO 7 pointer opening weekend. Don't think they got a thing on 2nd weekend. They have historically shot a lot of bucks in the area but it hasn't been good the last few years. I hunt adjacent public but have avoided exploring too far into areas I know they hunt out of respect. If they tried to tell me it was theirs I would probably change my tune.

That said, the best buck i've had on camera the last few years has been mostly on public. I just haven't been able to get him killed.