kaizen leader
Well-Known Member
Nope.
Hypothetical regulation changes.
- Thread starter SinningSaint33
- Start date
I like your thinking but I'm not sure the harvest numbers support your notion. Ohio has regulations almost exactly as you describe. Gun season is shotgun or straight walled rifle, lasts only one week, and doesn't open until Monday following Thanksgiving. ML season is a meager 3 days and doesn't open until January. Bow season open first of October & runs into February. In terms of bow hunting for big antlers it's hard to beat Ohio's regulations .... on paper at a glance. But when you begin digging into harvest stats there's an unexpected surprise. Although Ohio has fewer deer than TN, in 2022 they killed 210K deer. TN with it's liberal limits and regulations only killed 165K.
OH's herd is estimated at 700K strong. TN's is estimated 900K. Yet OH is taking more deer from a smaller herd, with MUCH more restrictive regulations. I understand your thought process that shorter firearms seasons, especially during rut would be a rational way to increase buck size. But that's not what actually happens. I'm not exactly sure how to interpret the numbers so I don't. This is a point where I trust the state wildlife agencies to make the most informed decisions they can for their respective state. They catch a lot of he!! and some well deserved, but overall their bottom line objective is to manage the resources for the a hunt that best fits the constituency as a whole. Each state does it differently because the hunting culture and biological factors in each state are different.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
any weapon Oct 1 till Jan 1
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2020
- Messages
- 3,842
All of my friends who live out of state are pretty jealous of what we have.
themanpcl
Well-Known Member
Since we're throwing grenades...lol...I'd be in favor of an earn a buck and/or only 1 buck by any firearm IF and only if it was proven (not by the same people that changed turkey season) that the buck population would be helped before I'd ever want to change the seasons. Disclaimer, I don't think that we will ever be like IL, IA, KS etc when it comes to big bucks and IDGAS if we ever do. I do not live for the hunt. I hunt for fun and sport. I hunt all 3 methods and hunt IL during their firearms season every year. I think the special interests have caused more harm to the state hunting here and will continue as long as rules and regs are made to accommodate what the "good ole boys" want vs what is best for the deer hunting in the state for EVERYONE....not someone's brother in law or hunting club. pin pulled, ordinance thrown...lol
Buzzard Breath
Well-Known Member
With CWD working its way across the state, I couldn't imagine TWRA wanting to make the regulations more restrictive.
But.......I've been wrong before.
But.......I've been wrong before.
Shorten archery, not gun
But I'm fine with the way it is
But I'm fine with the way it is
backyardtndeer
Well-Known Member
Nope. Here in cwd zone rifle opens following the youth hunt. I don't see them changing that. Rifle runs a long time here, and they still want more deer killed.
SinningSaint33
Well-Known Member
Very interesting stuff. I've never looked much into harvest records. Heck. I've never really been a "hardcore" deer hunter. Since the decline of tennessee duck hunting, I've been deer hunting more and more. I didn't create this thread because I want more archery opportunities. I created it for replies like this. I'll admit that I know very little about deer hunting. I joined this site to learn things like you replied.
DeerMan66
Well-Known Member
Agree 100%. I like it like it is. Most of the rut is during muzzleloader where I hunt. I think it's great. Most hunters slow way down after the rut so the pressure is less during December and January anyway.
BSK
Well-Known Member
As I've said many times, I think it's the State Wildlife Agency's job to provide the maximum recreational hunting opportunities possible that do not do harm to the herd. Now what constitutes "harm" is the tough part. Personally, I consider killing so many bucks that no mature bucks exist "harm to the herd." If that is the case in some areas, then I would support restricting buck harvests in those areas. The problem is, sometimes overharvest problems are highly site specific. One part of a county may be overharvesting and another part underharvesting. Trying to have the Wildlife Agency micromanage these areas is asking too much. But if an entire region is being generally overharvested, that's different.
But from what I've seen from a wide variety of locations in the region I have the most knowledge of - western Middle TN - overharvesting of bucks is not a problem. Other regions could be different. And it also doesn't mean pockets within western Middle TN don't have problems. That could be possible (and probable), but as a general rule... And I want the Agency managing by the general rule, not the exception.
But from what I've seen from a wide variety of locations in the region I have the most knowledge of - western Middle TN - overharvesting of bucks is not a problem. Other regions could be different. And it also doesn't mean pockets within western Middle TN don't have problems. That could be possible (and probable), but as a general rule... And I want the Agency managing by the general rule, not the exception.
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Smo
Well-Known Member
Well said BSK 
From my short time (14 years ) of hunting Humphreys, Benton, Carroll & Decatur Counties it seems there is no shortage of average size 8 point bucks cruising during the rut..
And some areas where there's hardly any hunting pressure you will see 3-5 year old bucks with good antler mass just waiting on the high ground on those young'uns too run her till she ready…. Then he'll take care of business…
My only other Tennessee hunting is, I grew up 70's-90's hunting Southern Tn & N. W. Al..
In Al bucks were there, but so was a lot of hunting pressure… the deer were scattered in pockets ..
Any buck was a trophy buck..
However, Just North of the State line in Wayne , Lawrence, & Giles counties good , mature bucks were being killed on a regular basis…
1000's of acres of pulpwood land available too hunt for a small fee.
I've always felt the availability of a "reliable " food source was the key too locating the better bucks…
Doesn't mean your gonna, kill em' .. just happy too have a place to hunt em' still.
I did work over in Roxane & Hamilton Counties but never hunted there..
From my conversation with the Locals there were several good deer killed in the area regularly.
On average I feel like there's more quality bucks in the North Central counties than any other location I've traveled thru or hunted in.
From my short time (14 years ) of hunting Humphreys, Benton, Carroll & Decatur Counties it seems there is no shortage of average size 8 point bucks cruising during the rut..
And some areas where there's hardly any hunting pressure you will see 3-5 year old bucks with good antler mass just waiting on the high ground on those young'uns too run her till she ready…. Then he'll take care of business…
My only other Tennessee hunting is, I grew up 70's-90's hunting Southern Tn & N. W. Al..
In Al bucks were there, but so was a lot of hunting pressure… the deer were scattered in pockets ..
Any buck was a trophy buck..
However, Just North of the State line in Wayne , Lawrence, & Giles counties good , mature bucks were being killed on a regular basis…
1000's of acres of pulpwood land available too hunt for a small fee.
I've always felt the availability of a "reliable " food source was the key too locating the better bucks…
Doesn't mean your gonna, kill em' .. just happy too have a place to hunt em' still.
I did work over in Roxane & Hamilton Counties but never hunted there..
From my conversation with the Locals there were several good deer killed in the area regularly.
On average I feel like there's more quality bucks in the North Central counties than any other location I've traveled thru or hunted in.
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As a bow only guy, there is no negative here for me so yeah! However, I think it would cause a massive revolt among most hunters. As it stands is perfectly fine.
SinningSaint33
Well-Known Member
I think I'm gonna be bow only this year, only took a gun once last year.
It's feast or famine for sure but a lot of fun. I just prefer the method. More intimate and forces me to work harder. I need that at my age. Otherwise I'll become complacent and not workout before the season.
no, rut date has alot of variance across the state!
My back yard backs up to an elementary school; this could be difficult for me.
The good news is that on school days, I have plenty of kids out during recess to help me track a wounded deer.
SinningSaint33
Well-Known Member
For sure. It took me a lot of sits last year to finally connect. A lot of those sits just ended with frustration, which ultimately made me push harder to get set up perfect. My goal this year is to kill one from the ground within 20 yards. I arrowed one last year from the ground but she was around 25 yards.
