Looking for opinions on season date changes

[Monk74]

Having a condensed season sucks.
I'm glad this is my last year in Illinois.
I don't bow hunt and I get 3 days for 1st gun,4 days second gun and 3 muzzleloader.
If I gotta work, there goes a day or two.
If it rains, that's not good.
1st gun in Illinois is nuts.
Longer season means the woods are less crowded and guys are more spread out.

7 days total is different 7-8 hours away from triple that I just threw out as an idea for home state hunters. Thanks for your opinion.

 

[Monk74]

The 3 grand divisions shouldn't be treated the same in regards to deer. That's the main issue I have always had. Being able to hunt in East Tennessee with a rifle as long as it's allowed is absolutely absurd. But yet I can't take a doe with my bow (or any other weapon) after the first Sunday in December at some of my farms? What? How much sense does that make? If you have a deer density problem get the rifles outta the woods earlier. But as long as the TWRA is a separate entity and essentially a business, it will continue to be ran in a fashion that produces the most revenue. TWRA doesn't care about e quality of the resource they care about the money it produces.

Exactly the kind of debate I was looking for. What REALLY has been done to improve deer hunting in the state $ wise in 30 years? Thank you

 

[Monk74]

The Holiday Inn Express must have had a No Vacancy sign up for the past couple of days!

What are you even talking about ?

 

[Monk74]

Take muzzleloader out completely, let people shoot a rifle if they want. Muzzleloaders wound and lose more deer than all other weapons combined.

Muzzleloaders should be used for civil war reenactments and boat anchors.

Where are you getting your numbers on that little statistic?

 

[Monk74]

Absolutely not! I'm not for anything that is going to further limit my hunting opportunities just because someone wants to say they shot a deer with X amount of inches. Shoot what you want. Walk what you want. But I get a little tired of the whole "improve our buck class" thing. I didn't start hunting deer 39 years ago to measure antlers. It's not a contest, but that whole line of thinking makes it feel like one. We voluntarily restrict ourselves on our lease by majority agreement, but I would be happy with any deer. Make no mistake, I enjoy shooting the big ones too. It looks to me like plenty big ones are being shot as it is. Hunt for food and for the experience, what you make of that is up to the individual. I just don't like someone else's obsession mitigating my circumstances.

If your buying a license, you're doing exactly what you say you don't like in your last sentence. Sorry

 

[Monk74]

Leave it alone! If you want bigger bucks let 2.5 and 3.5 year olds walk. Work on deer habitat in the off season. Don't shoot many does that is what makes bucks and draws them in during rut. I know a guy that shoots everything that he sees and he can't understand why he doesn't see big bucks.

I do everything in your first three sentences. To the extreme. Trust me

 

[Monk74]

I think you have lost your mind!! The 2 buck limit I think is already helping and by the look of some of the deer posted on here, we have pretty good bucks now. They screw us on duck seasons already and now the draw hunts too. Don't give em any more ideas on new ways!!

Ducks? Wait what?

 

[Lost Lake]

Now a days just Tn. Why do you ask?

Thanks. I've noticed that a lot (but certainly not all) of hunters who prefer a one buck limit hunt multiple Sates.

 

[TX300mag]

Everyone else was giving bad ideas figured I would suggest the most off the wall thing I could think of, what if the month of December it was open to non residents only

Ok!

 

[Monk74]

Thanks. I've noticed that a lot (but certainly not all) hunters who prefer a one buck limit hunt multiple Sates.

I've guided all the US. I just feel( again just my opinion) one trophy buck per hunter is plenty. Wanting two in a yearis glutenous If you're after meat shoot doe's.

 

[TX300mag]

No!

 

[BSK]

I've guided all the US. I just feel( again just my opinion) one trophy buck per hunter is plenty. Wanting two in a yearis glutenous If you're after meat shoot doe's.

What if you are not a trophy hunter and have no interest in killing a big buck. What if you just like hunting and your area doesn't need anymore does removed? That leaves just buck hunting. And as long as taking 2 bucks is doing no harm to the local herd...

 

[jaybird62]

The 7-8 weeks of rifle season is a bit much. Maybe some of it could be a late muzzleloader. I'm all about opportunity to hunt but the rifle season is too long.

If 7-8 weeks is too much, then don't go. I hunt 90% of days open. I haven't pulled a trigger yet… just watched a 15-inch 8-pointer feed past 20 minutes ago. I lived in SC for 11 years and rifle season opened Aug. 15 and ran through New Years Day. No limit on bucks. Age structure was just fine. Pressure, October rut and change in food sources takes care of exposing deer in general to being shot.

Now, a biological factor like fawn depredation by bears or coyotes, is a reason to start limiting opportunity. Someone wanting to kill a "TV deer" isn't a biologically sound move.

 

[jetwrnch]

The length of the season doesn't matter except in unit L. I'm all for extending it further into January. Most hunters will be tagged out or will have lost interest. The only down side is the impact on predator hunting. I like the cold months with fewer hunters in the woods. I will state that getting into ml or gun a week earlier would be nice if the effect on the herd isn't negatively impacted. Seems to time better with the rut in my area.

 

[Union Co. Boy]

If your buying a license, you're doing exactly what you say you don't like in your last sentence. Sorry

What?! Are you advocating for me to hunt without one? Do I have a choice in that matter if I wish to stay on the right side of the law? I think you missed the point that this was about "opinions" on season changes, or did I misread the title? I can't control TWRA, but I can control my opinion. I don't like the speed limit in my county either, but I keep right on renewing my driver's license and abiding by it, for the most part, where speed is concerned. We are all subject to the law of the land, but entitled to our opinions. Kind of nitpicky to call me out for meeting a state mandated requirement in order to participate in a lifestyle that I love. That's my opinion on your statement. My hope is that you are able to distinguish between the two going forward. However, this is your sandbox. Build castles wherever and however you wish.

 

[Union Co. Boy]

I respect your opinion but, a majority agreement is the opposite of voluntary. Jus sayn. I'm not making rules, just trying to see what other hunters think. Thanks for your input.

As for this particular statement, I provided that as an example of voluntarily limiting oneself. It is quite voluntary for me to choose to be on that lease. No one is forcing me. But, it's not the only place I hunt. I have no such limits on other properties. Essentially, I merely stated "what I think".

 

[Chiflyguy]

Is the deer population going down?
Harvest numbers too high?
I think you guys have a good situation. Wanna take off a week? Sure.
Set a goal of 1 buck? Sure
Wanna stack the freezer? Sure
Long season gives you the opportunity to relax and enjoy with not too much pressure.

 

[WORM82]

Come up and try hunting in the cherokee national forest, there are some pockets of it with decent deer density but alot of it you could hunt for 100 days and be lucky to see a couple deer plus it's buck only for rifle season and only 1 doe for muzzleloader.

 

[Flintlocksforme]

Why 1 buck? If they need protection stop hunting them in the month of November when they are the most vulnerable. Sorry but I am in West TN and Unit L, I feel this is counterproductive to the CWD " harvest more deer strategy ". Intentionally letting bucks get old goes against CWD control.

 

[jaybird62]

I've guided all the US. I just feel( again just my opinion) one trophy buck per hunter is plenty. Wanting two in a yearis glutenous If you're after meat shoot doe's.

I'm starting to understand the basis for your opinion. I've hunted more than three dozen states, and had a guide for many trips over the past three decades. I've guided/assisted in several states, too. Not as an outfitter, though. You've probably guided in states (out west, typically, but a lot of Midwest states, too) where game populations are low in comparison to potential pressure and demand, and hence limit hunters to one buck/bull/etc. When a hunter kills his target animal nearly every outfitter/guide I've known is ready for their "sport" to go home so the next customer can get in the game. I understand your frame of reference is a "one and done" experience. To say that "wanting two in a year is glutenous" lacks a broad perspective in both individuals' tastes and geography. If I want to eat prime rib for dinner every night, that would not be "glutenous," but if I ate the whole prime rib at one meal, well, that would qualify as the one of the Seven Deadly Sins.