Question about 2014 buck tags

[ETNyates]

I was shooting my rifles yesterday with my cousin at a neighbors house down the road. As we were shooting and talking about the past deer season, the neighbor mentioned that he had heard talk of TWRA changing the buck tags for the 2014-15 season. He said that he was told it would be still three antlered bucks per season but a hunter could only take one per hunting device, ie one per bow, one per muzzleloader, and one per gun. I got home and did some preliminary research but found nothing. Has anyone else heard this or was he just blowing smoke?

 

[mike243]

I haven't heard any thing but have seen a lot of bow hunters post that they want it .If folks think lower gun limits are needed they need to back off the bow limits on doe's to get the #s up. Make the limit the limit no matter the weapon & when you get there go fishing jmo. Id vote for deer season any weapon from day 1 before I would give any weapon a unequal amount of days like bow hunters enjoy.

 

[RecurveShooter]

Your buddy is a little premature.

Seasons and bag limits are set by the commission in May after announcing TWRA's proposed changes in April and taking comments for a month.

That idea has been discussed in previous years but has never been the agencies proposal to the commission.

If the hunters want this type of change, now is the time for public comment to the agency.

 

[ETNyates]

Thanks for the responses, I told him that nothing would be set until May yesterday but he was positive he knew it was going to happen. I remained silent as I knew he did not work for nor have much input in the TWRA rulings. While I am primarily a bowhunter, that is my choice and I can use that all season. I have no problems with people who are primarily gun hunters and them being able to harvest 3 bucks in Nov and Dec as long as that fits the management plan set forth by the agency.

 

[BigGameGuy]

If folks think lower gun limits are needed they need to back off the bow limits on doe's to get the #s up.

If the goal is to get the deer numbers back up, I don't think backing off the bow limits on does would do the trick. Here is the doe kill from last year:

Archery - 11,455
Muzzleloader - 14,582
Gun - 42,094

Many of the season lengths are based on impact. In other words, we can provide more opportunity with little impact depending on weapon type.

 

[mike243]

yep & break it down per unit & archery will take more in this end of the state than those #s show probably , I really meant season wide #s but bow #s are skewed some what as to weapons,. I still remember when we had 4-5 units & you had to study the book hard to see when where how you could hunt,very much simpler now & we wont never get the #s other countys have but at least its not 1 & done