Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
TnDeerGuy...Curious here. What kind of season did you have? What all did you kill and did the change affect your hunting in any way?
Tennesse Buck Totals for 2015 exceed 2014
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TNDeerGuy
Well-Known Member
Mike Belt":2qe48zps said:
To be honest, I had a terrible season by my standards, but it wasn't a of result of the changes in the regulations. I killed two mature does and passed on at least a dozen 1.5 year old and younger bucks, that I wouldn't have shot last year when the limit was three--I have my own standards, even though I exclusively hunt highly pressured public land. I did shoot most of them though, even though it was with my phone camera or video to share with the kids.
My problem this season was weather and more hunting pressure than I've ever seen on Priest--it got unbelievably presdured this year and you couldn't escape it, even the county WO said he had never seen anything like it. As far as the weather, we had an East wind, of some type, almost everyday and it was very warm and the deer did things and came from and toward directions I've never seen out there.
Like I said, I had a very hard and miserable season, but it would have been the same with a one buck limit or a hundred buck limit to be honest.
I've finally obtained some private land after years of trying so hopefully next year will be better, it will definitely be more relaxing not having to worry about someone walking up, waving at you, setting up 40yds in front of you and then shoot a deer that is 50yds from you and then have the nerve to ask you if you saw what way it ran. :bore:
Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
The weather factored against everyone this year although it seems a lot of deer were still taken. I hope your new "private" acquisition bodes well for your future hunting and that it puts a buck that meets your standards in front of you; arguably the benefit of a 2 buck limit.
AXL78":t9w51hi3 said:I did not attribute less bow hunting to the limit change; I stated the limit change magnified and accelerated the trend of less bowhunting. That trend was also magnified and accelerated when the number of November muzzleloader days recently doubled.TheLBLman":t9w51hi3 said:
Of course, weather is always a factor, a very unpredictable factor, year to year, every year.
Considering all the annual variables on the deer harvest, weather being a big one, that's part of why several years of data are needed to evaluate trends, causes, and effects.
In the context I believe you meant it, yes, less hunting is a bad thing.
While I do believe Tennessee's hunters are hunting less (and do see that as a negative), I do not believe they're hunting less because they're doing less bowhunting. It's more a shift of archery days being replaced with their choosing to hunt more days during the November muzzleloader season segment (and gun season). Heck, we have twice as many November muzzleloader hunting days as we had just what, 4 years ago? We also have more December gun hunting days (which replaced December "archery-only" days).
Most of Tennessee's deer hunters only have a limited number of days annually they can justify (or be able, or choose) to deer hunt. How does their choosing to hunt more of those days with a gun instead of a bow make them more of a "trophy" hunter? They may or may not be hunting any less, but they are hunting more effectively. Hunting the least amount of days possible in order to achieve the best possible result is an attribute of a trophy hunter. Staying out of a spot, even though you would rather be hunting it but don't want to "booger it up." I as well as many, have our spots that not a sole would be allowed around except in the most opportune time to kill a mature buck (doesn''t matter what weapon, that time happens to be in November). Same concept applies. I believe people understand the context in which I meant my comment.
Unlike me, and I suspect you, the "average" TN deer hunter actually only hunts parts of 2 or 3 weekends annually.
We ain't "average" nor is anyone else regularly reading and posting in this forum. I concede this, as well as a lot of your post. But considering the average TN deer hunter actually only hunts parts of 2 or 3 weekends, as you said, what good does it do to lower the antlered limit. They weren't affecting it one way or the other. And by average, I personally think you/me are talking about majority.
TNDeerGuy
Well-Known Member
TN24081":3hrdhowb said:
No, the deer belong to US, the citizens—the government doesn't own one single animal or an ounce of water. The government is only there to see that the property of the people, that is held In Trust for the people, is safeguarded for the people—that is their only job as it pertains to the matter.
i believeit takes 1000`s of acres to see a difference,we have close to a 1000 acres and bording property owner has 1800 acres and most of our good deer come between the two propertys.The rest of the property we hunt that doesnt border the neighbor with 1800 acres gets alot of pressure with any buck insite shot,usually one or two shooters a year in those areasTN24081":1osk6ne5 said:
Land Between the Lakes
Well-Known Member
Isn't it realistic to say that if there was a 3 buck limit still that even more bucks would have been taken this season in TN?
The harvest was higher with only a 2 buck limit, so with a 3 buck limit it would be several thousand bucks higher. So the 2 buck limit did save bucks this season in TN.
The harvest was higher with only a 2 buck limit, so with a 3 buck limit it would be several thousand bucks higher. So the 2 buck limit did save bucks this season in TN.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
But just what does that have to do with the price of beans?AXL78":2gmogxzn said:
Assume that same number was killed this year, and add it to the total harvest, is it really a significant number. Maybe it is, but it doesn't seem very large to me, if it was in fact 2K. I may have that wrong. But my point is the amount of people that actually kill a 3rd buck is minimal, therefore the effect on total harvest would be minimal.
I'm surprised by the totals.
I was expecting a significant drop considering all of the "sky is falling" and "bucks are gone" and "trending" threads about how the previous liberal limit had destroyed the herd, age structure, and hunter's chances at harvesting a buck.
I guess the "where did all the bucks go" questions are answered. They're DEAD!
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I was expecting a significant drop considering all of the "sky is falling" and "bucks are gone" and "trending" threads about how the previous liberal limit had destroyed the herd, age structure, and hunter's chances at harvesting a buck.
I guess the "where did all the bucks go" questions are answered. They're DEAD!
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CAW
Well-Known Member
I think that TWRA made two HUGE mistakes this year when it comes to the future of our sport...
1. Moving youth weekend to compete with Halloween. Kids have so many other things to distract them from hunting, the last thing we needed to do was add one more. Having kids decide between Halloween with their friends or hunting was totally unnecessary and just a bad idea.
2. The two buck limit is really bad for kids. When it first came out, I was all in favor of it and thought it would help our age structure. But after experiencing the impact of the law when it comes to kids, I do not like it one bit. Kids like to shoot deer and very few of them are going to hold out for 3.5+ year old deer. For example, my son killed one with his bow and one with his gun. The deer he killed with his bow was 2.5, the one he killed with his gun was 3.5. He was tagged out by Thanksgiving. Christmas break rolls around and he is not really that interested in hunting anymore since he his tagged out. If he had one more tag, he could have kept hunting even if he didn't kill another buck.
The other issue is that there are no "real" tags. With no real tag system, the 2 buck limit makes no sense to me. The guys that were selective before are still being selective and are likely killing 1-2 bucks a season. The guys that weren't selective are still killing the same deer and probably using their wive's or kids license to keep on killing.
I say we go back to 3 to give the kids more opportunity, that's my vote. Oh, and move the dang youth hunt off of Halloween!
1. Moving youth weekend to compete with Halloween. Kids have so many other things to distract them from hunting, the last thing we needed to do was add one more. Having kids decide between Halloween with their friends or hunting was totally unnecessary and just a bad idea.
2. The two buck limit is really bad for kids. When it first came out, I was all in favor of it and thought it would help our age structure. But after experiencing the impact of the law when it comes to kids, I do not like it one bit. Kids like to shoot deer and very few of them are going to hold out for 3.5+ year old deer. For example, my son killed one with his bow and one with his gun. The deer he killed with his bow was 2.5, the one he killed with his gun was 3.5. He was tagged out by Thanksgiving. Christmas break rolls around and he is not really that interested in hunting anymore since he his tagged out. If he had one more tag, he could have kept hunting even if he didn't kill another buck.
The other issue is that there are no "real" tags. With no real tag system, the 2 buck limit makes no sense to me. The guys that were selective before are still being selective and are likely killing 1-2 bucks a season. The guys that weren't selective are still killing the same deer and probably using their wive's or kids license to keep on killing.
I say we go back to 3 to give the kids more opportunity, that's my vote. Oh, and move the dang youth hunt off of Halloween!
CAW":2i0bfcls said:
The Commission DID NOT change the youth hunt to Halloween this year. It has been Halloween weekend for several years. I wish it were the following weekend where there was not that conflict for kids that have to travel a good distance to their hunting ground.
redhunterZ71
Well-Known Member
Agree 100%CAW":vmu0v46x said:
tn24
Well-Known Member
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CAW said. The guys that weren't selective are still killing the same deer and probably using their wive's or kids license to keep on killing. I believe he may be right.
landman
Well-Known Member
CAW":3i6oiy79 said:
Well TWRA, not the commission was asked to leave the Youth at 3
So you want 3 for the kids or everyone?
Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
Opinions differ. If the limit is 2 a kid can kill 2. I see nothing wrong with abiding by the legal limit. There are many differences pertaining to kids. They like to drive faster than most adults. That doesn't mean that because the speed limit for me is 55 that they ought to be allowed to drive 65. I could make a list.
