New MS Deer Seasons

[Cotten]

No such thing as "Primitive" any more.

Ain't that the truth. Like a single barrel TC Encore 35 Whelen, 444, etc. is primitive.

[Cotten]

yeah we'll see how it goes. i figure if it passed that easily through the house then it'll pass through the senate.

i called and voiced my opinion wish i could see how my representatives voted.


it sux cuz MS really has the potential to produce waaayyy more big deer than we already do but jmo it won't happen with things like this.

I don't know.. I think MS has some big deer, but in some areas the Doe to Buck rations keeps you from seeing the big boys.. They got enough does around them to keep them occupied and they don't have to travel much.... If the new season passes and more does are taken early in the season Big Boy might have to go searching for them a little more come the rut..

You are dead on correct CWink! My former club's biologist had us pound the does for years; while listening to us whine I might add. I guest hunted over there this past season and saw 14 deer during a morning hunt; 11 were bucks. Of the 11, 9 met their 16" inside or 20" main beam minimum. With an estimate 2 bucks per 1 doe ratio, the big boys can't lay up all day and have their way with plenty of does all night.

[Cotten]

The new seasons, if they become law, will without doubt increase doe harvests at our club (and we need this). We have a fine system in place requiring members who harvest a buck before a doe, harvest at least 2 more does, or be fined $500 per doe not harvested. Also, the member is not permited to harvest another buck until the two does are harvested. We will see members (including me) doe hunting early in order to get the does out of the way prior to the rut. In my opinion the new law will cause more does to be harvested.

[ScottyLee]

yeah we'll see how it goes. i figure if it passed that easily through the house then it'll pass through the senate.

i called and voiced my opinion wish i could see how my representatives voted.


it sux cuz MS really has the potential to produce waaayyy more big deer than we already do but jmo it won't happen with things like this.

I don't know.. I think MS has some big deer, but in some areas the Doe to Buck rations keeps you from seeing the big boys.. They got enough does around them to keep them occupied and they don't have to travel much.... If the new season passes and more does are taken early in the season Big Boy might have to go searching for them a little more come the rut..

You are dead on correct CWink! My former club's biologist had us pound the does for years; while listening to us whine I might add. I guest hunted over there this past season and saw 14 deer during a morning hunt; 11 were bucks. Of the 11, 9 met their 16" inside or 20" main beam minimum. With an estimate 2 bucks per 1 doe ratio, the big boys can't lay up all day and have their way with plenty of does all night.

maybe, maybe not. it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out i guess. in theory it MIGHT work. from looking at it now i still don't think it'll help much if any. don't really concern myself with methods as much as the theory behind increasing deer kills.

[crowder critter]

If they want more does killed, then they should implement a "Doe Only" first season. If the woods are full of hunters on Opening Weekend and the Thanksgiving Hunt, and they can not legally take a buck, then they will shoot the first doe they see and go back to camp and socialize. This would tremendously take out some does early in the season, thus leaving food for the remaining herd and helping to balance the buck/doe ratio.

[bigoak]

[/quote]You are dead on correct CWink! My former club's biologist had us pound the does for years; while listening to us whine I might add. I guest hunted over there this past season and saw 14 deer during a morning hunt; 11 were bucks. Of the 11, 9 met their 16" inside or 20" main beam minimum. With an estimate 2 bucks per 1 doe ratio, the big boys can't lay up all day and have their way with plenty of does all night.[/quote]

Yes this will work if you have several thousand acres to manage the herd and limit the number of bucks killed so you have a large number of 3+ year old bucks running around. However probably less than 10% of the private land in Mississippi is in large tracts that are strictly managed in this way. What about the other 90%? You have hundreds of thousands of acres that have more and more does being killed plus most all of the 2 year old bucks are being killed. A large number of counties in the state have absolutely zero clubs on the DMAP program. There are hundreds of thousands of acres that the MDWFP has absolutely no data to use to estimate population. That is scary when you think about it and realize that these decisions are being made with very, very limited information. Basically you have the higher ups making these decisions based on two reason, 1.) Lets set the seasons and bag limits based on how we would like it to be on our trophy managed club in Madison county. Who cares about the rest of the state. 2.) The MDWFP is strapped for cash so we have to increase license sales. Lets set the seasons so more current hunters will purchase a primitive weapon license and more out of staters will purchase the high price out of state license. Who cares about all of our future hunters (kids) who we can't get interested about hunting because they get tired of hunting without seeing a single deer.

[cwink]

You are dead on correct CWink! My former club's biologist had us pound the does for years; while listening to us whine I might add. I guest hunted over there this past season and saw 14 deer during a morning hunt; 11 were bucks. Of the 11, 9 met their 16" inside or 20" main beam minimum. With an estimate 2 bucks per 1 doe ratio, the big boys can't lay up all day and have their way with plenty of does all night.[/quote]

Yes this will work if you have several thousand acres to manage the herd and limit the number of bucks killed so you have a large number of 3+ year old bucks running around. However probably less than 10% of the private land in Mississippi is in large tracts that are strictly managed in this way. What about the other 90%? You have hundreds of thousands of acres that have more and more does being killed plus most all of the 2 year old bucks are being killed. A large number of counties in the state have absolutely zero clubs on the DMAP program. There are hundreds of thousands of acres that the MDWFP has absolutely no data to use to estimate population. That is scary when you think about it and realize that these decisions are being made with very, very limited information. Basically you have the higher ups making these decisions based on two reason, 1.) Lets set the seasons and bag limits based on how we would like it to be on our trophy managed club in Madison county. Who cares about the rest of the state. 2.) The MDWFP is strapped for cash so we have to increase license sales. Lets set the seasons so more current hunters will purchase a primitive weapon license and more out of staters will purchase the high price out of state license. Who cares about all of our future hunters (kids) who we can't get interested about hunting because they get tired of hunting without seeing a single deer.[/quote]

The new proposed law is a catch 22.. Yes there are lots of deer up in the Madison area so much so that it is not unreasonable to see 10 deer a day.. But the place I hunt there are not that many deer.. In fact your lucky to see 10 a week.. Part of it is deer density and part of it is terrain.. In the places with high deer numbers you will have the oppurtunity to take more does.. And in the places where there are not a lot of deer you will have the oppurtunity to see more deer and may be able to take a deer. A earlier season will also allow you to take a youth in what is more tolerable weather for them..

[gtk]

This will not increase the doe harvest at all in my opinion. If you can't kill 5 does with 45 days with a bow and 75 days with a gun then you need to back up and re-assess how or where you are hunting. There are probably a lot of places that are overpopulated.........Alabama......check their regs and see if you think loose bag limits will help the population problem.

Jt

100% agree that it will not increase the doe harvest.

I honestly believe that if hunters had an easy way to donate deer meat, they would kill more deer. Ethical hunters do not want to shoot a deer just to be shooting it, and most (not all) hunters don't want more than one or two deer in the freezer.

[DUCKAHOLIC]

Brother if you want to donate deer meat all you got to do is drive down to the local black neigborhood...........been doin it for years and have never been turned down......I called one one Christmas eve and then again on Christmas day.....hell they beat me to the house, sittin there waitin on it

[tombstone]

I have no trouble getting rid of them either. I would have killed more but the deer went on lock down about the beginning of January and it was hard to see anything.

[Meeka]

I agree with February hunting. It will extend the season, increase $$$ spent on hunting, allow hunting in cold weather, add incentive to oos hunters to buy licenses and come here and spend $$, etc. What is the argument against february hunting? Is there one? I realize that some bucks will be shot for does as sheds are dropped.

[riverat]

Brother if you want to donate deer meat all you got to do is drive down to the local black neigborhood...........been doin it for years and have never been turned down......I called one one Christmas eve and then again on Christmas day.....hell they beat me to the house, sittin there waitin on it

amen, brother....no pun intended.

ive seen grown men get in fist fights over a 6 yr old rank buck carcass at the corner sto....i drive by the store in hunting season and they all stand up and point their ears at attention like a lab watchin a beggin strip go down the road......

the i won't shoot more deer cause i don't have any more room for em is garbage...... i still had people calling me the last weekend, and like duckaholic said.....drive to your local hood

[gtk]

Brother if you want to donate deer meat all you got to do is drive down to the local black neigborhood...........been doin it for years and have never been turned down......I called one one Christmas eve and then again on Christmas day.....hell they beat me to the house, sittin there waitin on it

don't try that in or around memphis