whitetail hunting season

[rack addict]

I was just thinking that it would be great if gun season was pushed back a week or two and shortened up. Here in Michigan it opens Nov 15-30, it seems like the rut is just getting good and then bang its gun season and they go nocturnal. I know this is widely debated but I would really like to see restrictions put on the bucks. We can shoot 2 bucks which I would like to see that put down to 1 because I think your going to be more picky on what you shoot. Also it should have to have atleast a certain amount of points. It doesnt bother me to see a youngster shoot a spike or a four point as there first deer but it does bother me to see a grown man with a little dink in the back of his truck. Those young bucks are dumb its like taking candy from a baby. If your hunting for meat shoot a doe we are way over populated with them anyways. Im not saying you can only shoot giants but atleast something that is respectable. Lets get some maturity in these herds!!! Thats why in other states its not uncommon to shoot 140in we have the same genetics but we have way more hunters, and way more hunters shooting 1 and 2 yr old bucks. I know some will agree some will disagree but this is my perspective on it.

[dan]

1 Buck per year would fix the states problems. But it would be a hard sell to the weekend warriors set in there ways...

[BCam]

you forgot to add the part about the 2 gun seasons before bow even starts and the whole month of December having some sort of firearm active. change would be nice but it will probably not happen any time soon with the shape our state is in.

[kenn1320]

but we have way more hunters, and [glow=red]way more hunters shooting 1[/glow] and 2 [glow=red]yr old bucks[/glow].

Pennsylvania has very close to the same number of hunters as us and was in about as bad of shape in terms of buck age structure. They implemented antler restrictions and went from the bottom to the top 10 in terms of record book bucks. I don't see things changing in Michigan anytime soon. However every time I see a kid drop a big buck or a decent buck, I know our states deer management problems will be over as these kids grow up. Once you get a taste of shooting a nice buck, most are hooked. They will be the ones putting pressure on their dads, uncles about letting them go, so they can grow.

[BCam]

Dan, you underestimate the michiganders ability to stretch 1 tag onto multiple deer. lol. It is sad, but very true around these parts.

[DEERSLAYER]

1 Buck per year would fix the states problems. But it would be a hard sell to the weekend warriors set in there ways...

If you lived here I think you would understand. When you have the culture we have here plus you have three hunters for every buck, nearly seven weeks of gun season and plenty of poachers (just to name a few) things just don't work whether it's one buck like we used to have or two (one restricted to four points on a side) like we have now. If your in southern lower Michigan farmland where access is very limited it may make a difference, but in most of the state it would make no significant difference. We can go to one tag, but it won't make a real difference.

[Southern Man]

1 Buck per year would fix the states problems. But it would be a hard sell to the weekend warriors set in there ways...

That's what we have here... 1 buck per year, unlimited does. It will sure make you think before you release that shot at a buck. We have the poaching too but for the most part, it's a good thing.

[lynchpin]

I was just thinking that it would be great if gun season was pushed back a week or two and shortened up. Here in Michigan it opens Nov 15-30, it seems like the rut is just getting good and then bang its gun season and they go nocturnal. I know this is widely debated but I would really like to see restrictions put on the bucks. We can shoot 2 bucks which I would like to see that put down to 1 because I think your going to be more picky on what you shoot. Also it should have to have atleast a certain amount of points. It doesnt bother me to see a youngster shoot a spike or a four point as there first deer but it does bother me to see a grown man with a little dink in the back of his truck. Those young bucks are dumb its like taking candy from a baby. If your hunting for meat shoot a doe we are way over populated with them anyways. Im not saying you can only shoot giants but atleast something that is respectable. Lets get some maturity in these herds!!! Thats why in other states its not uncommon to shoot 140in we have the same genetics but we have way more hunters, and way more hunters shooting 1 and 2 yr old bucks. I know some will agree some will disagree but this is my perspective on it.

Rack Addict... I would have to agree with you regarding pushing the season back and a buck antler size restriction. My family has ~170 acres of land in Menominee county (U.P.)... and for years I used to only see forks and small basket six pointers and the occasional 8 pointer. Never a 10 pointer ...never!

However, I think it would be a hard sell to move the hunting season back a few weeks. Not sure how it is in Lower Michigan, but the econometric impact of hunting season here is huge...small towns become bustling with hunters and every hotel is booked for miles and every bar with food seems to have 30 trucks parked out side. , on of our small towns even has a hunters ball! For most, the tradition of going "Up Nort" or "to da Hunt Camp" to hunt might over ride conservation to grow mature deer. I know in the UP... November 15th- 30th is like no other time of the year and not much else gets done besides hunting.

When I moved to Iowa, I thought it was weird to have the firearm season on the first weekend of December and then another firearm season a week later, and a late muzzle loader season and that I could only participate in one weekend. But after being here for a while, I have to agree with the conservation strategy and would love to see this happen in Michigan. Michigan has a lot more hunters, but something has to be done to increase the maturity of the buck population.

[kenn1320]

However, I think it would be a hard sell to move the hunting season back a few weeks. Not sure how it is in Lower Michigan, but the econometric impact of hunting season here is huge...small towns become bustling with hunters and every hotel is booked for miles and every bar with food seems to have 30 trucks parked out side. CENSORED FOR BAD LANGUAGE, on of our small towns even has a hunters ball! For most, the tradition of going "Up Nort" or "to da Hunt Camp" to hunt might over ride conservation to grow mature deer. I know in the UP... November 15th- 30th is like no other time of the year and not much else gets done besides hunting.

I have heard the problem with pushing the UP back is too much snow to get back into the woods if its much later in the season. Would you agree with that Lynchpin? I find it hard to believe guys only hunt for 1wk and then have to pull out or risk never getting out? I would really like to see gun season moved back and shortened, but that makes me one of those #$%^$# bow hunters.

[rack addict]

However, I think it would be a hard sell to move the hunting season back a few weeks. Not sure how it is in Lower Michigan, but the econometric impact of hunting season here is huge...small towns become bustling with hunters and every hotel is booked for miles and every bar with food seems to have 30 trucks parked out side. CENSORED FOR BAD LANGUAGE, on of our small towns even has a hunters ball! For most, the tradition of going "Up Nort" or "to da Hunt Camp" to hunt might over ride conservation to grow mature deer. I know in the UP... November 15th- 30th is like no other time of the year and not much else gets done besides hunting.

I have heard the problem with pushing the UP back is too much snow to get back into the woods if its much later in the season. Would you agree with that Lynchpin? I find it hard to believe guys only hunt for 1wk and then have to pull out or risk never getting out? I would really like to see gun season moved back and shortened, but that makes me one of those #$%^$# bow hunters.

I can agree on the economic part of it but it would be nice to see it pushed back around thaksgiving. It seems most of your gun hunters only hunt the first couple of days so two weeks of gun season and there is a muzzleloader season later as well. It just seems like to much and its like no wonder why there is no age structure in these herds. When I first started hunting it didnt matter how big the buck was as long as it had horns you shot. Thats the way my stepdad was taught thats how I was taught. But as I got older we both have completely changed the way we think and in the 5 years we've had this property we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of better bucks we are seeing. Weve wiped our butts on plenty of tags but its for the better. The people that hunted it before us didnt care they shot everything no matter how small it was and not just the bucks either. So its taken awhile for things to get better but they are moving in the right direction. I just feel if some changes were made we would have better and more mature herds and better hunting for everyone.

[DEERSLAYER]

There are a few thing's that would help, but I think the most practical for our state would be to up our antler restrictions from 3" statewide to something tailored to individual regions of the state to protect the yearlings.

[cornfedkiller]

You wish your gun season was pushed back a little! Try having gun season from Nov 4th-13th or so like we do here! Its the absolute peak of the rut..and the 70%+ of yearlings that get killed each season doesnt help anything...

[rack addict]

You wish your gun season was pushed back a little! Try having gun season from Nov 4th-13th or so like we do here! Its the absolute peak of the rut..and the 70%+ of yearlings that get killed each season doesnt help anything...

Makes absolutley no sense!!! We need to get real hunters that can make good decisions for our hunting seasons and deer. Rather than these pencil pushers where do they come up with this stuff.

[lynchpin]

However, I think it would be a hard sell to move the hunting season back a few weeks. Not sure how it is in Lower Michigan, but the econometric impact of hunting season here is huge...small towns become bustling with hunters and every hotel is booked for miles and every bar with food seems to have 30 trucks parked out side. CENSORED FOR BAD LANGUAGE, on of our small towns even has a hunters ball! For most, the tradition of going "Up Nort" or "to da Hunt Camp" to hunt might over ride conservation to grow mature deer. I know in the UP... November 15th- 30th is like no other time of the year and not much else gets done besides hunting.

I have heard the problem with pushing the UP back is too much snow to get back into the woods if its much later in the season. Would you agree with that Lynchpin? I find it hard to believe guys only hunt for 1wk and then have to pull out or risk never getting out? I would really like to see gun season moved back and shortened, but that makes me one of those #$%^$# bow hunters.

I can agree on the economic part of it but it would be nice to see it pushed back around thaksgiving. It seems most of your gun hunters only hunt the first couple of days so two weeks of gun season and there is a muzzleloader season later as well. It just seems like to much and its like no wonder why there is no age structure in these herds. When I first started hunting it didnt matter how big the buck was as long as it had horns you shot. Thats the way my stepdad was taught thats how I was taught. But as I got older we both have completely changed the way we think and in the 5 years we've had this property we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of better bucks we are seeing. Weve wiped our butts on plenty of tags but its for the better. The people that hunted it before us didnt care they shot everything no matter how small it was and not just the bucks either. So its taken awhile for things to get better but they are moving in the right direction. I just feel if some changes were made we would have better and more mature herds and better hunting for everyone.

Kenn1320... LOL... I know... we get snow in my area pretty heavy... but just 90 minutes of me they get massive snow! Lake effect snow from Lake Superior... gets right down nasty at times. I wounder what it is like were another Beast Member "UP HUNTER" is from?

Rack ... I had the same experience as you kind of... My father was huge into guns (target shooting with pistol and rifles) but when it came to hunting it was pretty basic (as he was taught)... build a blind, add corn, apples, and sit until 9am.... when the buck came in either forks or sixers... it was down. Often we would wait 3 to 4 days to see if something bigger came in, but we had an annual venison roast at the hunting shack, so we had to shoot a small one since that is all that came in.
I remember eating tags most years because I would wait and wait for the big one to come in... I didn't have the hunting IQ that I have now and never realized there wasn't a big one on the property. But it was sure fun waiting! my glass was always half full!
I am happy to hear that you property is starting to produce bigger bucks through managing the property better. Our property had not had a lot of pressure on it since 2007, unfortunately, my father past away in 2007 and since then, the land has only had a hunter on it 2 or 3 days out of a year. This last season (2010) we told my cousin to sit my dads old stand. To my surprise, he went out there on opening morning and shot a 12 pointer (~130 inches). Like you said, it can happen in Michigan too, just need more people let the small ones grow. If it was implemented, it would be hard for most at first, but over time, I believe people would realize it was for the better.

[BCam]

1 Buck per year would fix the states problems. But it would be a hard sell to the weekend warriors set in there ways...

If you lived here I think you would understand. When you have the culture we have here plus you have three hunters for every buck, nearly seven weeks of gun season and plenty of poachers (just to name a few) things just don't work whether it's one buck like we used to have or two (one restricted to four points on a side) like we have now. If your in southern lower Michigan farmland where access is very limited it may make a difference, but in most of the state it would make no significant difference. We can go to one tag, but it won't make a real difference.

I don't think it would work in southern lower either. Too many people around here want the big bucks but don't want to put in the work for it. They'd rather do it with a spot light and a rifle. Last year a would be new bow state record was poached right before the end of the year. So they are here despite all of the hunting pressure but it is going to take a long time to change peoples mentality around here. Even if the hunter is tagged out i guarentee his aunt or his wife who probably never sits foot in the woods but can still buy a license, is getting a couple buck also.
Also with unempolyment as high as it is right now, there are a lot more meat hunters and they aren't going to pass up a family feeder no matter what and you can't blame them.

The list goes on and on but i think these are some of the main reasons .

On a better note, I wish everybody good luck this year. Go get'm