Deer rifle season for 8 weeks

[Doco Overboard]

What Im saying is, restrictions are not necessary for what weapon I choose to hunt with. The rest is well, what it is. I'm for hunting with a firearms straight on through vs what was discussed here a week or two ago in the Eastern Shore Forum. I was against it then but I'm for it now. The OP in post 40 has a good idea. Base it off of biology not some insurance companies insight or an elected official trying to get a bill signed. Not enough thought in this bill.

 

[outrider58]

Well, this is all interesting ideas, but try this one on for a thought.

Bring back the checking stations, require that all hunters take 2 does before the first buck and then see if the population starts getting controlled a little. Too many hunters are only after horns and have a complete distaste for even shooting at a doe. Some will hunt all season and pass on deer that don't meet their standards. We need a change in attitudes about hunting.

I have no problem with this.

The problem in my case is, my main hunting farm has virtually no does on it. MoCo shoots all does on the property adjustment to mine. They shoot them all year long over huge corn piles. I have other places, but they rely on invites. Some years I get them, some years I don't. I could live with going back to two does before a bonus buck, said does being physically checked in.

 

[kraftyone]

I hunt from September to the end of January right through the middle of the cold. The friends property I hunt only allows bow hunting even though he has 20 acres of woods surrounded by farm fields. I am good with that as the allure of gun hunting was lost for me along time ago. The problem these people are neglecting to consider is that once lead starts flying deer tend to go nocturnal so extending the rifle season to December and all of January isnt going to produce more kills. Now if you wanted to make the two week rifle season smack dab right in the middle of the expected rut you may see an increase in kills. I am also for lowering the distance restrictions for bow hunters there are plenty of wood stands that hold deer that just cant be hunted because of proximity to housing or commercial areas.

 

[Bisleyfan44]

With all due respect, that area doesn't share the same population density as the more crowded 'urban zones'. Deerwise or humanwise. No one's saying the sky will fall, we're just saying there might be better ways to handle the situation.

The first thing Md. needs to give serious consideration to is opening ALL Sundays to hunting...private and public lands. That in and of it's self will almost double hunting 'exposure' during prime hunting months, mainly September-December. Deer don't move much in January and February. Besides, you'd be shooting antlerless bucks and pregnant does.

Our place in Nelsonia was absolutely loaded with deer. I've never hunted and NOT seen deer; anywhere from 2 or 3 to groups of 25 or more. Some were in range, some not. Hunters are scarce, but not deer. Lost that land a few years ago after the owner died and the land was sold. I miss that place.

I agree with opening all areas to Sunday hunting; we're just gonna have to fight the horse people over that. For some reason, the fact that funding for these areas comes from hunters through Pittman-Robertson Act funds and that the horse folks pay NOTHING towards them, they nevertheless seem they're entitled to it's use as they wish.

But to disagree on another point, deer move in big groups here in January and over corn, they can be quite predictable. Everybody is technically hunting pregnant does if they shoot one anytime after the first week of November; so you're already allowed to hunt pregnant does for nearly 3 months.

Well, this is all interesting ideas, but try this one on for a thought.

Bring back the checking stations, require that all hunters take 2 does before the first buck and then see if the population starts getting controlled a little. Too many hunters are only after horns and have a complete distaste for even shooting at a doe. Some will hunt all season and pass on deer that don't meet their standards. We need a change in attitudes about hunting.

You can't do that. Imagine sitting in a stand with your first time hunter at the ripe age of 10. Never shot a deer before, first season out. A spike walks out and your boy is jumping out of his skin with excitement. Sorry little Johnny, you can't shoot. you HAVE to shoot 2 does first. Nope. You have to allow that the first deer to be either sex. If you want to say shoot 10 does after that before you can shoot a 2nd buck, fine.

I may be different than most hunters I guess. My family LIVES on venison. We typically eat 4 or more deer per year if we're lucky enough to get that many. We have many friends and coworkers, literally written on a list, that want any excess deer we get. Our goal each year is to shoot every legal deer that we can (except fawns-off limits too small) until we have what we need and can help out others with some. I could care less if any of them have antlers; you can't eat them. I shoot food, nothing more nothing less.

All this QDM and monster buck hunting is what's killing deer hunting. Meat hunters don't pay crazy lease prices and develop antler restrictions, horn hunters do.

 

[Doco Overboard]

The scientific data that was collected when check in stations were around developed the increase in the herd we see today

 

[outrider58]

Our place in Nelsonia was absolutely loaded with deer. I've never hunted and NOT seen deer; anywhere from 2 or 3 to groups of 25 or more. Some were in range, some not. Hunters are scarce, but not deer. Lost that land a few years ago after the owner died and the land was sold. I miss that place.

I stand corrected, but it sounds like there may be a dearth of hunters there?

I agree with opening all areas to Sunday hunting; we're just gonna have to fight the horse people over that. For some reason, the fact that funding for these areas comes from hunters through Pittman-Robertson Act funds and that the horse folks pay NOTHING towards them, they nevertheless seem they're entitled to it's use as they wish.

But to disagree on another point, deer move in big groups here in January and over corn, they can be quite predictable. Everybody is technically hunting pregnant does if they shoot one anytime after the first week of November; so you're already allowed to hunt pregnant does for nearly 3 months.

Maybe over there they do(move in big groups). Deer just don't move as much in late winter. Most places they yard up and conserve their energy on colder days.

There's pregnant does and then there are PREGNANT does. A lot of people will shy away from dressing a three months pregnant doe, I'm guessing.

 

[outrider58]

The scientific data that was collected when check in stations were around developed the increase in the herd we see today

The scientific data didn't give us this problem. It was the state biologists interpretation of that data that led to the problem.

 

[dist1646]

Can't imagine why people who use one type of tool to hunt with would get upset because someone else prefers a different tool to do the same job.

 

[Neot]

I think opening up Sundays to hunting makes a ton of sense. Lots of people work Monday-Friday and so they only get Saturday to take a shot at a deer, so why not double their opportunities to get out there and take one.

Another issue is how many hunters are in the state. The numbers of hunters out there is dwindling like a lot of other states. If you have the opportunity to do so, take a new hunter out and get them involved. If you look at numbers for last year, counties like Calvert for instance, only accounted for 1600 deer taken in total in comparison to Baltimore County that had nearly 5000 taken. Up the number of hunters and hopefully numbers will rise. The catch 22 is when you get so many hunters that hunting areas start getting overcrowded.

 

[Doco Overboard]

I hunt from September to the end of January right through the middle of the cold. The friends property I hunt only allows bow hunting even though he has 20 acres of woods surrounded by farm fields. I am good with that as the allure of gun hunting was lost for me along time ago. The problem these people are neglecting to consider is that once lead starts flying deer tend to go nocturnal so extending the rifle season to December and all of January isnt going to produce more kills. Now if you wanted to make the two week rifle season smack dab right in the middle of the expected rut you may see an increase in kills. I am also for lowering the distance restrictions for bow hunters there are plenty of wood stands that hold deer that just cant be hunted because of proximity to housing or commercial areas.

100% agree, the belief that deer will start moving after 2 weeks of firearms is over is an unfounded fairytale. Kills occur when there is alot of people in the woods at the same time or they're being driven somehow to a successful hunter. That's why I believe firearms season should be reduced not expanded. And then supplemented elsewhere for the guys who cant make it. You can already bow-hunt nearly clean through the season. I spoke to 5 avid experienced hunters today and they all thought I was joking. They already see the decline in numbers local to me just from the cumulative effects of introducing cross bow and early MZ into the equation for a few years. What I realized is there is not a stitch of ground on the mid shore that is not being hunted already, what do we need 4+ solid weeks of it for? Western Shore, problem area. No where to hunt I guess makes it difficult for people to drive or grow bushes in there yard. Maybe they should just create a new zone to attract hunters with a multi week firearms season. A minus or B plus or something. Give it 5 years and the problem will be solved.

 

[Doco Overboard]

The scientific data didn't give us this problem. It was the state biologists interpretation of that data that led to the problem.

And now we have politicians interpreting how to proceed usually no good comes from that, we'll see what happens. My predictions are in previous posts and will be on permanent record.

 

[ChrisD]

I just read that the bills are being withdrawn.

 

[outrider58]

I just read that the bills are being withdrawn.

Do you have linky?

 

[ChrisD]

Do you have linky?

I'm not sure how to link a Facebook post, but I read it from a post by MD Hunting Coalition.

Edit, This is from their (MHC) page:
Because of a combination of factors including the joint efforts of outreach by the Maryland Bowhunters Society and the Maryland Hunting Coalition, including this format (we reached over 22,300 with our post from Wednesday) and our face to face conversations with lawmakers and wildlife managers at Blaze & Camo Day on Thursday - AND - your overwhelming contacts with the sponsors, we can report that the pending legislation that would have expanded the deer firearms season to eight weeks, SB953 and HB1111, has officially been withdrawn by the sponsors.
Both MBS and MHC Benefits are coming up in March and both organizations deserve your financial support.

 

[shooter56]

Originally Posted by iH8DemLibz
PS: On board with 50 yards. 150 is BS when talking about things with strings.

Agreed!

You know, it's already 50 yards for archery in Calvert county.

 

[outrider58]

I'm not sure how to link a Facebook post, but I read it from a post by MD Hunting Coalition.

Edit, This is from their (MHC) page:
Because of a combination of factors including the joint efforts of outreach by the Maryland Bowhunters Society and the Maryland Hunting Coalition, including this format (we reached over 22,300 with our post from Wednesday) and our face to face conversations with lawmakers and wildlife managers at Blaze & Camo Day on Thursday - AND - your overwhelming contacts with the sponsors, we can report that the pending legislation that would have expanded the deer firearms season to eight weeks, SB953 and HB1111, has officially been withdrawn by the sponsors.
Both MBS and MHC Benefits are coming up in March and both organizations deserve your financial support.

That's good enough!

 

[danb]

I say yes to all these proposals. Expand rifle season, Expand archery to 50 yards, Allow deer hunting at night with artificial light from an elevated position, all the way into March.

I also think that the rifle restrictions are a bit absurd. The speed of slugs these days is faster than a .357 from a 16" barrel (a 160 gr from a 16" barrel, ~1700fps). People hunt with shotguns with rifled barrels. Gun restrictions should be based on cartridge, not type. I can certainly see why you might not want someone hunting with 30-06 in the urban area of Howard County. But you can buy 20-gauge shotgun shells now that are 240 grains at 2200fps. A 170 gr 30-30 is going to be around 2200 fps, and a 180 gr .308 from a 16" barrel will be ~2400fps. Shotgun cartridge technology has rapidly converged on rifles, so what is the point of the restrictions?

 

[HordesOfKailas]

I say yes to all these proposals. Expand rifle season, Expand archery to 50 yards, Allow deer hunting at night with artificial light from an elevated position, all the way into March.

I also think that the rifle restrictions are a bit absurd. The speed of slugs these days is faster than a .357 from a 16" barrel (a 160 gr from a 16" barrel, ~1700fps). People hunt with shotguns with rifled barrels. Gun restrictions should be based on cartridge, not type. I can certainly see why you might not want someone hunting with 30-06 in the urban area of Howard County. But you can buy 20-gauge shotgun shells now that are 240 grains at 2200fps. A 170 gr 30-30 is going to be around 2200 fps, and a 180 gr .308 from a 16" barrel will be ~2400fps. Shotgun cartridge technology has rapidly converged on rifles, so what is the point of the restrictions?

Reiterated my point. Thanks!

 

[balttigger]

Region B only. Does me no good.

 

[traveller]

O
You can't do that. Imagine sitting in a stand with your first time hunter at the ripe age of 10. Never shot a deer before, first season out. A spike walks out and your boy is jumping out of his skin with excitement. Sorry little Johnny, you can't shoot. you HAVE to shoot 2 does first. Nope. You have to allow that the first deer to be either sex. If you want to say shoot 10 does after that before you can shoot a 2nd buck, fine.

Little Johnny would learn that not everything that moves is acceptable game.

States with a sparse deer population have mostly 'buck only' licenses. Getting an 'either sex' license requires luck in the lottery.