Buck Harvest Stats

[10_Points or better]

I am sorry about the generalizatation public input is positive and is needed, I was talking about the bar stool mindset management plans that get thrown out there. It is all driven by lic sales, fact of the matter is every year the numbers drop and people are worried.

[Jesse]

kansas looks like the place to go

[RidgeRunner]

It is all driven by lic sales, fact of the matter is every year the numbers drop and people are worried.

I can't think of a better way to increase license sales and overall revenue than to improve the quality of our deer hunting. Iowa, Kansas and Wisconsin are deer hunting "destinations" because they have better quality hunting. I doubt many people come to MN because the hunting is great. They come for family and friends. Improve the deer herd and the revenue will follow.

[Grasshopper]

I can't think of a better way to increase license sales and overall revenue than to improve the quality of our deer hunting. Iowa, Kansas and Wisconsin are deer hunting "destinations" because they have better quality hunting. I doubt many people come to MN because the hunting is great. They come for family and friends. Improve the deer herd and the revenue will follow.

This is a very good point, and I saw a recent study that looked at this very thing. I'll try to dig it up, but I think these stats are pretty accurate:

Nationwide average % of license sales to NR's: 9%

Minnesota: 2%

The four states bordering MN (the Dakotas, IA and WI) averaged about 15%.

This translates into millions of license sales dollars lost by our DNR. Some people will say "who cares?" But I'm not one of them. The other thing that is lost is tourism dollars that could get spent at mom-n-pop hotels, grocery stores, gas stations, etc.

[JEG]

Maybe we should close all deer hunting down from Mid-October until December 1st.

RageRunner, I'm so sick of this argument I could puke all this attitude does is put Gun hunters against Bowhunters. Lets try to work together. A season change isn't about bowhunters wanting the rut to themselves its about improving the herd so everyone can maybe once in there lifetime kill or see a nice buck with some regularity in Mn while improving the health of the herd. Your attitude is borderline anti hunting. The herd in SE mn has been at or over capacity for the last 20 yrs, killing 1.5 yr old bucks isnt the answer. Sorry for the rant.

[Grasshopper]

I'm so sick of this argument I could puke all this attitude does is put Gun hunters against Bowhunters. Lets try to work together. A season change isn't about bowhunters wanting the rut to themselves its about improving the herd so everyone can maybe once in there lifetime kill or see a nice buck with some regularity in Mn while improving the health of the herd.

A-MEN

I have heard this too many times to count, and IMO it misses the point completely. This is a numbers issue, not a weapons issue. More deer are killed during the firearms season. You want to make significant changes, you do so through the gun hunt.

In the long run, EVERYONE benefits.

[Deer-Addict]

I had fun reading through this thread. We now know that SE MN had antler restricions in place this past season, I haven't heard what the buck harvest was or age classes harvested, maybe I'll try to find them and post them if I do (either this thread or a new one). My prospective is as follows (granted I'm a non-res. and pretty big on QDM). When I first heard about the antler restricions I was excited and thought MN is finally trying to do something to improve the heard and bucks. I also thought, NOW I have a reason to consider hunting in SE MN on public land because there might actually be something there that I many want to shoot. I don't see a problem with putting a restriction in place, yes it takes a little getting used to the change but the important things are 1. youth can shoot what they want and 2. everyone else is in the same boat. The first year it may reduce your chances of taking a buck but after that there should be more bucks and bigger bucks and I've never heard of anyone shooting the smallest buck in a group (or not on purpose). The one issue I see that could be a big problem is people shooting an "illlegal" buck and leaving it lay and I did hear of that happening on some public ground in SE MN this past season. As a hunter it's your reponsibility to know what your shooting and if you screw up to own up to it. Any thought on this now that the first season is over??

[Deer-Addict]

I was looking on the MNDNR site and found this old survey from 05. It's fairly short and easy to skim (7 pages). It seems this report may have been a driving factor for the trial of antler restrictions. It sounds to me like it was what most MN hunters wanted, granted nothing will keep every one happy. Here's the link.

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/recreat...xecsummary.pdf

[born2slay]

So.... where do these age class numbers come from? I typically shoot a nice buck every year and I've never had to supply any information about my harvest other than Adult Female/Fawn Female/Adult Male, you get the point. There is no way the state will ever know that the deer I shot this year in MN was 5-1/2 or 6-1/2........ Can someone explain?