Bonus Tags Numbers

our group quit shooting does years ago, may not make much of a difference, but we feel good about it,would not call a guy following the law a slob hunter,but don't get me started about group hunting

JC.....not sure if Im getting your justification....Your calling others slob hunters for doing something you've learned over the years to do? I dont get. Everyone to our own. Its not what we should but the amount we shoot. What I dislike is the bowhunter who shoots a buck, maybe a doe, then gets a gun license and shoots a buck and maybe gets another buck with the tag he got from the doe. Then he goes on and complains about the deer population. Buck or doe we need to be limited.

It really doesn't matter if you hunt public land, you might as well shoot until you are blue in the face. Remember, there are a lot of slob hunters out there, and a lot of guys that know close to nothing about deer who go out opening weekend for venison. These guys will shoot anything and everything. Until that changes, nothing will improve. I have come to accept that and take a doe every other year or so. For years I refused to shoot a doe because of the population issue, but have come to realize that with antlerless tags, the DNR will just issue more and more of them if people don't shoot enough - comes out in the wash. There will never be many deer on the public land I hunt anymore, and me refusing to shoot a doe just impacts me. In fact, I love to see low deer populations on public land because it just makes people that much more angry, and makes these people write their legislators about the problem.

I do however never shoot a small buck because I refuse to do so. I figure if there is only a 1/10 chance that the 1.5 year old buck I pass up makes it one more year, and if I pass on 10 bucks, that is one more 2.5 year old buck to hunt.

Why does the DNR issue 6 tags for a unit? Since the DNR wants to kill every deer in a unit, I suspect they believe there are 6 antlerless deer in total for the unit

Maybe you didn't understand me? Maybe I didn't explain my view. As hunters we should know whether or not the areas we hunt year in and year out can sustain the doe hunts. You all know what happens when you continually shoot them. If the area you hunt can't support shooting them, then do what is right and don't shoot them. Don't go by what is for sale by the state! That has never reflected the true numbers in our area and I'm pretty sure everyone else feels the same. If you don't see them then hold off a year or two. Don't just hold off because of peer pressure. Do it because of the real in the woods numbers don't support it.

I think what is being printed is way off base! If everyone went off of that we would have NO deer in this state!

"if the numbers allow it" ,,,,,,, exactly . And as of RFN ,,,, about 90 % of the units should not allow it . Especially where I own property in 29B . Look it up .

Nothing wrong with taking a doe if the numbers allow it! Ego has and should have nothing to do with it. It's all about the numbers. Pass it on.

There's nothing wrong with taking a fat doe for the freezer.

This "stop shooting does/fawns and hunt like a man" is just one big load of malarkey.

You could be right LS, just re-read it.

Sorry about the soap box...

I think you read his post wrong. I took it that he was okay with what you do and was complaining about others. I don't think he called you a brown it's down guy.

Not sure how you got "if it's brown it's down attitude" from my post Mr. Pike, nothing could be further from the truth. I Love spending time outdoors with my kids and teaching them respect for God's country (and a firearm.) Last year between my boys and I, we shot exactly one doe - don't see any problem with that. You automatically assume we buy a dozen doe tags and shoot at anything that happens to walk by. A few years back when the DNR was busy handing out doe tags like candy, we never bought any. We purchased our gun deer license and it came with an either / or tag.

Also, don't think you heard me grouse about anything other than you lumping me into a category. No disrespect (sincerely), but not sure how you can throw comments out like that when you have no idea what I believe.

Because I am not a 100% Buck only shooter I must run around shooting everything in sight huh?

It's all OK Plmlk ,,,, and Bob as well .

I just have a problem with hunters who go with the " brown is down " attitude and then biotch a few years later about deer numbers being down so low . Quit killing everything and you may enjoy the hunt a bit more . I first blame the $$ hungry D-arn N-ear R-ussia ,,,,,,,, and then a second good dose of blame goes to the hunters for filling any/all tags they can get their grubby paws on . That's my opinion anyway .

Have a great season ! I always do .

Don't have any problem with your point of view Mr. Pike. I don't share it though...

I think harvesting 3 does per person is clearly too much - so I do agree with you there.

My boys and I love being outdoors. We duck hunt, deer hunt, shoot archery, fish (both hard and soft water), camp, snowmobile etc.

When we get a deer (usually a doe) we take it to my buddies barn and quarter it up. We are not trophy hunters, we just like being together outdoors and enjoying God's country. Been hunting area 36 in Vilas County since I was a boy. In the last 20 years I've bagged exactly 1-buck, the only one that has ever walked by my stand, he was 6 pointer. How long do you think it would take my son to loose interest sitting in a stand day after day, year after year, and never pull the trigger.

To be honest, if I saw a big buck walk by my stand, I would let it keep walking, as I wouldn't put it on the wall anyways, and it likely would need to be ground into sausage. We're the same way with fishing. Keep the 7" Gills for the frying pan, and throw anything over 8 1/2" back.

For the trophy hunters that put countless hours in the woods, finding the trails, reading signs, walking deep into swamp, paying attention to the wind direction - God Bless them! I don't have any problem with that - they earned it.

Again, no problem with your point of view, just giving you a different perspective.

dont know of any farmers that take that approach.

OK Bob ,,,,, you win . Good job .

WHY would anyone pay money to shoot yourself in the foot ? Stop shooting does/fawns and hunt like a man ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

If ( and I say IF ) , there seems to be an overpopulation where you hunt , by all means take a molly or two . But then STOP. You are shooting next years seed . My gawd ,,, how dumb are some ?

Farmers don't shoot their cows to get more milk do they ?