Proposed Deer Rule Changes

[kludge]

Family of 4 here, with 2 hunters, and we've used all but a small portion of 5 deer from last year; the past couple of months we've slowed down on consuming it because of running low. We can easily use 7 to 8 per year, without waste.

With 2 of us hunting (one a youth), we don't have enough time because of other activities; I'd like to see them leave it the way it is now, to be honest.

Family of 7; I'm the only hunter. 2 or 3 does would do us nicely. Shortening the season will mean I might not get even one. It's not like I can just take off work all those days, maybe one or two - I need the weekend days or I don't get out at all.

I'd like the seasons to stay the same also.

 

[Lex Concord]

Family of 7; I'm the only hunter. 2 or 3 does would do us nicely. Shortening the season will mean I might not get even one. It's not like I can just take off work all those days, maybe one or two - I need the weekend days or I don't get out at all.

I'd like the seasons to stay the same also.

+1 I'm in the same boat, kludge.

I didn't realize the seasons were broken. Why are they trying to fix them

 

[blackoak]

+1 I'm in the same boat, kludge.

I didn't realize the seasons were broken. Why are they trying to fix them

Why are they trying to fix it???? Because there are guys out there that think life's not worth living unless they have a Booner hanging on their wall. They want it their way and their way only. That's it plain and simple. These special interest groups antler worshipers that want to shorten gun season and move it out of the rut are saying it will produce more dead does. That my friend is a complete farce. It will however keep a few bucks alive so maybe they can get a crack at one next year wearing a set of 150" of antlers with their bow. Hell I'm a bow hunter that switches to my muzzle loader during firearms season but can see this is just wrong....

 

[kludge]

If you want more big bucks then raise the price of admission for bucks. And make a separate buck tag for archery and ML seasons, instead of the either sex tags they have now. The meat hunters will simply not buy them. It's as close to win-win as I can think of.

Trophy hunters have always been willing to pay.

I pay for both tags during firearms season so that I can shoot at whatever walks along.

 

[CountryBoy19]

If you want more big bucks then raise the price of admission for bucks. And make a separate buck tag for archery and ML seasons, instead of the either sex tags they have now. The meat hunters will simply not buy them. It's as close to win-win as I can think of.

Trophy hunters have always been willing to pay.

I pay for both tags during firearms season so that I can shoot at whatever walks along.

I agree... if I could just start off with a bonus antlerless license that spans all seasons I would do it. I don't care about shooting a buck. I just want some meat. Now I'm not even going to be able to hunt more than 1 or 2 days a year... so much for trying to increase the doe harvest...

 

[paperboy]

Why are they trying to fix it???? Because there are guys out there that think life's not worth living unless they have a Booner hanging on their wall. They want it their way and their way only. That's it plain and simple. These special interest groups antler worshipers that want to shorten gun season and move it out of the rut are saying it will produce more dead does. That my friend is a complete farce. It will however keep a few bucks alive so maybe they can get a crack at one next year wearing a set of 150" of antlers with their bow. Hell I'm a bow hunter that switches to my muzzle loader during firearms season but can see this is just wrong....

You guys are right on....All changing the season is going to do is make Indiana another "Lease State" and us residents won't be able to afford to hunt and you can forget about getting private land. My brother lives in Texas and he hasn't deer hunted in years because he cannot afford it. He told me an average deer lease is approx $2500 (when you can get on one) Also, if someone is complaining about guys shooting 5+ times at a deer because they're out of reasonable range, go ahead and cut the season shorter and see what happens! Hunters will be so focused on filling tags that even the true "wait and see if it comes closer into range" guys will be taking shots that are maybe too far. DNR wanting to reduce the herd and then proposing a change like this...Dumbest thing I've heard! Come on guys, let's be realistic and keep things as they are!!!!!

 

[BK Deer Hunter]

Don't really matter to me since I own my own place. If I want meat I can kill one whenever. Actually tired of gun hunters blasting them all around me and not finding them. I trophy hunt for a whopper and shot does for meat. I just wish we could find a balance for everyone. I personally like the long seasons, gives everyone a chance to enjoy nature, wheather you kill a bunch of deer or not

 

[kludge]

I agree... if I could just start off with a bonus antlerless license that spans all seasons I would do it.

AFAIK, you can do exactly that.

Archery tag = either sex
Firearms tag = antlered deer only
Muzzleloader tag = either sex
Bonus antlerless = good all season, antlerless deer only

If you just want to doe hunt, you don't have to buy a Archery, Firearms, or ML tag to buy a Bonus Antlerless Deer license. You do have to buy a Bonus Antlerless Deer license before buying a "Second" Bonus Antlerless deer license though.

Look at pages 3 and 4 -- they don't explain it very well, but it's there.

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-2010_Hunting_Regulations.pdf

 

[firehawk1]

Personally I sense the greasy little fingers of the Indiana Deer Hunters Association in this one. Just like the one buck rule. There have always been big deer in Indiana, you just had to be willing to put forth the effort to go get one.

Deer hunting is just that... hunting deer, NOT "herd management". There have been and still are PLENTY of deer in Indiana, even with our long seasons.

I wish the DNR would just leave s**t alone.

 

[blackoak]

Personally I sense the greasy little fingers of the Indiana Deer Hunters Association in this one. Just like the one buck rule. There have always been big deer in Indiana, you just had to be willing to put forth the effort to go get one.

Deer hunting is just that... hunting deer, NOT "herd management". There have been and still are PLENTY of deer in Indiana, even with our long seasons.

I wish the DNR would just leave s**t alone.

Firehawk, I believe your senses are dead on correct. I am a bow hunter that enjoys the early archery season, but come the firearms season I enjoy having the opportunity to pick up my muzzle loader and using it for firearms season and then the afterward the muzzle loader season for around 30 days or so.

 

[kludge]

I tend to agree with firehawk also; these guys who pay big of money for a big lease and track a buck all year don't want some shmuck like me to get lucky during the rut and shoot "his" deer, just cuz the buck is all out of sorts chasing after does and wanders past me on opening day two miles from where "his" buck is supposed to be.

Would I be stupid if I passed up a good buck that I could get 100lb of meat instead of 50lb? Can anyone say sausage? YUM!

 

[dbd870]

Personally I sense the greasy little fingers of the Indiana Deer Hunters Association in this one.

I'd say your senses are dead on.

 

[firehawk1]

So Humm..... dosen't seem to be alot of Indiana Deer Hunters Association fans on here. Wouldn't know why......... Well yeah I would.

Kind of off subject but before the one buck rule was passed I had a nice conversation with I believe his name was Jim and he was the "overseer" so to say over the deer herd for the State of Indiana. At that time he told me that no matter where the one buck rule has been tried it simply dosen't work. He was dead set against it. He said the main reason it dosen't produce the desired results is because in early season a hunter will pass on a buck hoping a nicer one will come by. Later in the season he/she/someone else will take that deer since they know they are running out of time season wise. So it is in effect a wash. Personally I tended to believe him over a group of hunters claiming to speak for the majority, which they didn't, which has an agenda.

I can tell you Joe Bacon and I went back and forth on ArcheryTalk awhile back, and there is no love lose between myself and the IDHA.

As far as the new proposed rule changes, I don't see how they can produce the results the State is looking for. They don't have enough people out hunting now according to what they say. So to "fix" the problem your going to cut down on the days someone CAN hunt????

Sounds like to me another case of trophy hunters wanting to force everyone to support their deer hunting "style". Personally I outgrew the need to hunt for racks. I'm out there for the simple enjoyment of it. If a deer walks by, all the better. I do manage to take 2 or 3 per year. Enough to keep my freezer full.

 

[IndianaSlim]

I, for one am a fan of MOST of the rule changes proposed. I am also a HUGE fan of the 1 buck rule. I hope the 1 buck rule lives forever in Indiana. I can't believe at this point how anybody would say a bad word about it in fact. The quality of bucks being taken has improved tremendously especially in the last couple of years.

I know most of you say you "don't care" how big the buck is you shoot. WHY NOT KILL A DOE THEN AND HELP THE HERD!?!?!?!?! A doe tastes better than a buck and if you want more meat KILL ANOTHER ONE!!!! What good are you doing by killing an immature deer that will be something one day? Answer....you're not doing yourself or the herd a damn bit of good. Personally, I'd love to see Indiana enact the "earn a buck" rule. That way all you meat hunters would stop shooting the 1.5 y/o bucks that walk by opening day of shotgun season.

As far as season lengths, I've said for a long time that our firearms and muzzleloader seasons are way too liberal. Look at any other state growing big deer.....kansas...iowa...illinois. Can any of those states hunt for 30 days with a boomstick??? Nope. If you meet hunters can't get your deer killed in 18 days (proposed length if these pass) you're doing something way beyond wrong.

If Indiana does pass any of these laws they'll make it a state closer to a "destination" hunting state. I for one would love to see more money poured into local struggling economies right now. Farmer Joe wants more money to hunt his ground? Looks like you're out but the whole picture benefits. IMO and again this is my opinion, this all boils down to lazy deer hunters. If the lease goes up, go burn up some rubber and plat books and find some new places to hunt, trust me it's far from impossible. If the lease goes up, pick up that side job to pay for it. If the lease goes up, work out some sort of barter agreement and make everybody happy. Deer hunting isn't a right in this state it's a priviledge. I'm not trying to pick on anybody and i know for a fact I'm the minority on this one, but every time I hear somebody elses hard luck deer hunting story about how they lost a piece of farm ground or about how they can only shoot one buck now or this or that I get pretty disgusted. These are the same guys that only think about deer hunting from sep 15th till the end of november. For me and the few close guys I hunt with it's 365 days a year. I think these new rules will cater to guys who want to put in the time and effort to kill big mature deer consistently.

I didn't intent to offend anybody with this post, but I've basically held my tounge since this thread started and had to get a few things off my chest. Sorry for the rant and have a good day!!!

 

[kludge]

I know most of you say you "don't care" how big the buck is you shoot. WHY NOT KILL A DOE THEN AND HELP THE HERD!?!?!?!?! A doe tastes better than a buck and if you want more meat KILL ANOTHER ONE!!!! What good are you doing by killing an immature deer that will be something one day? Answer....you're not doing yourself or the herd a damn bit of good. Personally, I'd love to see Indiana enact the "earn a buck" rule. That way all you meat hunters would stop shooting the 1.5 y/o bucks that walk by opening day of shotgun season.

Give me the time and land and I'll shoot nothing but does. Give me two weekends, two tags, and state owned land filled with other hunters and I will shoot whatever walks by.

Too many years I've come home empty handed. If you add it up, the small doe I got this past season cost me the price of four firearms tags and four Bonus Antlerless Licenses.

Leasing hunting land puts venison way above the price of a side of beef, so that option is all the way out.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I know most of you say you "don't care" how big the buck is you shoot. WHY NOT KILL A DOE THEN AND HELP THE HERD!?!?!?!?! A doe tastes better than a buck and if you want more meat KILL ANOTHER ONE!!!! What good are you doing by killing an immature deer that will be something one day? Answer....you're not doing yourself or the herd a damn bit of good. Personally, I'd love to see Indiana enact the "earn a buck" rule. That way all you meat hunters would stop shooting the 1.5 y/o bucks that walk by opening day of shotgun season.

I will grant that I've never been part of organized hunting, but I think this is the first time I've heard hunting for meat denigrated in this fashion.

Ah well, I will continue to hunt for meat on my own 150 acres and don't give a rats rear end what anyone else thinks about it.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I hunt deer. I hunt bucks. I want to kill the biggest buck there is in the woods. If I happen to feel like it I'll kill a doe but that's not what get's me out of bed early during deer season.

I want to kill the biggest buck out there because he is the smartest, most expirienced and able to out live the orange army and his competition on even terms, not because he lives on a farm pumped full of steriods in a shooting zoo and I picked him out of a sales brochure.

I'm also not interested in hunting some bone headed moron who's only survival skill is finding a full feeder and kiss butt Joe Bacon and his barroom clique of politico rule hunters who think "hunting" is about hunting legislators who respond to whining.

Read the rules
Learn the rules
Follow the rules
Hunt and leave the frigging rules alone.
Finagling the rules is not a hunting skill.

 

[firehawk1]

I, for one am a fan of MOST of the rule changes proposed. I am also a HUGE fan of the 1 buck rule. I hope the 1 buck rule lives forever in Indiana. I can't believe at this point how anybody would say a bad word about it in fact. The quality of bucks being taken has improved tremendously especially in the last couple of years.

I know most of you say you "don't care" how big the buck is you shoot. WHY NOT KILL A DOE THEN AND HELP THE HERD!?!?!?!?! A doe tastes better than a buck and if you want more meat KILL ANOTHER ONE!!!! What good are you doing by killing an immature deer that will be something one day? Answer....you're not doing yourself or the herd a damn bit of good. Personally, I'd love to see Indiana enact the "earn a buck" rule. That way all you meat hunters would stop shooting the 1.5 y/o bucks that walk by opening day of shotgun season.

As far as season lengths, I've said for a long time that our firearms and muzzleloader seasons are way too liberal. Look at any other state growing big deer.....kansas...iowa...illinois. Can any of those states hunt for 30 days with a boomstick??? Nope. If you meet hunters can't get your deer killed in 18 days (proposed length if these pass) you're doing something way beyond wrong.

If Indiana does pass any of these laws they'll make it a state closer to a "destination" hunting state. I for one would love to see more money poured into local struggling economies right now. Farmer Joe wants more money to hunt his ground? Looks like you're out but the whole picture benefits. IMO and again this is my opinion, this all boils down to lazy deer hunters. If the lease goes up, go burn up some rubber and plat books and find some new places to hunt, trust me it's far from impossible. If the lease goes up, pick up that side job to pay for it. If the lease goes up, work out some sort of barter agreement and make everybody happy. Deer hunting isn't a right in this state it's a priviledge. I'm not trying to pick on anybody and i know for a fact I'm the minority on this one, but every time I hear somebody elses hard luck deer hunting story about how they lost a piece of farm ground or about how they can only shoot one buck now or this or that I get pretty disgusted. These are the same guys that only think about deer hunting from sep 15th till the end of november. For me and the few close guys I hunt with it's 365 days a year. I think these new rules will cater to guys who want to put in the time and effort to kill big mature deer consistently.

I didn't intent to offend anybody with this post, but I've basically held my tounge since this thread started and had to get a few things off my chest. Sorry for the rant and have a good day!!!

The one buck rule is here to stay, I'd bet the farm on that one like it or not.

A few years ago me and a buddy got into a kind of contest on who took the biggest deer in a season. You know what, it took all the enjoyment out of deer hunting, for me at least. A trophy sized buck is supposed to be something special. Not necessarly something you see, or get the chance to take EVERY year IMO. Again IMO some hunters are lazy simply because they want to be able to walk 50 yards from their truck, sit down and kill a big buck. Talk about not wanting to put any effort into it. There have always been, and still are HUGE deer in Indiana, a hunter simply had to put the effort, ie walk WAY back into somewhere to find them. IMO we don't need shorter seasons to grow big deer.

Personally it isn't about bragging rights on who took the biggest deer, it's about being out in the woods and enjoying the outdoors and all nature has to offer. While I enjoy deer hunting ALOT, I have had some of my most enjoyable times in the woods on days I haven't seen a single deer. For me it isn't just about killing something.

And yes, I'll shoot a doe any day. They taste better and an older doe is just as wary if not more so than a buck from my experience. I have never been busted by a buck that I have seen first, but MANY times by an older doe. Bigger challange IMO.

The deer herd in Indiana does not "belong" to any type of deer hunter. If someone wants to hunt antlers, go for it. But IMO it isn't fair to force others to cater to any one's idea of what deer hunting is. If I or anyone else chooses to take a 1.5 year old buck, it is my/their choice since the deer herd belongs to ALL of us.

All this is of course just my opinion.

Jack Ryan, a BIG thumbs up to you and your description of Joe Bacon and the IDHA. SPOT ON!!! They own property down in the SE part of Indiana, and have asked for hunters to come down and take does for them. So much for their hypocritical QDM. If they were in fact practicing QDM they wouldn't have a doe problem.

 

[wildhare]

Man am I glad my family has 1500 acres. I don't have to deal with any of this crap. I trophy hunt and meat hunt as well. I will only take a 130 or better deer and will shoot 3 or 4 does a year. We have a rule that you have to take a good doe before you can buck hunt on our farm. I like it that way. I am fortunate to have access to most the ground around me and there are only 4 or 5 guys in a 4 sq mile area besides me and a few family and friends. They mostly go with the 130 rule as well. In the last 5 years we have taken 4 in the low 140's and 3 150 plussers. I love to hunt and don't care if I kill a giant buck every year, but I am gonna let him grow to his potential to see what he becomes.

On the flip side of this coin. I fully understand meat hunters and guys who shoot little bucks. They want meat not trophies. Good for you, just stay the hell away from me LOL If you are hunting a heavily pressured area I can see taking what you can get. No problem here I just hate the one weekend hunters who don't shoot the deer gun all year and then the weekend before gun they shoot a few times. Opening day rolls around and they are shooting before leagal light and usually unloading the gun and mostly missing the deer. Just remember one shot, one kill.

 

[firehawk1]

Man am I glad my family has 1500 acres. I don't have to deal with any of this crap. I trophy hunt and meat hunt as well. I will only take a 130 or better deer and will shoot 3 or 4 does a year. We have a rule that you have to take a good doe before you can buck hunt on our farm. I like it that way. I am fortunate to have access to most the ground around me and there are only 4 or 5 guys in a 4 sq mile area besides me and a few family and friends. They mostly go with the 130 rule as well. In the last 5 years we have taken 4 in the low 140's and 3 150 plussers. I love to hunt and don't care if I kill a giant buck every year, but I am gonna let him grow to his potential to see what he becomes.

On the flip side of this coin. I fully understand meat hunters and guys who shoot little bucks. They want meat not trophies. Good for you, just stay the hell away from me LOL If you are hunting a heavily pressured area I can see taking what you can get. No problem here I just hate the one weekend hunters who don't shoot the deer gun all year and then the weekend before gun they shoot a few times. Opening day rolls around and they are shooting before leagal light and usually unloading the gun and mostly missing the deer. Just remember one shot, one kill.

So... 1500 acres huh? Humm.... you my NEW bestest friend!

+1 on the one shot one kill.