Bonus Antlerless Season

[yetti462]

I like the late season. Its usually cold enough to let one hang. I'll still bow for them.

The area I live is bountiful with deer, I've not noticed any reduction in herd size.

 

[rooster]

since starting to take trips out west where tags are harder to come by I’ve done a lot of looking into why they severely limit tags.

easy answer, hunter success rates. In Colorado they do OTC bow elk hunting. Anyone and everyone can buy a tag. Success rates are low single digits, my own tag went infilled last year despite having a muzzleloader. They limit rifle tags because success rates go up to over 20%.

in indiana the hunter success rate has been rising. Deer are a limited resource, if we take too many then the dawn crop will be too low. Success rate from 2019 was 39% up from 32% in 2016

add that to predator pressure.....
The fawn crops already taking a beating from coyotes, now bobcats and bears.


tldr: high success rates+ increased amounts of predators =less tags

Page 36

https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/files/fw-DeerSummaryReport_2019.pdf

 

[DadSmith]

since starting to take trips out west where tags are harder to come by I’ve done a lot of looking into why they severely limit tags.

easy answer, hunter success rates. In Colorado they do OTC bow elk hunting. Anyone and everyone can buy a tag. Success rates are low single digits, my own tag went infilled last year despite having a muzzleloader. They limit rifle tags because success rates go up to over 20%.

in indiana the hunter success rate has been rising. Deer are a limited resource, if we take too many then the dawn crop will be too low. Success rate from 2019 was 39% up from 32% in 2016

add that to predator pressure.....
The fawn crops already taking a beating from coyotes, now bobcats and bears.


tldr: high success rates+ increased amounts of predators =less tags

Page 36

https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/files/fw-DeerSummaryReport_2019.pdf

I also believe people are shooting more deer and not reporting it with the new honor system in place. More than they use to. I don't have cold hard facts because you are not going to have people admit they took 3 deer on one tag or bought 1 tag and used it multiple times and never reported it.

 

[rooster]

I also believe people are shooting more deer and not reporting it with the new honor system in place. More than they use to. I don't have cold hard facts because you are not going to have people admit they took 3 deer on one tag or bought 1 tag and used it multiple times and never reported it.

I can believe that. Two medium sized does look a lot like 1 big one in the freezer if properly deboned. Real hard for a LEO to catch after a handful of meals

 

[two70]

I really wish deer hunters would quit blaming other hunters and especially the DNR for "a lack of deer". If you are not seeing enough deer that is a you problem and to solve it you need to improve your habitat first and foremost. Deer, especially does, fill the best habitat first, meaning that poor and marginal habitat is going show dramatic reductions in deer usage with even small reductions in the population. The days of having a deer behind every scraggly bush like in the early 90's are long gone and hopefully never to return. Those populations levels are simply not sustainable long term nor are they healthy.

 

[phylodog]

I really wish deer hunters would quit blaming other hunters

But it's such a fun game. How else can someone attempt to claim that they can hunt legally in any way they want and be just fine yet claim that people like me, who have the audacity to shoot five deer over an 8 year period are ruining the activity for all?

 

[two70]

I also believe people are shooting more deer and not reporting it with the new honor system in place. More than they use to. I don't have cold hard facts because you are not going to have people admit they took 3 deer on one tag or bought 1 tag and used it multiple times and never reported it.

That likely happened just as much when deer had to be checked in at check stations, some simply didn't bother to check the deer in, others drug their kids, wives, girlfriends or the nearest non-hunting friend or relative to the check station to check the deer.

 

[DadSmith]

That likely happened just as much when deer had to be checked in at check stations, some simply didn't bother to check the deer in, others drug their kids, wives, girlfriends or the nearest non-hunting friend or relative to the check station to check the deer.

At least they got checked usually.

 

[two70]

At least they got checked usually.

True, however improved accuracy in the harvest numbers is a relatively minor positive compared to the negative of people circumventing bag limits. The bigger positive was that at least some additional licenses were purchased.

 

[gregr]

I looked at the link and didn't see the closure listed.

Deer Hunting​

The 2021-2022 deer hunting seasons are as follows:

• Reduction Zone: Sept. 15, 2021-Jan. 31, 2022 (where open)
• Youth Season: Sept. 25-26, 2021
• Archery: Oct. 1, 2021-Jan. 2, 2022
• Firearm: Nov. 13-28, 2021
• Muzzleloader: Dec. 4-19, 2021
• Special Antlerless: Closed

 

[gregr]

The deer population in my area-Ripley Co. is less than 10% of what it was 30 years ago.My farm has Versailles park on 3 sides-hasn't been a deer killed on my property in 20+ years.I have one 5 acre field right behind my garage.30 years ago I counted 41 deer at one time in this field. This year the field is soy beans and I have seen one doe and her two fawns as a total all summer, and I am home every day.Wife and I drove around and in Versailles park this evening-23 rabbits,3 turkeys and zero deer. I grew up on this farm and in the early to mid sixties it was a real treat to see 2-3 deer at night. Now we are right back to that. In the winter,when the leaves are off you can count on seeing more bald eagles than deer in the park.

A lot of things go into what deer herd numbers are, it isn`t just about hunting pressure. There are land use changes, such as development and loss of crop fields. Deer may move into different areas, or, due to the new pressures, they may still be there, but only move after dark. The DNR estimates deer numbers, and base the hunting seasons and bag limits based on that, but deer densities will and DO shift.

 

[gregr]

That likely happened just as much when deer had to be checked in at check stations, some simply didn't bother to check the deer in, others drug their kids, wives, girlfriends or the nearest non-hunting friend or relative to the check station to check the deer.

I`ve read that some estimate that there are possibly as many deer taken by poaching as there are legally each season. Unfortunately, there`s always been poaching, by any means these thieves can figure out, whether it`s spotlighting, or, even when there were check-in stations, butchering their own deer and bypassing the check-in.
The DNR tries, but there`s only so much they can do about poaching. As ethical, law-abiding hunters, we ALL ought to participate in the TIP program if we know, or even suspect poaching activity. But otherwise, wildlife biologists do the best they can to estimate deer herd numbers, and try to appease farmers and insurance companies, while keeping all of us happy too.

 

[JimH]

A lot of things go into what deer herd numbers are, it isn`t just about hunting pressure. There are land use changes, such as development and loss of crop fields. Deer may move into different areas, or, due to the new pressures, they may still be there, but only move after dark. The DNR estimates deer numbers, and base the hunting seasons and bag limits based on that, but deer densities will and DO shift.

I have 4500+ acres of state park attached to my farm,not much development there. Way overhunting the park is the issue.

 

[two70]

Odd that a state park in an area with reportedly few deer managed to have the highest deer harvest of the parks with hunts last year.

 

[RevolverGuy75]

Deer population is decreasing overall, noticeably in our area the last several years. Habitat is decreasing pretty rapidly. The “bonus” quotas have been very liberal (even though necessary in some “urban” zones). The results are not surprising.

 

[Mgderf]

Deer Hunting​

The 2021-2022 deer hunting seasons are as follows:

• Reduction Zone: Sept. 15, 2021-Jan. 31, 2022 (where open)
• Youth Season: Sept. 25-26, 2021
• Archery: Oct. 1, 2021-Jan. 2, 2022
• Firearm: Nov. 13-28, 2021
• Muzzleloader: Dec. 4-19, 2021
• Special Antlerless: Closed

That says "special antlerless".
I was asking about the "bonus county" quota's, or are they now one and the same?

 

[gregr]

That says "special antlerless".
I was asking about the "bonus county" quota's, or are they now one and the same?

Nope, two separate things. The thread here is about the special antlerless season that was open in certain counties after Christmas. The County Bonus Antlerless quota is still in effect. Per usual, the DNR, Fish and Wildlife has put out a county-by-county map, which is here:

Bonus Antlerless Deer - Indiana Hunting

Antlerless deer harvested with the deer license bundle must be used toward the bag limit for bonus antlerless deer in that county as well as the archery and muzzleloader bag limits. For example, during archery season the third antlerless deer harvested counts toward the bonus antlerless county…

www.eregulations.com

 

[Old Dog]

Man... IDNR has made this really confusing! It appears, from the web site, that only the special antlerless firearms season (a late season, Nov. 26 to Jan. 3) is closed except in the 2 "A" counties on the listed map. Reading through the seasons and regs, it appears that the county bonus antlerless quota is still available and the maps show the limits. The bundle still shows county bonus antlerless as part of the bundle. I am uterly confused as to what is open and what is closed.

 

[gregr]

Man... IDNR has made this really confusing! It appears, from the web site, that only the special antlerless firearms season (a late season, Nov. 26 to Jan. 3) is closed except in the 2 "A" counties on the listed map. Reading through the seasons and regs, it appears that the county bonus antlerless quota is still available and the maps show the limits. The bundle still shows county bonus antlerless as part of the bundle. I am uterly confused as to what is open and what is closed.

I believe the Special Bonus Antlerless firearms season was always after Christmas., not in November.

But nevertheless, there shouldn`t be any confusion. There is NO Special Bonus Antlerless Firearms deer season for the 2021/22 deer season at ALL. Not in ANY county. There will still be the bonus antlerless quotas available for each county, just like there`s been in the recent past, and you`ll have to check the map to see how many antlerless deer may be taken in the county YOU hunt in. These bonus antlerless deer may be taken during any of the deer seasons, (Archery, firearms, or muzzleloader), with any legal weapon for that particular portion of deer season. So in essence, a hunter may take ONE buck for the entire 2021/22 deer season, and then how ever many bonus antlerless deer the county that hunter hunts in allows.

And there is NO Special Bonus Antlerless Firearms Season AT ALL for the 2021/22 deer season.

 

[Mgderf]

Nope, two separate things. The thread here is about the special antlerless season that was open in certain counties after Christmas. The County Bonus Antlerless quota is still in effect. Per usual, the DNR, Fish and Wildlife has put out a county-by-county map, which is here:

Bonus Antlerless Deer - Indiana Hunting

Antlerless deer harvested with the deer license bundle must be used toward the bag limit for bonus antlerless deer in that county as well as the archery and muzzleloader bag limits. For example, during archery season the third antlerless deer harvested counts toward the bonus antlerless county…

www.eregulations.com

Wonderful!
I thought the DNR had shut down the Bonus County antlerless season for 2021-22.
I have never had the opportunity to hunt during the special antlerless season anyway, since I don't have access to property that qualifies.

The bonus county antlerless season has kept meat in my freezer, and many in my extended family for decades.