Deer Success?

eyexer · Dec 14, 2015

What kind of bow hunting success are you guys hearing out there. I've talked to 30-40 individuals in the last month or so regarding bow hunting and all but one have bagged their deer this year with their bow. That really kind of amazes me. I knew the success rate was pretty high but that was beyond my expectations. Especially when you consider it is in NW ND where the numbers are very low. A few were bagged in the bad lands though. This got me thinking about what the real bow success rate is. I'd have to think it's at least 50% if not more.

Kickemup · Dec 14, 2015

I have been bow hunting for 11 years. I have gotten a deer every year but 2. Thats because I was being picky and it bit me in the ass at the end of the year. Not so picky anymore. I shoot the first mature buck that walks by now.

riverview · Dec 14, 2015

I think with the new bows and cross bows success rate is a lot higher than people think.

KDM · Dec 14, 2015

With the LACK OF RIFLE TAGS, more guys are spending the entire season chasing deer with the only weapon they can.......the bow. Just taking into account the time spent in the stand with archery equipment will bring the success rates up. Not a big surprise to me.

feather_duster · Dec 14, 2015

Reminder to all bow hunters to check UNSUCCESSFUL on the bow hunting survey, regardless if you tagged one. :;:muahaha

Enslow · Dec 14, 2015

Here we go again. I find it more than comical about the guys who say the reason for success is the bows being able to shoot so far. Those same people use centerfire rifles that can easily kill deer out to 600 yards. Rifles have had that capability for far longer than shooting at 80 with a bow. eyexer saying he has talked to 30 to 40 people who have all filled their tag is another one of his many exaggerations.

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Eyexer stick to raising mink.

eyexer · Dec 14, 2015

I've been thinking about herd management for the past few months due to not seeing many deer. The best way to provide numbers for kill rates is register deer taken with registration stations. A pile of people are against this. I have thought of a perfect way to do this that will be zero inconvenience to anyone. At the end of the season if you don't kill a deer you are required to send in your unused tag. The game and fish will then count these tags and assume that the tags that were not sent in were put on deer. Then they can adjust their tag limits for next season based on that. So if people say screw it and don't send it in they will be reducing the number of tags available for next year whether they killed a deer or not. This would also give a clear number of successful bow tags. And if there are too many deer taken via bow they will be forced to change the existing bow tag numbers or go to a one deer system or whatever they deem necessary. After three or four years of doing this things will meld into place quite nicely. And nobody can bitch about having to send in an unused tag it takes two minutes. And the G & F could give hunters till the end of Jan or so to do this. It would force honesty in the system because by not complying your basically shooting yourself in the nuts in the long run. No system would be perfect but I think this one would be damn close. Probably as close as one could get. And it would cost the G&F nothing but an envelope which they would send out with the tag, postage paid. Just like the fifteen or twenty pheasant wing/leg envelopes I sent in this year.

I would also like to see published names of all those that are successful in the deer gun lottery each year and what zone they drew in. In fact, in this age of computers I'd like to see the lottery be done in public so all can see. The distrust of the G&F is growing larger each year and I think if something isn't done it's going to get out of hand. I think total transparency in everything they do would be a very good thing to reassure everybody there isn't favoritism being applied. Also make public all the gratis tags too. Make everything public. Maybe a lot of this is already made available but I have never seen or heard of it.

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Enslow said:
Here we go again. I find it more than comical about the guys who say the reason for success is the bows being able to shoot so far. Those same people use centerfire rifles that can easily kill deer out to 600 yards. Rifles have had that capability for far longer than shooting at 80 with a bow. eyexer saying he has talked to 30 to 40 people who have all filled their tag is another one of his many exaggerations.

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Eyexer stick to raising mink.

I've thought about raising some mink but there's just no money in it. I think money trees is where it's at now.

KDM · Dec 14, 2015

OR.....The G&F could just go out and COUNT the number of deer in each hunting unit and make tag decisions based on that and leave the rest of us and our own personal agendas the hell out of it. Thereby ensuring no favoritism, political influence, or other external influences. However, where's the fun in that????

Kickemup · Dec 14, 2015

eyexer said:
I've been thinking about herd management for the past few months due to not seeing many deer. The best way to provide numbers for kill rates is register deer taken with registration stations. A pile of people are against this. I have thought of a perfect way to do this that will be zero inconvenience to anyone. At the end of the season if you don't kill a deer you are required to send in your unused tag. The game and fish will then count these tags and assume that the tags that were not sent in were put on deer. Then they can adjust their tag limits for next season based on that. So if people say screw it and don't send it in they will be reducing the number of tags available for next year whether they killed a deer or not. This would also give a clear number of successful bow tags. And if there are too many deer taken via bow they will be forced to change the existing bow tag numbers or go to a one deer system or whatever they deem necessary. After three or four years of doing this things will meld into place quite nicely. And nobody can bitch about having to send in an unused tag it takes two minutes. And the G & F could give hunters till the end of Jan or so to do this. It would force honesty in the system because by not complying your basically shooting yourself in the nuts in the long run. No system would be perfect but I think this one would be damn close. Probably as close as one could get. And it would cost the G&F nothing but an envelope which they would send out with the tag, postage paid. Just like the fifteen or twenty pheasant wing/leg envelopes I sent in this year.

I would also like to see published names of all those that are successful in the deer gun lottery each year and what zone they drew in. In fact, in this age of computers I'd like to see the lottery be done in public so all can see. The distrust of the G&F is growing larger each year and I think if something isn't done it's going to get out of hand. I think total transparency in everything they do would be a very good thing to reassure everybody there isn't favoritism being applied. Also make public all the gratis tags too. Make everything public. Maybe a lot of this is already made available but I have never seen or heard of it.

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I've thought about raising some mink but there's just no money in it. I think money trees is where it's at now.

I only got through the first couple lines. To much stupid going on to keep reading. Mabey if the G&F would do a real survey instead of just guessing they might have a better idea of what there are for deer numbers.

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KDM beat me to it.

lunkerslayer · Dec 14, 2015

;:;popcorn

5575 · Dec 14, 2015

Funny because I'd say 80% of the archers I know haven't shot a deer this year and I hang out with an archery crowd. Most say the same thing, not many deer out there and very few mature bucks. Myself included.

Fishmission · Dec 14, 2015

It depends on who is asked. I know about 10 guys. They have all tagged but me. Most shot does and one was a wall hanger. For me unless its something really special I don't care to shoot it and usually go with an unfilled tag. I am at the point where I enjoy it no matter the outcome.

eyexer · Dec 14, 2015

Kickemup said:
I only got through the first couple lines. To much stupid going on to keep reading. Mabey if the G&F would do a real survey instead of just guessing they might have a better idea of what there are for deer numbers.

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KDM beat me to it.

first off they will never do that. that cost's money. they don't have much of it. sending in unused tags would be ten times more accurate than going around trying to count. that would include far more guessing.

KDM · Dec 14, 2015

Just so I understand this proposal. Any unused tags not sent in would count as filled, thereby inflating the number of deer taken with archery equipment, ensuring inaccurate data, guaranteeing the G&F will give out the wrong number of tags for a given unit. Am I missing something here????

NDSportsman · Dec 14, 2015

Still got my bow tag. Had some opportunities at young bucks and does but I hold out for a mature buck. Going to hunt hard the last week of the season. It's my favorite time to hunt.

Sub_Elect · Dec 14, 2015

I shot two bucks with my bow this year! :;:stirthepot Both were bucks, one whitetail and one mule deer.

Srputz · Dec 14, 2015

Still have my tag. Haven't shot one since 2010

Sluggo · Dec 14, 2015

eyexer said:
The distrust of the G&F is growing larger each year and I think if something isn't done it's going to get out of hand. I think total transparency in everything they do would be a very good thing to reassure everybody there isn't favoritism being applied.

Not sure what part you don't trust but if you are referring to the lottery, I have personal knowledge of this and I can tell you that it works just like they say it does on their website here: http://gf.nd.gov/hunting/lottery-information as far as that it is a weighted, random drawing. There is a series of computer programs that draw the names.

eyexer · Dec 14, 2015

KDM said:
Just so I understand this proposal. Any unused tags not sent in would count as filled, thereby inflating the number of deer taken with archery equipment, ensuring inaccurate data, guaranteeing the G&F will give out the wrong number of tags for a given unit. Am I missing something here????

exactly. and when people realize not sending in their unused tags results in less tags being given out the system will correct itself. worst case scenario we have a few more deer which wouldn't be a bad thing.

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Sluggo said:
Not sure what part you don't trust but if you are referring to the lottery, I have personal knowledge of this and I can tell you that it works just like they say it does on their website here: http://gf.nd.gov/hunting/lottery-information as far as that it is a weighted, random drawing. There is a series of computer programs that draw the names.

they should run that program live so people can see it in the process. I think there are people that are drawn/picked out before the actual lottery is run for the rest of us. just a hunch.

Enslow · Dec 14, 2015

5575 said:
Funny because I'd say 80% of the archers I know haven't shot a deer this year and I hang out with an archery crowd. Most say the same thing, not many deer out there and very few mature bucks. Myself included.

Amen brotha...

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Eyexer your send in the "unused tag" idea is kinda slack jawed. Just sayin...

Deer Success?

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