Deer Licenses

Deer license changes?

  • The system is fine, No change is needed

    Votes: 142 74.7%
  • 1 lottery tag that can be used in any season (bow, rifle-unit specific or muzzleloader - statewide)

    Votes: 26 13.7%
  • Statewide archery OR "rifle tag" be used in bow or rifle (unit/sex specific) OR sep. muzzleloader

    Votes: 7 3.7%
  • Limited bow only tag for statewide and 1 lottery tag that can be used in any season

    Votes: 9 4.7%
  • Previously suggested1 license/tag system

    Votes: 6 3.2%

  • Total voters
    190

dust in the wind

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This isn't a discussion as to whether or not we need to change the deer licenses or that I want them to change. I'm sure most of you know where I stand on this issue as a bow hunter and I know there are some that feel a change is needed. I'm tickled pink this year having my bow tag, rifle buck tag and now any pronghorn tag - all that is missing is the muzzleloader.


I don't think we need a discussion on this again as to why or why not - just provide an honest answer to the poll. I'm just trying to get an idea where other hunters stand on the issue.

If you think more items need to be added to the poll, let me know.

thanks


ETA - I couldn't add as long of a description as I wanted to in some of them.

For this option - 1 lottery tag that can be used in any season (bow, rifle-unit specific or muzzleloader - statewide)

The number of licenses available for the lottery would be increased by the number of archery tags being issue
 
Last edited:


RustyTackleBox

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you missed the, "no rifle tags at all, bow only and over the counter no lottery"
 


LBrandt

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To bad there is no :) with a hangman noose around its neck.
 

RustyTackleBox

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The thing with this whole debate is, the majority of bow tags go unfilled every year. I have friends that are way better bow hunters than myself and they haven't filled their tag in 3 years (they are picky, wanting horns and I will shoot the neighbors dog if it looks tasty)
 

dust in the wind

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The thing with this whole debate is, the majority of bow tags go unfilled every year. I have friends that are way better bow hunters than myself and they haven't filled their tag in 3 years (they are picky, wanting horns and I will shoot the neighbors dog if it looks tasty)

That is a biggee right there and something I've mentioned to the Game and Fish previously.
 

Yoby

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I think there should be an option of - More data needed before changes are needed. Say a recent deer count.

Every year I hear stories of the G&F doing surveys, but then every year when I am the normal locations for hunting the numbers have been increasing quite steadily, but no changes to the # of tags. Where I used to rifle hunt (would still if I had a tag in the last 6 years) before the population drops, it wasn't uncommon to see 60ish deer a day. 2011/2012 rolls around and the number dropped to 10 or less. Last year sitting with my wife and father-in-law saw close to 40 in the first day (didn't go out the 2nd day as they were tagged out). Same with where I was bow hunting. Population dropped, but then saw lots of does with twins and triples that survive year after year. My little 20 acre parcel at 1 point had 22 doe/fawns.

Probably went a little over board, and I know populations change wildly with location. Doesn't change the fact that I hadn't seen an actual survey performed in quite some time. And now my opinion doesn't matter as I moved to SD.
 


eyexer

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I don't care what they do. I just think we need a deer registration system since they are horrid at counting the population. If our population is so sketchy that we need a lottery then we certainly need registration. They have no damn clue the success rate of gun hunting let alone bow hunting.
 

Timbuk-2

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Eyexer, got any data to back up your allegations? Or just making noise?
 

Jdubya

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Unlimited OTC any weapon for 5 days during the rut, let everybody throw on the blaze orange and duke it out. Congrats on your 3 tags.
 


( deleted account )

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I agree that harvest rates could be tracked a bit better than the current well after the season voluntary mail survey. Are you talking mandatory reporting? I’d predict lots of complaints. The G&F uses other things other than harvest rates to indirectly estimate population trends, insurance claims, Rancher deprivation complaints, on the ground observation from game wardens, landowners, etc. And some aviation based mullet counting.
i always hear we need better ways to count the deer numbers, but like it or not anything developed so far is expensive and has its own built in inaccuracies. In the future some smart person may develop automatic cheap drone methods.
yes, I was rambling around my hunting areas yesterday and lost count of the number of deer seen, mostly does and spotted fawns, but several buckstotards evening too. Yet there has been no increase in tag numbers. But deer numbers are spotty - lots where there is habitat, fewer where it is limited. Counting will always be an approximation that a lot of bar school biologists might rightly or wrongly disagree with.
 

Lou63

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I have one change to the system, gratis tags were put in for the landowner/farmer to reward/offset losses of crops etc. when the vast majority of the landowners still farmed.

now a lot of gratis tags go to people no longer involved with agriculture and live hundreds of miles away from the land and have nothing to do with the day to day operations.

if a landowner is one of those that are not actively involved with the property (farming or managing it for wildlife, food plots etc) and just get a check from a renter, go out the week or two before deer season to put up their posted signs and scout deer from a seat at the local bar then come back shoot a deer then not return until the next year to replace their posted signs then maybe they should not be eligible for a gratis tag.

If the state wants an accurate count of the harvest then they could do as other states do and have check in stations set up where a hunter HAS to have their deer checked by Game and Fish. This could help with some of the poaching issues preseason and post season that occur as well.
 

Holmsvc

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The lottery isn't the issue. Yeah it's flawed, but the real problem is lower populations. There is no where for deer to live in many areas of the state. Hardly any CRP, lots of tree rows ripped out, and then digging/burning every slough possible.
 

Lou63

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Lou - why you gotta spoil my fun? 8^D

do you visit your property, work on habitat?

thats a lot different than some of the gratis tags that go out here, grandkids inherited and have never done anything on the farm other than visit when they were kids. now they draw a rent check and a gratis tag,
 


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