2017 Deer Gun Season

[Kurtr]

Why not..... but i guess we have plenty of license and deer and antelope. No one here is not getting a doe tag that wants one as the tags for the kids are otc more or less. Have had two mentored antelope tags and 2 years in a row he has eaten tag soup that right there is a huge learning experience. He talks about trying again this year almost weekly i am can say i am more excited for him getting to hunt bucks this year than i am to hunt them.

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On one side of the coin I see a good thing for responsible people , On the other side I see a loop hole where the safety of hunters is thrown out the window. Close up that loophole and I am fine with it. My opinion on gun safety might offend some but my old man was very strict about gun safety , I was the same with my kids and I want my kids to do the same with their kids.

It's kinda like driving on ice , I do just fine with my slow and steady wins the race theory . It's the other people I am worried about.

The gun saftey is the biggest thing in the field or any where. I can say i must of done some thing right i took my rifle out of the safe the other day and in doing it bumped the saftey off kid came around the corner and first thing he asked me is why i have the saftey off in the house. while guiding pheasant hunters we have made grown men walk a field with an empty gun to practice safe gun handling it pisses them off but rather have that than some one dead.

 

[fly2cast]

But as I stated if I was party hunting and some 11 years came and they were on point or walking I would find another spot to hunt. db

I'm just curious why you not hunt if an 11 year old came along? If it's because of safety, let me argue this. Each 11, 12, and 13 year old hunting has to be accompanied but an unarmed adult withing hearing distance. Now you have two sets of eyes and hopefully a cautious adult to makes things safe. I think it's probably more safe than a lot of situations that adults get into.


If the children were unattended and posting or pushing deer, then definately 11, 12, and 13 are too young. I know I definately trust my kids handling the guns more than my brother-in-law.

 

[Duckslayer100]

I'm just curious why you not hunt if an 11 year old came along? If it's because of safety, let me argue this. Each 11, 12, and 13 year old hunting has to be accompanied but an unarmed adult withing hearing distance. Now you have two sets of eyes and hopefully a cautious adult to makes things safe. I think it's probably more safe than a lot of situations that adults get into.


If the children were unattended and posting or pushing deer, then definately 11, 12, and 13 are too young. I know I definately trust my kids handling the guns more than my brother-in-law.

I have been on a hunt with an attentive, unarmed adult coaching his son. It was the day my dog almost died. The son, who clearly would have rather been at home playing video games, took too long trying to shoot a flushing planted pheasant that my oldest GWP pointed and, in a fit of rage/frustration, tried putting the hammer down to safe on his single-shot 12-gauge (for which his father INSISTED he use despite my best effort to suggest a gun that wasn't so prone to accidental discharge).

Can you guess what happened next with good-old dad literally a finger tip away? Yup...gun went off right into the tall grass where my boy was on point. I literally felt my heart stop. I thought for sure he was toast and started screaming for Remy to come.

Luckily his training was a bit rusty and he'd busted point just in the nick of time!

So please, tell me how safe having a youngster at any age is with an adult within hearing distance, let alone touching distance, on a hunt. Shit happens, and putting a loaded weapon in the arms of a kid who has no business being around one is ridiculous. It's why I no longer do youth hunts. I'll take my own kids, but that's it.

Part of the 12-year-old age limit has to do more with emotional maturity than anything. The changes in development on how a mind processes between 10 and 12 is insane. Heck, most kids at 10 still can't grasp what death is beyond a weird state of sleeping!

Kurt, I agree with you that it's up to a parent if his or her kid is ready to hunt at a given age. I'll give you that. But I've been around parents who thought their kids were ready at a young age, and they definitely weren't.

Just remember: There is no prerequisite to parenting. You don't need to pass a test to pass your genes. Stupid people are everywhere, and a lot of them reproduce.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Anyone know what the law requirements are to be a supervisor ?

 

[TFX 186]

This is what has always bothered me about the program. However, it's up to the parents to make greater strides to keep their kids excited and provide them additional hunting opportunities. Last year my 14 year old nephew shot his first buck and was super excited. I started going through when he would draw his next tag and thought about how shitty the wait would be for him, so for Christmas I purchased him a SD preference point and this year I'm buying him a whitetail buck tag in West River. I know MN, MT and WY have great easy to draw hunting opportunities as well. Let's not put the entire blame for lower deer numbers on G&F as mother nature and farming practices generally dictates the rise and fall of the deer herd.

Nanky
I sure hope you weren't insinuating that I didn't do enough as a parent to keep my kids excited about hunting and fishing in ND! I took every opportunity to get them involved with everything that we could hunt and fish. It just wasn't rifle hunting deer in our unit. Quite frankly, at that time, we didn't have the resources or the time to apply for tags in MN,MT,WY or SD, although that would have been very nice to do. Good on you for looking out for your nephew and his hunting opportunities. I only commented so that some of the younger guys on here that have younger kids that could be affected the way my family was, might take some steps now to make their situation better by knowing this. As far as the deer numbers and their demise in this unit, I am pretty sure I know why they went down. I spent almost every day in the field hunting deer with my bow for allot of years. It sure the hell wasn't farming practices or mother nature that started the huge decline in this unit. Just for the record: I am not a constant basher of NDGF. I support about 99% of what they do in the state.
Fish On!

 

[db-2]

Fly
i can understand with the right adult and a kid who can handled his weapon it would make it a lot easier to do.

my daughter on her first hunt at 14. We were walking potholes with cattails and brush. My kids started hunting with a 94 for a reason in my mind. Yes not the best gun but starting with a model 73 I got 17 of them. If my wife could understand I would like about 10 more stating with the 348 win. But they have gotten high
price. Anyways she was walking with my brother. He had her walk the brush while he posted. Met up with them. Not only was there a bullet in the chamber but the hammer was all the way back. Asked her why. She said the brother told her. told my brother you are teaching her just like dad taught us. Plus my dad always posted as it was more important for him to shoot than us kids and our tag would go on the deer. That end him walking with my daughter. Should of asked him if he shot the deer whose tag he expected to go on the deer.
yes fly with the right people I guess maybe fine doing it right that would make a big difference. Thanks for the input and those lever action were bought a long time ago with several for a little over 100 dollars.db

 

[Kurtr]

I have been on a hunt with an attentive, unarmed adult coaching his son. It was the day my dog almost died. The son, who clearly would have rather been at home playing video games, took too long trying to shoot a flushing planted pheasant that my oldest GWP pointed and, in a fit of rage/frustration, tried putting the hammer down to safe on his single-shot 12-gauge (for which his father INSISTED he use despite my best effort to suggest a gun that wasn't so prone to accidental discharge).

Can you guess what happened next with good-old dad literally a finger tip away? Yup...gun went off right into the tall grass where my boy was on point. I literally felt my heart stop. I thought for sure he was toast and started screaming for Remy to come.

Luckily his training was a bit rusty and he'd busted point just in the nick of time!

So please, tell me how safe having a youngster at any age is with an adult within hearing distance, let alone touching distance, on a hunt. Shit happens, and putting a loaded weapon in the arms of a kid who has no business being around one is ridiculous. It's why I no longer do youth hunts. I'll take my own kids, but that's it.

Part of the 12-year-old age limit has to do more with emotional maturity than anything. The changes in development on how a mind processes between 10 and 12 is insane. Heck, most kids at 10 still can't grasp what death is beyond a weird state of sleeping!

Kurt, I agree with you that it's up to a parent if his or her kid is ready to hunt at a given age. I'll give you that. But I've been around parents who thought their kids were ready at a young age, and they definitely weren't.

Just remember: There is no prerequisite to parenting. You don't need to pass a test to pass your genes. Stupid people are everywhere, and a lot of them reproduce.

Why is it believed those stupid single shots with hammers are the way to start kids. They kick and just suck shooting at flushing birds. I believe they cause more accidents than they prevent. Glad the dog was ok I have had a couple close calls guiding they suck.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Why is it believed those stupid single shots with hammers are the way to start kids.

Shot placement , A lack of it is learned with bangbangbang. I could tell you a story about that but you would probably think I was fibbing.

 

[You]

Why is it believed those stupid single shots with hammers are the way to start kids.

Shot placement , A lack of it is learned with bangbangbang. I could tell you a story about that but you would probably think I was fibbing.

Id enjoy a good non fiction story.

 

[Kurtr]

Why is it believed those stupid single shots with hammers are the way to start kids.

Shot placement , A lack of it is learned with bangbangbang. I could tell you a story about that but you would probably think I was fibbing.

I started with the wing master my Dad gave me one she'll to start with. Seems alot of those hammers on those sigle shot take a fair amount of hand strength to hold

 

[Enslow]

Why in the hell would you increase tag numbers after last winter

More tags = more money. What is your opinion on opening muley doe in 4b and 4c?

 

[Obi-Wan]

When we were growing up a lot of farm kids were driving tractors and trucks when they were 8 to 10 years old. Hell one time when I was a junior in highschool me and a buddy picked rock for a farmer we walked the field and his son drove the tractor, He was in 1st grade at the time.

So as long as the parent is sitting next to his 8 year old and thinks he is capable of driving the car then he should have the right to?

 

[Kurtr]

Why in the hell would you increase tag numbers after last winter

More tags = more money. What is your opinion on opening muley doe in 4b and 4c?

I saw that and thought why now when they seem to be making small gains. I wish SD would cut muley doe tags out in some areas here.

 

[LBrandt]

When I was 7 or 8 years old Dad was combining on the home quarter and we use a 3/4 ton chevy pickup 51 was the year of the truck to haul grain home. Dad would put in first gear and pull out the throttle to about a fast walk and I would drive it home. Once in the yard I would turn the key off and truck would shut off. Then Mom would come get truck and unload and send me back to field the same way. I sat on my knees on the seat to be able to see out the windshield. It felt real good to be able to help with the field work. It gave you pride to be able to help with the family work. By 10 I was racking hay and by 12 I was mowing hay. By 14 I was operating anything on the farm that had a motor and had my first car at 15. Spent way more time outdoors than indoor. Hunting started at 8 with the old Red Rider BB gun had to prop the stock between my legs and pull the lever with both arms. 22 single shot at age 10, auto 22 from Montgomery Wards when I was 12 and shot Dads 12 ga for phesants. Started hunting deer at 14 with British 303, damed those things kicked when you only weighed about 100#.

 

[labhunter66]

Why in the hell would you increase tag numbers after last winter

More tags = more money. What is your opinion on opening muley doe in 4b and 4c?

I highly doubt it's being done for the money. 2016's survey showed numbers 38% above the long term average and 2017 showed an increase of 16% above that so it probably has more to do with increasing numbers than the 9000 additional dollars they'll generate from selling 300 doe licenses.

 

[8andcounting]

I highly doubt it's being done for the money. 2016's survey showed numbers 38% above the long term average and 2017 showed an increase of 16% above that so it probably has more to do with increasing numbers than the 9000 additional dollars they'll generate from selling 300 doe licenses.

Why not let the numbers keep growing . It's all about $ for g&f . I'm fine with $30 for a deer tag heck that's cheap but it's no coincidence that the price increase came after tag numbers plummeted .

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I agree with Kurt , no one that wants a doe tag is not getting one. Heck I'll even take that further and say no one that really wants a buck is not getting one. There's 5-6 units out west that are at nearly 100% draw for a whitetail buck tag and with a few of those having even more tags this year I'd bet there'll be guys getting a buck tag as second unit choice

 

[Duckslayer100]

Why not let the numbers keep growing . It's all about $ for g&f . I'm fine with $30 for a deer tag heck that's cheap but it's no coincidence that the price increase came after tag numbers plummeted .

It wasn't just the price of deer tags that went up, though...everything increased.

 

[8andcounting]

It wasn't just the price of deer tags that went up, though...everything increased.

Right , which further proves my point . What a coincidence . But like I said I'm fine with it . But when people say that it's not about the money that is purposterous

 

[labhunter66]

Right , which further proves my point . What a coincidence . But like I said I'm fine with it . But when people say that it's not about the money that is purposterous

You really think they made a decision solely based on $9000 out of a $42,000,000 per year budget? That's preposterous. They hadn't issued mule deer doe tags in those units the past several years because they didn't think it was wise biologically. Numbers are now up significantly over the long-term average. Seems like a sound biological decision that allows for a little more opportunity for North Dakota hunters.

 

[bones32]

Out west in here minus the 4A unit around killdeer snow wise was a easy winter found lots of sheds and barely any winter kills in the badlands. compared to last three years out there I would agree numbers are up