Deer Success?

[Sluggo]

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.

I'm trying to imagine what you are suggesting. Do you mean like there would be a blank website and then names would appear as they are drawn? Or something else?

 

[KDM]

That won't work eye. All it would take is for a few thousand anti's and "trophy buck only" hunters to buy a crap ton of archery tags for $30 each and then not send them in. This would completely Fluck up the whole hunting system. The only way to get a valid measure of a deer population is to go out and count them. Everyone has their own agenda for deer hunting and the more people you have collecting data or adding information to a data set, the more erroneous it becomes. The G&F needs to collect visual surveillance data in each unit, enter this data into an applicable population dynamics statistical analysis and compare the resulting population estimates to their management goals for that unit. Over time the relationship between this estimated population and the true population will get more accurate and precise. Everybody else's opinions, agendas, or other interests are fully excluded and all you are left with is the numbers.

 

[Enslow]

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????

No, Eyexer thought this up.

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That won't work eye. All it would take is for a few thousand anti's and "trophy buck only" hunters to buy a crap ton of archery tags for $30 each and then not send them in. This would completely Fluck up the whole hunting system. The only way to get a valid measure of a deer population is to go out and count them. Everyone has their own agenda for deer hunting and the more people you have collecting data or adding information to a data set, the more erroneous it becomes. The G&F needs to collect visual surveillance data in each unit, enter this data into an applicable population dynamics statistical analysis and compare the resulting population estimates to their management goals for that unit. Over time the relationship between this estimated population and the true population will get more accurate and precise. Everybody else's opinions, agendas, or other interests are fully excluded and all you are left with is the numbers.

Agreed. The reason they wont do this is because nobody wants to really know just how far away we are from where we were.

 

[SDMF]

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

Why would you shoot a tag?

 

[KDM]

You can't put a "Live" tag in tag soup. That's just cruel!!!!!

 

[BBQBluesMan]

So you have talked to 30-40 people and all but one have tagged out? I call the BS flag on that one. And overall bow success over 50%? No freaking way.

 

[Yoby]

First and only buck came in 2012.. have shot many does with the bow, but those came with mn party hunting and city of Fargo special permits.

I assume eyexe is a disgruntled rifle hunter. I haven't gotten a rifle tag in 3 yrs. I do miss it, but that's the way it goes..... you should fish in other ponds eyexe

 

[701FishSlayer]

Possible bowtag soup for me. But...........it ain't over yet? ehhhh...........

 

[Casey Buchholz]

I buy a bow tag every year and haven't filled one for quite a few years now. I have filled every rifle and muzzleloader tag that I have ever drawn though. I personally enjoy the challenge of archery hunting above all else. Especially when it comes to bird hunting in which I have been rather successful with considering the small amount I've done. My point would be that even though I have little problem shooting grouse or pheasants with a bow I find it much easier to harvest a deer with a rifle or muzzleloader. I personally think that if they increase rifle tags simply to please the public, deer populations will fall. The NDGF need to continue with caution as they manage this beautiful and quite delicate animal.

 

[Tymurrey]

Filled both my evil red gratis tag with the rifle this year and for the second time in probably 10 years I filled my bow tag. The gratis was filled on a mature buck and have eaten more than a couple rifle tags the last few years. I filled my archery tag this year because a small 4x4 came limping in with a busted up back foot and figured I would probably be doing him a favor. My wife filled her rifle tag but has yet to fill her bow tag. We hunt in 3b3 where about everything is posted and very little public ground, the deer numbers are high because in our area we've been letting does walk for the most part ever since we lost so many to the hard winters. Now we are at a point where I feel that we need to kill a couple or if we get a hard winter it may not be able to carry them all over.

 

[ndbwhunter]

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.

Even if your idea weren't f*cking retarded....state statute would never allow the G&F to require us to send our tags in.

 

[duckman1302]

Out of the 7 people I know with tags, only 1 has filled.

 

[NDSportsman]

I buy a bow tag every year. Haven't filled a bow tag since 2009. Probably filled a handful of bow tags since 2000. Not that I couldn't have filled it every year but I'm just picky and I like the hunt more then the kill.

I haven't had a rifle tag since 2011 or 2012. Haven't drawn a rifle buck tag since 2010 and that was the last year I filled a rifle tag too. Have had 2 muzzy tags in 15 years. Filled the first one but not the last one which was in 2012 I believe.

Have seen more deer this year then the last couple years combined. Hopefully this winter isn't too hard on them and GNF can issue a few more rifle tags next year. If all the people complaining about not drawing a gun tag would start putting more pressure on our state leaders and private landowners to conserve some habitat it would help a lot more then just messing with the license draw system. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Kurtr]

i have talked to roughly 3943 people from here to north carolina and it seems there is only a 12.85875% success rate this year some thing needs to be done. I would think antler restrictions and slot limits are the key to fixing this problem

 

[lunkerslayer]

:;:exactly

 

[eyexer]

Amen brotha...

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

what don't you like about it?

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I'm trying to imagine what you are suggesting. Do you mean like there would be a blank website and then names would appear as they are drawn? Or something else?

not exactly sure what would be the best way. maybe list all the applicants names and then list the names of those drawn.

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That won't work eye. All it would take is for a few thousand anti's and "trophy buck only" hunters to buy a crap ton of archery tags for $30 each and then not send them in. This would completely Fluck up the whole hunting system. The only way to get a valid measure of a deer population is to go out and count them. Everyone has their own agenda for deer hunting and the more people you have collecting data or adding information to a data set, the more erroneous it becomes. The G&F needs to collect visual surveillance data in each unit, enter this data into an applicable population dynamics statistical analysis and compare the resulting population estimates to their management goals for that unit. Over time the relationship between this estimated population and the true population will get more accurate and precise. Everybody else's opinions, agendas, or other interests are fully excluded and all you are left with is the numbers.

that is a very valid concern and I hadn't thought of that. I'd guess there isn't many of those in ND. I'm not sure how many non -resident tags are given out. If they limited that to a fairly small number that would curb most of what your concern is. I really don't see why we are giving out any non resident tags in a time when there are so few resident tags being given out.

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First and only buck came in 2012.. have shot many does with the bow, but those came with mn party hunting and city of Fargo special permits.

I assume eyexe is a disgruntled rifle hunter. I haven't gotten a rifle tag in 3 yrs. I do miss it, but that's the way it goes..... you should fish in other ponds eyexe

I'm way past being disgruntled. I've flat given up on deer hunting. So I'm offering up ideas to help ensure people don't have to go six years without a tag like I have. What's even more puzzling is after being declined for six straight years for the same zone the G&F claim I have one preference point for next year.LOL I think the Obama administration is running our G&F

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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.

Even if your idea weren't f*cking retarded....state statute would never allow the G&F to require us to send our tags in.

what statute would that be?

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what's even more puzzling is why people can't have a serious discussion about this. everybody has to be a jackass. and you wonder why the angst against bow hunters grows every day. it's the elitist attitude of them that we could all do without. they think they're some special breed of hunter that is entitled to a license over everybody else. I get such a chuckle out of it.

 

[Rut2much]

I f-in love turtles!

 

[feather_duster]

No no no, you're mistaking bowhunters for muskie fishermen. ;:;boohoo

 

[USMCDI]

Everyone in my circle has tagged out with a bow and not one has been a doe, 16 bucks.

 

[svnmag]

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????

I believe so. Many of us still cling to ethics. Nothing saying a count can't be done when they're yarded.