New MS Deer Seasons

[riverat]

Orange Army.....

well if we wanna make it fair where everybody gets the same amount of days to hunt with their weapon of choice(which seems to be the main argument on both sides) let's try dis:

Bow only: 10/15-11/30

Rifle only: 12/1-1/15 no dogs 12/25-1/15

Primitive only: 1/15-2/28

everybody gets the same amount of days to hunt with weapon of choice

[bigoak]

I definitely do not want my taxes to go up but I don't believe that the decrease in license sales has anything to do with the structure of the hunting season. Do you think there are people out there saying to themselves, hey if they would just add a couple more weeks to the gun season and take away a couple weeks of archery only season then I would start hunting and taking my kids hunting? Do you think that will make more people want to take up the sport of hunting? Do you really believe that?

I think the decrease in hunters has more to do with the rising cost of hunting. When you could lease a piece of property for say $3 an acre ten years ago and now the lease will cost you $10+ an acre then less and less people will be able to afford to hunt. I bet every county in Mississippi has local folks who have lost leases in the past ten years to out of staters because they could not afford them.

Also, if we have a deer population problem, which we do in some counties but not all, then why don't the MDWFP push the legislature to pass a bill that would implement a tagging system? Then only issue a buck tag after the doe tag has been filled.

I am not against the bills as much as I am against the way it is being done.

[duckter]

Do away with the "Primitive Weapons" altogether. No such thing as "Primitive" any more. Either gun or bow...that's it.

[riverat]

I think the decrease in hunters has more to do with the rising cost of hunting. When you could lease a piece of property for say $3 an acre ten years ago and now the lease will cost you $10+ an acre then less and less people will be able to afford to hunt. I bet every county in Mississippi has local folks who have lost leases in the past ten years to out of staters because they could not afford them.

you right on the increased costs to hunt but what do outta of staters have to do with it?

they paying more to hunt here so apparently they must not be as badly affected by the rising costs of hunting

[SNEAKER]

Y'all keep saying that these midwest states aren't overpopulted. Some places in these states have way more deer than we will ever have. Waterfowlwidowmaker do you remember how many does that farmer in Wisconsin would kill on that 400 acre farm at the ridge properrty? It was over 100

[armyduckman]

These article has some pretty good insight on Quality Deer Management and what the State I think is trying to accomplish. Notice i said I think, I could be wrong. I am still trying to find a chart or all the estimated populations by state, but last numbers I saw still had MS as one of the fastest growing populations in the US, with over 13 million estimated in 2008.

http://www.whitetailinstitute.com/info/ ... t04/2.html

[armyduckman]

Found some estimated population totals from 2008:

Alabama.......................... 1,5000,000
Alaska ............................................. 0
Arizona ................................ 135,000
Arkansas .............................. 675,000
California ............................ Minimal
Colorado .................................. 7,000
Connecticut ............................ 50,000
Delaware ................................ 14,000
Florida ................................. 850,000
Georgia ............................. 1,210,000
Hawaii............................................. 0
Idaho ...................................... 75,000
Illinois .................................. 300,000
Indiana ................................. 350,000
Iowa ..................................... 200,000
Kansas.................................. 250,000
Kentucky ............................. 400,000
Louisiana ............................. 650,000
Maine ..................................... 50,000
Maryland ............................. 160,000
Massachusetts ........................ 50,000
Michigan ........................... 1,700,000
Minnesota ............................ 800,000
Mississippi ........................ 1,500,000
Missouri ............................... 750,000
Montana ............................ Unknown
Nebraska .............................. 150,000
Nevada ................................ Minimal
New Hampshire ..................... 42,000
New Jersey .......................... 155,000
New Mexico ..................... Unknown
New York ............................ 750,000
North Carolina ..................... 750,000
North Dakota ....................... 145,000
Ohio ..................................... 250,000
Oklahoma ............................ 250,000
Oregon ..................................... 7,000
Pennsylvania ..................... 1,175,000
Rhode Island ............................ 4,500
South Carolina ..................... 750,000
South Dakota ....................... 225,000
Tennessee ............................ 700,000
Texas............................... 3,200,0000
Utah .................................. Unknown
Vermont ............................... 850,000
Virginia ................................ 500,000
Washington ............................ 70,000
West Virginia ...................... 800,000
Wisconsin ......................... 1,300,000
Wyoming ............................... 60,000

[BR549]

Do away with the "Primitive Weapons" altogether. No such thing as "Primitive" any more. Either gun or bow...that's it.

Way to much revenue would be lost! nearly a 4th of their budget comes from primative weapon liscense sales.

[duckter]

(I posted this on the other topic concerning this subject) but need feedback quickly so I can relay this to my contact -

He informed me that the guy who is driving this proposal is touting that the state would see a large financial windfall from OOS'ers due to the more liberal season. What say ye'?

[swamprooter]

Heres the deal guys......We have to reduce the deer herd according to Larry Castle and his staff based on data they collect from 1% of land they manage in state of Ms.....They think lenghtening gun season will do it? .......However they forget what has caused the increase deer population ( if there is one) problem..QDMA.....Antler Restrictions!!!!!!!! .Statewide restrictions on antler several years ago only protects young bucks so basically you have more deer if you do not increase your doe harvest which we have not.........Why would Ricky Bobby shoot a doe when he is waiting on the big boy he has grown while big boy's little 4pt brother is jumping through car windows on 55...........I do not have any confidence in Larry Castle as the voice of our deer herd. He is our camp biologist and has to change his prior suggestions 180 degrees several times over the years.........Our state department has very little clue of total deer herd strenght without a tagging system from region to region.......my plan? Shoot doe only in February..you kill 3 deer in one shot......this will knock a hole in the herd or drop Antler restrictions..............Why is it important for the State of Mississippi tell me how big a horns i am able to kill? it is so hypocritical.. i have lived in 8 states over last 20 years and MS is dead last in practical big game management....SCREW QDM statewide....it's great for landwowners wanting to increase horns....but using that only so you can increase horns on public land.....BS..just have QDM then only on Public land..Also let non resident shoot does on public land?............this is not a bowhunting issue........it is about an incompetent department....this will be true in time if this bill passes and the year after and after our deer herd does not reduce.......

[THE BUCKMAN]

I am an avid bowhunter as well. I don't care what the seasons are, I always bowhunt from October 1st-December 1st. But I think the whole primis here is:

(1) Missississississississippi has way too many deer, therefore more guns in the woods eariler means more deer will hit the ground, AND it will get more people in the woods shooting (youth included, which is declining), and reducing the crop depredation, deer being hit by cars, etc.

[Blackduck]

Yes more time for guns. I don't think a shorter gun season would help you see more deer. I know some of the "I" states have shotgun only or maybe a week of rifle. By this premise I suppose that there are fewer hunters in the wood because fewer people are competent with a bow. Fewer people means less pressure. Kinda sketchy.

As far as QDMA they agree that the best way to harvest deer is through taking mature (3.5 or greater). Not focusing on how many points or BnC score or something like that. If it is a mature 6pt then feel free to smoke em.

[ScottyLee]

I am an avid bowhunter as well. I don't care what the seasons are, I always bowhunt from October 1st-December 1st. But I think the whole primis here is:

(1) Missississississississippi has way too many deer, therefore more guns in the woods eariler means more deer will hit the ground, AND it will get more people in the woods shooting (youth included, which is declining), and reducing the crop depredation, deer being hit by cars, etc.

here's another thought:

so how many people would actually take more deer just because they can hunt with a gun longer? Most all deer hunters i know take pretty close to the same amount every year.

[swamprooter]

Scotty Lee brings up really in my mind the Important point.........on the average us deer hunters (bow,handgun musket ,rifle,etc) only have so much freezer space or care to X amount of deer a year. Only lengthening the gun season will just allow those that gun hunter longer time to trophy hunt and that includes me with my bow. It has been proven in our neighboring states that shortening bow season does not raise deer harvest. Ga 1998 for example

[tombstone]

Scotty Lee brings up really in my mind the Important point.........on the average us deer hunters (bow,handgun musket ,rifle,etc) only have so much freezer space or care to X amount of deer a year. Only lengthening the gun season will just allow those that gun hunter longer time to trophy hunt and that includes me with my bow. It has been proven in our neighboring states that shortening bow season does not raise deer harvest. Ga 1998 for example

I agree 100%. This will not result in a signifcant increase in antlerless harvest.

don't you think antler restrictions and more days of guns season are a contradiction??