# If I were the DNR...



## Treestander (Oct 14, 2002)

and were able to make deer hunting, in the big picture, better I would:

1. limit deer hunters to one buck and one doe
2. ban baiting while doing encouraging food plots
3. ban deer farms
4. make a primitive season, long bow and flintlock blackpowder
5. make the gun season the second weekend through the third weekend of December
6. make the youth hunt bow only

Your thoughts?


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## weatherby (Mar 26, 2001)

You are on the right track. This is how i would handle it.

1. The youth hunt will be for does only
2. Crossbows allowed during the december bow season
3. I would add a 1 weekend primitive muzzleloader season in mid october
4. kids can hunt with a adult at 12
5.buck and doe permits will cost the same
6.raise the shotgun line to M-20
7. Make the muzzleloader season the same length in the whole lower that it is in zone 2 this year, just start it the 2nd friday in december and go for 17 days instead of the same start time as the UP
8.Allow bottle neck single shot pistols in the shotgun zone


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## Grouse Hunter (Jan 23, 2000)

See this thread.


http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120555


Why mess with the youth season? Thats just pure selfishness. 
Do you realize hunting is dieing in this state?


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## schopie4 (Oct 14, 2004)

Treestander said:


> and were able to make deer hunting, in the big picture, better I would:
> 
> 1. limit deer hunters to one buck and one doe
> 2. ban baiting while doing encouraging food plots
> ...


How would banning deer farms help make michigan deer hunting better? That's like saying that if you eliminate the butterball turkey farms that turkey hunting will suddenly improve. 

I also don't think the youth hunt should be bow only. There is a greater chance for success with a firearm than with a bow, and success early in a young hunters career will help get them hooked on hunting. If they see a deer thats 60 yards away and can't shoot it, they may be discouraged from hunting again.


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## aquanator (Dec 1, 2005)

I would set a goal to increase the deer herd to the size it was in 1988, and all the kids would love to get into hunting again because they would actually see deer. License sales would double increasing our funds for managing the resources.


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## TJO (Dec 30, 2004)

I'm 50 yrs old never had a youth hunt and have been hunting all my life.
Why do you think it is nesessary for a youth to have to shoot a deer in order to enjoy the hunting experience? 

Young people will either enjoy the hunting experience or they will not and youth season does not change that. 

All of my friends including myself have young hunters and none are allowed or what to participate in the youth hunt they view it as cheating. 

The DNR should not be responsable for getting youth involved it should you so why not just take them with you during the regular hunting season like my dad did.


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## dabarra3 (Nov 19, 2005)

I don't mind if there is a youth season or not, but I've been hunting on state land since I was 16 (now 22)and have yet to shoot a deer. If anything it makes me want to come back and try harder the next year. Hunting shouldn't be a cake walk, it would be called killing.


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## Adam Waszak (Apr 12, 2004)

No shotgun zone

Firearm season starts the first sat in DEC. for 15 days

lower hunting age (legislature not DNR i guess)

youth hunt in October.

lower antlerless tags quotas and limit number per person per DMU

Hire more CO's (need more in budget for that one)

better forest management on state lands with cutting and possibly foodplots or crops planted. Some marked as no hunting such as deer yards in the UP.

Overall I love Michigan and it deer season and I know you will never please everyone all of the time. The tradition is a great one here though and I can't wait till next year

AW


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## Adam Waszak (Apr 12, 2004)

TJO said:


> I'm 50 yrs old never had a youth hunt and have been hunting all my life.
> Why do you think it is nesessary for a youth to have to shoot a deer in order to enjoy the hunting experience?
> 
> Young people will either enjoy the hunting experience or they will not and youth season does not change that.
> ...



Well 50 years ago they didn't have the year rouns sports, extra activities, X-box, nintendo, espn, computers and laptops, cell phones etc etc etc a lot has changed and the attentioon span of our youth seems to be shrinking a bit too. The DNRR needs to help get new hunters in the game so they can count on money and votes for the wildlife in the future. I take my kids hunting with me and I will continue to do so but if we don't get them early we will not get them. If they can't hunt till age 14 look at all the other suff out there for them that is high school for goodness sake. When you get into high school there is far to many demands on the time of the typical student that often hunting has no room unless it has always been a priority. They aren't gonna get all the bucks.

AW


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## Knight (Dec 7, 2005)

Hey all, here's my first post, figured I start out with something I feel strongly about. I know I don't have all the facts, just some opinions.

Here are my thoughts:

1. Mandatory deer check stations- Hopefully this would help the DNR to get a more accurate count of deer in each area. This would lead to better management. They could decide if a one buck/one doe limit would be more beneficial for a zone or one buck/ two doe limit etc...

2. Change the youth season- Keep it bow/gun. If they want to keep the current date, change it to does only. If they want to give them the option of shooting a buck, make the youth weekend occur the weekend that muzzleloading starts. Move muzzleloading back a few days. I worry that by currently having the youth weekend so early in the year, we are losing quite a few of our good breeding bucks. They are very easy to pattern at that time of the year. 

Grouse Hunter- I respect your opinion but I don't think messing with the youth season is "pure selfishness." In my opinion it is poor herd management and can actually negatively impact the number of hunters in our state. I know of several youth(5) who have shot large bucks during the youth hunt, only to become disinterested in hunting a few years later because they can't seem to get or even see as large of bucks during the regular season. Patterning a buck for a youth hunt is much different than patterning a buck for regular hunting season. I know that not all youth shoot big bucks during the youth season. Those that I know that have shot does or small bucks seem to have more of a respect for hunting and are more apt to stick with it once they can no longer hunt the regular season.

3. Identify what the majority of Michigan hunters really want. Do they want a herd (buck/doe ratio, average antlersize, etc...) much like that of our neighboring states like Illinois and Ohio? Or do we want to keep it the way it is? Implement QDM accordingly. Make it easier for sportsmen to communicate what they want for our herd through a vote or some type of poll. 

I think there are a lot of changes that can be made to improve our deer herd, increase our number of hunters, and improve Michigan sportsmen's satisfaction. Our DNR needs to start with facts first though. They need to have a more accurate count of the deer herd in specific areas and they need to know what Michigan hunters want.


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## schopie4 (Oct 14, 2004)

welcome to the site knight


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## TJO (Dec 30, 2004)

AW, I was not really worried about them shooting bucks. 
I guess my point was that hunting is in your blood or not no one or nothing is going to change that. 
I have two brothers and neither of them hunt or ever have and my dad would always ask if they would like to go. 
I just don't believe that by allowing a youth to hunt deer earlier than everyone else is the answer to getting them involved. 
I believe your right though are youth have way to much to choose from in forms of entertainment and we as adults spoil them by buying X-box's and so on by all means then lets spoil them even more by allowing them to hunt deer before everyone else up to how 17 I think.


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## Thunderhead (Feb 2, 2002)

LOL QDM, baiting, food plots, deer farms, primitave seasons and the youth hunt all in one post.

This otta be fun.


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## TJO (Dec 30, 2004)

Thunderhead, I know your right sorry guys not much going on at work today so have time to read and post. 
Your right wrong thread to be playing in.


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

weatherby said:


> 8.Allow single shot pistols in the shotgun zone



I won't jump into the fray, but single shot pistols are already allowed in the shotgun zone. They must only fire stright walled cartridges though...ie .444, 45-70, etc, etc.

if you want bottle neck cartridges to be legal, than you'd have to add that to your list.


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

Thunderhead said:


> LOL QDM, baiting, food plots, deer farms, primitave seasons and the youth hunt all in one post.
> 
> This otta be fun.


you forgot crossbows. 
Add smokeless powder and Cougar tags and that will about cover her! No need to mention Rompala :evil:


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## bucks-n-trout (Nov 24, 2004)

If I was the DNR, I guess I would first have to apologize for being an incompetent fool and quit the job. (Lansing , not the field people )

The last thing the DNR wants is an accurate deer count. This would really make them look stupid, and we all know how politicians like that. ( That is all we now have in Lansing, politicians) 

Good idea on the co's, I would like to see at least two in every county. I think you should not be able to hold a management postion in the DNR without first being a co for at least 5 yrs. ( a good co and biologist as director ! what a concept ! )

There are states where the DNR ( or equivelent) says to he#* with what everyone thinks , they do whats best for the health of the herd. They have good buck to doe ratios and many quality bucks. Someday maybe in Mich ?

You know, we have the numbers to make changes in Lansing if we all are on the same page. How many hunters and fishermen in Mich ?


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

bucks-n-trout said:


> There are states where the DNR ( or equivelent) says to he#* with what everyone thinks , they do whats best for the health of the herd. They have good buck to doe ratios and many quality bucks. Someday maybe in Mich ?
> 
> ?


Funny, when they do this in Mi, all of a sudden they are incompetent. Interesting how that works.

Aw heck......now I'm the fray _again_.........I am a slow learner... :rant:


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## Swamp Ghost (Feb 5, 2003)

Buck Hunter Zone Choice (pick one Zone only):
November 15 Firearm opener for UP
November 23 Firearm opener for NLP 
Dec. 1 Firearm opener for SLP

Buck Hunter's Choice tag:
1 non-restricted buck tag $30
2 restricted (4points to a side) $30

Anterless tag system remains as is.


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## Grouse Hunter (Jan 23, 2000)

Swamp Ghost said:


> Buck Hunter Zone Choice (pick one Zone only):
> November 15 Firearm opener for UP
> November 23 Firearm opener for NLP
> Dec. 1 Firearm opener for SLP
> ...



I really like this idea! So many good things!

Think about the guys that could hunt multiple openers and the revenue that could be generated for local economies. For example, a S. Lower hunter would generally have to choose UP or LP to hunt. I beleive this would bring more hunters to the UP and NLP because they still have the option of hunting opening day in SLP.


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