# 1 buck tag



## Wild turkey (Jan 14, 2020)

In the DNR deer survey there were a couple questions about going to a single buck tag. It's was a conversation in deer camp this past November. We had 4 bucks hanging, they were 2.5 year old 8 points. All 4 successful hunters admitted they would not have shot had it been their only tag. I think it may be time to try something new...

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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Something new?
Michigan has had a single buck tag in the past. So it would not be new to return to a single tag.
(Still does if you only purchase one.)


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

When it was a one buck system we weren't hunting for the biggest buck in the woods, we hunted for a legal buck.


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## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

Yea, but the new proposal they are looking at is *EVERYBODY* must buy the combination tag. One good for a Buck and the other for a anterless even if you are never going to shoot a anterless Deer. You would be paying the price the same as the current price is. The DNR is still under the impression that *ALL PLACES *in this state are over run with anterless Deer. Hunter recruitment doubling the price if you are only going out for a time or two.


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## Biggbear (Aug 14, 2001)

So because the guys in one camp would have done what you want and not shot a 2.5 year old, we should change the rules for 600,000 hunters based on that single data point? Sorry, but that's not the way it works.


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## Bucman (Jun 29, 2016)

Just excuses to justify what they shot. I call BS! Just by one tag then.......


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## Ieatshrooms (Sep 19, 2019)

Wild turkey said:


> I think it may be time to try something new...


I agree. Raise your standards. You don't need the government tell you to.


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

Well with a doe tag in my pocket I can hunt all season or until I see one of our scrub bucks.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

Waif said:


> Something new?
> Michigan has had a single buck tag in the past. So it would not be new to return to a single tag.
> (Still does if you only purchase one.)


Well I am 49 years old and never had a single buck tag year of hunting. So it would be new for a lot of hunters. When I turned 14 we had a 4 buck limit between gun and bow. A few years later it lowered down to 2 bucks.


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## BulldogOutlander (Oct 1, 2019)

I've always shot whatever is legal. In years past i always purchased two buck tags and a doe tag. The last handful of years i have only gotten 1 and 1, and will continue to do this. If i fill my buck tag early, i will just go to the store and get another. No more giving the DNR extra cash


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

Go to one buck per season. and watch what happens. It was that way when I started hunting and every year I saw many bigger bucks. When they went from one to 2 then to 4 the sighting dropped way off. I usually buy one tag and the last many years I leet all bucks walk. If I want meat I just use the doe tag


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## Biggbear (Aug 14, 2001)

Scout 2 said:


> Go to one buck per season. and watch what happens. It was that way when I started hunting and every year I saw many bigger bucks. When they went from one to 2 then to 4 the sighting dropped way off. I usually buy one tag and the last many years I leet all bucks walk. If I want meat I just use the doe tag


I hadn't even thought of this. For those in the 1 buck per season camp, this option already exists. Just buy one tag.

The OP sounds like while his camp thinks the 1 buck tag is a great thing, they all bought combo tags? Why not take a dose of the medicine you're prescribing?


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## cotote wacker (Jun 12, 2012)

Started deer hunting in 1968 there were less deer in the Lower more as you went north, even less in the Upper. Deer hunting numbers has change a lot in over 50 years. Now there are more deer in the Southern Lower than in the Northern Lower. With wolves numbers increasing by the day in the Upper, deer hunting is lot more of a challenge. The years that you could shoot 4 changed deer hunting for ever quality, quantity is gone. 
In Ohio they still only can shot 1 buck but increase anterless harvest where needed. Michigan deer hunting plane and simple SUCKS and just a small change in harvest could make it better across the board.


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## MSUFW07 (Jan 22, 2009)

History of Buck Hunting in MI, Take a read through this and you will read that MI had a one buck rule from 1921 until the 1986.

At the end of the day this fight is getting old. Seems like it crops up once a month or so somewhere on these forums, whether it's by someone who signed up a week ago or someone who signed up in the beginning of MS forums. 

Whether you have 2 buck tags in your pocket or 1, or a dozen doe tags or none, the person who is pulling the string or the trigger is in charge of what they do. If the people in your camp shoot a bunch of 2.5 YO 8's then that was their choice. And if they are making excuses then that's on them not everyone else. Simply put, don't punish the masses for the choices of the few.

Let the DNR do their jobs and if they see a need to change it to a 1 buck rule then they will. I don't see that happening anytime soon. But if they decide to do that then I will shoot my 1 buck and it might be a spike or it could be the next world record, either way it was my choice.


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## Bucman (Jun 29, 2016)

Just go to OHIO if its so much better. Its that easy or b!Tch about Michigan


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

DirtySteve said:


> Well I am 49 years old and never had a single buck tag year of hunting. So it would be new for a lot of hunters. When I turned 14 we had a 4 buck limit between gun and bow. A few years later it lowered down to 2 bucks.


During those 4 buck years....I might have killed a single buck. One year.. (That was more about where I hunted than tag limits.)
I like others started with a single buck tag.
Since then I've killed two in a season once. Seemed more than enough with doe kills in the mix too. Being doe were in good numbers and tags were in hand.
Where I hunt today one buck is enough for me. So regardless of tags or tag availability , I'm not looking for two.
Yes if a giant turns up after I've tagged a buck , and I still have another buck tag , it will be at risk. 
Has not been a challenge lately though. If an exceptional for the area buck is around I can wait a while before filling a tag on a lesser one. (Assuming a lessor exists)..

Maybe an age thing , but I've taken a single deer , and once recently no deer and just hung out and watched when deer numbers were low.

I know we compete for what there is the least of , (oldest bucks) , but I look for what the small herd I hunt can best afford too. That's not always a buck. More so when not having a legal buck sited a while.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

Biggbear said:


> I hadn't even thought of this. For those in the 1 buck per season camp, this option already exists. Just buy one tag.
> 
> The OP sounds like while his camp thinks the 1 buck tag is a great thing, they all bought combo tags? Why not take a dose of the medicine you're prescribing?


It does but you still have the option to buy another I think. What they need to do is make it one buck period per year. Shoot one with a bow you are done on bucks for the year. Then they could add doe permits in if needed that would be an extra deer. They want to see more big bucks theis will help a lot with that


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

Waif said:


> During those 4 buck years....I might have killed a single buck. One year.. (That was more about where I hunted than tag limits.)
> I like others started with a single buck tag.
> Since then I've killed two in a season once. Seemed more than enough with doe kills in the mix too. Being doe were in good numbers and tags were in hand.
> Where I hunt today one buck is enough for me. So regardless of tags or tag availability , I'm not looking for two.
> ...


From what I am seeing around here this winter odds of seeing any deer might be really slim this fall


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

MSUFW07 said:


> History of Buck Hunting in MI, Take a read through this and you will read that MI had a one buck rule from 1921 until the 1986.
> .............


The above year is incorrect. 1977 was the beginning of 2 buck licenses available for all. 1 bow and 1 gun. 1986 was the beginning of the 4 buck era. 2 bow and 2 gun.
Before '77 a number of hunters did legally take 2 or more bucks by getting a buck deer camp permit and/or getting one of the special island buck tags which were separate from the standard buck tag.

L & O


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## Biggbear (Aug 14, 2001)

Scout 2 said:


> It does but you still have the option to buy another I think. What they need to do is make it one buck period per year. Shoot one with a bow you are done on bucks for the year. Then they could add doe permits in if needed that would be an extra deer. They want to see more big bucks theis will help a lot with that


I copied and pasted this from the current hunting guide page 38- " A deer license may be used to harvest an antlered deer. This tag is also valid for the early/late antlerless firearm seasons to take an antlerless deer.* Those who purchase a single deer license may not purchase a second single deer license or the deer combo license.* To see how this license may be used in each deer season, see pgs. 42-43 and 48-49. 

So again, for those who believe in a OBR, they can already follow their conscience. If you believe in it, by all means do it, the option exists. But I keep getting back to others trying to define how I hunt, and I am not for that at all even though I haven't taken 2 bucks in many years.

I wonder how many who are for a OBR are truly only purchasing only a deer license, and not the combo tag?


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