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I just shop at the market where they make the meat and no animals are harmed. Jack.
I’m saying not everyone may be as focused on management as you may be. There’s boatloads for me to learn after only hunting for 1 year now. The jibe about trophy hunting may be misplaced here.
Killing a buck does very little to the herd.
If you let little bucks walk on a large piece of controlled private land they will become big bucks. How big and how trophy are very dependent on genetics of the area herd, food quality, minerals, cover and area weather. The midwest is probably the best place to shoot a huge buck with trophy antlers. But there are exceptions all over the country and canada.
Killing does on the other hand can decimate a large herd in a low quality controlled area in just a few years.
The quabbin is perfect evidence of this.
As once was loaded with deer after being not hunted for 70 years, it became one of the worst places in the state to hunt after just 6 or 7 seasons of controlled shotgun only hunts. They cant even hunt archery there.
The problem in past zone 9 in the west is multiple. Poor quality land, high predation, a different harsher climate than eastern ma, and poor deer management.
Over my 30 year time theyve added lots of hunting days and tags. Thats fine in the east, but the west, nope.
They didn't check to see if someone had already bought a license back then?Years ago (20?) I was in a now-defunct gun store in the area. A guy was in to buy his THIRD hunting lic. of the year (actually his 3rd in 3 days, to be exact) to get ANOTHER doe tag. Eastern Mass. Seemed unsporting to me. He was shooting anything with 4 hooves and a heartbeat. There were cows in danger in the area because of this guy. IIRC, the deer he brought in for check-in was fairly small.
Years ago (20?) I was in a now-defunct gun store in the area. A guy was in to buy his THIRD hunting lic. of the year (actually his 3rd in 3 days, to be exact) to get ANOTHER doe tag. Eastern Mass. Seemed unsporting to me. He was shooting anything with 4 hooves and a heartbeat. There were cows in danger in the area because of this guy. IIRC, the deer he brought in for check-in was fairly small.
It’s so much easier today with the technology. Just wait until the any zone surplus tags go on sale and you are set for the season.[/sarcasm]
Bob
I'll match your Massachusetts craziness and raise you NY nuttiness. NY approved a crossbow season but it overlaps with early Muzzle loader season not bow hunting season.
Ah.....so the uppity bow hunters no likey da crosseybow eh?You can thank the NYB for that:
OTHER LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Accomplishments – New York Bowhunters, Inc.
- Established numerous contacts with state legislators, acting as their resource on bow issues. Meeting with them on a regular basis.
- Established a working relationship with the DEC. Meeting with them on a regular basis.
- Kept the crossbow out of the archery-only seasons & areas of the state.
- Promoted the harvest of antler-less deer to assist the DEC in management objectives.
- Established urban deer management archery hunts in various parts of the state – Irondequoit, Painted Post and Albany, NY; while preserving and promoting other programs in Westchester & Suffolk Counties.
- Established legislative E-Mail Alert System.
Ah.....so the uppity bow hunters no likey da crosseybow eh?
A guy was in to buy his THIRD hunting lic. of the year (actually his 3rd in 3 days, to be exact) to get ANOTHER doe tag.
They didn't check to see if someone had already bought a license back then?
That's why I askedThird license or third doe tag? MA has had multiple doe tags for years dependent on area. Tag, check and repeat.
MA has had their hunting licenses computerized for a long time. 20 years is inside of my frame of reference and most likely 30. Unless he had multiple addresses, I find fault with this.
That's why I asked
Does not necessarily mean they do their due diligence, just that they had the capability, like checking RMV revoked licenses for out of state DUI.
The real question is if your going to poach deer, why check them?
And proud of it.
bob
The Tag is for transporting poached deer from the field to the slaughter.
Coyote season should definitely be opened at least while squirrel is open.
He shot a huge buck not soon after and I posted it on a very popular archery website. They pulled the post cause it didnt count as a bow kill. I pulled my membership and never posted or went there again.
Coyote should be opened year round till the population is close to being controlled.
In the 50's tbrough 70's there were hardly a one to be seen. 80's and 90's they were plentiful. In the recent years, the are vermin.
I dont claim to know that much about managing large populations of deer, but it seems to me that something should change in MA to improve things for all hunters. In the east (where ive never hunted) additional doe tags seem like a good idea. In the west where i live limiting doe tags a little more and allowing 1 antlered tag seems reasonable. Ive only spent two days total actually hunting deer so take what i say with a grain of salt.
Coyote season should definitely be opened at least while squirrel is open.
Just read that. Thanks.Some light reading on deer management in the northeast
http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/pdf/deeropts.pdf
Ive seen some big deer, just out of season. There are also a few pretty good sized herds nearby to me, but they gravitate to areas between houses that are off limits and some nonhuntable conservation lands. A few winters ago there was a field close by between some neighborhoods where id see 15, 20 deer at a time. Mostly does but a handful of bucks in there. The other herd was maybe 5-10 strong, with 2 definite bucks. Ive seen two bucks id consider “mature” in my life - easy 8 pointers and nothing but meat all over.There are some nice deer in the west if you live 2 hunt and put in gobs of time scouting and gaining access. (Being lucky taken out of the equation) But you will hunt/scout and work harder than more populated states.
Id rather see more deer and only harvest one than see a bunch of nothing.
Coyote should be open year round lights allowed any weapon any method.