How Many Buck Can You Take in Your State?


yooperkenny

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Well there's a great uproar going on here in Michigan regarding a newly proposed hunting reg that would limit hunters in the Upper Peninsula (the northernmost third of the state) to One Buck. (that's a period). So if you shoot a spikehorn with the bow in October, you can't hunt for any more bucks in Nov or Dec - no firearm or muzzleloader season for you. Done.

Some of you are aware that Michigan has a great deer hunting tradition, and in recent years 750.000 firearm hunters have gone afield on Nov 15th! But deer numbers in the north are dwindling and many are calling for action!

Some are skeptical that this will be effective since less than 5% of Michigan hunters take more than one buck. However others believe that a one buck law would save a lot of younger bucks, because now some guys shoot the first spike or fork they see for their freezer, knowing full well they can keep hunting for the big boy with their second tag. Under the proposed law, many will certainly think twice before they pull the trigger on that small buck. Some are so convinced that one buck is the way to go they want to see it made the law statewide, and cite the success of it in states like Ohio, Indiana, etc

So, does your state allow you to take one buck per year? Or maybe one in archery and another with firearm? Do you think it makes the hunting better in your state?

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Re: How Many Buck Can You Take in Your State?

One buck a year has always been the law here as far as I know, so for me to compare to how it used to be, I can't do that.

I will say it forces you to be selective if you're a trophy hunter.

In the last 4 years my ratio of shot opportunities on bucks to does has been probably 3:1 or maybe even 4:1.

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Guest slinger09

Re: How Many Buck Can You Take in Your State?

3 Bucks here in Ok. I would like to see them reduce to 2 to help with buck quality. Alot of spikes get blasted because hunters know they still have 2 tags left.

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Re: How Many Buck Can You Take in Your State?

Currently here in New York:

The number of deer a hunter may take depends upon the licenses and privileges purchased.

The License I purchase is:

Super Sportsman License-- You will receive:

a Regular Season Deer Tag and

a Bow/Mz Season Either Sex Deer Tag and

a Bow/Mz Season Antlerless Deer Tag

So going by that it's 2 Buck's per season possible.

I get this license because it gives me the best chance overall of harvesting anything plus it comes with a fishing license. I can also apply for a DMP permit which is a doe only tag. Depending on where I apply for and prefference points if any that ones a toss up if I get it or not.

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Re: How Many Buck Can You Take in Your State?

Total of 3 bucks for the season in state of Tennessee, but that does not count button bucks or spikes under 6 inches of antler. They are counted as antlerless. When I first started hunting the buck limit was considerably more.

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Guest andymansavage

Re: How Many Buck Can You Take in Your State?

One buck per year here in Utah. Always has been always will be. I usually pass on ten to twenty bucks before shooting one if I do at all. 9 day rifle season kind of sucks.

Andy

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Re: How Many Buck Can You Take in Your State?

The limit is 1 buck for most of the state. Where I'm at the deer pop is a lot higher we can shoot 2. Total limit is 4 we can take 2 bucks and 2 doe if shooting any firearm or 3 doe and 1 buck, or 2 of each if archery hunting.

It seems to me that if Michigan wants to raise the deer population it would make a lot more sence to add an antler restriction. This would guarentee to at least control the harvest of immature bucks.

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Re: How Many Buck Can You Take in Your State?

Only 1 buck here, The state changed from 2 bucks to 1 buck limit about 4 yrs ago, I personally think this was a good choice, I have seen more bucks in the past few years than I have seen in the previous years.

Some hunters will be more selective and hold out for a larger buck smile.gif thus giving the younger bucks a chance to mature a bit, but on the downside their will always be those hunters that will shoot a young buck to fill their tags and they look at it as atleast they filled their buck tag frown.gif .

I personally like to shoot does if I am looking to get meat in the freezer, let those young bucks go to mature.

Even though I like to pass up young bucks I do not see a problem with young hunters taking a young buck their first couple years of hunting, but I will let them know the importance of passing them up so they can mature into nice trophy size deer that when harvested makes for greater rewards and bragging rights.

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Guest silver

Re: How Many Buck Can You Take in Your State?

In Missouri we can kill 4. 1 rifle, 2 with bow and 1 if drawn for a special hunt. We are in the middle of Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois and only have average bucks.

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Re: How Many Buck Can You Take in Your State?

Thanks for all of the responses, guys! Keep em coming.

So far if I've got this right the following states allow 1 buck only - OH, PA, MN, UT, and IN. Anyone from Kentucky, Wisconsin, or Iowa out there?

[ QUOTE ]

...It seems to me that if Michigan wants to raise the deer population it would make a lot more sence to add an antler restriction. This would guarentee to at least control the harvest of immature bucks.

[/ QUOTE ]

That was actually tried in the management unit where I live and several others over a 5 year experimental period that ended last year. They then surveyed a sampling of land owners and hunters and asked if the antler restrictions should continue and over half said yes. But the state would not implement the reg without a 66% super majority, so no more antler restrictions. Some find this to be a bit fishy.

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Re: How Many Buck Can You Take in Your State?

[ QUOTE ]

So, does your state allow you to take one buck per year? Or maybe one in archery and another with firearm? Do you think it makes the hunting better in your state?

[/ QUOTE ]

We have some Yahoo's who are trying to get something like this in central NY but they are not getting the support from sportsmen they had hoped for.

If I am correct this is how many bucks I can kill in NY.

1 Buck in the early archery if I have a left over tag from last year.

1 Buck during the archery season

1 Buck during the early or late ML season

1 Buck with a gun

We have a bizarre system for giving out one or maybe two and antlerless tags.

Ranger

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Re: How Many Buck Can You Take in Your State?

[ QUOTE ]

man, some of you guys here are lucky...2 bucks and a doe, etc. Man, here in my part of Ohio, I buy one deer tag, and I am only allowed one deer, either buck or doe. Only one.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just being the devil's advocate here, but maybe you're the one that's lucky to live in a state where a resource that's important to you is protected from over harvesting.....(God, I never thought I'd say that to a ... a Buckeye wink.gif )

I live and breath deer hunting with bow, rifle, handgun and muzzleloader from October through December and I'm not looking to spend less time in the woods, but if it makes sense and works in other states, well....

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