Wisconsin - Doe only weekend


Guest Finn

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Make sure to take your camera along for the broadside shot at a P&Y monster at 12 yards though....:D

that's exactly why I'm not going out ;)

Casey's killing all the venison we need. More fun for him to get does than me :)

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I don't see the issue with it. In order to get numbers down to what the DNR want you need to take does out. Remember we used to have 2 of these a year. 1 was the end of October and the other early Dec. They have cut the early one to help out those of us that bowhunt. But until people quit worrying about only taking horns and start harvesting more does, things aren't going to change. Believe me I like working to take a nice buck, but that doesn't happen every year. My biggest concern is putting meat in the freezer to feed the family and if that mean shooting a doe to do it, so be it. Our unit has been EAB for the last 2 years and was herd management (T-Zone) for 5 years before that. 59C and Jackson county have had the high harvest numbers for years, but still we end up having to take does before bucks. But if more people would harvest a few more does than maybe things would change.

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I took my does back in sept., 3 of them, so I did my part..although I have two more doe tags...I may wait til late Dec to fill them. Our ML season just ended this eve. and the bucks are still not showing up..now with more rifles blasting this week, it will take two or more weeks for them to settle down..BUT we do have snow and cold, so the last week of bow season may be good if the antlers dont drop first. Glad I tagged out early!!

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I wish we could shoot both a doe and a buck here but that is only possible if you draw a doe tag and most of those are for areas that are mostly private property where getting permission to hunt can be a difficult task and the deer just flock to the adjoining posted properties anyway. They should at least let us take one deer with a bow and one with a rifle. A late muzzle loader season would also be nice. A little extra venison would be a good thing.

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I don't see the issue with it. In order to get numbers down to what the DNR want you need to take does out. Remember we used to have 2 of these a year. 1 was the end of October and the other early Dec. They have cut the early one to help out those of us that bowhunt. But until people quit worrying about only taking horns and start harvesting more does, things aren't going to change. Believe me I like working to take a nice buck, but that doesn't happen every year. My biggest concern is putting meat in the freezer to feed the family and if that mean shooting a doe to do it, so be it. Our unit has been EAB for the last 2 years and was herd management (T-Zone) for 5 years before that. 59C and Jackson county have had the high harvest numbers for years, but still we end up having to take does before bucks. But if more people would harvest a few more does than maybe things would change.

We've killed many does over the years and have no problem shooting them. My son shot one Sunday afternoon and my uncle has shot 3 on our land, so please don't tell me I need to shoot them. ;)

My only wish is that I could bowhunt for bucks for the next 4 days. Extending the season in January doesn't help bow hunters....many bucks in our area lose their horns by then.

You seriously believe the deer numbers the DNR uses for their herd control and eab zone decisions are accurate? If so, you're one of the only people in Wisconsin that does. :eek:

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You seriously believe the deer numbers the DNR uses for their herd control and eab zone decisions are accurate? If so, you're one of the only people in Wisconsin that does. :eek:

Exactly. I don't believe what the DNR says for deer population numbers at all. I know it is for the whole state, but I think they are way off.

I also think the EAB has caused a big problem. A lot of people do try to get does by other means than hunting (ie taking roadkill, paying bowhunters to shoot a doe). Plus, I don't think the hunters like being told what they can shoot and it what order. There were some kids who got busted in our area for shooting several does at night a year or so ago. Hunters were paying them for the does for the EAB stickers. :mad:

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Dumbest thing I ever heard of....but remember, it's doe only statewide the 6th - 9th of December. Even with the bow! :mad: :mad:

If we don't shoot enough antlerless deer (you'll never shoot enough by the DNR's count) we will have the October Herd Control season back next year. We were given these last two years off from the October season for us hunters to prove we could manage the deer numbers without it. Go out and do your part. If you don't think you have enough deer to shoot, set up a meeting with your local DNR wildlife biologist and find out what their numbers say. The squeaky wheel gets the grease!!! Our regular 9 day statewide gun season has not been much fun for me once I outgrew it's excitement when I entered my early 20s. Now our October Herd Control Season fills the woods with every Tom Dick and Harry looking for any deer so they can get that almighty "Earn a Buck" sticker :eek:. The fun of gun hunting is gone and it doesn't appear to be coming back any time soon:(.

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On my land we've been shooting does all along, but we will never see the end of earn a buck, to many people won't shoot a doe, but have no problem shooting any buck they see.

We have no trouble filling doe tags, and by doing so, with passing the harvest of any buck less than 3 1/2 we've been seeing more fawns and a some what better rut.

Next year it sounds like a state wide October fest with earn a buck.

The last report I got on the harvest from this year is a 7000 animal increase over last year, but every registration around here was down opening weekend?

I guess we will never be able to understand their numbers.

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Finn- 1st off I would like to apologize if I offended you in my responce, that was not my intent. It's just this comment has come up a lot lately where I live. And the guys around here complaining are the guys that are "buck hunter only". And it is getting old. The laws have changed and unfortunately we have to deal with it. I do not believe the numbers are correct by any means. Over the last few years I have been seeing fewer deer. But like PotashRLS said if we don't take advantage of these seasons to get the doe kill numbers up we will see the October antlerless season back. I too would like to have the option of what I choose to harvest, but unfortunately that is not how it works. I plan to continue bowhunting after this weekend regardless of whether we had the antlerless or not. Matter of fact I went out tonight and saw 20 deer (more than I saw during gun season) and at least 6 of them were bucks and 1 was a very good one. But I took a doe to fill what was legal for the weekend. Was it frustrating to let the buck go? Yes, but that is the way it is.

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Finn- 1st off I would like to apologize if I offended you in my responce, that was not my intent. It's just this comment has come up a lot lately where I live. And the guys around here complaining are the guys that are "buck hunter only". And it is getting old. The laws have changed and unfortunately we have to deal with it. I do not believe the numbers are correct by any means. Over the last few years I have been seeing fewer deer. But like PotashRLS said if we don't take advantage of these seasons to get the doe kill numbers up we will see the October antlerless season back. I too would like to have the option of what I choose to harvest, but unfortunately that is not how it works. I plan to continue bowhunting after this weekend regardless of whether we had the antlerless or not. Matter of fact I went out tonight and saw 20 deer (more than I saw during gun season) and at least 6 of them were bucks and 1 was a very good one. But I took a doe to fill what was legal for the weekend. Was it frustrating to let the buck go? Yes, but that is the way it is.

No problems. I can't understand the guys who won't shoot does and take a small buck....chaps my backside.

I'm just frustrated having 2 free days and having it doe only.

Mark, will make sure about those dates for next year....did you want the doe season or not? :p:D

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No problems. I can't understand the guys who won't shoot does and take a small buck....chaps my backside.

I'm just frustrated having 2 free days and having it doe only.

Mark, will make sure about those dates for next year....did you want the doe season or not? :p:D

It really doesn't matter to me one way or the other. With the way my bow season is going:( I'd just a soon be able to take the rifle out.

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