MN CROSSBOW NOW LEGAL FOR ALL DURING ARCHERY SEASONS

pre xbows, it was roughly 150k antlered deer taken per year from 2007 to 2013. The gun hunt numbers have stayed in the same ballpark - about 105k per year. But the archery season kills have gone from about 45k per year to about 60k. That's a lot of extra bucks dropping each year.
And it's during peak rut when the mature bucks are more likely to be seen. It's not the end of the world but it's definitely a game changer. Guys that hunt only during rifle season have seen a reduction in mature deer for sure.
 
And it's during peak rut when the mature bucks are more likely to be seen. It's not the end of the world but it's definitely a game changer. Guys that hunt only during rifle season have seen a reduction in mature deer for sure.
Do you have actual data on xbow harvests of bucks by day in a given season? Someone at my county deer council asked for this data and no one was able to present it. Thought was exactly the same as what you are thinking - that most of the kills occur from middle of October until gun season with very few before and very few after. But we didn't see the proof.
 
Ok, I appreciate your replies. I'll admit that I've never looked into it and that's why I asked. Not my intent to use one anyway. I didn't know how much of an impact it made and to be honest I was thinking that if it got some new people interested in hunting that it would be a good thing. I guess the devil is in the details. Thanks for not hitting me too hard about it!
 
Say goodbye to your buck quality level. Prepare for a rifle hunt with far less mature animals because they will be hit heavy during the archery season.
Squirrel.
The MN DNR has NEVER cared about deer herd quality in MN. Their priority is "opportunity" (IE $$$$$$. Tag sales)
  1. Look at when they schedule the gun/rifle season (Peak of rut in Nov. EVERY YEAR)
  2. Look at what it takes to buy a deer gun license. (You can buy a buck tag, OTC, until the day before rifle season begins) IE Theoretically, EVERY citizen of age in MN could buy a buck/rifle tag (3.63 million [18 & over] per 2020 stats)
This bill was passed due to culmination of lobbying efforts and a bunch of legislators/gov who have ZERO connection to hunting. (The Gov would be more comfortable draped in a pride flag on Summit Avenue in St Paul than he is in blaze orange for annual media OP's for pheasant/deer opener)

Look at their neighbors to the west. (ND & SD) The herd quality is night/day difference. (I can say this as I lived in MN for 20 years and now live in one of the states referenced. I also have a lifetime archery license in MN). I hunted private land in MN for 20 years, ~ 50-60 hunts per season. Typical buck to doe ratio was 1 buck to 10-15 does. I can count on one hand the number of book animals on one hand (While hunting the properties I had permission) in 20 years. Unless you have large tracts of sanctuary land (no hunting, EX private, park, etc) 90% of the bucks you do see are 1.5 years old. (Southern MN)

I can archery hunt one week in ND in November and I can almost guarantee I will see at least one book animal,,,,, on PUBLIC LAND!

Rant over.
 
Wisconsin last year. Archery kill 37000. Crossbow 60000.
I seriously doubt there will be any changes to the archery seasons in the inclusion states.
Killing as many bucks as the pubic will tolerate and maybe a bunch more is just what the Depts . that think they can slow down the spread of CWD have been dreaming of.
License sales dips are much more concerning than keeping the lengthy , once challenging archery seasons as they were originally designed to be.
 
@schmalts is dead on about WI. The two county deer councils near me are seriously talking about finding a way to limit the archery season due to crossbows having such an impact on the overall deer harvest, not just bucks. However, the impact on antlered deer is certainly being felt more than anterless.
Given how things have gone here I do think regs should be adjusted. Not sure what the best solution is, but we should start by eliminating group hunting for bucks during gun season ASAP. Won’t make a huge difference, but we need to start somewhere. I’m guessing moving WI to a one buck state would go over about as wells as APRs.
 
In 2004-2007 there were alot less deer licenses sold then now, I didn't hear the dnr complaining then.
I seriously doubt there will be any changes to the archery seasons in the inclusion states.
Killing as many bucks as the pubic will tolerate and maybe a bunch more is just what the Depts . that think they can slow down the spread of CWD have been dreaming of.
License sales dips are much more concerning than keeping the lengthy , once challenging archery seasons as they were originally designed to be.
 
side note:
starting august 1st if you're into the vitamins MN now allows you to have 2lbs of electric lettuce at your residence which is the highest the nation
 
I hate it but cant say how much of a difference it will make. That some metro area social justice warriors that dont seem to have a hunting bone in their body were the driving force behind having it included in legislature says something.

I assume certain areas on public land especially will receive increased pressure and hunt quality will decline in relation. There will be fewer bucks available during gun season and more of them will have an education and become nocturnal prior to gun season opening. Basically a decline in hunt quality (which is already worse than any neighboring state in the majority of MN) for any existing user group at the satisfaction of the crossbow lobby. Id have a hard time ever buying a crossbow after these cocksuckers lobbied their way into all these state's hunting laws and regulations.

MDHA (MN Deer hunter's association) might as well just shorten things to MFA, minnesota fudds association. Seems like their support of it was a lightning rod to making it happen.
 
Some of the arguments against crossbows sound like : “ I don’t want you to shoot that deer with a crossbow, so I can shoot it with my compound bow” …

Every state bordering MN has better quality deer hunting than we do so when new regulations come out that are only likely to further decrease the quality of hunting it's pretty easy to oppose them.
 
Plus, it's really embarrassing when you show up to meet your bow hunting buddies with your crossbow wearing a skirt.:p
 
Seriously? You at least have to manually draw the bow and hold it. Plus, it takes skill to become proficient with it.

My 5-year-old neighbor kid could hit a pit plate with a crossbow at 50 yards their first shot.....
But are 5 year olds hunting with crossbows?

Give someone that’s older than ~12-13 a crossbow and a compound bow and within an hour both will be hitting bulls eyes at all ethical archery ranges IME.

I don’t think the issue is so much a “greater advantage” but it makes archery hunting more popular which leads to more boots in the woods, more pressure on the resource.

IMO the argument was lost when compound bows got put on the same level as trad. 1 hour with a trad bow and you’re either going to be challenged to stick with it and practice to BECOME proficient enough to carry one in pursuit of an animal and get better or be done. There’s a reason most serious trad bow hunters are keeping shots within 20, MAYBE 30 yards and compound bow hunters are 40-50+ generally - it’s significantly easier to shoot a compound bow.

Maybe the fairest would be a progressive archery season with the peak rut being reserved for trad bow hunters, compound on the shoulders of before and after that ~week and then crossbows on the shoulders of what’s left. Trad hunters can hunt trad all 3 seasons, compound hunter can hunt compound and crossbow and then crossbow hunters only hunt their respective dates.

Would compound bow hunters that are upset be willing to “give up” any of archery season for trad hunters only? Same principle IMO.

I’ve hunted with all 3, only harvested with compound and crossbow as I never got a shot with the trad.
 
Some of the arguments against crossbows sound like : “ I don’t want you to shoot that deer with a crossbow, so I can shoot it with my compound bow” …
Or I want to shoot it with my firearm.
 
In my area it seems that a lot of people are now targeting big bucks and stopped killing does. Even with the early season and the extra tags, the number of deer harvested has basically remained the same.
 
Now, not only can you have two pounds of pot in your house, you will not have to work as hard to kill a deer with a "bow". And this is progress? Hope no one is too doped up in the trees while you are stalking around.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
113,675
Messages
2,029,397
Members
36,279
Latest member
TURKEY NUT
Back
Top