To many pesky deer

[bullbugle307]

What were some of these draconian restrictions inflicted upon the poor hunters? Ive been brainstorming (and had hardly a sprinkle) on how to best impose my wishes upon guests, both carrot and stick approach.

Came to the conclusion that only allowing access during the doe only season was my only real hope, and it resulted in exactly zero does killed last year. I need to hang with a better class of losers.

Sounds to me like you've already found the answer, just need to find the right hunters now...

We travel out to KS to hunt doe WT, usually 4 or 5 of us in total. We have a little place we can rent for cheap, and public to hunt. It's one of my favorite hunts of the year.

I think you can find the right hunters, but you'll probably have to wade through a few undesirables to get there.

 

[Bux_N_Beards]

To the "draconian" restrictions comment, maybe you misunderstood me, or I you, and if so, my apologies. My comment was in regard to the "QDM" mindset in terms of shooting only big bucks, and if a club member, lease member, or guest made a "mistake" and took a buck that didn't meet the standards (whether actual club rules or just personal preference), said hunter, including kids or first timers, getting hazed about it. I'm talking the folks who value a deer's score above all else. My point was, there have become so many of these "my way or the highway" folks managing leases, clubs, etc. that have run off a lot of folks and caused them to lose interest, and a lot, not all, do it under the guise of "managing the herd". Ironically, many, again not all, of these same folks wouldn't shoot a doe if they had to. That's what irks me.

The farmer I have leased from the last several years has a simple rule - you take "x" amount of deer off the property or else I'm doing it myself in the summer under depredation permits. The small group of us that pay the lease still strive to only shoot mature bucks (based on age, not score), but also take an ample amount of does off the property every single year. And, if a kid or guest is happy with a smaller buck, so be it. We're happy for them too. Point being, we're happy, and the landowner is happy. Win-Win.

Unfortunately, our area is getting overrun with CWD to the point that it's a roll of the dice every time you pull the trigger or release an arrow. For somebody who processes their own game and has a family that typically eats several deer a year, the whole process has lost it's luster. Quartering up a deer, freezing it, waiting weeks on end for results, only to have to toss it out (my choice) if it tests positive, is just not my thing. On the one hand, I understand I gave the deer a better end than CWD, but I'm conflicted on the whole situation. I keep seeing a lot of people on forums who just shove CWD off and make blind comments about what they'd do if they had to deal with it, but I can tell you that when it hits a high prevalence level like it has around here, a lot of how you "thought" you'd deal with it goes out the window. YMMV

Squirrel - I think we'd get along well. Wish you were closer lol

 

[88man]

Our deer camp in PA. has gone from 20 some hunters on opening day when I was 12 to basically 5 if we're lucky. We can barely wrestle up a deer drive anymore.

Lots of young hunters are very autonomous and prefer the lone wolf method. I'm just assuming without data way way more deer killed in pa with bows/muzzleloading/youth & Sr early rifle pre traditional rifle season than years ago.

 

[R.K.]

What were some of these draconian restrictions inflicted upon the poor hunters? Ive been brainstorming (and had hardly a sprinkle) on how to best impose my wishes upon guests, both carrot and stick approach.

Came to the conclusion that only allowing access during the doe only season was my only real hope, and it resulted in exactly zero does killed last year. I need to hang with a better class of losers.

Now that's an opportunity I would jump at- having the run of a well-managed lease, with nobody else there, and as many doe tags as I could carry? Sign me up.

Unfortunately, I currently live in a state without a true "doe season", and would have to take a rain check until I could schedule a trip.

 

[jt13]

Lots of young hunters are very autonomous and prefer the lone wolf method. I'm just assuming without data way way more deer killed in pa with bows/muzzleloading/youth & Sr early rifle pre traditional rifle season than years ago.

Bingo

Just about as many deer getting killed now as ever but lots of folks are tagged out before the rifle season even starts. I usually have to make a conscious effort to save a tag for rifle season just so I have a reason to have a gun in my hands during deer drives.

 

[elkantlers]

Have gun, will Travel.