party hunting ban....move the opener??

[trout whisperer]

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/109777/

[MnDeerStalker]

How would they know if people are shooting deer for other poeple? when we go up north there are about thirteen of us that go to camp so are they going to put a CO in each of our stands to make sure that when one of us shoots a deer that person packs upo and gos home, or what about when people who do drive and five guys shoot and they get one deer what guy is done the hunters will know but how will the dnr know I don't think we will see this pass and if we do it is going to causer a lot of problem on both sides.

I know that this is geared for trophy buck hunters but some people are just plain and simple Meat hunters and I know that every year I have more then one deer in the freezer .

[guythathunts]

The herd is too big. Bucks included. Why would they even concider this. This puts too much emfasis on the glamor of shooting a big racked deer. That is not what we should want as hunters. It is a bad PR move and bad for population control. It tells the anti's that the only thing we hunt for is antlers and nothing else. Hog wash.

[deadeye]

whisperer, I assume by posting this you were looking for our thoughts on these potential changes.
Party Hunting:  I am 100% for it.  How many times have you heard the question, "how many are in you hunting party?" or "how did your party do"?  I think it would go a long ways towards reducing the number of hunters.  Who wants to take a week off to travel to a camp site only to sit around not hunting because you already shot a deer?  Part of hunting is being out in the field with your friends and family.  Banning party hunting would greatly discourage these gatherings.
Moving the season out the the rut: I agree moving the season to later in November would reduce the number of deer harvested.  Is this what we want?  I don't think so.  

[kingfisher1]

I know that this is geared for trophy buck hunters but some people are just plain and simple Meat hunters and I know that every year I have more then one deer in the freezer .

I agree.  It may be geared for trophy hunting, but for those like you and me that are meat hunters, thre's nothing like a few deer in the freezer!!!!  Part of QDM is shooting a few does to try to get the buck/doe ratio in check!  My family practice this on our property.  I am more than happy being the designated "meat hunter," taking a few does while my dad looks for the bigger bucks.  I think does taste a little better than a buck anyway!  

[GRIZ]

Minnesota is one of the few states that allow party hunting.

How would they know if people are shooting deer for other poeple? when we go up north there are about thirteen of us that go to camp so are they going to put a CO in each of our stands to make sure that when one of us shoots a deer that person packs upo and gos home, or what about when people who do drive and five guys shoot and they get one deer what guy is done the hunters will know but how will the dnr know I don't think we will see this pass and if we do it is going to causer a lot of problem on both sides.

I know that this is geared for trophy buck hunters but some people are just plain and simple Meat hunters and I know that every year I have more then one deer in the freezer .

You are right that they wouldn't know who really shot the deer. Enforcing this isn't really as difficult as you make it sound though. It's a simple matter of if your tag/tags are used up you may not carry a gun. You could still help on a drive and such but just not carry a gun. I know most are thinking whats the point.

In areas where they allow more than one tag people would be able to gat away with it more without anyone ever knowing. In areas where only one tag is issued it's pretty simple. If caught with a gun after using their tag they wouldn't be hunting next yr. I believe hunting w/o lic they revoke hunting rights for one yr.

In reality if it would pass all that will happen is more wives or non hunters will be buying a lic. It goes on all the time right now but will happen more if they ban party hunting. The only way they can really catch that is if they are turned in by the non hunter.

[dakids]

I don't like the idea of moving the deer season out of the rut.  The rut is a great time to be in the woods.  How many of the people that want to move the rifle/slug season out of the rut are also bow hunters?  Would those same people be happy if they also were not allowed to hunt the rut.  If it is in the best interest of the deer to move the season out of the rut to allow more bucks to get older then we should close ALL SEASONS during the rut.  Leave the seasons alone.  If people want more big bucks stop shooting the little ones.  I would be ok with antler restrictions as a better option for more bigger bucks.

I also party hunt right now.  It would not be as much fun for the unsuccessful hunter if half of their party filled their tags right away sat. morning and went home because they were done hunting for the season.  Camp would not be the same.   

[trout whisperer]

to deadeye ..........i posted this topic because i find both ideas  in the article offensive.........the vast majority of minnesotans that hunt deer in my opinion..........are not trophy buck hunters......oh they wouldnt mind shootin a bruiser buck.......but the history of deer hunting in minnesota has been a rich  family outdoor tradition..........this is another attempt to over regulate people who use and enjoy the outdoors

[HD]

I wonder if the QDMA organization is accually sparking this....... 

For some reason, I can't go back and re-read the artical.


Hunter

[GRIZ]

to deadeye ..........i posted this topic because i find both ideas  in the article offensive.........the vast majority of minnesotans that hunt deer in my opinion..........are not trophy buck hunters......oh they wouldnt mind shootin a bruiser buck.......but the history of deer hunting in minnesota has been a rich  family outdoor tradition..........this is another attempt to over regulate people who use and enjoy the outdoors

I also am against the over regulation of outdoorsman. My first post was directed towards how such stuff would be enforced(simple)

I do believe the the deer herd would suffer. The job of the DNR is in my opinion is to manage the animal populations through regulation regardless of what I, you or any of the general public thinks or wants. They should keep the animals population at a healthy level not too high and not too low. That I believe is where they have been messing up for yrs. They were too slow to allow harvesting more deer when needed and too slow at limiting it when needed. Let them do thier job regardless of public input, if they can't do thier job fire them and hire someone who can.

As far as QDM that is fine. Most of the people who actually practice it have enough money to buy hunting land on which to practice it. I myself do not want hunting to turn into a rich mans sport like it has in Texas. It is already going in that direction here in MN but we have an advantage with public land which they don't in Texas.

I just feel this would be bad for sportman in general and the deer herd as well.

For what it's worth I feel the same way no matter what wildlife were talking about. Weather it be wolves, deer, coon or rabbits.

My thinking can somewhat relate to the wolf topic on here. The wolves should be managed to maintain healthy levels of both species(wolves and deer). They(wolves) shouldn't be harvested just becuase some hunters aren't having the success that they would like deer hunting. There must be a balance of prey and predators. With the wolves we (hunters and wolves) are both the predators going after the same prey. That is why I feel the DNR should do it's job regardless of public input. Ask hunters in wolf area and you'll hear them say there is too many. Is there or is it just affecting thier hunting? Let's not interfear with mother nature anymore than we have to. Just us being here we interfear more than should be.

Hope this makes sense.

[Moving2thecountry]

Enforcing this isn't really as difficult as you make it sound though. It's a simple matter of if your tag/tags are used up you may not carry a gun. You could still help on a drive and such but just not carry a gun. I know most are thinking whats the point.

I think you're logic is not sound, here.  If it is in an intensive harvest area, how do you enforce it?  So a guy shoots a buck, fills his buck tag, but he can still hunt 4 other does (or a buck for friend).

I'll think more on whether I support it or not, meanwhile, I don't think it would be easy to enforce.

[crue86]

 It would be almost impossible to enforce. They have there hands full the way it is. I two am out there for some meat---don't get me wrong i would love to shoot a trophey, but now that i have two sons out there hunting i would rather let a deer run by me so my children have more of a chance of getting a shot. I don't care who fills my tag-i have shot enough over the years that i would rather enjoy my kids having that chance. The only thing that i think should change is that where i hunt central mn the doe permits givin out are Only 30 per our area. I think in those area's if you apply and receive one of the 30 permits givin out in a area YOU SHOULD HAVE TO FILL YOUR LICENSE with THAT DOE TAG and not get to pick what you want to shoot. They give these permits out to balance the population. I know many that apply for and have received that WON"t shoot a doe even if they get the tag.

[GRIZ]

It would be almost impossible to enforce. They have there hands full the way it is. I two am out there for some meat---don't get me wrong i would love to shoot a trophey, but now that i have two sons out there hunting i would rather let a deer run by me so my children have more of a chance of getting a shot. I don't care who fills my tag-i have shot enough over the years that i would rather enjoy my kids having that chance. The only thing that i think should change is that where i hunt central mn the doe permits givin out are Only 30 per our area. I think in those area's if you apply and receive one of the 30 permits givin out in a area YOU SHOULD HAVE TO FILL YOUR LICENSE with THAT DOE TAG and not get to pick what you want to shoot. They give these permits out to balance the population. I know many that apply for and have received that WON"t shoot a doe even if they get the tag.

It wouldn't be impossible to enforce. In areas where there are multiple tags, who cares there should be a reason for the muliple tags in that area. In other areas the way I see it is simple, no valid tag no gun.

[Auggie]

It would be almost impossible to enforce. They have there hands full the way it is. I two am out there for some meat---don't get me wrong i would love to shoot a trophey, but now that i have two sons out there hunting i would rather let a deer run by me so my children have more of a chance of getting a shot. I don't care who fills my tag-i have shot enough over the years that i would rather enjoy my kids having that chance. The only thing that i think should change is that where i hunt central mn the doe permits givin out are Only 30 per our area. I think in those area's if you apply and receive one of the 30 permits givin out in a area YOU SHOULD HAVE TO FILL YOUR LICENSE with THAT DOE TAG and not get to pick what you want to shoot. They give these permits out to balance the population. I know many that apply for and have received that WON"t shoot a doe even if they get the tag.

Exactly. You apply for a doe tag and get one, it gets filled with a doe and not a buck. As far as party hunting I could care less one way or the other. Deer camp isn't about the hunting for me anymore. It is about getting together with the people. I hold out on filling my tag as rule anyway so I can spend as much time in the field as possible. With a group and by myself. If a monster shows up early in the season and I am done so be it. I will head someplace I can hunt. If I want meat I go to an area where it can be harvested. I just returned from the Black Hills with 10 deer in 2 days of hunting for five guys. And we didn't hunt very hard. I am with Dakids on the rut. Quit shooting the small bucks and it wouldn't matter.
As for the enforcement it would be pretty cut and dry. Like Griz said, no tag no gun. In areas where we have only one tag to use, guys might not be so likely to fill their tag with someone else's deer. It would kinda take care of itself. In multiple tag areas who cares, they are not going to enforce it anyway. They want the population controlled.

[roydarecker]

I hunt both ways when we go rifle hunting we kids with us and have always had the policy to let them fill any tag. I may hold off and look for a trophy the first days to let all the youngsters have a chance. By doing this it has presented situations that wouldn't have happened if I had been shooting anything that walked by.

[HUNTER2]

One time we were goose hunting in a blind with 3 of us. We all shot a 1 goose. It dropped and the warden came over asked us who shot it. We said we didn't know. He said one of you have to put his gun away. No party hunting for geese. I guess I don't want anybody shooting my deer for me either.

[Auggie]

Like I said. It would police itself. People would not be so likely to give up a tag on just any deer.

[22lex]

Like I said. It would police itself. People would not be so likely to give up a tag on just any deer.

I'm with you on that Auggie. I too believe it would police itself.

It kind of sounds like "the powers that be" around my area are really pushing for a rule change to push off the gun season by a week as a test run for the state. I have also read in publication down here that they are trying to stop cross tagging for bucks, which is just fine with me. It won't affect me, or alot of my hunting friends as we have all grown up hunting by ourselves, and most of us bowhunt pretty hard anyways. If anything it gives the bowhunters an extra week to bag the hog they are searching for.

I'm really partial with TW's outlook as deer hunting is a rich family tradition in Minnesota. Is it too over-regulated? I don't know, but down here it more or less sounds like a bunch of sniveling by land-owning bowhunters whose neighbors shoot all the small bucks and it's pissin them off.

I would like to shoot a bruiser every year, but that doesn't happen, especially years when you have a new child and you are just out for meat and the experience.

I guess when the options of a sport become more limited, by this I mean more rules regulating it, it seems to lose it's luster and it's draw to the public for which it was intended.

[trout whisperer]

all these regulators.....rules, dnr, deer hunters associations.....they start with such great intentions.....somewhere along the line.......they get out of control...and over control.....
im not opposed to big bucks...but the folks driving the deer season towards that.....or away from from something alot of us grew up with......buy a lis......shoot a deer for meat....just a regualr old deer hunt........at least for me...its becoming more and more frustrating......

if you  look at the deer hunt/lis regulations....not just the fall dnr deer synopsis handout....its almost illegal to hunt or shoot a deer in minnesota...a countless number of laws...you may possibly break...for hunting a deer...........thats how ridiculous its becoming...

[Bufflehead]

This stopping of party hunting, is all about trophy hunting.


Trophy hunting instills a dollar figure on the animal. To follow comes pay hunting....or even more poaching for the value of a book class head/horns. Yet another step towards the pricing out of the common man/women. Why should the few, the greedy make the rules for those who hunt for the best reason. To provide Venison for their families table. Too many who now have to have the "Best" gun, "Best" SUV, "Best" cabin, "Best" ATV, Etc are now using their cash and influence to change the rules from you taking their deer. See, Mr "Best" has his million dollar cabin/property next to your property. He feeds the deer, puts out food plots, antler grower, Etc. but he is unable to keep you..Mr just want to put Venison in the freezer, from shooting "His" deer(small bucks, Etc) when they cross the property line.

Sad deal IMO...every where you look these days, one will find greed. Me first and the heck with everybody else. If this passes, people like old Gramps who has a tough time getting around and can't handle the cold anymore but loves to be in the woods just a little...loves the venison from the deer that one of his grandson's or daughters almost always shoots for him...won't be putting the venison in the freezer and will just have to enjoy the little that had to be divided up among the camp from those lucky enough to put a animal down. I hope the Auto Insurance Ind. ways in on this Brain Fart

 Have a great day   

[jamieheiden]

I started deer hunting in non-traditional way. By the time I was old enough to Hunt my Father had been long done hunting. At age 29 myself and 2 buddies decided we wanted to try deer hunting. None of us had ever hunted before. I bought a rifle and one buddy had his grandfathers rifle and the last buddy own old british army rifle. We spent count less hour on the range make sure we new our guns. We were nerious to hunt public land because of all the horrer stories. So we started asking everyone we new for premission to hunt there property. We found real quick it was not easy task to get premission. The week before opener we finally got premission hunt on some properity 2 hours north. So with one trip to scout the properity wich was supposed to be 40 acres, but ended up being 20 acres because landowner didn't get a long with neighbor on one side. So we began reading the regulations I could not believe how complicated is was. All three of us read the regs book and had hardly any idea if we were staying legal. The area we hunt was one week season , so being two college stundents and one working stiff we could only hunt the two Saterdays of the season. Little did we know but there was every little sign of deer on the propertiy at all. I made it hunt on middle of the week. We had no luck we did't even see a deer between the three of us. So to sum it up by end first deer season I spent alot of time and money and had nothing but frustration to show for it. I was not one to give up easily and new there would be a learning curve in deer hunting, but for me the biggest frustation was the regulations
and short season. I problely would never deer hunt again, but had good freind that was avivid Bow hunter. He would share his stories of him and his 2 boys hunt experiences with me. I new that it was some thing I wanted to try some more. I bought a bow in early spring began to shoot every day untel I was proficient before fall came around. My  Bow hunting friend became my mentor during the 3.5 month season I had time to learn what to do and alot of what not to do. With help great friend opertunity I was able to get three deer with my bow. Which became huge help to my young family of five through the rest of the year. I was also able to give one deer to good freind that was out of work. By end of my first bow season I was bow hunter for life. I know enough all type hunting. I can't wait to pass it on to my 5 childern as they become old enough. So I'm allways in favor simplifing regulations and creating more opprunity for hunt for the regular
working man. I enjoy scratch hunting game farm on ocasion but there is nothing like take wild game in the own enviroment. I feel every to the own style of hunting as long as it is legal.
That's my 2 cents!

[Auggie]

This stopping of party hunting, is all about trophy hunting.


Trophy hunting instills a dollar figure on the animal. To follow comes pay hunting....or even more poaching for the value of a book class head/horns. Yet another step towards the pricing out of the common man/women. Why should the few, the greedy make the rules for those who hunt for the best reason. To provide Venison for their families table. Too many who now have to have the "Best" gun, "Best" SUV, "Best" cabin, "Best" ATV, Etc are now using their cash and influence to change the rules from you taking their deer. See, Mr "Best" has his million dollar cabin/property next to your property. He feeds the deer, puts out food plots, antler grower, Etc. but he is unable to keep you..Mr just want to put Venison in the freezer, from shooting "His" deer(small bucks, Etc) when they cross the property line.

Sad deal IMO...every where you look these days, one will find greed. Me first and the heck with everybody else. If this passes, people like old Gramps who has a tough time getting around and can't handle the cold anymore but loves to be in the woods just a little...loves the venison from the deer that one of his grandson's or daughters almost always shoots for him...won't be putting the venison in the freezer and will just have to enjoy the little that had to be divided up among the camp from those lucky enough to put a animal down. I hope the Auto Insurance Ind. ways in on this Brain Fart

 Have a great day   

Very few people need to hunt for the meat in this day and age. If you figure all the time you are hunting could be spent working, all the fuel pissed away driving to and from your destination, license, ammo, and all the other little expenses, that black/white face steer gets cheaper by the pound every second. It is reality. I don't disagree with your statement totally, but many states that manage for antlers have a better deer herd than we do. There is no reason we can't have our cake and eat it too!

[MnDeerStalker]

I would be all for manageing the deer by antler size, for instance you could not take less then an eight pointer or something like that. It would help some for those smaller bucks grow. Would less deer be taken, of corse but maybe the people that got the doe tags would be more inclined to use them.

[Bufflehead]

This stopping of party hunting, is all about trophy hunting.


Trophy hunting instills a dollar figure on the animal. To follow comes pay hunting....or even more poaching for the value of a book class head/horns. Yet another step towards the pricing out of the common man/women. Why should the few, the greedy make the rules for those who hunt for the best reason. To provide Venison for their families table. Too many who now have to have the "Best" gun, "Best" SUV, "Best" cabin, "Best" ATV, Etc are now using their cash and influence to change the rules from you taking their deer. See, Mr "Best" has his million dollar cabin/property next to your property. He feeds the deer, puts out food plots, antler grower, Etc. but he is unable to keep you..Mr just want to put Venison in the freezer, from shooting "His" deer(small bucks, Etc) when they cross the property line.

Sad deal IMO...every where you look these days, one will find greed. Me first and the heck with everybody else. If this passes, people like old Gramps who has a tough time getting around and can't handle the cold anymore but loves to be in the woods just a little...loves the venison from the deer that one of his grandson's or daughters almost always shoots for him...won't be putting the venison in the freezer and will just have to enjoy the little that had to be divided up among the camp from those lucky enough to put a animal down. I hope the Auto Insurance Ind. ways in on this Brain Fart

 Have a great day   

Very few people need to hunt for the meat in this day and age. If you figure all the time you are hunting could be spent working, all the fuel pissed away driving to and from your destination, license, ammo, and all the other little expenses, that black/white face steer gets cheaper by the pound every second. It is reality. I don't disagree with your statement totally, but many states that manage for antlers have a better deer herd than we do. There is no reason we can't have our cake and eat it too!

First off, too many speak from a cities perspective. Not everybody lives in the cities. No driving or many other expenses are involved. Oh, and yes many if not all rural people count on the meat. It's tough to earn a living in out state Minnesota. The few Jobs that were available are disappearing at a alarming rate. I think you will find a much different attitude towards this where mouth's to feed out weighs antlers that no matter how you cook them..feeds no one, but once again..money and power will win over I'm sure. Rules made in the metro area and forced upon all others outside the cities. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if the shoe was on the other foot.

Chuck   

[HUNTER2]

Well, I don't live in the cities and I would be for a 8 point or bigger. You can still shoot the does and fawns. 

[kingfisher1]

well said bufflehead.  I agree with you 110%.  I live in the cities and count on the meat.  I even took the money I paid for my deer license and bonus tags, gas used to get up and back, and food eaten while deer hunting.  After butchering (we butcher our own deer to save $$), I took the toatl weight of meat and compared it to cheap beef prices.  I ended up coming out around $200 ahead after all said and done. 

[MnDeerStalker]

I count on the meat as well and this year with me being unemployed for the last few months and not getting unimployment checks all my family has been eating is venison. Now all I had to invest (this year) was my license as I live in the country and hunt a few hundred yards from my door so it dosn't realy cost me that much, granted some people go buy new gear and such every year but we didn't have the money this year so I went with what I had and it worked just fine.

[trout whisperer]

mndeerstalker.....deer meat is much less expensive at my house as well......excellent point...lets give the other seven points to the wealthy horn hunters......

[22lex]

This stopping of party hunting, is all about trophy hunting.


Trophy hunting instills a dollar figure on the animal. To follow comes pay hunting....or even more poaching for the value of a book class head/horns. Yet another step towards the pricing out of the common man/women. Why should the few, the greedy make the rules for those who hunt for the best reason. To provide Venison for their families table. Too many who now have to have the "Best" gun, "Best" SUV, "Best" cabin, "Best" ATV, Etc are now using their cash and influence to change the rules from you taking their deer. See, Mr "Best" has his million dollar cabin/property next to your property. He feeds the deer, puts out food plots, antler grower, Etc. but he is unable to keep you..Mr just want to put Venison in the freezer, from shooting "His" deer(small bucks, Etc) when they cross the property line.

Sad deal IMO...every where you look these days, one will find greed. Me first and the heck with everybody else. If this passes, people like old Gramps who has a tough time getting around and can't handle the cold anymore but loves to be in the woods just a little...loves the venison from the deer that one of his grandson's or daughters almost always shoots for him...won't be putting the venison in the freezer and will just have to enjoy the little that had to be divided up among the camp from those lucky enough to put a animal down. I hope the Auto Insurance Ind. ways in on this Brain Fart

 Have a great day   

Very few people need to hunt for the meat in this day and age. If you figure all the time you are hunting could be spent working, all the fuel pissed away driving to and from your destination, license, ammo, and all the other little expenses, that black/white face steer gets cheaper by the pound every second. It is reality. I don't disagree with your statement totally, but many states that manage for antlers have a better deer herd than we do. There is no reason we can't have our cake and eat it too!

First off, too many speak from a cities perspective. Not everybody lives in the cities. No driving or many other expenses are involved. Oh, and yes many if not all rural people count on the meat. It's tough to earn a living in out state Minnesota. The few Jobs that were available are disappearing at a alarming rate. I think you will find a much different attitude towards this where mouth's to feed out weighs antlers that no matter how you cook them..feeds no one, but once again..money and power will win over I'm sure. Rules made in the metro area and forced upon all others outside the cities. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if the shoe was on the other foot.

Chuck   

Chuck,

I can see your point about this, but I wouldn't generalize all of those disagreeing with you as a "cities perspective" because there are quite a few "non-cities" people on here.

As for voicing your opinion on this matter, I would find all avenues I could to let the DNR/State/anyone know what the rural people feel about this instead of stating how money will prevail in the end. These days EVERYONE has an e-mail and telephone number, especially government people, so you could find someone pretty easily that way to send a couple letters to.

I have had great luck e-mailing the DNR with questions, and they usually respond within a day or so. If you are concerned about this from a perpective that laws may affect you not getting enough meat for your family, I'd be barking too.

[Auggie]

This stopping of party hunting, is all about trophy hunting.


Trophy hunting instills a dollar figure on the animal. To follow comes pay hunting....or even more poaching for the value of a book class head/horns. Yet another step towards the pricing out of the common man/women. Why should the few, the greedy make the rules for those who hunt for the best reason. To provide Venison for their families table. Too many who now have to have the "Best" gun, "Best" SUV, "Best" cabin, "Best" ATV, Etc are now using their cash and influence to change the rules from you taking their deer. See, Mr "Best" has his million dollar cabin/property next to your property. He feeds the deer, puts out food plots, antler grower, Etc. but he is unable to keep you..Mr just want to put Venison in the freezer, from shooting "His" deer(small bucks, Etc) when they cross the property line.

Sad deal IMO...every where you look these days, one will find greed. Me first and the heck with everybody else. If this passes, people like old Gramps who has a tough time getting around and can't handle the cold anymore but loves to be in the woods just a little...loves the venison from the deer that one of his grandson's or daughters almost always shoots for him...won't be putting the venison in the freezer and will just have to enjoy the little that had to be divided up among the camp from those lucky enough to put a animal down. I hope the Auto Insurance Ind. ways in on this Brain Fart

 Have a great day   

Very few people need to hunt for the meat in this day and age. If you figure all the time you are hunting could be spent working, all the fuel pissed away driving to and from your destination, license, ammo, and all the other little expenses, that black/white face steer gets cheaper by the pound every second. It is reality. I don't disagree with your statement totally, but many states that manage for antlers have a better deer herd than we do. There is no reason we can't have our cake and eat it too!

First off, too many speak from a cities perspective. Not everybody lives in the cities. No driving or many other expenses are involved. Oh, and yes many if not all rural people count on the meat. It's tough to earn a living in out state Minnesota. The few Jobs that were available are disappearing at a alarming rate. I think you will find a much different attitude towards this where mouth's to feed out weighs antlers that no matter how you cook them..feeds no one, but once again..money and power will win over I'm sure. Rules made in the metro area and forced upon all others outside the cities. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if the shoe was on the other foot.

Chuck   

Chuck,
     Your preaching to the choir. I grew up on a farm. I live 15 miles from anyplace with a population other than a hog barn. You don't need to tell me how hard it is to make a $. I need to work twice as long to get paid half as much. The finished product I am sitting on would make your head spin. Who comes first the house payment or the deer head that just got finished up? You want to guess? Or should I just tell you. No unemployment check is going to come here when I don't get paid. If you want to talk about antlers putting food in the mouth of a family you came to the right guy. Do I depend on the meat? No. Do I enjoy the meat? Sure I do. But after years of ignorant thought, I figured it out. Per ounce my T-bone and pork chop is cheaper than backstrap.
     Pound for pound beef is cheaper than venison, I don't care who you are. I am not talking about the crap you purchase at Cub Foods either. I am talking about good home raised beef. The kind where the burger and the steak cost the same price per pound when you finish butchering it. To many of you are forgetting the time factor. Fuel, license cost, ammo, guns, clothing, all the little things add up. But TIME is the biggest. The average deer might give you 75lbs of meat if trimmed well. Some more, most less by the time you cut out shot damage. I doubt many of you meat hunters are shooting all your deer in the head. Sit down and really figure out the $ and TIME you have invested into deer hunting. The numbers do not add up. The same money will go much farther on a quarter of beef or a half a hog.
     I have a pig right now that lives on garbage and table scraps. Banana peels and slop. All of the unused and over ripe veggies from my garden. He really loved all the pumpkins and guts that were saved from Halloween. Apples from the ground that have fallen off the tree. Guess where all the potatoes and onions that don't make the winter will go? Fattest little porker you ever seen. I might have $30 worth of commercial feed in him by the time I put his ass in the freezer. And that is a big maybe. I will spend about $25 to get his ham and bacon cured and the rest will be cut, ground, and packaged by yours truly. If I still have plenty of meat in the freezer I might sell half of him. You want to compare pound for pound the cost of venison to this pig? I didn't think so.
     Please, before you accuse someone of pushing a metro view down your throat do a little research. 22Lex is right. Call and email your DNR and congressman if you disagree. That is your right. Use it.