Keep Up The Good Fight for Small Game Season.

[Retired Army Guy]

Well, best I can tell/interpret reading the draft WRD/DNR deer plan they are undecided as how to exactly implement a Sate Wide Deer Season. Although not great news for us small game hunters it may buy us a little time before the official decision is made. It appears our voices have been heard about small game hunters being pushed out by lengthening the Deer season in the Northern Zone. How the Legislators, WRD and DNR will handle this (or if they will handle it & just ignore us) is the big question.

The December break is gaining a little ground I was glad to see. I think we are going to loose at least one week if not two as I don't see the Southern Zone "shortening" their deer season. As an avid Deer hunter AND Rabbit hunter I think the December Break is the best compromise & believe it helps both sets of hunters. The deer settle down & go back to normal patterns making hunting more predictable when season resumes. Small Game Hunters wont loose two weeks when the deer season is more than likely extended to match the Southern Zone. But hey that's just me and my opinion.

The purpose of this post is to thank all the Small Game Hunters who went to bat for us and made our voices heard. Please keep up the pressure calling & emailing our legislators and WRD-DNR folks. Also educate our fellow deer only hunters. Many never think or realize that when you extend deer season you push small game hunters out of the woods. All they see & think is " small game season is open what are they complaining about?" Just ask them how they would feel if you ran a pack of hounds past their deer stand or treed a squirrel next to their stand and the light bulb goes on!

One last request please don't turn this into a big gripe session where everyone is trying to rip the other apart because they don't agree with the others views. As hunters that only makes us all look stupid. Hunters quarreling against hunters. Were all going to have battles ahead with society becoming less and less hunter oriented. We have to get along and stand united or all of hunting as we know it will fade away.

 

[jakebuddy]

thank you for your service,
I am not real sure I understand what the big campaign of calls and emails were about please elaborate. were you wanting seasons altered on private land or public

 

[Retired Army Guy]

Many People want the entire state to have the same deer hunting dates- currently the southern zone is two weeks longer than the northern zone. If made the same the northern zone deer dates would probably be extended to match the southern zone.

Many small game hunters have been protesting this with the State agencies for years. (emails-calls -demonstrations etc) In theory it takes two more weeks away from small game hunters. We lost two weeks when they took the December Break away years ago. You Cant small game hunt with deer hunters in the woods it does not work and creates dangerous confrontations! If the State extends the northern zone to match the southern zone they need to do something to replace the two weeks of small game hunting opportunity's that will be lost.

 

[justhuntinSC]

We lost our two week break on WMA in SC game zone 2 this year. A real bummer for me as I looked forward to this each year. BJ

 

[jakebuddy]

in my opinion its a joke too say you can manage deer or any wildlife on a state wide level I would not mind seeing the season more broken up if that's what the science dictates. just tired of politicians and special interest groups changing things to fit themselves. Ga has the longest most liberal seasons of almost any state if you can't find time to hunt here you might not be doing it right

 

[silverfox]

DNRsay they are concerned about losing licensed hunters every year and are committed to helping the kids ,we are losing as a small game hunter how many got hooked on hunting as a kid going squirrell ,rabbit,quail hunting .Season starts too early now and with the loss of the December break now the plans to extend deer season,don't get me wrong I am an avid deer hunter too but in reality you can't do much squirrell hunting until the leaves start falling.I raise and train sq dogs but with the time and cost associated with that it's looking like it's not worth it keeping dogs and having a virtual eight weeks to be in the woods with them

 

[justhuntinSC]

DNRsay they are concerned about losing licensed hunters every year and are committed to helping the kids ,we are losing as a small game hunter how many got hooked on hunting as a kid going squirrell ,rabbit,quail hunting .Season starts too early now and with the loss of the December break now the plans to extend deer season,don't get me wrong I am an avid deer hunter too but in reality you can't do much squirrell hunting until the leaves start falling.I raise and train sq dogs but with the time and cost associated with that it's looking like it's not worth it keeping dogs and having a virtual eight weeks to be in the woods with them

Well said, I agree completely. BJ

 

[crackerdave]

Well, best I can tell/interpret reading the draft WRD/DNR deer plan they are undecided as how to exactly implement a Sate Wide Deer Season. Although not great news for us small game hunters it may buy us a little time before the official decision is made. It appears our voices have been heard about small game hunters being pushed out by lengthening the Deer season in the Northern Zone. How the Legislators, WRD and DNR will handle this (or if they will handle it & just ignore us) is the big question.

The December break is gaining a little ground I was glad to see. I think we are going to loose at least one week if not two as I don't see the Southern Zone "shortening" their deer season. As an avid Deer hunter AND Rabbit hunter I think the December Break is the best compromise & believe it helps both sets of hunters. The deer settle down & go back to normal patterns making hunting more predictable when season resumes. Small Game Hunters wont loose two weeks when the deer season is more than likely extended to match the Southern Zone. But hey that's just me and my opinion.

The purpose of this post is to thank all the Small Game Hunters who went to bat for us and made our voices heard. Please keep up the pressure calling & emailing our legislators and WRD-DNR folks. Also educate our fellow deer only hunters. Many never think or realize that when you extend deer season you push small game hunters out of the woods. All they see & think is " small game season is open what are they complaining about?" Just ask them how they would feel if you ran a pack of hounds past their deer stand or treed a squirrel next to their stand and the light bulb goes on!

One last request please don't turn this into a big gripe session where everyone is trying to rip the other apart because they don't agree with the others views. As hunters that only makes us all look stupid. Hunters quarreling against hunters. Were all going to have battles ahead with society becoming less and less hunter oriented. We have to get along and stand united or all of hunting as we know it will fade away.

Good thread,sir.
I will continue to work at getting young folks into squirrel hunting with dogs.
Our voice as small game hunters is getting weaker,and unless we can stand together and make ourselves heard,we will soon be extinct.