What would happen if bow season started later and gun season ended later?

[doc]

What would happen if bow season started the first week of october and the season ended at the end of January? It would just be nice to not sweat your tail off during bow season, but have the same length season. Is there a biological reason? It would also be nice to not have the college football vs. deer hunting conflict. Any ideas?

 

[Minner]

Well, on the hunting club I used to belong to in middle Georgia, I know of at least three bucks that had already shed their horns and were mistakenly killed for does in just two seasons. Each one was the largest deer in the group so they were probably at least 2.5 years old. Another year or two and they'd have been nice deer.

I'd say that if the season lasted longer, there'd be even more bucks that had shed their antlers mistakenly shot for does. May not be the case all over Georgia, but it would be where I used to hunt.

 

[huntnnut]

Ditto what Minner said.

 

[bull0ne]

Extending the season later like whats happening in the counties around atlanta is going to get some bucks without antlers put down as does.......

IMO theres too much hunting time in between the bow opener and peak rut, in some places the deer are nocturnal by the second week of november from the hunting pressure.

But by the same token some deer get pushed over onto my side of the fence as i don't bowhunt anymore and leave the deer alone till its time to see the mature bucks on the move,which is halloween thru thanksgiving.

 

[PWalls]

Will also be shooting a good number of impregnated does by moving further into January/February.

 

[Lead Poison]

Georgia-No, Alabama-YES and PLEASE

For deer hunting in Georgia, it would be a very BAD idea because the rut usually takes place sometime in mid to late November........

However, it would be an EXCELLENT idea over in Alabama!!!!!!!! Please make it happen in Alabama.

 

[Dog Hunter]

For deer hunting in Georgia, it would be a very BAD idea because the rut usually takes place sometime in mid to late November........

However, it would be an EXCELLENT idea over in Alabama!!!!!!!! Please make it happen in Alabama.

At least some places in Alabama already go to the end of Jan. I would be all for it in GA.

 

[coon dawg]

...........

For deer hunting in Georgia, it would be a very BAD idea because the rut usually takes place sometime in mid to late November........

However, it would be an EXCELLENT idea over in Alabama!!!!!!!! Please make it happen in Alabama.

......depends on what part of Georgia you are in, Lead............rut varies quite a bit from NW to SE.........

 

[gadeerwoman]

I definitely would not support it for the northern half of the state.

 

[SGaither]

What I'm about to say may anger a few of ya'll but I believe the season should start later and end at the same time, at least for a 5 year study. This is my thinking; I have killed two nice bucks (10 point and 12 point) 15 days apart, one with a bow the other a muzzle loader. Since these two deer were killed early in the season they did not have a chance to breed and pass their genes on. My question is how often does this happen? and what affect would we as hunters see if we were to open the season in late October for a 5 year study? More deer? Better quality bucks? I know if there are more deer per square mile the habitat will suffer as the heard will eventually eat all that is available and disease is prone to attack the heard thus reducing the heard and undoing what we set out to do. I understand that nature has a ratio of habitat and birth rate (natural selection) but look at places like Red Top Mountain and Hard Labor Creek State Park. I know some people's goal in hunting is to kill a giant buck, however my goal is not to kill the giant buck but to enjoy nature and all it's beauty. I will be the first to let a buck walk if it's smaller than the biggest one I have already killed in order to kill a doe. Last year all I saw was small bucks that I let walk, never saw a doe on the club I hunted, therefore I went null for the season. Does this make any sense?

 

[gadeerwoman]

Gaither, I would have no problem with a shorter season. Been wishing for that a LONG time. But I fear it is not going to happen. And heck, there are a ton of folks out there who pay no attention to legal dates for hunting season anyway. What I'd really love to see is a better regulation/recording system for kill and a lot more rangers patrolling the woods. I don't expect to see either of those come to pass either. Legislature has a tight rein on funds.

 

[edge]

SGaither,

I agree with you. I would like to see the season begin 2 to 4 weeks later and end as it does now.

 

[leo]

I don't personally see a need to

change it

The way the seasons are set up now give the ones that want to start early the ability to do so or not.

Watching the approach of bow season, here on Woody's, tell me that a lot are more than ready to go in early September

I realize that the bow hunters need and want more time for their specialties, so do the gun hunters and Mz hunters, as I do all three it's just not an issue with me

If they could extend the season with out interfering with small game hunters and the issues of antlerless bucks I would be for it, but wonder how many would actually use it?

 

[reylamb]

Leo mentioned the one big reason I am against deer season extending into the end of January, small game hunting. While right now, I am not a big time small game hunter, it is where I started and where my kids will get their start also. How many of us began our hunting careers in January/February chasing tree rats and rabbits? Do we really want to cut into the opportunities of the future of hunting by thinning down and already thin small game season?

 

[coon dawg]

what reylamb said..........

Leo mentioned the one big reason I am against deer season extending into the end of January, small game hunting. While right now, I am not a big time small game hunter, it is where I started and where my kids will get their start also. How many of us began our hunting careers in January/February chasing tree rats and rabbits? Do we really want to cut into the opportunities of the future of hunting by thinning down and already thin small game season?

great point, and I agree......