NHBuck

Last year I hunted in Lewis county at the old family farm. Old because when the wifes Grandmother died it was sold out of the family. The guy that owns it is still nice enough to let her uncle and Cousin hunt it each season and last year allowed me as well. Foolish to let it out of the family as it is a gorgeous piece of land. My cousin took a 4PT and I took a doe. My Uncle must have pointed out 3 or 4 spikes over the two days he hunted with me. I couldn't even see the spikes as they were all 75 yds or more away.( Got bi-focals when I got home!) This year my Uncle got a 5 point with a funky looking rack according to his Christmas call the other day. Now after the intro back to what I had to add to the topic.

I was in heaven from a comparison standpoint when it came to seeing deer. I know many folks here in NH that go several years without even seeing a deer . They do put in some time and are good hunters. You see our total deer pop is approx 75,000 and our total kill each year is around 10000 by all methods combined. In WV I videotaped segments each day and caught at least 60 deer in two days on tape. Sure some may have been repeats and the folks here at home were stunned at the amount of deer. I learned a great deal about their behavior and body movement/language etc.. I figured I saw around 200 deer in the 4 days total I was at the property. All running in groups of at least two sometimes as many as 8 nose to ass parading through the woods. Not one that I saw was a buck. Sure my Uncle said a few were spikes but even if they were, the spikes were so small, in open areas I could not see the spikes. Yes I got glasses when I got home but I only had one eye that was off the other one tested perfect.

The evening before my last day I went to Wally World and bought a doe permit. My Uncle who has hunted there his whole life never even knew you could buy a permit to use for does during opening week of rifle. Come to think of it when I mentioned it the night prior to the last day I was to hunt neither did my cousin. I was familiar because I read the DNR web site hunting regs several times. Got ribed for settling for the doe by my Uncle. Told him horn soup ain't to good but and horn steaks are tough on the teeth besides I had to take a doe so the rest of the deer can grow up good and strong and maybe when I come back there will be a fe with antlers.

So yes to wrap it up perhaps they should better educate folks on the availability of doe permits. Put in a 4 point or better antler restriction and shorten the buck season for 5 years to one week for firearms. Leave bow season as is. Make muzzleloader the same as rifle 4 pts or better. Have a 3 day doe season or have 3 consecutive Saturdays of doe only. Make it mandatory to check deer and when they are checked they need to be inspected. Then enforce this. Here in NH the deer needs to be checked and inspected. Most stations charge from 2 to 4 bucks to check your deer. If it is not checked you face a stiff fine and loss of hunting privelages for a few years. Just some suggestions. You know I was down there 4th of July weekend this year and saw a bunch of deer even in the middle of the day and none were bucks either. I love it down there and came close to buying some property in Ritchie county but decided to wait til the job transfers me..