Just wondering what you guys think? Our Bow season begins on Sept.10 (always the first Sat. after Labor Day) and ends on Oct.7, ML opens Oct.8 and ends Oct.14 and Gun opens Oct.15 and ends Jan.2 During gun season you can hunt with rifle, shotgun, pistol (certain requirements) ML, or Bow. Dogs are also allowed in a large portion of the state as well.Our bag limits are 6 deer per season only 2 of which must be does. That means you can kill 4 bucks of any size, no antler requirements whatsoever. Do you think this long gun season with liberal bag limits has anything to do with our area having fewer big bucks considering we have usually mild winters and we are still an agriculture state? Oh yea by the way we can't hunt on Sundays though[&:]I really think there needs to be some changes in the number of bucks allowed to be taken or maybe splitting up gun season with shotgun only season or shorter gun season and re-open bow only or late season ML. I think we have potential for some really nice deer but I do not think we will get them if we keep this up. Am I wrong? I LOVE the long season but it seems as though we are behind other states in more up-to-date management plans? Thanks for any input.

Well.....you asked.

I think the restrictions on antlered deer should be tighter (less harvested). I think 2 a yr would be PLENTY. The way it is now.....people don't have to even think when they see a deer.......they just shoot. I'd think twice before pulling the trigger on a spike......if it only allowed me 1 more all year.

Why can't we bow hunt, here, during ML season? Nope. It's against the law. Did you notice the rut was in FULL stride during ML season?? I did.

Why can't I hunt on Sundays??? It would be a choice issue if hunting were allowed. People could STILL choose NOT to hunt. How about archery-only on Sundays to test it out? How about "no dogs"? How aboutmoving into the modern era?

I'm a BIT PO'd about how NCWRC is run.....and who makes the rules around here. We're cow-towing to the wrong people, here......solely to win elections.

Jeff

Guys-

I agree about Sunday hunting, it should definetly be a choice. I am from the mountains, and not from down in the agriculture, but up here we are allowed 2 bucks and 4 does. Up here our rut falls right in rifle season. I think that is a mistake. Also, I would love to see some type of antler restrictions. I totally understand that some guys are after meat, and not antlers, but any hunter who shoots a spike or 4 pt. and says he did it just for the meat...That is BS shoot a doe! Also, our buck to doe ratio is way out of whack up here...I would like to see some type of reward system for shooting a doe...IT IS NOT HARD TO SHOOT A DOE. So give us one buck tag, then you get your second, after you shoot a doe. Also, Rather than gun in the rut, have an early muzzleloader in October and have gun season run from middle of december to middle of january. Thats my two cents.

That's what I'm getting at. I have heard that the insurance lobbyist have something to do with putting pressure on the hunting regs in our state ( saying they are paying out too much for deer related accidents). I have no idea if that is true or not. We have got to change things here especially in the eastern region. We definately do not need more than 2 bucks if they do not put antler restrictions. As far as those who claim they are Meat hunters, the ones I see will shoot a young 4pt. standing beside a fat doeDoesn't make sense. I personally try not to shoot a buck unless he is going on the wall...not saying that is what everyone else should do... just what I choose. If I want backstraps I'll shoot a doe because our buck to doe ratio is also WAY OUTTA WHACK...it seems like it is about 8 does per buck. That is probably why we hardly ever see bucks fighting...they don't need to fight for does...plenty to go around. I can't even remember when our bag limits were not the same as they are now? They must have been like this for at least the past 10 yrs? Maybe the ones making the regs and laws need to do more hunting!! Sorry for the venting[:@]

Guys.....
I could not agree more. I hunt in Chatham, Wake and Surry, I will not shoot any bucks unless it's nice. In Surry, our club will only let you shoot bucks if they are 8pts or more with a 14" spred. Anything less cost you. If he has less tan 8 pts it's $300.00 if he's an 8 pointer and less than 14" spred it's $100.00. We are trying to get the herd to grow. Now if someone brings a kid up thats never dropped a deer we let the kid shoot what ever they see. ( got to help bring kids into hunting) The game people told us to fill our tags with does and they would give us more doe tags. If needed.

If we all would shoot does we would have better deer in this state. Many years ago we had bigger deer. Shame on NC.

Here in Rockingham and Randolph county our bag limits are also a max of 2 bucks. You also have the options of shooting 5 does and 1 buck or 6 does. I think this is a step in the right direction, but there does need to be some antler restrictions. A good start would be 4 on 1 side like other states have adopted. I personally have started that plan and have no reason to do otherwise, but others around where I hunt don't give a damn about management. And I really don't think they would care even if the laws were on the books anyway.

Boldplate-

Whereabouts Surry County do you hunt??? My girlfriend is from down in the Siloam area. Her dad has killed some great bucks down there. All that corn and soybeans can grow some deer. Compared to the mountains, I love going down there and seeing deer, it makes me feel like I am in Illinois or Iowa LOL.

Back to the subject-

Anywhere in the country you go, the majority of the bucks killed are gonna be young. We are no different, we just need to tweak the regulations to benefir the deer and the deer hunter. I believe the key is to get more bucks to 3 1/2 years old. At 3 1/2, they are almost at maturity and real wallhanger status. If we can get some bucks to 3 1/2, then some will make it beyond that, and thats when we can have some monsters running around. An antler restriction would go along way in getting more age on the deer. Not to long ago I read that in Ohio (a trophy destination for sure) 95% of bucks killed statewide are 1 1/2. 2% are 2 1/2, and the bucks left reach 3 1/2. Ohio grows some monsters, so if their situation is that bad, Im sure ours is worse. We got to encourage the harvest of does, and make guns seasons around the rut, not during.

can't tell you guys how many petitions i've signed for point restrictions. i'm in wnc myself.

As already stated, in Peidmont...2 buck limit...Eastern NC..with the dog hunters and farmers crying about the crops...they can kill 4 bucks...Dog hunters could care less what they shoot...they don't have time to evaluate the rack, as a good still hunter does...Get rid of dog hunting, then change the regs.

Thanks for the input guys. I was wondering if I was the only one around here that felt like this.