Fair enough, it just seems from your descriptions that overall deer numbers are too high, regardless of antlers or not. More gun hunting= more population control. Like you say though, more things could be done as far as ratios go, such as doe only seasons and such.

I dont think a prolonged gun season will increase buck to doe kill ratios...in fact, it may have the exact opposite effect...think about it, you are a gun hunter, and you have 2 weeks to kill a deer...are you going to be very selective? Give the same guy 1 month to hunt and he may begin to start letting smaller deer pass since he isnt in a time crunch to get it done.

Whether hunters kill does for meat instead of small bucks isnt in the seasons, it is the attitude of the hunting masses. If, like TreedNC said, hunters are beginning to come around and the numbers arechanging, this is due to a change inhunters attitude...These guys will most likely not reverse this attitude simply because they have longer hunting seasons.


Just trying to look at the glass as half full, i can see this being beneficial to your Deer numbers, only time will tell though.

I wouldnt say everywhere....and I havent read the record books, but Id say most of the people I know or know peoplethat know people(you get the idea) are being more selective. I dont know for sure, seems like more and more big deer killed in NC according to the mags.

I think giving the unlimited number of does is a step in the right direction but I also believe it has to be backed up by a better restriction on bucks. You just simply cannot have a 4 buck limit of any size, hunt from Sept-Jan 1 and expect to have mature bucks running around. Insurance agencies are complaining to the wildlife dept. about accidents but most of the time a deer that has been hit by a car is a doe. The only way we are going to get people to kill more does is to limit the number/size or both on the bucks you can kill. If you want more/bigger/better bucks you must mirror season bag limits of states that are producing more/bigger/better bucks. Alot of guys will still pick out that 1.5 yr old 6 pt. with a 12" spread in a field with 15 does in it...why not? he still has 3 buck tags left to get a bigger buck. PLEASE DON'T GET ME WRONG...there is nothing wrong with shooting a 1.5 yr old 6 pt. BUT if you want bigger bucks they must walk.

Well said Wolfpack.....Id like to see it 1 buck a year, unlimited does, earn the one buck you get with a doe kill (even tho I shot mine on opening day lol) and youth 15 and under are omitted. I think a lot of it has to do with the numbers on small parcels like myself that have the "if I dont kill it, somebody else will" mentality.

If I had a 2buck limit I would have still shot the 8 pt that I shot in Sept ( which I spent almost 1 hr. typing that story and loading pics earlier today before this stupid computer kicked me offline)BUT if I had a 1 buck limit or earn a buck programI would not have shot him. I had not had a shot opportunity at a doe at that time and I know there are larger bucks in the same general area. I also don't typically shoot does during November.

1 buck only. Unlimited amount of doe tags. Allow Sunday hunting. What would be so hard about that?

Wolfpack you guys in the eastern deer season are the only ones allowed to take 4 bucks. The rest of the state can take two, but I wish it was only one.

It isnt that big of a difference to me as well, because we have an early muzzleloader and gun season. I dont reallly know what to think of our WRC, you would think they would follow in the footsteps of other successful states to manage our herd better

There has been a difference, but not much of one. I was seeing a lot of dinks last year and I only saw one shooter during bow season, this year however I decreased my dink sightings, have seen two shooters, and still seeing a ton of does [:'(]I am gonna take em out next year, NO MERCY

I will probably switch to a rifle at least once a week when Dec. gets here and start my doe thinning. I still kind of like to wait until the last minute of the dayjust in case ole big boy steps out to get a bite to eat I like to shoot does early (Sept. and early Oct.) and then late season. No does for me in the last of Oct. and November.

I believe I averaged seeing 1 deer every 2-3 sits last year. I had around 30 hunts last year. I only saw 3 bucks, and around 15 doe.

This year I have hunted 12-14 times and have seen 5 does and 8 bucks. I saw three this morning when I only saw 3 all of last year. Only one shooter so far, but no shot.