Their thinking about moving the start date up 2 weeks to Sept.1 and have it go out on Jan. 15th. instead of Jan. 31st. The reasoning is that small game hunters mostly on the eastern side are locked out of farms due to deer hunting leases, by moving the season up two weeks it would allow them more access for hunting. Any comments?

Its hot enough sept. 15th here. We have to put up with spiders ticks and copperheads. But I like it because the deer stack up in the soybean fields in the evenings around here in the late summer. I also heard that they are talking about extending the unlimited doe limit to more than just the 6 middle counties like last year. That is ok with me.
Thanks for your continuing updates on the situation in Md. in the NE forum.

Well, last year I started bowhunting on crop damage permits July first. Now try that one if you want heat. It's a bear to climb up in a stand already sweating in a T shirt at 5:30 with the temperature hovering in the high 80s. You go earlier it might be 90. I personnaly like the idea. The end of January they are herded up in a big way. Getting drawn or going undetected is tough. I love the cover you get in early season. And like someone said, they're on the food sources. Much easier to pattern. It gives you a better chance of getting one in velvet. They are more dispersed offering more and multiple opportunities. In late January it's feast(and then can you draw?) or famine. Besides that, after watching all the bucks during crop damage and not being able to shoot them, I'm ready to whack a horned bugger.

I wish they'd go 9/1 to Feb. 28. It's a bunch of garbage about the small game hunters not having access. Very, very few people are out bowhunting after late muzzleloader anyway. Personally, it's my favorite time to go (aside from the first week of Nov.).

It doesn't make sense to cut the season shorter when they say they need to kill more deer. Why don't they give us the month of Dec. to gun hunt and the month of Jan. to powder hunt?

And why not give Feb. to small game hunters instead of ending the seasons Jan. 31?

I guess that it just makes too much sense.

BBB, I attended a meeting with DNR on Friday and it was explained that the farmers who lease out for deer hunting are obligated to not allow anyone else on their property until after the deer seasons are over. This leaves only 9 days for the small game hunters. DNR has been asked to move bow season up 2wks to allow them more time. We would not be losing 2wks. Having small game the full month of Feb. won't work because when the weather is warm like it is now the critters mate early.

I don't know why the 2 groups can't work something out. Where I hunt late season I kind of enjoy the sound of beagles at about 10am when you froze your butt off and haven't seen a thing. I know that the hounds will get the deer up and moving and the deer will either pass by to escape or will pass me when they return to their beds.

DNR is proposing changes for everything except small game. Do you want me to split the proposals into the different Forms ie.. Bowhunting topic here, Turkey topic there or just list all at NE Form? Which would be the more effective?

Natty B, your welcome.

I wouldn't have a problem with it except for the heat factor, but I hunted doves for years when it opened on the first and survived the heat.

Rick

i'm wondering if this has anything to do with DNR adding a third week to gun season, that NO 1 Gamewarden was referring to a couple of weeks ago. just a thought

Tell them to leave it alone! It's ok as it is! Let those small game hunters out sept 1.

I never start until oct. because of the heat!

since I hunt private land i could care less when the season opens and closes, I know i will get enought deer to fill my freezer, if all the small game hunters want to hunt more let them go to public lands like everyone else who dosn`t have access to hunt private, or let them pay the farmers to hunt small game like big game hunters do.

evan

Georgia is moving our season up to Sept 7. beacuse they are moving rifle season up a week. Also making cross bows legal for everybody.
They will be allowing anyone over 70 years old to use a rifle in archery season also. Where that came from, I dont know.