wrongway

They keep talking on the news about the deer problem in St. Louis County.
It is probably the same people that want to stop hunting that are complaining.

They should make more of the county available to bowhunters. Hunters would pay to take out the deer, instead of the state paying sharpshooters or for relocating the deer.

I just read a story in North American Whitetail about bowhunters taking out 68% of the deer in an area that was previously off limits. The hunters had to take a doe before an antlered deer.

Stone316_74

Are you talking about St. Louis County in northern MN?

MO_Bowhnter

I believe he's talking about St. Loius County Missouri. I hunt an area of western St. Louis County where I would routinely see 20-25 deer standing by the road of the subdivision I hunted each night. Yes I'm sure the same people complaining about the deer problem are the antis but they will never understand how to get rid of the deer. Sharpshooters can only take so many. The answer is opening up more of the county to bowhunters. It will both help reduce the amount of deer and provide a lot of income from tags.

Angus74

Yes they definitely need to open some of it to hunters. I would sure be standing in the line to get in on that action. Just yesterday I was taking to a guy who showed me a bowkill from that county that he took last year, It was a 160 class buck that was pretty busted up, but still awesome. He claimed while he was gutting it a nontypical 190-200 class busk walked it on him. He didnt have a reason to lie to me about it, and seems like a serious guy, but that county definitely has lots of deer, and some really good ones.

buttonbuckmaster

I live in Illinois and used to live in Brentwood/Rock Hill area. We would see deer alot in the evening, and that was 10 years ago. I can only imagine how much the herds have grown with little to no hunting pressure and no where for them to go. PS. .....I have access to cattle trailor and some ground if the MDNR wants some help "relocating" a few good bucks.

justhunt

Last I heard, which was about 2 months ago, they were going to let some bowhunters in, but they had to take out insurance policies. If I remember right, it was something like a $1,000,000 policy was required, which no one could afford.

MO_Bowhnter

Angus, about those big bucks...my friend lives in a fairly large subdivision in Eureka around Six Flags. His yard butts up to a large patch of woods (150 acres) that sees little to no pressure. We set up a feeder about 50 yds. into the woods their last year and on nights would see 5-6 bucks at a time with one monster 12 in velvet that was beautiful. There were also several 8's a 6 and some 4's. Too bad we live so close but we cant hunt it. The only thing the property owners will let us do in mushroom hunt.

Oh well at least we get to see some great animals in our backyard.

mobow

Yeah, that's the problem. No one wants to let anyone hunt their ground. Even the ones that do are afraid their neighbors will disapprove.
As far as the insurance situation, I am pretty sure that was not for the average bowhunter. They were talking about a "professional" company coming in and cleaning them up, and they had to have major insurance. I can't remember the company, but this same group hunts deer off of airports and such. I am BIG TIME trying to find some one that will let me hunt there...
I was drawn for a hunt on conservation ground in St Louis county last fall, and man did we see the deer. In fact, right along I-44 in Fenton, there is the city dump, and I routinely see deer "dumpster diving" in the dump...I counted 55 deer in one field in that area 2 weeks ago, so yes, there is definetly a problem.
And so I ramble.....They talked about relocating the deer, but the problem with that is 90 percent of the deer die from stress anyway.

bscofield

It's EVERYONE who's complaining. Many were anti's and some were not. The bowhunting issue was hotly debated along with live trapping (which is a joke, $400-$700 per deer and a %60 mortality rate!), and professional snipers. In the end they did allow bowhunters. I just saw another clip on the news yesterday about how the people there are upset that the deer activity hasn't died down after the rut like it does most everywhere else (at least as far as the real bad road activity around urban areas goes).