• Help Support TNDeer:

Looking for opinions on season date changes

BSK said:
I have to admit, from a personal standpoint, I sure would like to be able to hunt the 1st week of November with some type of firearm. Some years (like this year), that would have been the best week of hunting.
Click to expand...
I would absolutely love to simply have a firearm season without it being divided up between muzzleloader and gun segments.
 
Absolutely not! I'm not for anything that is going to further limit my hunting opportunities just because someone wants to say they shot a deer with X amount of inches. Shoot what you want. Walk what you want. But I get a little tired of the whole "improve our buck class" thing. I didn't start hunting deer 39 years ago to measure antlers. It's not a contest, but that whole line of thinking makes it feel like one. We voluntarily restrict ourselves on our lease by majority agreement, but I would be happy with any deer. Make no mistake, I enjoy shooting the big ones too. It looks to me like plenty big ones are being shot as it is. Hunt for food and for the experience, what you make of that is up to the individual. I just don't like someone else's obsession mitigating my circumstances.
 
I like the 2 buck limit and wouldn't want to see it limited further.

Just so you know, I'm primarily a bowhunter. Probably 90% of my hunting is bowhunting on public land. I used to gun hunt a little more than I do now, but in the last 3 years, while gun hunting, I've had 2 instances of bullets ricocheting through the woods around me and 2 years ago, I caught someone scoping me. It wouldn't upset me in the least if they did away with rifles on public land. When it comes to private land, it should be up to the individuals to manage their own land. With that in mind, this is what I'd like to see:

On public land, move all gun hunts to December. Archery only from the middle of September through Thanksgiving. Any weapon from the Friday after Thanksgiving until the middle of January.

On private land, any weapon from the middle of September through the middle of January.

I know that this is selfish and would never advocate for these regulations. I wouldn't even support someone else if they pushed for them. I can physically and financially hunt anywhere I want. So, when the guns come out in TN, I just go somewhere else, where I like the regulations better, and hunt there; with the exception of a few draw hunts in TN.
 
No. But if I could pick what I want. 2 buck limit. Perfect compromise. Bow season sept and oct. let's be honest muzzleloaders now are single shot rifles so just a firearms season November and 2 weeks of december. Then have a true primitive weapon season rest of December abd first week of January. No does killed at all with a firearm. Does with a bow or primitive weapon only. I detest shooting does with a firearm. All just my opinions. It's pretty good just like it is.
 
Leave it be! This is the best age structure of deer TN has seen since I can remember" If it ain't broke don't fix it " Really it would not bother me if they made TN shotgun/ muzzleloader only the entire or at least part of gun season but I know that wouldn't work for everyone. I also know people have put a ton of money Into rifles ! Lol
 
Acorn said:
Leave it alone! If you want bigger bucks let 2.5 and 3.5 year olds walk. Work on deer habitat in the off season. Don't shoot many does that is what makes bucks and draws them in during rut. I know a guy that shoots everything that he sees and he can't understand why he doesn't see big bucks.
Click to expand...
This ^^^^^^ can be done without effecting everyone and leave TWRA out of it . Just try to get adjoining landowners involved .
 
Monk74 said:
Growing up in the late 80's and early 90's when you could legally take 15 or more bucks, I can't believe I'm asking this. How would you guys feel about shorter deer seasons? I feel like our 100+ day season is way too long. And a one buck limit would be nice. Make archery season basically the month of October. Muzzle loader is one week after juvenile. And rifle is from the first weekend in November until Sunday after thanksgiving. And I understand everyone who depends on deer meat. Let's keep the generous doe tags. Two to three years of that, I believe would drastically improve the age class of bucks in tn.
Click to expand...
I think a good number if hunters are concerned with their own personal goals of killing bigger deer than the next hunter. Hunters chase tv dreams, which I get, but if your neighbor wants to shoot 2 legal one year old bucks, good for them because it is legal. Getting the hunting regs or seasons changed to help an individual fulfill a personal goal is not a good idea
 
What are you doing to improve the age structure in your area? Are your goals the same as mine? Are you only killing one buck a year? Do you know that my herd can routinely handle the slaughter of does?
 
leave it alone. But I would love to get rid of muzzleloader and just have firearms season starting November 1st. Also agree with pickettsfhunter, let us clean the bear problem up!
 
I don't support a 1 buck limit. However, I do support a shorter season. If MZ season was 2 weeks, followed by 2 weeks of rifle season then maybe a week of rifle around Christmas that would save a lot of bucks allowing them to grow.
 
No. Turkey hunting is also being taken away little by little. License prices are still the same or going up still every few years.

I used to think deer season was too long many years ago. But then I became an adult and wasn't able to go every single day and I changed my tune quick.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top