Just one more reason to get rid of the ridiculous One-Buck rule

[Hawkeye7br]

How many deer are taken opening weekend of gun season? What is the breakdown of does vs. bucks? In the past, I often missed the first weekend due to work or other, and it seemed to me like the deer were hiding for the next 4 days!

 

[rooster]

Need to reduce the number of doe tags and actually get some enrollment in landowner habitat improvement and access programs. Indiana seems to be dead last in helping private landowners improve habitat.

Oh and maybe let’s move firearm season to not be in the rut….

You know real novel ideas that every other state is already doing.

 

[bwframe]

This thread is all over the place.

I'd just like the bonus antlerless season back. While on a wish list, let's just add a week on each end. I like my meat to go from body temp to cold as fast as possible, and age a week at 36 degrees.

Oh and lets just stop hunting on the weekends all together. Monday through Friday only.

 

[Hoosier Carry]

I like to hunt for the big boys. And I also like the venison as well. So, if the OBR went away I would be shooting that easy small buck that walks in front of me when season opens. But with the OBR I hold out for a trophy. That definitely will help keep the numbers up and provide more opportunity to those who seek any size buck. I like the rule as it is.

 

[avboiler11]

The archery mafia in this state, and the outsized pull the have on DNR policy, is ridiculous. “Gun owners killin’ mah deer….”

That being said, there’s no harm to a one-buck rule and it should remain.

I’ve yet to see a shooter buck during rifle season in the six years I’ve hunted here, but the first week of November has been magic with a crossbow.

If you want trophy bucks, provide more/better food and manage the herd through harvest. Oh, and let the the forkhorns and basket 6/8s WALK.

 

[gregr]

Need to reduce the number of doe tags and actually get some enrollment in landowner habitat improvement and access programs. Indiana seems to be dead last in helping private landowners improve habitat.

Oh and maybe let’s move firearm season to not be in the rut….

You know real novel ideas that every other state is already doing.

The seasons in Indiana are perfect as they are.

 

[gregr]

The archery mafia in this state, and the outsized pull the have on DNR policy, is ridiculous. “Gun owners killin’ mah deer….”

That being said, there’s no harm to a one-buck rule and it should remain.

I’ve yet to see a shooter buck during rifle season in the six years I’ve hunted here, but the first week of November has been magic with a crossbow.

If you want trophy bucks, provide more/better food and manage the herd through harvest. Oh, and let the the forkhorns and basket 6/8s WALK.

"Archery Mafia"? What`s that about? And I do not want to see trophy bucks here, but they happen anyway. Indiana is a well known P&Y/B&C state. As far as letting deer walk, that`s up to each individual hunter. That guy or gal who paid their money for their deer tag can shoot whatever deer makes them happy. The trophy guys don`t get to tell them what they may shoot.

 

[yetti462]

This thread is all over the place.

I'd just like the bonus antlerless season back. While on a wish list, let's just add a week on each end. I like my meat to go from body temp to cold as fast as possible, and age a week at 36 degrees.

Oh and lets just stop hunting on the weekends all together. Monday through Friday only.

While coyote hunting last night I saw over 200 deer. This was without covering much ground. I know some counties have low numbers, but don't restrict the whole state with taking away bonus antlerless season.

 

[rooster]

While coyote hunting last night I over 200 deer. This was without covering much ground. I know some counties have low numbers, but don't restrict the whole state with taking away bonus antlerless season.

Sounds like I need to be hunting with you

 

[phylodog]

How does the one buck rule negatively impact the state's whitetail population?

What is the legitimate difference between a 180# doe and a 180# buck, both dead and ready for the processor? Aside from the nut sack that is.

Why are two dead bucks better than one dead buck and one dead doe?

I have never been able to understand why it matters to a meat hunter if they kill a buck or a doe or why a young buck holds more "value" than a doe.

 

[two70]

Need to reduce the number of doe tags and actually get some enrollment in landowner habitat improvement and access programs. Indiana seems to be dead last in helping private landowners improve habitat.

Oh and maybe let’s move firearm season to not be in the rut….

You know real novel ideas that every other state is already doing.

Or maybe landowners should take some responsibility and learn to improve their own habitat. There are plenty of resources out there, including some provided by the State, upon request. Same goes for hunting. The DNR doesn't need to be constantly monkeying around with the rules and removing/reducing opportunity, hunters, again, need to be personally responsible. Voluntary restraint is not that hard.

The OBR is beyond idiotic but it's not going anywhere. There's simply no downside for the majority of hunters, whether they only hunt one season or hunt two seasons with a shared bag limit (ie. gun and muzzleloader season). Why wouldn't firearms only hunters love a rule that eliminated the extra buck tag for archery season and provided them with more targets? Worse, too many of those that do hunt multiple seasons, either have so little self control or are so worried about others that they think they can't be selective without the help of the DNR.

 

[rooster]

How does the one buck rule negatively impact the state's whitetail population?

What is the legitimate difference between a 180# doe and a 180# buck, both dead and ready for the processor? Aside from the nut sack that is.

Why are two dead bucks better than one dead buck and one dead doe?

I have never been able to understand why it matters to a meat hunter if they kill a buck or a doe or why a young buck holds more "value" than a doe.

Don’t be bringing logic and reasoning to this argument.

 

[Ruger_Ronin]

I would rather see the doe tag quota down. I remember a time when you had to apply for a doe tag, and the deer population was exponential compared to today. 1 buck can impregnate several does, but several bucks can't impregnate 1 doe.

 

[phylodog]

Voluntary restraint is not that hard.

I'm not going to claim to know the history behind the OBR. I wasn't in Indiana when it was initiated (I don't think anyway) and the only difference I've noticed is significantly more larger bucks coming from Indiana than I ever saw as a kid who was obsessed with whitetail hunting and read every magazine, news article and anything else I could to learn more about Indiana's whitetail & hunting.

 

[phylodog]

My hunting partner and I have been working on the 75 acre farm he bought for the last two years. Food plots, acres of switchgrass for cover, apple, pear & persimmon trees planted and a pond put in along with two other smaller watering holes.

We're in the lowest whitetail population density area of Owen Co and the area was smacked by EHD a few years back so the herd is trying to recover. We've neither killed a buck or a doe in the past two years and likely won't for another year or two yet we're out there spending tens of thousands and hundreds of hours of labor to improve the whitetail habitat - yet we remain an enemy of the meat hunter. It boggles my mind.

 

[1nderbeard]

My hunting partner and I have been working on the 75 acre farm he bought for the last two years. Food plots, acres of switchgrass for cover, apple, pear & persimmon trees planted and a pond put in along with two other smaller watering holes.

We're in the lowest whitetail population density area of Owen Co and the area was smacked by EHD a few years back so the herd is trying to recover. We've neither killed a buck or a doe in the past two years and likely won't for another year or two yet we're out there spending tens of thousands and hundreds of hours of labor to improve the whitetail habitat - yet we remain an enemy of the meat hunter. It boggles my mind.

for what it's worth, I hunt mainly for meat, and you're not my enemy. Private landowners can do whatever they want as far as I'm concerned.

 

[phylodog]

for what it's worth, I hunt mainly for meat, and you're not my enemy. Private landowners can do whatever they want as far as I'm concerned.

Likewise brother. The only thing I concern myself with when it comes to other hunters is that they follow the rules. I could care less what anyone kills so long as it's done lawfully. I guess I just don't see where I'm doing anything that negatively affects anyone else so I can't figure out the hostility towards how/what I prefer to hunt.

At our old lease, we would let at least 50 opportunities to take a doe or younger buck come and go without launching an arrow every season. We spent tens of thousands to improve land we didn't own to improve the habitat. We've had numerous mature bucks we were after get killed by neighbors and our only response has been to congratulate them, help them drag it out if needed and celebrate with them over a beer or bourbon. We had good numbers of does, young bucks and mature bucks each season and all of our surrounding landowners hunted like we did and everyone enjoyed an ample herd as a result.

 

[two70]

I'm not going to claim to know the history behind the OBR. I wasn't in Indiana when it was initiated (I don't think anyway) and the only difference I've noticed is significantly more larger bucks coming from Indiana than I ever saw as a kid who was obsessed with whitetail hunting and read every magazine, news article and anything else I could to learn more about Indiana's whitetail & hunting.

I'll say one thing for the OBR, it came around at a nearly perfect time to convince people that it was effective with the focus on trophy hunting exploding, population trends of the time and increasing numbers of trophies throughout Indiana and the region as whole. It's been a long time since I've looked at the numbers so the following is based on memory, only about an average of 6,000-8,000 hunters per year took two bucks in a season. The 2002 (first year under the OBR) harvest report showed a corresponding drop in the early archery buck harvest of ~7,000 over the average of the previous few years and a corresponding increase in the firearms and muzzleloader season buck harvest of ~6,500. Assuming none of that was due to normal seasonal harvest fluctuations, a likely unreasonable assumption, that is 1 extra surviving buck per every 73 square miles in the state!

 

[phylodog]

I'll say one thing for the OBR, it came around at a nearly perfect time to convince people that it was effective with the focus on trophy hunting exploding, population trends of the time and increasing numbers of trophies throughout Indiana and the region as whole.

I for one was not easily convinced it would work but I know that it did. Individual experiences may vary considerably based on a myriad of other factors but the mature/record quality bucks coming out of Indiana prior to the OBR and the numbers coming out after is absolutely telling. If there is evidence to the contrary I would be interested in seeing it. I'm certainly no expert but one thing I have paid attention to for the past 35 years is the buck quality produced in this state and it has undoubtedly improved.

There was a time when IL was bringing in millions of dollars to their state economy each year from out of state hunters wanting to kill a brute. They almost had a monopoly for a few years there, they were THE destination to go. Now many of the other states have decided to manage their resources in a similar fashion and IL has all but lost its standing as the place to go.

For the government types, whitetail are nothing more than a nuisance they have to contend with. Try to squeak as much money out of them as possible while trying to pacify the lobbyists from the Insurance companies.

 

[two70]

My hunting partner and I have been working on the 75 acre farm he bought for the last two years. Food plots, acres of switchgrass for cover, apple, pear & persimmon trees planted and a pond put in along with two other smaller watering holes.

We're in the lowest whitetail population density area of Owen Co and the area was smacked by EHD a few years back so the herd is trying to recover. We've neither killed a buck or a doe in the past two years and likely won't for another year or two yet we're out there spending tens of thousands and hundreds of hours of labor to improve the whitetail habitat - yet we remain an enemy of the meat hunter. It boggles my mind.

Kudos to you and your partner. I wish that was a first option for more on all sides. IMO, trophy or meat hunter doesn't really matter. Too many on both sides want/beg/demand the DNR to rig the game in their favor. That's fine in many cases but not when hunters are giving up opportunity for nonsense