Deer season is approaching

[Mobuck]

and we had a discussion about distribution of deer tags. One of the farms we operate/have access to is located in an MDC 'CWD containment zone'. Part of the MDC 'plan' is herd reduction so that farm is allotted 10 free tags(only restrictions are no adults hunting during youth season and meet firearm/weapon specific seasons). Another farm is located on the fringe of the same control area and qualifies for another 10 herd reduction tags. The issue I see is: MDC expects those tags to be filled-that's the principal of the herd reduction quota. Bad weather, poor shooting, and other interests can quickly cause these 'plans' to fail. We tried something similar on our own a couple years back during the late youth season and it was a 100% fail (kids got cold, kids were distracted, kids missed, deer were spooked by other factors).
I voted to stick with the initial 10 herd reduction tags and not end up with a handful of unfilled quota tags.
When I started hunting deer, it was a one buck season and most hunters considered themselves lucky to see a buck. Success comes with it's consequences and now we have CWD. :poop:

 

[Delbert]

Ya sound like you're a bit north of me. I'm south of I-70 and we haven't gotten any verified reports of CWD in our areas and I hope to never see it in our game animals, but conservationists do say to keep eyes on it. Especially now, since they're trying to reestablish Elk back into areas of Missouri.

 

[Mobuck]

I'm not quite far enough north to be concerned about shooting across the Iowa state line but not by much. 2023 deer season produced several more 'hot zones' in this area. I don't have much confidence in MDC's responses--too late.

 

[gnappi]

Just curious what do you do with the harvested animals? Butcher and test? Bury them?

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Ughh. Just got off phone with my youngest. He will be home on leave this THU eve and he is itching to get out for some dove FRI/SAT and muzzle loader deer next week. I'm in no shape to get out there at the moment. But he will be deployed next year for sure and he swears he can get me in and out safely ( :rolleyes: ).....

The farm we will most likely hunt in MD no worries about CWD.

The properties we will hunt if we do PA fall close to a DMA (Disease Management Area). When we give the address at the check in station they will probably want the head to be dropped in a collection bin, or ask us to send it out for a fee and wait for results prior to processing.....screw that.

Most folks don't come close to cutting into the spine or brain area.....but there are bubbas who remove the antlers with a hacksaw cutting a v cut into the skull after check in. You know where the mutilated head will end up......

 

[Mobuck]

'Just curious what do you do with the harvested animals? Butcher and test? Bury them?'
All the deer we shoot either go into our freezers or are donated to 'Share the Harvest' a program funded by local donations from church groups and other benevolent organizations in cooperation with MDC. Last year we donated 7-8 if I remember correctly. All the donated carcasses are tested for CWD by the processor.

 

[Mobuck]

While I'm not totally satisfied with the Share the Harvest program, at least the benefits stay in the local area. I don't condone the handout programs and have heard of several incidents of EBT class folks giving the free venison to their pets, I'll continue to participate rather than dump the carcasses.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Overall I think it's a decent program. Years back however it was uncovered that a local butcher who was keeping and selling some of the deer we brought in. He lost the designation as a designated FHFH (MD calls it Farmers and Hunters Feeding The Hungry) processor, there was some form of fine/restitution but I can't remember what, but he lost a ton of respect and business. We processed our own deer. But the program required tagged/checked in/ Field Dressed whole deer be donated only.

In Maryland you can harvest a lot of deer. Bag limits of antlerless over a dozen and you can still get bonus stamps after that. A couple farmers wanted us to take off as many does as possible. That was a lot of deer. Typically we would take a doe or two each season (archery, early muzzleloader, etc..). Only "targeted" or took older bucks during rut, depending when it fell. But the population was heavy so we took a lot of doe of a couple farms. No way we were processing/storing all those deer ourselves. Nor did we need that much venison. Obviously not going to shoot and let lay. So using the FHFM donation program was a good thing and made us feel like we were doing the right thing and promoting hunting in a positive light.

It did have it's benefits. Some of the butchers were more than happy to give us the spines, scraps and such. You could stack them up for a awesome bait pile for predator hunting.

 

[Brant]

each hunter is allowed 6 in Louisiana. Early in my marriage we would eat 6 deer a year and even more if someone gave it to us. I processed those myself then.

Due to limited freezer space now, 4 deer is about the most I can store. I use a process facility owned and operated by a family member now. But I only shoot for or 2 these days.

 

[Mobuck]

"Some of the butchers were more than happy to give us the spines, scraps and such. "
Unfortunately, this is an excellent way to spread CWD. I've watched this CWD fiasco develop from the very beginning and once the snowball starts rolling, there's nearly zero chance of stopping.

 

[Hvymax]

One of the biggest problems is that most hunters will pass on deer that need to be culled for nicer "trophies!!!

 

[Gator89]

Front stuffer season starts tomorrow in GA.

General firearms starts on 10/19, but I plan to be in SoDak busting roosters.

My first deer hunt will likely be early November.

 

[dreamer]

I'm not quite far enough north to be concerned about shooting across the Iowa state line but not by much. 2023 deer season produced several more 'hot zones' in this area. I don't have much confidence in MDC's responses--too late.

The CWD map keeps creeping closer to us but we have I-35 contributing to herd reduction here in the middle of Harrison County

 

[Mobuck]

"One of the biggest problems is that most hunters will pass on deer that need to be culled for nicer "trophies!!!"
And we plan to use the CWD permits to take care of this issue. We've been stuck with an MDC imposed '4 point' restriction for several years that has allowed 'under achiever' bucks to prosper and put their inferior genetics back into the deer herd. I'm guessing that on the 600-700 acres of our north farm, there are 7-10 of this type buck. We see them chasing does each year and I'm sure they catch one now and then. The bigger, smarter bucks stay in the heavy cover while the 6 pointers breed the does in the open CRP and pasture areas.

 

[Mobuck]

Got my tags printed out and signed. I think I ended up with 7 spread across 3 farms in 2 counties. I may buy 2-3 more if needed. Grouch Attack will get an additional 3 for the home place-she doesn't put much effort into hunting so doesn't buy tags for use off the farm.
In 1970, I couldn't imagine there would be so many deer. Back then, a hunter might spend days w/o seeing ANY deer.
Now, it's time to get the deer loading winch mounted in the old farm pickup. I'm not really able to lift even a Bambi over the tailgate these days.

 

[peachhead]

We haven't had any confirmed in GA yet.
But y'all are making me rethink my selectivity. I don't see herds (would be nice) but I haven't used more than two or three tags in a long time. I wait for the bigger deer. Maybe we should be making a bigger effort to use all of our tags. We get 10 does, 2 bucks.

 

[DGW1949]

One of the biggest problems is that most hunters will pass on deer that need to be culled for nicer "trophies!!!

Not me...given a choice, I'll take the smallest one any day because they are better eating...And like my Grand Paw used to say; "You can't eat the horns anyway".LOL.

DGW

 

[ohio bowhunter]

If it's brown, it's down is my motto

 

[Mobuck]

Those young bucks are the ones most likely to scatter and spread CWD as they roam around looking for 'territory'. That's what the bunny cops say anyway.

 

[Hvymax]

Not me...given a choice, I'll take the smallest one any day because they are better eating...And like my Grand Paw used to say; "You can't eat the horns anyway".LOL.

DGW

That's not really what I meant. Every now and then there will be that clearly"Defective" Deer that should be removed from the Gene Pool and most will pass on it.

 

[Bigbore5]

Ready. 357max. 100yds, Field rest

 

[krw]

My fav is lil 1/2 grown does!!

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Well my youngest just packed up and headed out back to his Navy life. We had him home for more than a week. He was on leave for his Step Brothers wedding and three day early MD muzzleloader season. He let multiple doe walk, and a couple small but legal basket bucks were also given a pass.....better than me if I would have been able to get out there.....I have a NDW policy for early season (No Doe Walks). Oh well will have to wait for PA general season for some meat.....hopefully I can get out and about.

I'm in my gun room/happy place right now.....and there is a pile of hunting clothes dumped on the floor in front of closet, a 209 primer/two pellets and a Hornady bullet sitting on the desk in front of me...he always leaves his mark....:ROFLMAO: