Change of the rules this year

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longbow joe
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Change of the rules this year

Post by longbow joe »

First the last 40 years my local zone has been limited to slugs and buckshot for deer basically because of its mostly suburban farms etc.
One of my large properties is corporate owned and even though slugs were legally good with the state for about 25 years we were asked to use only buckshot on their property basically because people were using the high power sabot slugs turning the shotgun into a rifle anyway.
Now for some reason the game commission has banned buckshot but now allows the use of single wall cartridges in their place.
The corporation sees this as the devil and says only bow hunting this year.
I'm kinda happy about this in reality l normally crossbow hunt all year so no loss here.
I'm a little sad too because l have a lot of good buckshot slinging memories also but I'm looking at it as a new 3 extra weeks of crossbow hunting without the bang ...bang invasion of the orange army.its just weird now not having the gun option l guess.
It's kinda populated here l honestly don't want a guy shooting a 45 -70 near me anyway.
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wheelsquad
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Re: Change of the rules this year

Post by wheelsquad »

Wow I had no idea that some states still allowed buckshot for deer. Hasn't been allowed here in MN for probably 50-60 years. Rifled Slug (foster slug, smooth bore barrel) in a 20 ga 870 was the first weapon I ever went after deer with.
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Re: Change of the rules this year

Post by nchunterkw »

It might work out really well for you Joe. Once the orange army invades, maybe the deer will flock to that property because there are no guns....I'd be super stealthy all season and try not to spook any deer just for that reason. They will still be all jittery for sure, but hopefully you'll get to see a ton of jittery deer verses the typical late season fleeting glances.
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Re: Change of the rules this year

Post by DuckHunt »

This could certainly work in your favor. Back around 2008 Virginia added a September doe only season in Loudoun County, Virginia where I hunt mostly. When it first began, it was an archery season. I loved it because it gave me an additional month of archery deer hunting before the guns started popping in early November. Because the herd reduction goal wasn't being met, in 2013 they changed it into a gun season. So now we have a month of guns popping BEFORE archery season opens in October. Everyone knows that deer change patterns once guns start popping so it creates some odd early season deer patterns. Guns popping in September, quiet in October, then back for November onward.

Last season, I opted to leave my gun at home for the early season. I hunted the entire month of September, orange and all, with my crossbow instead since it is legal to carry during gun season. It worked out well because I was able to fill my three doe tags to unlock all three buck tags in this Earn-A-Buck county. I look forward to hunting with my bow only through October again this season, even if I have to wear orange while I'm doing it.

Not being able to take a gun could turn out to be a nice gift.
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Re: Change of the rules this year

Post by xcaliber »

I prefer to bow hunt the entire season when I'm on property that is not gun hunted. Good luck, and hopefully all the deer in the area will flock to your area when the booming starts!
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Re: Change of the rules this year

Post by wheelsquad »

I have access to a pretty similar scenario that I've been able to take advantage of the last couple years. Company I work for has a large chunk of land that employees can bowhunt. Early season is decent... But once slug season opens, the deer seem to flood into the area. And move during daylight.
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Re: Change of the rules this year

Post by Riflemanz »

I bow hunt a metro area near the city that only allows bow hunting from Sept'17-Jan-31st. I quit gun hunting after hunting this property.
Private land and my brother and I are usually the only hunters out there.
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Re: Change of the rules this year

Post by janesy »

One of the properties I hunt is 800y from one of the provinces busiest Gun clubs. And every Tuesday the Police services all qualify there.

The deer don't notice the gunshots any more than I do lol.
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wheelsquad
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Re: Change of the rules this year

Post by wheelsquad »

Yep the place I mentioned above has a lot of shooting on the property. Big explosions too. And a heavily used rifle range across the road. Both places are full of deer that are active during daylight, all through season.

It's not the shooting from the slug/rifle seasons that changes deer herds patterns; it's the mass amount of people trouncing through the woods jumping and spooking all the deer that changes them.
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Re: Change of the rules this year

Post by UPSMAN »

wheelsquad wrote:
Thu Aug 04, 2022 8:39 pm
Wow I had no idea that some states still allowed buckshot for deer. Hasn't been allowed here in MN for probably 50-60 years. Rifled Slug (foster slug, smooth bore barrel) in a 20 ga 870 was the first weapon I ever went after deer with.
You need to come to the Deep South. Buckshot is alive and well. You need it when those deer hounds run those deer through the thick swamps. I've got a shotgun that will kill them every time at 75 yards.
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Re: Change of the rules this year

Post by Boo »

UPSMAN wrote:
Tue Aug 23, 2022 8:29 pm
wheelsquad wrote:
Thu Aug 04, 2022 8:39 pm
Wow I had no idea that some states still allowed buckshot for deer. Hasn't been allowed here in MN for probably 50-60 years. Rifled Slug (foster slug, smooth bore barrel) in a 20 ga 870 was the first weapon I ever went after deer with.
You need to come to the Deep South. Buckshot is alive and well. You need it when those deer hounds run those deer through the thick swamps. I've got a shotgun that will kill them every time at 75 yards.
Dennis, what is the average weight of your deer? We can use buckshot for deer, elk, bear or moose. The key to its effectiveness is getting a choke that works for your load. But you know that. This is what we can use for either animal. “Shotgun not smaller than 20 gauge when using shot; shot size must be SG or number one buck or larger.“
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