Just wanted some thoughts on the rule changes for this year.Wildlife finally posted the rules changes on the web site.I think 1 or 2 might be good but the rest are going to hurt the herd in NC I think.
have not checked it out? have to do so.
Heres the link with the info http://www.ncwildlife.org/NewsReleases/071210_Delayed_Hunting_and_Trapping_Rule_Changes_Take_Effect_Aug._1_2010.htm
I wasn't impressed by any of the legislation, especially the shortening of archery season and the crossbow laws. Proof that the NCBA needs more members for more clout!
My understanding is that the new changes were proposed and approved by the appointed commissioners and that the NC DNR opposed those changes along with the NCBA and other sportsmen organizations. Just goes to show the danger in permitting politically appointed commissioner to have the power to do anything they want with no accountability to anyone.
I hated losing another week to muzzleloaders.Do not think they should have done away with a 2 deer a day limit and have unlimited antlerless deer takes.6 tags is enough deer for most people in a season.
I think it"s a sad day for bowhunters in our state
SO we can hunt private land on sundays now ?
I like that we'll have Sunday hunting now! As a working man, I hated that I could only hunt one day a week.
The rest of the changes I could do without.
I am of a different mind set than most responseses on here -- I highly doubt that these new laws will change anything about the way most of us hunt, other than an extra day of Sunday bowhunting. Muzzleloader hunters have just as much right to hunt as we do. You can still bowhunt during that season if you wish.
Crossbows are a moot point with me. I've yet to see anyone with a crossbow outshoot an accomplished compound shooter. Maximum distance is roughly the same -- that's a fact. If I had my personal prefernce, sure -- crossbows will still not be allowed. But I'm going to bow hunt all the same -- either way.
I think the negative reactions just won't help, and I truly doubt any of you will see much of an impact to your every-day hunting.
Good luck this season!!!!!
I will Bhunt straight through the Muzzleloader season --
Not worried bout the rest of it.
J
The only problem I have with the new laws is the unlimited doe tags. We have had 6 tags for awhile now and I think that is enough. Time will tell how it will affect our herd. As far as crossbows if it brings more hunters to the field I say more power to them. I don't care what a person chooses to hunt with as long as they hunt! We as hunters need as many others to hunt as possible to keep the left wingers and PETA types at bay.
Im with nchunter , its going to help me out alot to hunt on Sun. due to work . Other than that it will be about the same for me . As a side note weve been seeing alot of Bucks already rubbed out , have you guys been seeing the same .
Mike
another example of our elected oficials not listening to us in the long run.....too many doe tags, as far as crossbows, put them in with guns.....hand held, hand drawn is not the same as cocked and locked.....also blanket laws will not fit EVERY area of the state.....I hunt as much as anybody and the density is not that high in our areas.....go 15 miles down the road and they are eat up with deer.....maybe someday sound game management will be left up to the biologists and not the insurance companies......just my opinions.......
I think that crossbows should be legal only for hadicapped during bow season and during gun season.My biggest complaint is that they give unlimited doe tags and did away with the daily limit I think that is going to hurt.In the area I hunt there use to be lots of deer but a farmer down the road got some hunters to go in and kill about 2 or 3 deer a day last year and not tag any so this year the deer numbers are way down but he has the same hunters going to do it again.But this year they can kill all they want a day and get doe tags anytime.
My only complaint with the crossbows is this. 90% any type of bow hunting is woodsmanship and with that said 90% of what makes a bowhunter a hunter happens after the shot. I watch the cable hunting shows and they make me laugh, but they give the impression that as one said the other day, " most of the time I see my game fall with the new blahblahblah crossbow". In reality I have killed (I'm guessing) 25-35 deer with a bow of various types, (I have never shot a crossbow) I have only seen 3 fall in sight. I understand this is do terrain. Around here (eastern NC) you cant see 25-30 yards in the woods.
So heres the rub with me. When you allow crossbows you turn a bunch of folks loose a form of a bow that have little if any "woods" skill. They may be fine gun hunters but couldn't bloodtrail a Hippo in the snow. From the vast TV hunting knowledge the go afield shoot a deer and they dont see him fall...... uuuuuuuhhhhhh now what? it gets dark the skeeters start chewin and he says, "screw this it was only a doe". Yes it will happen and thats the part I hate.
If North Carolina really wanted to help they would ban people from feeding deer even in there backyards.But it looks like NC wants to cut the deer population out I think it will take 5 years to make up for the deer loss in this one year.Alot of people are going to crossbow hunt around subdivisions and if they dont know how to blood trail and leave a bunch of dead deer laying around it will give the good hunters and bloodtrailers a bad name.I just hope this does not backfire on the hunters of NC in the long run.
I teach hunter and bowhunter ed here in NC......about 70% of those in the bow ed classes claim to be "experianced" hunters....when we do blood trailing practice it amazes me how many cannot follow a blood trail......now....turn out those who won't take our classes with now unlimited tags and , OH BOY is the next few years going to be ugly or what ???? Also just for informations sake.....we have had fellows in our class who could not hit a six inch circle consistantly with a scoped cross bow at thirty yards.....this is not against crossbows in general, but plese guys, practice once in a while or something....... :dunno:
I agree Tony many places do not have enough deer to give out unlimited doe tags.They always base things on the places that are overrun where they get lots of complaints.Most of these are places that you can't hunt is the only reason for the numbers.Most areas that are open to hunting do not have too many deer and the changes will show that in the next year or two when people quit seeing deer and start having a lot of days in the woods bird watching. :(
I could care less about the crossbow issue.I have hunted with guys using them and see no advantage at all over the bows I hunt with.They are heavy,bulky and expensive and no matter what the claims have no more range than any compound bow in capable hands.I don't expect to see much impact from them.Since I hunt private land I don't think I will ever see anyone hunting with one either. :) jmo
only time will tell James and I hope that our areas are not "wiped clean" of the few deer we can hunt.....I guess private land is the key, but even with that , during archery season we are surrouned with people "scouting" (filling up corn feeders for gun season) and with all the four wheeler noise and scent left by their tromping so quietly through the woods , it is getting harder to see deer, unless it is at night.....and speaking of that I would wager that;
in my county as many are taken at night as are ever taken by bows and muzzle loaders.....I only hope for a few for the freezer, we are out...
I've hunted GA for many years. They have a 10 does limit and only 2 bucks, one buck has to be 4pt or better. I haven't noticed any reduction in the doe population only smarter does. We are seeing more and more mature bucks too.
I also resent the fact that some folk have to blame the left wingers for all their problems. 50% of this country is on that side of the fence. I've been a left winger for just about 60 years now and have enjoyed bow hunting for over half of that time. My politics has nothing to do with my love of the outdoors and has given me the heart of a true bow hunter, naturalist and tree hugger and I believe most folks that enjoy our great outdoors feel the same if they are true to themselves.
I hunt primarily with a selfbow, cane and hardwood shoot arrows and stone or trade points. It doesn't matter if it is bow season, gun season, crossbow season or what have you. The only negative effects to my hunting is myself not someone else that wants the easy way out.
Quoteand speaking of that I would wager that;
in my county as many are taken at night as are ever taken by bows and muzzle loaders...
Tony that holds true for every county I have ever hunted. :( I am hunting Wake and Franklin counties and the guys up there have gone high tech on me.They now use night vision gear instead of spotlights.Our fields are along a dirt road and it gets more traffic after midnight than it does during the day.It burns me up to find deer laying in the field with nothing but antlers sawed off and no meat taken. :dunno:
But to get back on topic...I am really looking forward to having the option of taking my bow out and sitting on a Sunday afternoon this year.When you get busy and work and often have to work overtime it sure will be nice to have at least an afternoon in gun season to not hear so much shooting. :)
In my area I have seen the population massacred by guys running dogs shooting every little deer that passes - I mean 30 pounders up. I have nothing against dog hunting (I still love to listen to em run) BUT after they opened up doe season a few yrs ago (no set doe season) man that freed up some trigger fingers.
What I mean is they do not have to ID the deer as a buck before laying lead downrange. Population has suffered.
Doe tags unlimited? not sure but I have a hard enough time filling the six tags I get so not worried about unlimmited. Just gonna make it even harder to fill my six. LOL!
J
Dont like the crossbow thing - I will see alot of the fools out with em who will not find half of what is hit and will take shots at any range.
J
I guess guys when you get down to it change sometimes is tough...Pat you make good points and so do you James....we'll see what happens and time will tell the story.....
What will hurt is all the same guys who don't bowhunt but gun and muzzleloader will buy a crossbow and hit the woods. They will kill some deer but will probably make the deer nocturnal. The more people that mess around in the woods the less deer you will see.LCH