Shotgun bag limits

[Revclimber]

With all the talk of the lack of deer this year, i was wondering who would be in favor of cutting back the bag limit of 2 antlered deer to one for shotgun season? I mean it really is the only way of trying to gaurentee some of these young deers' survival. It would also cut down the amount of clubs numbers when they are driving deer. Once a guy shoots one he is out. This way if there are 50 guys they have 50 tags, not 100. You tag one, the gun gets put away. Maybe then we could get some age structure to our herd. I dont know about you guys, but i'm tired of seeing spikes and forkhorns all year long. How great would it be to know there are some big old deer out in the woods???? Like illinois, missouri and other places people love to travel to. Then maybe give a bonus doe tag in the areas that need deer control. What say you gentleman?

[blackpowder]

i am assuming that you probably hunt, private ground and with a bow. Attacking shotgun hunters is not the way when you are allowed 3 bucks alone with the bow. So to say that it is the shot gun hunters fault is a big mistake. As far as the spikes go, you can let them go, but i am pretty sure the next hunter won't.

[hoytman]

I'm not against letting the bucks get some age,but I do hunt with a club and I know that is not going to happen. The thing that needs to stop is unlimited does, that will increase the deer herd.

[njbowhunter]

1 buck during buck week will not fix anything. that guy will just put down his gun and keep driving to everyone else. Clubs will still kill the same amount of deer. I agree stop the unlimited does and does during 6 day.

[upbowhunter]

i am assuming that you probably hunt, private ground and with a bow. Attacking shotgun hunters is not the way when you are allowed 3 bucks alone with the bow. So to say that it is the shot gun hunters fault is a big mistake. As far as the spikes go, you can let them go, but i am pretty sure the next hunter won't. He didn't attack shot gunners, he just asked if we should cut shutgun buck tags back, so that the age structure of bucks would get better. I'm for one buck tag across all bow seasons if they cut back shotgun to one buck. :huh: That would stop alot of guys from slamming the first spike, fork, or six that walks by gun or bow. That allways seems to be the argument from clubs at meetings the bow guys get to shoot three bucks with the long season. I'll give up 2 buck tags for one shotgun tag getting taken from the shotgunners.

[DV1]

It should be one buck tag period, no matter how or when you kill it, or maybe two, but one would be better. That would improve deer hunting in NJ.

[grtwhthunter/fisherman]

like mentioned some of those club guys only hunt sixday firearm and they r pumped to shoot something.they want to b recognized in the club as the guy who got one.hes not going to pass up a 3ptr or whatever.and say its last day he shoots spike for fear of season over (this is am) than goes in afternoon happy of course but than a nice six comes out should he not shoot? i bowhunt and have had 3 months to shoot a decent deer so i can b selective.i got a six in earlyoct now what i will shoot another if oppertunity arises were aloud 2 bucks so shotgun they should also and shoot whatever buck comes along.im with you guys it just will never happen.the whole state should go 3pts or better on 1 side

[vonhess]

Guys, the bag limits are set to reduce the heard for the state, we are doing it,and paying dearly to do it.We need to police ourselves here. Just because we can shoot unlimited does don't mean we have to. Soon we'll all be complaining, like the PA guys about #s being down. AND WONDERING WHY! Have to stop "brown its down" mentality. 1 doe =3 deer.

[DV1]

Guys, the bag limits are set to reduce the heard for the state, we are doing it,and paying dearly to do it.We need to police ourselves here. Just because we can shoot unlimited does don't mean we have to. Soon we'll all be complaining, like the PA guys about #s being down. AND WONDERING WHY! Have to stop "brown its down" mentality. 1 doe =3 deer.


Here is an interesting article from the Atlantic City Press on the current state of hunting in NJ. Talks about how hunters are being crowded onto less land, competition leads to people stealing or damaging others equipment and set-ups, and how the deer herd has BEEN NEARLY CUT IN HALF from 1995 to now: population 204,000 in 1995, cut to 112,000.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/other_counties/article_42bc85b8-e21e-11de-8567-001cc4c03286.html

[bigdog777]

the only way to for our bucks to get older like missouri and illinois is go to a antler restriction. missouri has a four point on one side rule. pennsylvania has antler restriction in some counties and they are having great success. bag limits are not the answer.

[DV1]

the only way to for our bucks to get older like missouri and illinois is go to a antler restriction. missouri has a four point on one side rule. pennsylvania has antler restriction in some counties and they are having great success. bag limits are not the answer.

Antler restrictions can help, but I completely disagree with you about bag limits. Here's why.

If you impose, let's say, a 3 point on one side regulation, yet still allow six buck tags, there are guys that will still shoot several 1.5 yr old six, seven and eight pointers (or even 3's, 4's, and 5's if they have that 3 points on one side) because they can just get another tag and do it again, so antler restrictions will protect some bucks (spikes and forkies), but allowing hunters to kill so many will defeat the purpose of protecting a number bucks in the first place.

However, if you allow just one buck, while some hunters may shoot a spike, forky or five point, they will only be able to do that once, and then be done, therefore reducing the pressure on bucks and reducing the number of bucks killed.

There will also be many hunters who will not shoot that spike or forky, or for that matter that 1.5 yr old 6, 7 or 8 pointer because they want something a little nicer, and if they have only one tag, will save the tag for that nicer buck. With multiple buck tags, they can keep shooting little bucks. They will not think twice about shooting a young buck because they know they get another tag, and another, and another, etc.

The states that have the biggest bucks do not have antler restrictions. What they do have is far fewer buck tags than NJ (one or two max), and short gun seasons after the rut. Those are two things we do wrong in NJ, and they are very big reasons why our hunting is pretty poor in much of the state.

[fishy]

There is no way in hell you will ever get the state of N.J. to raise any kind of deer herd.The last thing they want is a deer herd. :nuts:

[bassassassin8]

What I would LOVE to see in NJ is this:

Before you can take a buck, you take your doe. Then any season whether it be bow, muzzleloader, or shotgun, all zones have a 3-pt antler restriction. Regardless of where you are or what your hunting with in NJ, there was a state-wide 3-pt trophy rule. BUT, youth under 16 are exused from this. This way, people who have been hunting can show a little more patience to harvest a nicer deer. And if you allow those who are younger to take any deer, you are promoting hunting. I grew up hunting in a trophy zone since I was 10 and never harvested a legal buck in the zone til last year. I'm perfectly okay with that. I really wish somethin would be instituted like this to where younger kids can have more opportunities at harvesting their 1st deer and then for those over 16, can wait to take a nicer deer. That way the deer should be able to grow up a bit. I'd love to see it but with NJ being the state it is, I just dont see it happening.. :(

[Old Timer]

Better yet end the January permit gun season ,NJ FGW has no deer management program they want all the deer dead and it is working!!

[Revclimber]

Guys you have to remember that not all hunters are trophy hunters. I'm with UP, i would give up 2 bow tags for the shotgun season to have 1 buck limit. I'll even go as far to say 2 bug tags, one bow- one gun. I really dont care about taking bucks unless i'm hanging them on the wall. Thats just me though. I'll go 6 years without killing a buck. Doesnt matter to me. If they instituted the antler restriction i would be for that, because the woods become safer. You have to look before you shoot and make sure what it is that you are shooting at. Take away the clubs ability to do mass doe drives. That would help more than the pot hunter taking a doe. The last day of shotgun season, the buck tag could be used to take a doe, but no driving on the last day. This would allow people to take some deer meat. IF YOU ARE TRULY A MEAT HUNTER this would be no problem. You cant use the excuse i dont care about the antlers, i just wanted some meat.

I do bowhunt, and i do hunt some private land, but most of the time I am on public ground. I have seen deer numbers drop tremendously in zones such as 19 since the mass deer drivers are allowed to kill does. You can drive on the dirt roads and never see a deer cross. It was never like this. I figured on a site like this, of all hunters, we could come up with some good points to argue with the council on so everybody wins.

The whole excuse of "If I dont kill him the next guy will" Is complete bull####! The only way you know for sure that deer will live is if you let it go. Trust me when i tell you that every buck that comes in walks by me unless i can visualize him on the wall.

The solution to nj's lack of quality deer CANNOT be solved just by not killing does. All that does is allow deer numbers to grow. It does nothing for age structure or antler growth. People are afraid of change and they dont want their piece of the pie taken. Alot of guys dont want to help the overall goal. I bet if this was Iowa and the chance to kill a true giant every day you go out was really there, nobody would mind. But put it off on the other guys so you can continue doing what you want is the Jersey way.

I wish some on here would stop having a guilty concience and stop believing that every comment is about them. Like I said before, many on boards like this get the internet ethics and do something totally different than they type.

[njbowhunter]

What I would LOVE to see in NJ is this:

Before you can take a buck, you take your doe. Then any season whether it be bow, muzzleloader, or shotgun, all zones have a 3-pt antler restriction. Regardless of where you are or what your hunting with in NJ, there was a state-wide 3-pt trophy rule. BUT, youth under 16 are exused from this. This way, people who have been hunting can show a little more patience to harvest a nicer deer. And if you allow those who are younger to take any deer, you are promoting hunting. I grew up hunting in a trophy zone since I was 10 and never harvested a legal buck in the zone til last year. I'm perfectly okay with that. I really wish somethin would be instituted like this to where younger kids can have more opportunities at harvesting their 1st deer and then for those over 16, can wait to take a nicer deer. That way the deer should be able to grow up a bit. I'd love to see it but with NJ being the state it is, I just dont see it happening.. :(
Just curious how old are you? you said you have been hunting since you where ten and just shot your first legal deer. Seems like those restrictions are really working out.

[bassassassin8]

Just curious how old are you? you said you have been hunting since you where ten and just shot your first legal deer. Seems like those restrictions are really working out.

I jsut turned 20. The area also gets hunted hard bow season even though its a private piece of land. It's on the border of 27 and another zone so, although I shoot 27 the trophy zone, to the NE is nontrophy. I've shotten does in other zones but wanted my 1st legal deer to be decent. Which it was.

[buckshootem77]

it is a problem in nj to manage deer, but i think a bigger problem that is rising is turkey's. i have seen more turkey's over the past 5 years, and it is rising each year. njfg needs to allow hunters to have more time, and more birds killed on each permit. i have noticed that the deer are getting more nervous of the bigger flocks of turkey's because of noise and movement. it cost me a buck tuesday night, because the turkey's are causing to much ruckus:naughty:. it cost 28$ for one bird one 5 days of hunting. in my opion not enough. i have counted flocks of hundreds at a time. someting needs to be done. dont you agree. as for the deer the state wants them dead mainly for insurance reasons. its hard to take such a small state,and compare it to the other states. But i have a three point rule in my zone and have noticed a difference since 99, more bucks. i seen more so its working. you have to understand certain areas in nj are going to have more of an effect from the rules than others. i dont think taking a buck tag away isnt going to solve much. most clubs each year dont have every person getting a buck. so if you have 50 people with a two buck tag how many of them are going home without a shot. what i am trying to say is most clubs dont get more deer than the amout of members in the club. that atleast was the case when i was in a club for a few years.if anyhting the state will take away hunting days before they change the rules. thats my take on it.:huh:

[BuckChaser]

two buck tags a year. one for bow and one for shotgun/muzzleloader. as for the does there are certain zones that need to be reduced and i think the state does an ok job with that. would only work to improve the quality of the deer if some of these scum bags stopped shooting bucks and not tagging them. i hate that.:mad: