Michigan early doe season

[vhunter]

So Michigan guys, what are you thoughts on the early doe season? I for one am against it. Come October the deer are going to already be nocturnal. Why not just expand the season into Jan. when you can let the deer hang for awhile any way. It sucks being out there when it's 85 degrees and mosquitoes are eating you up. now you have the early season, then the youth hunt before archery season even begins. I'm glad I'm going to Canada this year.

Just another great move by our dnr

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2008/07/doe_hunt_stirs_controversy_wil.html

[DOAGuide]

It would be interesting what the data is on pre-rut doe seasons and the effects on the herd.

[vhunter]

Here in Michigan the hunting pressure is so heavy, it make it very hard to shoot a mature buck. Now more guns are going to be blasting a 2 weeks leading up to the archery season. The big bucks will go into hiding until the rut kicks off. The first week of bow season used to be the best time to take or see a big buck, because they haven't been pressured yet.

I for one normally don't shoot does until December. I like to have as many hot does running around as possible, plus I love being out in the woods in December.

[archer58inPA]

Does MI. have a population problem?
I'm guessing that there are too many does or deer herd in general. It really sounds like PA used to. Too many deer.

[steve r]

Ours start here in sept and dont end till jan 31st
sc opens in mid aug .

[Slugger]

Indiana has a weekend youth hunt the weekend prior to bow season, I havent noticed any ill affects caused by it.....but then again its only for hunters 15 and under accompanied by an adult so its hardly a 2 week free for all on does.

I would probably not like it if i were in your shoes

[ntypicl11]

We have an early season in Mn. I hunted it last year and took only one. 4 days later I got the buck in my profile, and many others were taken in the normal season. I saw no effect last year. It was in mid-October. Low 5o's temp, no mosquito's, t-shirt weather. AWESOME hunting. We can't use a bow in the early antlerless, we have to use a firearm, didn't like that part. I start hunting in mid-September for whitetails and hasn't bothered the rut at all, we actually seen more, bigger bucks last year.

[killemclean]

we have the early youth season to only this year they are gonna let the gun hunters out on private property,before the kids get a crack at em then the kids then bow season.its crap .:movehorse:the dnr needs to go to an earn a buck program,cant shoot a buck till youve killed and checked a doe or two.they also need to impliment some antler restrictions,ever wonder why all of michigans hunters leave the state to kill big deer,look at the states they go to,they all have some kind of QDM in place,michigans dnr is a joke:mooner:its adollars thing.any way this states government inhales profusely:nahnahbooboo:

[HVAC/R Hunter]

I hate it too V! Even though I hunt mostly public land, it still sucks for the state as a whole. It will not accomplish anything good.