Does Your State have a Primitive Deer Season

[spudnut]

A number of years ago it was preposed in michigan to have a primitive season,round ball, loose powder, sidelock,and primitve bow. It was shouted down by the bowhunters that we would infringe on their wood time. Ted Nugent leading their charge with our choice of tool was inefficiant to do the job. Thats my only gripe with Ted.

 

[Howard Pippin]

And I will flip it back and say...,
Why can't the archery hunters be limited to non-compound bows, and only using wooden arrows?
AND..., Why can't the archers get their exclusive deer hunting done from September 1st until October 21st, yet they seem to need from January 1st to the 31st as well ? All of the non-archers get a total of five weeks, while archers get 10 weeks, PLUS they are allowed to hunt during any of the gun seasons...that's 15 weeks total...and lets not get into the areas that are "archery only" for deer...

LD

Hi Dave. Being one of those hunters that started archery hunting in 1967, I've attended a lot of meetings promoted by FWP in Montana. It's also the year I started teaching Hunter safety and there was other meetings involved for that. The reason that archery is promoted so hard in Montana is because they count the important thing as being the amount of days or hours spent in the field, as being in the criteria for people getting the most out of outdoor recreation. A lot of rifle hunters only spend one or two days and fill their tag. Archery hunters always go for a week to three or four so they spend many more hours in the field. It's a hard thing to find a place to stick a muzzleloader season, with five weeks archery, a break for about a week for the antelope hunters to get started, and then five weeks for rifle. By then we're past Thanksgiving and Hunter interest is decreased except for the diehards. Anyway, us muzzleloader hunters are going to always be competing with rifle hunters. As a hunter safety instructor I sure don't want to see people with firearms hunting where people are hunting in camouflage, So there's no way they should really be together. Right now archery hunters have to wear some form of hunters orange if they hunt during regular season. They don't have to during their own season. Another thing, we're contesting with the archery hunters, for they outnumber us and have a good loud voice in the legislator.We don't have any voice, we don't even have an organization, so if you have one that's a place to start. You need a loud voice. The archery hunters pay no attention to us as we don't have an area or a voice.
Squint

 

[Loyalist Dave]

As a hunter safety instructor I sure don't want to see people with firearms hunting where people are hunting in camouflage, So there's no way they should really be together

I too am a HSI, and the orange argument is moot in my state..., (and I'm not suggesting that what fits for Maryland would fit for Montana. Very different hunting problems here in Maryland. )

Squirrel hunters, who shoot a lot up into trees, AND they hunt at the same time as the archers. The squirrel hunters must wear orange, and for some reason the archers don't have to at that same overlap period. So the state is actually creating a hazardous situation. The seasons completely overlap.

I'm not suggesting in the beginning archery season the primitive season be set. I'm suggesting that January, instead of having two days for "any gun", they make it a month for muzzleloaders...archers are sharing that month with squirrel hunters and rabbit hunters already, so....

The only hunters who are not sharing are the Spring Turkey Hunters, btw.


LD

 

[Stony Broke]

As far as I am concerned a primitive season should just be primitive weapons....bows and "traditional" muzzleloaders. I don't know why both of these couldn't hunt in the same time period and let the modern muzzleloaders hunt with the "modern" weapons season. That just seems like the practical way to do things.

 

[Rich]

I dont know. I have not reached the Primitive age yet. Couple of more years and I will be there.

 

[ravenousfishing]

Maryland DNR has proposed a 3 day primitive (flint, percussion, longbow, recurve) season for the upcoming season. Proposed dates are early Sept, pre bow season, after all gun seasons in mid Jan or the first 3 days of Feb, after all dear seasons. This would be in addition to our existing muzzleloading seasons that allow pretty much anything. They are currently in the public commenting period, and lets just say the bow hunters aren't pleased with sharing the woods.

 

[toytruck]

Maryland DNR has proposed a 3 day primitive (flint, percussion, longbow, recurve) season for the upcoming season. Proposed dates are early Sept, pre bow season, after all gun seasons in mid Jan or the first 3 days of Feb, after all dear seasons. This would be in addition to our existing muzzleloading seasons that allow pretty much anything. They are currently in the public commenting period, and lets just say the bow hunters aren't pleased with sharing the woods.

Wouldn't the mid January or first 3 days of February run into a pregnant doe with fawns? Usually most bucks have also shed antlers or about to in that same time of year, so antlerless deer would most likely be taken then. If that passes it wouldn't be good for the deer population I'd say.

 

[ravenousfishing]

Wouldn't the mid January or first 3 days of February run into a pregnant doe with fawns? Usually most bucks have also shed antlers or about to in that same time of year, so antlerless deer would most likely be taken then. If that passes it wouldn't be good for the deer population I'd say.

Maryland wants the herd reduced, so I doubt the state is concerned with pregnant does. While some bucks have shed by then, most are still holding when we have our late rifle season the first or second weekend of Jan, at least on the shore side of the state. Personally, I would like to see it in October or November, but I dont see that ever happening. Early September is too hot, and February is getting late, so my vote is for the Jan option.

 

[hoosiervol]

I am new to this forum, although I read posts many times over the years. I live in northwest Indiana in porter county. this is a subject that I have thought about a lot lately. I went on line to see if there was a way to recommend a primitive firearm season for Indiana with the state game and fish agency, but I couldn't find the way to do it. I am all for one, so i'll support what you are doing and hope it works out. it would be nice for primitive black powder hunters to have a separate season from the inline users. good luck and keep us posted on the results of your petition.

 

[Realwarrior]

The way ID writes their law is that ML'ers must have an exposed primer system. In other words, no closed breech 209 primers as are common for in-lines. How they would rule on the hybrid MAg-spark, which puts a 209 where a traditional cap goes I don't know. Here'sa link to the product though.
https://warrencustomoutdoor.com/mag-spark.html

The new "Western In lines" have expressed ignition systems.
If this has been covered, I apologize but I don't read all responses, but,
I would get with the NMLRA to help with this

 

[ppg1949]

I am new to this forum, although I read posts many times over the years. I live in northwest Indiana in porter county. this is a subject that I have thought about a lot lately. I went on line to see if there was a way to recommend a primitive firearm season for Indiana with the state game and fish agency, but I couldn't find the way to do it. I am all for one, so i'll support what you are doing and hope it works out. it would be nice for primitive black powder hunters to have a separate season from the inline users. good luck and keep us posted on the results of your petition.

hoosiervol, in Indiana to send a petition aka "citizens petition" you must send an email to: [email protected]. The Natural Resources Committee (NRC) is the group that oversees DNR changes. If you send a petition you must include your name and address. I included my email address just to make sure. You must tell them what you are seeking to change. You must also include a reason or justification for wanting a rules change. And a description of what you would consider needed to change or augment current regulations. I got my NRC info from a deer biologist in Bloomington. I think I googled Indiana Natural Resources Committee Petition. The site I choose was on a pdf format.
If you would like, you can send me a PM with your email and I will email you a copy of the petition I sent.
When I receive my notification of the hearing I will post it here but I can also send you a PM with the time and date. I'm just guessing it will be in Indy but I'm hoping there will be several around the state. Thanks for your input.

 

[mooman76]

IL doesn't really have a primitive season but it does have a Muzzleloader season. Thing is allot of the seasons overlap each other. Also IL is one of the few if not the only state that doesn't allow centerfire rifles at all to hunt deer.

 

[hoosiervol]

hoosiervol, in Indiana to send a petition aka "citizens petition" you must send an email to: [email protected]. The Natural Resources Committee (NRC) is the group that oversees DNR changes. If you send a petition you must include your name and address. I included my email address just to make sure. You must tell them what you are seeking to change. You must also include a reason or justification for wanting a rules change. And a description of what you would consider needed to change or augment current regulations. I got my NRC info from a deer biologist in Bloomington. I think I googled Indiana Natural Resources Committee Petition. The site I choose was on a pdf format.
If you would like, you can send me a PM with your email and I will email you a copy of the petition I sent.
When I receive my notification of the hearing I will post it here but I can also send you a PM with the time and date. I'm just guessing it will be in Indy but I'm hoping there will be several around the state. Thanks for your input.

thank you for your response. I believe the next day after responding to this posting, a hunting survey from the Indiana dept natural resources appeared in my email. I filled it out and in the suggestion part, I recommended a traditional flintlock and side perussion muzzleloader season for deer with no modern inlines allowed. I said they had developed to the point of being equal to centerfire rifles out to 200-250 yds. I suggested the traditional muzzleloading season be the two weeks before the general firearm season in November. I told them the bowhunters would probably raise a ruckus but that they already have the longest and most liberal season and that the number of traditional muzzleloader hunters probably would have a small influence on their hunting. that's my part so far. if we all do what we can, maybe they will listen and we will be given a special traditional muzzleloading season. send me info on when the hearings are and i'll see what I can do.

 

[ppg1949]

thank you for your response. I believe the next day after responding to this posting, a hunting survey from the Indiana dept natural resources appeared in my email. I filled it out and in the suggestion part, I recommended a traditional flintlock and side perussion muzzleloader season for deer with no modern inlines allowed. I said they had developed to the point of being equal to centerfire rifles out to 200-250 yds. I suggested the traditional muzzleloading season be the two weeks before the general firearm season in November. I told them the bowhunters would probably raise a ruckus but that they already have the longest and most liberal season and that the number of traditional muzzleloader hunters probably would have a small influence on their hunting. that's my part so far. if we all do what we can, maybe they will listen and we will be given a special traditional muzzleloading season. send me info on when the hearings are and i'll see what I can do.

That is great news. Thanks for sharing. Skychief is also a Hoosier and when I get the info I will share it. Thanks again.