Provincial mule deer bag limit changes for 2018 season

[TexasWalker]

how many people shoot more than 1 mule deer...I reckon it isn't that many. This is a stupid idea that doesn't do anything for conservation. Once its gone, its gone. I usually eat tag soup hunting big bucks, so either way it won't affect me, and poachers will still be poachers so how will this help anything in regards to conservation? Stop everyone from shooting does and you might have a better impact that preventing a very few hunters from shooting 2 mulies that are hundreds of miles apart

Most people I know take 2 mule deer every year, it's more common than you think.

In my case I can drive 20 minutes down the road into region 8 for one, then hunt the rest of the year in region 3 for the other.

[Hunter gatherer]

How about just end the MD season at the beginning of the rut, and no more any buck season and all of you quit getting newbies into hunting let's keep it to ourselves

[limit time]

I think whatever the NDP and Miley Cyrus say to do, we should do !

[skibum]

This is about managing hunter concentration / numbers in certain regions, not managing mule deer numbers.

It seems too hard to harmonize mule deer seasons across regions, this is the solution

[Darksith]

Most people I know take 2 mule deer every year, it's more common than you think.

In my case I can drive 20 minutes down the road into region 8 for one, then hunt the rest of the year in region 3 for the other.

20 minutes might be an exaggeration, but I also can drive just over an hour and be in 2 different regions, but saying its more common that I think, in the big picture it probably isn't. Are there 500 hunters that punch 2 mule deer bucks a year? If so thats really not that many, and its not damaging the population. I get ya though, its insane around here come october, especially oct 10 when white tail doe opens up. I stay away most of october, check my cams but thats about it. Its not a conservation issue so why be happy to loose an opportunity?

[Wild one]

20 minutes might be an exaggeration, but I also can drive just over an hour and be in 2 different regions, but saying its more common that I think, in the big picture it probably isn't. Are there 500 hunters that punch 2 mule deer bucks a year? If so thats really not that many, and its not damaging the population. I get ya though, its insane around here come october, especially oct 10 when white tail doe opens up. I stay away most of october, check my cams but thats about it. Its not a conservation issue so why be happy to loose an opportunity?

I would also say it's common lots of guys I know go to one region for a meat buck and hunt others for a big buck

Lots of guys in 5 hunt 3 for a meat buck and wait for snow in 5. I know lots of guys who target 8 for meat buck and 3 for a big buck do to the longer season. Most guys I know in southern BC have 2 mule deer down this season and are targeting bt and wt for trophy this year

[Wild one]

Truth is BC hunters fear change and don't want to give up a thing. Most can't see long term positives and often use the excuse well FN or predators are just going to kill them then

Truth of the matter is the northern 1/3 of BC is a hunters dream but south is a miss managed mess that is a fraction of its potential

[Sirloin]

Truth is BC hunters fear change and don't want to give up a thing. Most can't see long term positives and often use the excuse well FN or predators are just going to kill them then

Truth of the matter is the northern 1/3 of BC is a hunters dream but south is a miss managed mess that is a fraction of its potential

We fear loss of hunting opportunities we will never get back which do nothing to increase deer numbers.

You want better hunting? make more animals.

Losing opportunities for all BC residents is a step backwards.

[HighCountryBC]

There is a reason BC is one of the last places with point restrictions on MD. It is bad for genetics and is poor for trophy quality. Any buck season is best for all hunters especially if it changes to 1 MD a year bag limit

Most of North America restricts the number of MD harvested instead of age class and have a 1 MD a year limit. This creates better trophy quality and higher buck to doe ratio.

The other issue with point restrictions is hunter error or slobs really. 3-32 made the paper because of the amount of bucks shot and left during 4 pt season by idiots who cant count

This also causes hunters to be more conservative about what they harvest because they only get 1 chance. True meat hunters will still take the first legal deer but you will also see more hunters willing to hold out because it is the only MD they can take

restricting the number of bucks taken vs point restrictions lowering the bag limit is way superior form of management for trophy class and herd health

To those who love 4pt season please tell me how this benifits hunters and deer? Explain why this was abandoned across most if not all of North America as a management tool even when trophy management is top goal

There is a pile of good info in this post.

Unfortunately, this thread illustrates just what mule deer and other species are up against when it comes to improving their numbers. It is still mind-boggling just how many hunters want to argue about a tried, tested and FAILED method of increasing ungulate populations. Point restrictions do absolutely nothing to make more wildlife yet that is what 99% of hunters want to move towards.

Habitat + habitat + habitat = more mule deer.
Point restrictions = bang your head against the wall. It's no wonder BC is the laughing stock among wildlife managers across North America on so many issues.

[338win mag]

I got an idea! Why doesn't this phucking government put something into wildlife initiatives instead of taking it away from us. Absolute bs, its easy for them to just screw hunters, cheap too. If they were too deactivate some roads, put an effort into developing wintering area's, vehicle restrictions in these fire area's, and take out some wolves.

If they did some or all these things and mule deer still needed help then I'm all in, until then, I dont support it, the NDP and its anti-hunting supporters will love it. Phuck the liberals for taking resident hunters opportunities and giving them to foreigners.