Supplemental whitetail licence increase

[boonedocks]

Everyone notice the increase in WMUs and especially the “ double doe tag” areas In this years regulations? In response to CWD I would guess. I know something has to be done but still consider it a Sad state of affairs, good year to be a butcher. 😢🤷🏻

[shawn]

Wow. More than double the mulie doe harvest and then add 2 whitetail supplemental tags per a person in 304. This is a zone that there use to be just a general whitetail tag. This is absolutely disgraceful to say the least. Deer hunting in Alberta will completely destroyed within a few years. Hope Jason Nixon likes the legacy of being the person responsible,for destroying what is one of the best places to hunt deer in the world.

[buckman]

Any"Hunter"and I use the term loosely who kills/culls as many deer as they can this year,and I know of a few(sadly)is in my opinion greedy,and irresponsible.

Our deer herds are not there solely for putting as much meat as you can in the freezer. I hope these people will use some restraint and common sense.

[patrol1957]

The tags are handed out for sale in hope's to reduce the numbers by the hunter and if not the gov will take care of it .DAM IF YOU DO and DAM IF YOU DON'T . it's going to happen like it or not Just my two cent .

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by buckman

Any"Hunter"and I use the term loosely who kills/culls as many deer as they can this year,and I know of a few(sadly)is in my opinion greedy,and irresponsible.

Our deer herds are not there solely for putting as much meat as you can in the freezer. I hope these people will use some restraint and common sense.

I don't think the increase in tags has to do with people putting "meat on the table", I think it has to do with what patrol 1957 stated.
This is a case of closing the barn door after the horse is already out IMO, but it not I do not know what else can be done .
Cat

[Smoky buck]

Ok I can’t find the 2021 regs anyone have a link?

I am not a big fan of the supplemental tags in my area because it is one of the only WMU in the area(or was have not seen changes). This makes a huge impact on pressure and I am seeing a poor balance in buck to doe ratios because of it. I am seeing over 75% bucks in some spots. Areas with less hunting pressure in the same WMU show better ratios but still buck heavy

Fully support doe harvest because it is good for herd dynamics but prefer the general tag and either sex season over supplemental tags. The fact people have to choose with a general tag knowing they give up their opportunity at a buck makes many use restraint. Running cams in these WMUs I see about 60% maybe a little higher for pics of doe’s

I see a different in buck quality too but without expanding into new areas and more time in the area I can’t say this has anything to do with supplemental tags. This could just be do to the difference of hunting pressure, the genetics in the pockets I hunt and nutrition differences

I have not bothered to fill my supplemental over the last two seasons partially to lack of effort or just passing the opportunity but somedays I definitely would. This season the wife and I are debating in not even buying supplemental tags for multiple reasons

[Athabasca1]

Smoky buck check the sticky at the top of the Hunting thread

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Athabasca1

Smoky buck check the sticky at the top of the Hunting thread

Thanks

After looking at the new regs I hope the expansion to the number of WMUS with supplemental helps spread the doe harvest but not happy about the two tag increase with it. The WMU I mentioned that I am seeing a very buck heavy population went from 1 to 2 supplemental tags

Well let’s see how it goes and if this change spreads pressure at least but I think some areas could be nuked with the 2 tags

I am not excited about it that is for sure

[trigger7mm]

Originally Posted by buckman

Any"Hunter"and I use the term loosely who kills/culls as many deer as they can this year,and I know of a few(sadly)is in my opinion greedy,and irresponsible.

Our deer herds are not there solely for putting as much meat as you can in the freezer. I hope these people will use some restraint and common sense.

As much as I hate to say it, I’m afraid that there are any too many “hunters” that will try to fill every tag they can lay their hands on. I know in my area that’s the case. I know of one family of four that happened to all get their moose draws in the same year, and yep, you guessed it, they had to kill four moose. They said they ate every bit of the meat, but I doubt it.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by trigger7mm

As much as I hate to say it, I’m afraid that there are any too many “hunters” that will try to fill every tag they can lay their hands on. I know in my area that’s the case. I know of one family of four that happened to all get their moose draws in the same year, and yep, you guessed it, they had to kill four moose. They said they ate every bit of the meat, but I doubt it.

Unfortunately there is many hunters and fishermen who believe because they can it won’t hurt anything. I wish more would make the choice to limit their personal harvest and keep moderation in mind

My crew will use moderation at least

[Gboe8]

Originally Posted by trigger7mm

As much as I hate to say it, I’m afraid that there are any too many “hunters” that will try to fill every tag they can lay their hands on. I know in my area that’s the case. I know of one family of four that happened to all get their moose draws in the same year, and yep, you guessed it, they had to kill four moose. They said they ate every bit of the meat, but I doubt it.

I see no problem with them filling there moose tags they waited how long for. I wouldn’t personally put my whole family the same year. If they didn’t put in for the tag some one else would of drew it and shot a moose.

[whitetail Junkie]

Wow...they sure dont like having an abundance of deer around in this province.between my mule buck and doe draw x2 and my general whitetail and supp whitetail doe tags up north x2 I now have 6 deer tags in my pocket this fall.

[marlin1]

where are the muley results coming from ? I can't see mine yet

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

Wow...they sure dont like having an abundance of deer around in this province.between my mule buck and doe draw x2 and my general whitetail and supp whitetail doe tags up north x2 I now have 6 deer tags in my pocket this fall.

Nothing makes you obligated to shoot every deer you have a tag for
Cat

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Nothing makes you obligated to shoot every deer you have a tag for
Cat

Well Yaa...I’ll probably end up taking 2 out of 6 tops.

[buckman]

As I have said in other posts,I don't really want to eat any deer that may be infected. Even though some science says its safe, it will be disposed of.

I will probably get my Draw for a Buck Mule deer this year,I wont shoot a young one. Looking for an old warrior with lots of character,not necessarily a giant,hopefully it tests negative if I get him.

It will probably my last prairie hunt ever,. I will hunt for Deer,Elk and moose in the high foothills and mountains after this year for as long as my old legs will carry me.

Its awful that this disease has ravaged so much of Canada and North America.
Not sure if my grand kids will ever have the hunting we were privileged to have experienced.

[Schilly97]

Originally Posted by trigger7mm

As much as I hate to say it, I’m afraid that there are any too many “hunters” that will try to fill every tag they can lay their hands on. I know in my area that’s the case. I know of one family of four that happened to all get their moose draws in the same year, and yep, you guessed it, they had to kill four moose. They said they ate every bit of the meat, but I doubt it.

I definitely agree alot of hunters are like that, I don't think pulling all 4 draw tags in one year and harvesting is that bad, the guys who have to fill all 3 whitetail tags are what I think is a issue.

[buckman]

The other question is this.Do you really want to butcher the meat then have to wait until you get the test back,only to throw it out if its positive?

[elkhunter11]

Once again, I won't be purchasing any supplemental tags. Unless I find a large mature buck, I won't harvest any whitetails.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by buckman

The other question is this.Do you really want to butcher the meat then have to wait until you get the test back,only to throw it out if its positive?

A lot of the supplemental whitetail CWD is not presently an issue so that is not a factor for most

[hal53]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Once again, I won't be purchasing any supplemental tags. Unless I find a large mature buck, I won't harvest any whitetails.

This^^^^......for about the 15th year...lol

[35 whelen]

This for my whole life only shot one doe ever, not against doe Harvest just not one to do it.

[catnthehat]

Fir a proper buck/ doe ratio a number of does need to be taken to keep the population healthy and vibrant.
However, not all areas have enough of the three vital components for a large deer population , or a good combination for large antlered or large bodied deer.
Every area is different .
My home hunting grounds produce a fairly large deer population now , but only in the last 30 years or so, since more fringe areas have opened up and pipline re-seeding has taken place .
It does not however produce a large number of big antlered or large bodied deer compared to many areas tp the south .
Cat

[trigger7mm]

Personally, I will never shoot a whitetail doe. Especially from my area, which is east central Alberta. They are still recovering from back to back brutal winters several years ago. Every time a doe is killed, it wipes out many generations of future deer that she would have produced. I absolutely hate the idea of double supplemental tags. It’s the bios way of getting hunters to do their dirty work, after they and the government dropped the ball.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Fir a proper buck/ doe ratio a number of does need to be taken to keep the population healthy and vibrant.
However, not all areas have enough of the three vital components for a large deer population , or a good combination for large antlered or large bodied deer.
Every area is different .
My home hunting grounds produce a fairly large deer population now , but only in the last 30 years or so, since more fringe areas have opened up and pipline re-seeding has taken place .
It does not however produce a large number of big antlered or large bodied deer compared to many areas tp the south .
Cat

This is similar to my train of thought.

It can be a good thing to shoot doe’s but it can be a negative it all depends on the habitat available and herd make up. Over harvesting of buck and having an over abundance of does is also a negative. It can have a negative impact of herd health and also buck quality

It’s a matter of moderation and balance

[trigger7mm]

Agreed. In this area that I’m in, the whitetail population is way down from what it was 20 years ago. It would be nice to see hunters lay off the does until the population recovers. Further north, the populations seem great, and maybe to the point of where some of the does need to be thinned out. Unfortunately, there are too many hunters that don’t look at things that way. Their objective is to fill every tag they can. Deer killers, not deer hunters

[DirtShooter]

Having yet to shoot a big game animal with my bow I may use a doe tag in September/october before the rifle season.

[buckman]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

This for my whole life only shot one doe ever, not against doe Harvest just not one to do it.

Same-here,I just cant do it.

[buckman]

Originally Posted by trigger7mm

Agreed. In this area that I’m in, the whitetail population is way down from what it was 20 years ago. It would be nice to see hunters lay off the does until the population recovers. Further north, the populations seem great, and maybe to the point of where some of the does need to be thinned out. Unfortunately, there are too many hunters that don’t look at things that way. Their objective is to fill every tag they can. Deer killers, not deer hunters

So true, the blanket coverage of an WMU leaves some of it open to over harvest. As I have said before our deer are not merely there to fill your freezer.

[ghostguy6]

Flame away if you want but this year I will be filling doe tags even if I donate the meat to the hunters for the hungry program. The area I hunt is overloaded with deer. On average we see 50 does for every buck. Its impossible to get permission in the area because the outfitters have ****ed off every landowner in the zone.