Are You Pro Choice When It Comes To Deer Season?
Winston Salem Journal Graphic
There is no doubt that North Carolina has a abundant deer herd in most of the state and steps need to be taken to reduce the population. NCWRC at their last meeting floated an idea to give private landowners the option to choose what weapons could be used rather then having a set archery, muzzleloader, and firearm season. Today’s Journal had a story about this proposal and not surprisingly many bow hunters and muzzleload hunters are opposed to it.
Bowhunters and muzzleloaders who traditionally have early deer season to themselves in the North Carolina woods are annoyed by a proposal to create a uniform season, which would extend the crack of the gun by 10 weeks, from early September through January.
“It would have a detrimental impact on the quality of the herd, the quality of deer and the hunting experience,” said Ramon Bell, the president of the N.C. Bowhunters Association. “It would pretty much eliminate bowhunting and muzzleloading hunting.”
The idea came out of a meeting last month of the big-game committee of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. It is not a formal proposal, state officials said.
A uniform deer season across North Carolina would allow hunters to hunt with a legal weapon of choice on private properties from early September through January. It would not pertain to gamelands, which would maintain traditional bowhunting and muzzleloading seasons.
WS Journal
I’ve given this some careful thought over the last little bit and I’ll admit I don’t see why this shouldn’t be tried. I think it will retain more hunters but in the firearm arena. Bow hunters & Muzzleloaders I’m sure would see a loss in the numbers of those participating. There is no doubt that some bowhunters and muzzleload hunters only do that to extend the season.
We need to reduce the herd down in many areas while this proposal might do that however there is also a logical argument that it won’t work because there are still many hunters that will not kill does.
While I see no reason to oppose it I do see the potential to reduce the overall participation in the “privative weapons” so I’ll offer a compromise. Why not set the private lands statewide up to the Eastern Season? “Primitive weapon” enthusiasts will still get their seasons and the overall firearm season will be increased. No matter what gets decided I believe the next NCWRC meeting will be one that is watched closely.
You have to give them credit though, they see a problem and they are trying to fix it before it gets worse. Something like this should always come down to a vote because you don’t want it being said that it is one sided.
Those early seasons are important to the muzzleloader and archery hunters, I for one know how difficult it is to tag early and to make the big guns come out early would just make matters worse in my opinion.
Seasons are seperated for a reason and that it to give everyone a fair chance to to do their part at game management for the most part.
Comment by Rick — August 3, 2008 @ 8:12 am
Seems to me that the ruling on private lands only wouldn’t necessarily have a negative impact on bowhunters or muzzleloaders, unless you’re sharing those private lands with other hunters… maybe leases or something? If that’s the case, then maybe working some language into the lease agreement to preserve the archery only and muzzleloader only seasons on that private land.
Otherwise, if it’s my land and I choose to shoot deer with rifles in September, then I don’t see how that’s going to have an impact on anyone else… except that maybe the hunting pressure on my property will move more deer onto the neighbors’ places.
I do believe the plan would go a long way to increasing the deer harvest, although as you said, Moose, if folks don’t shoot does it’s never going to be what it should be.
Comment by Phillip — August 3, 2008 @ 10:51 pm