SERM surveys!!

[SaskMan]

I got my SERM survey last week and was appalled to see that 76% of the whitetails taken in the province by Canadian hunters were bucks, add to that the U.S hunter kills and it'll surely be over 80%. That is just absolutely rediculous. According to the survey there were only 7000 or so does shot. No wonder some areas are getting over run with does. With this overpopulation of does we're ona crash course with disease and winter starvation eventually.
I encourage all Sask hunters to fill out their surveys and be like me, enclose a letter asking them to sell more antlerless tags and get rid of the 2nd buck tag. All the 2nd buck tag they are offering is doing is creating a population that is getting way out of whack and encouraging unethical hunters to illegally shoot a 2nd buck. The future depends on it.

[superguide]

Another thing they could do is make u turn in two cancelled doe tags before you get your "ONLY' buck tag. But it is getting ridiculous around here -the only does that get shot are the last few days when the road warriors get really desparate. Ty and I usually fill our doe tags first thing in either archery or muzzleloader. Another thing they could do is let nonresidants kill a few does my buddies from B.C. would of gladly took a doe along with their bucks. A little management here in Sask. and we could maybe raise the odd good buck. My Christmas wish-3 doe tags-a ban on road hunting-archery moose season on the central zones-bring it on Santa.

[CLB]

I did not fill mine out and they got a nice little note sent back with it saying that they will not be receiving any support or help from me as long as they keep screwing things up as bad as they are in the CWD zones. One of our cattle was hit by a truck in the middle of our farmland and dad had to shoot it. Another landowner has had a solar pannel for an electric fence stolen. Uncountable numbers of tresspassing incidents. Wounded deer all over. Vehicles driving where no vehicle should ever be and the list goes on and on. As far as whitetails go I think that whitetail bucks should be on a draw system here in the SW. The quantiy and quality of bucks seen is terrible and we definately are not over run with does.

CLB

[fisherguy]

Just wondering how not sending in the survey is going to help them do better? THey may be screwing things up, but don't you think that sending in the survey with teh letter might be a little more productive?

[buckee]

I would like to see the earn-a-buck program introduced here. It just makes more sense. We (my two hunting buddies and myself) have created our own earn-a-buck program and we are happy with it.

I think all the emphasis put on antlers over the years through magazines, TV shows and the internet, is partly responsible for these figures. Lets face it...every hunter would like to shoot that buck of a lifetime, and that buck of a lifetime to many, isn't really all that big... But it is a buck non-the-less. Why not shoot a doe first and earn the right to go after which ever buck you want after that.

[SaskMan]

on and on about the recommendations I have for them but I won't.
Superguide, I'd like to see 2 or even 3 doe tags issued but I really want to have to earn my buck tag. This year I'd have had to let my buck walk being the 2nd day of the season. I'll gladly buy 2 doe tags and shoot them for meat and hold my precious buck tag for the Xmas tree if need be but I really wouldn't want to have to pass an early Oct. monster because I hand't filled my doe tags.
Without a doubt they are buggering things up all over the province, each person will have different concerns specific to their area. I just HATE the 2 buck tags, it's killing the potential for great bucks and now the dinky bucks are breeding like crazy screwing up the gene pool. Yesterday at my neighbour's I couldn't help but notice the 2nd either sex tag he had on a nice young 5x5, a mid 150's deer, maybe 3 1/2 at best. He shot it just west of Meadow Lake, on the airport road. Yet another xone 55 "forest tag" buck. It pisses me off so much I'm frowning as I type.

[buckee]

[ QUOTE ]
it's killing the potential for great bucks and now the dinky bucks are breeding like crazy screwing up the gene pool

[/ QUOTE ]
Although I understand what your trying to say and agree that the smaller bucks should be allowed to mature more, I have to disagree with your statement about dinky bucks breeding and screwing up the gene pool, unless your talking about mature dinky bucks verses just imature dinky bucks. ????? because imature dinky bucks will still be passing on good genetics, even though their genetics aren't quite evident yet, if indeed they have those genetics in them to begin with.
I'm assuming that is what you mean't.

The earn-a-buck program is the only way you are going to get all those die hard antler hunters to do their part. just extra doe tags will not work, because they won't even buy them. IMO.
Limiting the buck tags would help to a degree, but you are still going to have an over abundance of does that need to be taken care of.

[SaskMan]

Buckee, I'm talking about the mature dinky bucks. Ones with 4x4 frames, short tine length etc.. These bucks are being passed up for younger 5x5 bucks simply b/c they are 5x5's not 4x4's. You're correct about the young bucks with good potential, however, many of these are being taken just b/c they are 5x5's, some guys just have that mentality.
I agree that we are in for a struggle b/c most guys aren't willing to buy 2 doe tags. The earn a buck program has it's good points and it's bad. The good points are that it'll get rid of excess does, they bad is that many more people won't even buy a licence b/c they don't want to do it plus the fact I mentioned earlier about an early monster buck. I see most of my dandies within the first ciuple days of the muzzleloader season, I'd hate to have to shoot a doe or 2 before I could get a shot at a buck I want. Maybe upping the cost of a buck tag to $50 from $33 and giving away a free doe tag with the sucessful harvest of a buck. That way 2 deer would cost $50, not the current $53 and that way some of the guys who only buy a buck tag may be tempted to shoot a doe as well.

[SaskMan]

Now that I've put a bit more thought into it, my idea is clearer. Instead of offering seperate buck and doe tags for $33 and $20 respectively, make it mandatory to buy a combination of tags buck and doe for $50. $50 is still a small price to pay for guys who want to hunt a buck only and in the process maybe we'll get rid of some of those does if guys who normally don't buy a doe tag are now carrying one of them in their pocket as well.

[fisherguy]

That makes a lot of sense! I personally think it would really increase your doe harves if suddenly everyone had a doe tag in their pocket.

[sureshot]

I tend to agree with CLB on the most part, not enough does in the area to make up a doe zone, we had one a few eyar back before the bad winter but thye have not came back yet to good levels! With the bucks, I do understand your problems, i hear abotu them all the tiem and think its crap,[2 deer season] I would really like a size limut in deer, it will stop alot of the smaller deer being shot and to top it off will stop peopel from seeing a deer jump up at 500 ayrds and openign up couse ti has a rack, and trust me it happens all the time!It also will keep the idiots out of the fields and alsomake the hunters that stick with it more ethical and start to hutn the right ways!! I do not really want to see a draw for whitetail, I think that way ti may be 3-4 years before we can shoot a deer just not the way to go abotu things I think![in my opinion] Ido think they have to do soemthign abotu the CCw areas, all it is doing is bringing in the peopel who want to kill deer from all over, these and not the type of hunters ranchers want on there land on the most part, I know a few from this area who went over and they are the drivers who will not get out of a vehicle if they were stuck, they would use a cell phone to call help lol,Also I think thye have to slow down the anterless mule deer season,down here I have not been seeign hardly any mule deer this year [lost alot last winter] and they still ahd tons of doe tags, gonna take a long time to get back from this year, both the bad winter and all doe tags, and to top it off we had a elk season here and natives from all over sask and alberta have been here the past few months killing everythign that moves, 30 elk were shot and many big deer last week alone I hear! Finally had 6 warden cars in town last week becouse they were pushign a game preserve to get them otu and shootign on the edge, 4 were found dead by ranchers to, alot of new posted land@!!!!

[buckee]

The only problem with giving away doe tags or making them cheap, or even including them with a buck tag, is that there are too many macho hunters out there that feel it is beneath them to shoot a doe.
I think it's called "antler envy" or something close to that...LOL.
I've heard a lot of ideas and arguments over the years and to me the earn a buck sounds like the best one, because it would force those yahoo macho types to at least shoot a doe first before pursuing a buck, and in your case maybe dropping the buck tags down as well.
But , we're all entitled to our opinions right.
In the case of an under population of does, of course earn-a-buck would be out of the question. You'd have to impliment an antler restriction and possibly drop the number of buck tags issued.
I just hope for you guys sake that they do something that makes sense, before it's ruined for you.

[superguide]

Anothere thing they could do is include a couple free doe tags in the youth package-most young hunters would gladly shoot a couple does. Saskman if they went to earn a buck you'd fill your doe tags in archery-I know a ranch by Meadow Lake you could hunt on lol. Maybe they should go to auxilliary wardens like the mounties did with constables if they can't police things right.

[CLB]

fisherguy

I have given up on these idiots. We have on more than one occasion reported guys for hunting out of the CWD areas or for illegal activities in the CWD areas. There reply to them hunting ouside of the area was " oh they are close enough". They have been one to several miles from the right area. They never even showed up when the ilegal activity was reported. dad reported a wounded deer for them to come and put down. They said for dad to just put it down which is fine but then they had the nerve to ask him to do their job and remove the head and bring it to them. Dad told them if they wanted the **** thing they could come and get it themselves. They have been told numerous times by numerous people that they way they are handling things in the CWD zones is only going to piss landowners off and cause problems. They never listen. They just keep handing out free tags to every slob who wants one. They can kiss my a**. You have no idea what it is like until you have lived in the area.

CLB

[buckee]

Man, I wish I had of stayed in school ..I could have been a game warden and sat on my fat butt all day.
Actually, I wish I was a game warden...and clean some of the trash hunters up around here.