Deer Hunting Gripe Thread

Post here if you are unhappy with your season, hate the DNR, etc, etc.

I've got a few gripes but I also have to give a bit of credit Here goes 1. Why in the hell are people able to sight in their rifles in the woods on the Friday before season when bow hunters are able to sit in the woods with camo on? (930 Friday morning I climbed out because there were shot being fired 75 yards from my tree stand) I don't blame the guys shooting too much but you wonder why you're not seeing deer on opening morning? Duh?? 2. Wolves- I hunt in Jackson county and on Saturday and Sunday night the wolves had a field day with the very few gut piles they found that night. The howling of wolves in two different directions 5 miles apart lead me to believe the reason I saw 5 adult does with out fawns ate very well this spring. I'm not just a killer I don't want to just shoot an animal for the sake of shooting an animal because it effects my deer hunting, but I will support a wolf season for those who would like to take one for whatever reason they choose. 3. Legislators that support in anyway public lands being sold, private land owners who get tax credits for letting people hunt on their land and then don't let hunters hunt on their land. You know who you are and your an Azzhole. And I hope you get nailed one day when we finally have people who care about enforcing the law 4. I blame myself as well as other hunters for not being proactive and holding our states decision makers accountable for what they have done to this state as well as the wildlife it once held. Now some credit!! And it's very unpopular in my hunting camp but sorry guys it's only for the better Credit goes to the decision makers that made the black river state Forrest a "Bucks only Zone" Now I would have loved to fill my freezer with one of the 5 does I saw but if I did pull the trigger on one of those adult does I would have killed two. Her and the fawn I hope she is dropping in the spring. There that made me fell a lot better.. But I doubt next year will be any different

Well said JC A few more gripes: Guys who kill multiple does....or even "A" doe when the property they are hunting has very few deer. Guys who are guzzling the DNR cool aid with antlerless harvest recommendations Guys who see 3 deer during the entire season and "will shoot a doe on the last weekend". Guys who don't realize the hardship inflicted on a motherless fawn with winter here. Earn a buck pay back Deer hunting from mid September till Janurary

Gripes: Deer drives on public land on opening morning. Party tagging. Crossbows for people that can physically pull a bow back, and then allowing crossbows for these folks for all of archery season. Too many antlerless tags in much of the state. CDAC's limitations on dividing antlerless tags within the County. Allowing hunters to shoot two bucks/yr when there are too few bucks to begin with in much of the state. Youth hunt and youth antlerless tags. Guys that complain of never seeing a big buck while shooting every 1.5 year old buck they see during rifle season. No reason to complain then. Predators out of control - see more bears, coyotes, and wolves than deer in many cases. Guys that sit next to you during rifle season after you already in your stand.

Igor, things are really looking up over there in Jump River!! !! The truth is , just about that time in November , that bucks really slow down. The rut is almost done, for all practical proposes. Ya, I know, we are them chasing yet nut for the most part it is over. Those older bucks move 20 miles a day for a month. They are beat from looking for the few does in the area. At least this is how it has seemed north of you . I hunt 17 mi. west of Phillips . The cam pics are a fraction of what they are the 1st week of Nov. and daytime pics for bucks go to zero. They are still there though. I have a friend west of Ogema, last year he saw a nice 9 point come into his corn just before shooting. The buck walked into some high grass and sat there all day long. Never even moved his head that he could tell.

Wolves, wolves, and more wolves in the Sugar Camp/Eagle River area. Not a single fawn on camera (we had a total of 6 out) and virtually any set of deer tracks had a set of wolf tracks nearby or directly following them. Something has GOT to be done. We ALL need to voice our opinions at the CDAC meetings and the Spring Hearings because this is getting ridiculous. Hunted my property in Jump River starting Tuesday until the bitter end. Saw 4 does Tuesday night and that was it. No wolves around my place but you can hear them at night big time. They are there. Had several bucks on camera through mid-November then starting the 22nd they evaporated. Couldn't be due to pressure either as 1 neighbor only bow hunts, agriculture on 2 other sides, and 1 guy hunting opening weekend only. No idea where they all went. Lots of locals had the same thing to say. Local store in Jump River had 30 people enter the big buck contest and as of the last Saturday afternoon, they did not have a single buck registered for the contest.

CF- Actually, I WAS using Rem core lokt. Good info. I'll keep that in mind for future hunts.

Outdoors 74, Were you shooting Remington Bullets? They are known to have hard primers. Your gun was part of the equation too, but the bullets may have contributed. If you are going to be hunting cold temps use a graphite lubricant. It doesn't freeze or get thicker Mrt.

Just give thnx that we are still alive this day.. Deer hunting is always full of disappointment.. Enjoy the time with your pals.. Forget about the people that pissed you off.. I like to say.. Deer hunting is the annoying time between sleeping and drinking

I wasn't there to witness it this year (thankfully) since I was on private land, but did talk to a guy who hunted the public in Outagamie county I've been hunting for a while too. Apparently it was overrun by a particular ethnic group (any guesses?) and that they'd really jacked up the area. Hacking limbs off and cutting small trees with machetes, marking trees by removing bark, leaving a lot of trash; not to mention them having a complete disregard for the other hunters when they're walking around aimlessly and making a ton of noise (intentionally snapping branches, talking loudly, etc.). I won't lump them all together because I've met a few from that ethnic group out there who were nice and respectful, but I am so glad I wasn't there this year. Probably only a matter of time before there's an incident out there.

One more observation: how the heck did over 250 antlerless get shot in Oneida County (buck only)?!! Guess there are either a ton of kids/first time hunters hunting there or they batted 100% {scratches head}

My gripe: zero degrees + frozen bolt firing pin = missed opportunity at 10 pointer. 40 yards slightly quartering away. Aim, squeeze...and "ting". Pin engages but bullet doesn't fire. Realizing my window for a shot is almost closed, I jack in new shell, re-engage shooting sequence, squeeze...and "ting". 0 for 2. By now doe that's got buck in a tizzy has me pegged and bolts. So does he. I just sat there in disbelief. Got down at lunch to try and figure out what happened. I found both shells. They both had the primer plate dented, so the pin made contact. Shells just didn't fire. Went back to the truck and put in new shell from same box and attempt to discharge gun. Same results. Grab a bullet from my brother thinking maybe I've hit a run of duds. Nope...same result. Finally after putting a couple dabs of oil on bolt pin, I try again with one of the non-firing shells. Boom. I've put hundreds of shots through that gun, and I've never had that happen. Figures it would happen at the worst possible moment. I hunt the public Big Woods of Northern WI and have to bust my butt to get in on a shooter buck. And when I do, the "shooter" doesn't execute. Still playing that one back in my mind even a week later...

I knew I'd flush you out!

I can't post here. We did very well this year. (Did I just break the rules of my own thread?)

it's all Landmans fault. He starts these threads, gets everyone mad and has not been heard from since. Ya, LandMan, we blame you !!! He's sitting here reading every post and laughing at us all. I know you're there LandMan.

Deer drives! For people without patience or the skill to find where deer live eat and travel. I've had a few groups walk by. Sad part is you wistle and they just keep walking. Other big gripe is the people who sit literally 40 yards from you. Happened twice this year and they saw me before sitting down! When confronted they always say "oh I didn't see you" or "it's a small area". I do NOT care. Go invest time finding your own spots instead of seeing me or others parked here and saying "they must be seeing deer". Then walking back til you see orange and sitting down. It's funny too because if you hunt there once they don't bother. But as soon as you and your buddies are parked at that spot more than once somebody follows you. I absolutely love bowhunting but unless I get some private land to hunt I'm done with gun hunting. Anybody else ready for ice?!!