Ontario Anterless Deer Lottery snafu

safehunter

safehunter

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So I buy over $700 bucks worth of rifled shotguns, ammo and a stand to hunt locally, only to find out in the last hour before the antlerless deer lottery closes that the anterless tags are only valid for "bows only" season.
Should I even bother buying a tag or just spend the $50 the tag costs on scotch or paper punching ammo and put my mostly worthless investment up on the EE?
No offence to the archery crowd, but I'm starting to believe that the government is trying to chisel out legitimate firearm hunters.

EDIT: inb4 shoulda studied the regs more closely earlier
 
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What's the surprise? You look at the WMU you're interested in hunting. You check to see if it has a rifle,shotgun,muzzeloader or archery only season. You make your choice. Maybe you should have researched all this information before....like a few weeks before, not at the last minute.
 
Whaaaa????

Not sure if yer edit is clearing up your over site but if not, the Antlerless draw is not bow only (unless the area yer hunting in is a bow only area)
 
safehunter said:
So I buy over $700 bucks worth of rifled shotguns, ammo and a stand to hunt locally, only to find out in the last hour before the antlerless deer lottery closes that the anterless tags are only valid for "bows only" season.
Should I even bother buying a tag or just spend the $50 the tag costs on scotch or paper punching ammo and put my mostly worthless investment up on the EE?
No offence to the archery crowd, but I'm starting to believe that the government is trying to chisel out legitimate firearm hunters.

EDIT: inb4 shoulda studied the regs more closely earlier
Click to expand...

I believe it depends on the area you want to hunt.

I use my rifled set up for November controlled hunt.
 
amber2010 said:
What's the surprise? You look at the WMU you're interested in hunting. You check to see if it has a rifle,shotgun,muzzeloader or archery only season. You make your choice. Maybe you should have researched all this information before....like a few weeks before, not at the last minute.
Click to expand...

My bad. Rookie mistake. There's a shotgun season, just antlerless tags are not valid - pretty much anywhere south of hwy 89 in SWO. I missed the star on the WMU and small print until I went to buy and it said "bow season only".
I'm looking for table fare, not a trophy. I'm thinking sell the guns and buy a bow.
 
The antlerless draw for bow is a separate draw than the controlled hunt draw. There should be lots of either ### shotgun tags given out around your parts. If I understand your dilemma correctly you just need to be sure to apply for the controlled hunt in the area of your choice.
 
I really don't understand why you feel you have a dilemma. Just apply for the controlled hunt in your area. You are very likely to get an antlerless tag, and away you go. Even if you don't get an antlerless tag, a buck makes good eating too. The big difference is that gun season is only for several days, unlike archery which is several weeks.
 
Scamaniac said:
The antlerless draw for bow is a separate draw than the controlled hunt draw. There should be lots of either ### shotgun tags given out around your parts. If I understand your dilemma correctly you just need to be sure to apply for the controlled hunt in the area of your choice.
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Indeed - shotgun is for controlled hunt. Otherwise bow only. Clear as mud.

blargon said:
Just as good of chance to shoot a buck.
Click to expand...

Or 1/2 the odds of shooting any deer.

FWIW, tag purchased, bows only anterless deer lottery WMUs entered. Guess I'm putting firearms purchases on hold as I bow shop so I can spend my summer practicing a new form of hunting instead of using the firearms I've been comfortable with since my youth.

I still see this as discrimination against firearm hunters. I don't get it. Are bows more sporting? More humane? Greater cultural heritage? Were too many people getting shot?

I just started hunting in Southern Ontario after decades being north of 17. It seems I have a lot to learn. Not very hunter friendly IMHO.
 
safehunter said:
I still see this as discrimination against firearm hunters. I don't get it. Are bows more sporting? More humane? Greater cultural heritage? Were too many people getting shot?

I just started hunting in Southern Ontario after decades being north of 17. It seems I have a lot to learn. Not very hunter friendly IMHO.
Click to expand...

I just checked the regs. 100% success rate for those applying for tags in your area last year. I would suspect that being the case, they were all antlerless too. I'm not here to endorse MNR biologists nor comment on their methodology, because I don't know enough to do so intelligently. But the antlered vs. antlerless tag ratio would certainly have something to do with current and desired herd ratios. Like I said though, my bet is you will get a tag and it will be antlerless.
 
safehunter said:
Indeed - shotgun is for controlled hunt. Otherwise bow only. Clear as mud.



Or 1/2 the odds of shooting any deer.

FWIW, tag purchased, bows only anterless deer lottery WMUs entered. Guess I'm putting firearms purchases on hold as I bow shop so I can spend my summer practicing a new form of hunting instead of using the firearms I've been comfortable with since my youth.

I still see this as discrimination against firearm hunters. I don't get it. Are bows more sporting? More humane? Greater cultural heritage? Were too many people getting shot?

I just started hunting in Southern Ontario after decades being north of 17. It seems I have a lot to learn. Not very hunter friendly IMHO.
Click to expand...


Ok so rules are different. Controlled hunt for shotguns only, no rifles. The thing that sucks is that controlled hunt is for 1 week only. I just take a week vacation and go everyday.

Also if you do not use your tag with the shotgun you can harvest buck with archery.

Every year when we apply for controlled hunt we get antlered or antlerless on the tag.

So apply for controlled since you already have have shotgun and purchase a bow. If shotgun is unsuccessful hunt with he bow.
 
As I read this thread, I started to think I was confused so I went back to read the fine print. It took a few looks but I think it is all as I thought it was before I started looking...

I'm interested in hunting wmu 82a, which has an open season. According to the current regs document, the numbers for the 2013 "Antlerless Deer Validation Tag Draw Results for Regular Season Tags" had a quota of 6,100, 5,861 requested and 100% filled. These are good during the open season, which in 82A is 6 days of anything goes (rifle, &tc) and another 6 days of bows and muzzle loaders (and a lot of other time for bows as well). To quote:
Hunters who receive a validation tag in
the draw are permitted to harvest their choice of EITHER
an antlerless deer in the WMU specified on the tag OR
an antlered deer anywhere in the province during the open
season – with the exception of during a controlled hunt.
Click to expand...

This all seems to match up with how I understood it: if you received an antlerless validation tag in the draw you could take an antlerless deer during the open season (rifle or muzzle loader).

Comments in this thread about bows-only made me double-check the Bow Hunting Season section, where it first says, "If you want to take an antlerless deer during bow season you need an antlerless deer validation tag." Makes sense. Then comes the part that lost me:

Do not apply for an antlerless deer validation tag in a WMU
with a controlled hunt unless you plan to hunt with a
bow during the bows-only season. You must apply to the
controlled hunt draw if you wish to hunt with a permitted
firearm other than a bow during the controlled season.
Click to expand...

So it seems this misleading paragraph is just saying, "If your WMU is a controlled hunt area (no open season), there is a bows-only antlerless draw. Enter that if you intent to hunt antlerless with a bow." In areas with no open season, the regular open season antlerless draw doesn't apply. You draw for the controlled hunt, and that is good for antlerless (but check p70 for special rules).

In the end it is simple, but I found the section under bows confusing.
 
safehunter said:
I still see this as discrimination against firearm hunters. I don't get it. Are bows more sporting? More humane? Greater cultural heritage? Were too many people getting shot?

I just started hunting in Southern Ontario after decades being north of 17. It seems I have a lot to learn. Not very hunter friendly IMHO.
Click to expand...

The main reason rifles are not allowed in the southern parts is that the areas are too built up and close to people. Where I bow hunt I can see houses, Hwy 11, & the Go Train runs by on schedule from my treestand.I'd suggest getting a crossbow and permission to hunt on a farm nearby, I think you would enjoy it.
I like bow hunting for the fact that its a three month season in my area, I can pick and choose the days I go since its ten minutes away, and I don't need to make any special plans or long drives to hunt. Also I find my success rate much higher than hunting with a rifle.
 
^What Magellann said, plus I've shot some bucks & they were very good eating! While I always apply for a doe tag, I don't worry to much about not getting one, time in the field is the most important factor in being successful hunting.

Cheers
Jay
 
Depending on which WMU you are hunting in south of 89 the have up to two controlled hunts you can apply for a Nov, hunt which is normally shotgun , muzzle loader and Dec hunt is shotgun , muzzle loader except area 80 Dec hunt is blackpowder , muzzle loader only , you apply in Aug for these hunts this info is found on pages 65 thru 85 in 2014-2015 hunting regs //w w w.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@fw/documents/document/239849.pdf
 
safehunter said:
So I buy over $700 bucks worth of rifled shotguns, ammo and a stand to hunt locally, only to find out in the last hour before the antlerless deer lottery closes that the anterless tags are only valid for "bows only" season.
Should I even bother buying a tag or just spend the $50 the tag costs on scotch or paper punching ammo and put my mostly worthless investment up on the EE?
No offence to the archery crowd, but I'm starting to believe that the government is trying to chisel out legitimate firearm hunters.

EDIT: inb4 shoulda studied the regs more closely earlier
Click to expand...
maybe read the regs before you cry like a baby on a public forum. Lol. August 1 draw for controlled hunt starts and bow hunting is fun. I bow hunt and shotgun hunt and see alot of deer. There is additional tags starting oct 15 for some wmu for the controlled hunt and additional tags can on sale soon.http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@oc/documents/document/stdprod_097695.pdf.
 
pbonura said:
maybe read the regs before you cry like a baby on a public forum. Lol. August 1 draw for controlled hunt starts and bow hunting is fun. I bow hunt and shotgun hunt and see alot of deer. There is additional tags starting oct 15 for some wmu for the controlled hunt and additional tags can on sale soon.http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@oc/documents/document/stdprod_097695.pdf.
Click to expand...

Maybe read the thread before replying in it..... OP realized his error and took his lumps....
 
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