Title says it all: anyone know what's up with the no second deer tag in GHA 35 this year? Where I hunt in GHA 35 I saw lots of deer from the road last year but they weren't moving like past years. (too warm last year/no snow/whatever?)
For Manitoba hunters: Anyone know what's up with the no second deer tag in GHA 35?
- Thread starter fugawi
- Start date
What was the amount of snow like there last winter? I know in my area we had more snow last year than we've had in a long time, and they cut the anterless tag in my area as well. Maybe they feel there was a lot of winter kill due to large snow fall.
That area now falls within the boundaries of the " Metis Harvesting Area ". As a result MNR takes into account the number of deer that they expect will be taken by Metis hunters with no bag limits or seasons to follow. Expect this to be the new norm for all areas west of the Red and south of the Trans Canada.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
GHA 35 is east of the Red.
They have no way of even beginning to estimate how many deer will actually be harvested by Metis. They are basing the closure on a general drop in population in most areas due to last winter.
Whether or not it's justified is up for debate. I doubt they had the funds to conduct a deer count this spring and it's impossible to manage our deer population when the largest user group has no bag limits or seasons.
My bad, should have looked at a map first. Not sure wat the reasoning is for that area considering that in areas north of 35 they've increased tags and extended season lengths.
Am I allowed to badmouth that BS if I'm "metis"? I can't even begin to express how dumb that is. Harvester card, my ass. Even though through technicalities I could get my card I think it's all crap. We're all equal and therefore all laws and "special services" should be shared equally.
Well spoken. Thanks for being a respectable outdoorsman in that regard. Some aren't. Unfortunately, conservation has to take that into consideration for the benefit of the populations. If they cracked down on poaching a little more (volume-wise) than this might not be necessary.
I see more poached deer during the archery season than I do during the late fall. By poached I mean just the backstrap cut off or the head removed, or just left to die. I don't care who killed it, it's still a shame really. Those few people spoil it for those of us who are OK playing by the rules as tough as it can be some times.
Can't say as I was not following the snowfalls in that area and haven't spoke to anyone from there. But last November there was practically no snow when we hunted the first week - maybe a couple of snow squalls and then it all melted. It was warm for November.
Possibly. A couple years back one of my hunting partners was spooked by a wolf watching him while setting up his blind in late October. Same year I found tracks that looked like a pack near where we hunt - we actually had to move a bit off from where we usually go as there were no deer in the usual spots. Last year I was following some deer tracks then noticed some coyote, wolf(?) tracks mixed in. Are you sure about the winterkill in 35?
I'd have to agree unless as thebigslide said there was a lot of winterkill. Last year during muzzle loader we saw 27 deer (I stopped keeping track after that) from the truck as we were driving to our spot. That's along Hwy #1, 306 and 504. Lots of hunters too - too many road warriors. Weird thing is they let you keep the second tag in GHA 36 which is the north side of #1. Where we hunt, south side of #1, 35 is mostly crown land or marginal swampy/marshy with some gravel pits and agricultural use. I've never hunted 36 but the Whiteshell PP is in it and I believe more agricultural, private property, more built up land. Would the winterkill be that much different in 36 as opposed to 35?
We do notice that Americans like to come up and hunt in that area and some guides. I wonder if that has anything to do with it? The no second deer came as a surprise when I read the regs this year. My hunting partners and I bought a second tag every year for the past five - won't bother this year. I wonder if this has anything to do with our NDP government?
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bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Well said. However, that's not the case.
Americans have to hunt through licensed outfitters and these outfitters only have a certain allocated number of tags every year so that's definitely not the reason. Also, the second deer license is only available to resident hunters and you won't find any Americans coming to MB to shoot an antlerless deer. They have plenty of their own, just not the big bucks in many areas.
Manitoba Conservation has a "list" they go by for hunting rights and seasons/bag limits and accordingly:
1. Treaty First Nations (commonly referred to by DNR as "Priority Users")
2. Metis
3. Resident
4. Non-resident Canadian
5. Foreign resident
And to answer your question; Yes, the NDP has everything to do with this. Expect areas and quotos to become more eroded if they win the October election.
I'm aware American hunters are here for bucks and not does. And that they cannot purchase a second tag. We noticed what seemed like more Americans last year. So I'm wondering if MB Conservation was seeing an increase in deer taken overall out of GHA 35 and this was their response.
I harvested a 4x4 and a doe in 35 last year and passed/didn't have a good shot on 5 others (spike, 6x6, medium doe x2, huge doe). One hunting buddy took two does and missed others, the other partner missed a deer. We saw 2 big bucks and 5 does in the same area during muzzleloader except they weren't in legal to shoot areas plus a huge doe that I shot at and missed. That's not counting all the rest along the highway and roads as we were driving up. So I don't understand the removal of the second tag in GHA 35 unless something changed over winter - maybe the winterkill alluded to by thebigslide.
I sure hope its not politics but with the mess in GHA 26 re moose hunting I would not be surprised.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Like I said and others have said, the 2nd license cancellation in areas is due to a high fawn mortality last winter.
In regard to seeing more Americans, perhaps this is so, but outfitters have not been allocated more licenses, so the fact there may be more foreign resident hunters has no effect on the closure.
Rest assured that DNR would not close a resident season in order to accommodate non residents, and rightfully so.
Sounds like you guys are getting the same deal as Ontario, just ask the moose hunters around algonquin park.....
Sounds like you guys are getting the same deal as Ontario, just ask the moose hunters around algonquin park.....
Unregulated hunting will wipeout large areas of this province. Unfortunately greed seems to rule many otherwise reasonable hunters when they all of a sudden get "free" hunting rights. The closure of moose seasons in several areas of Manitoba is a prime example. Groups that used to be satisfied with a 1 moose/2 tags are now harvesting 1 to 1 with no regard to ### or age of animals. The wildlife populations will not sustain this kind of pressure for very long. If aboriginal peoples do not realize that treaties were made in times of no motorized vehicles,refrigeration, roads or modern firearms then they are going to seriously impact wildlife for everyone, including themselves.
- Location
- Richer, MB
I hunt and live in GHA 35 and I can say the deer population this year seems to be down. I know that usually I have a good amount of deer on my property (trail cam pics), but this year it looks like I only have a SINGLE doe and fawn. The big bucks I had coming through last year are gone too But my bigger concern is this weather we are having. All back country travel is restricted, you can't even walk in. Bear starts Monday, and grouse starts on the 9th and we need some damn rain!!!!
But my bigger concern is this weather we are having. All back country travel is restricted, you can't even walk in. Bear starts Monday, and grouse starts on the 9th and we need some damn rain!!!!I've alrteady given up on the fall bear season, not enough time left to bait and hunt now. I sure hope we get some rain before grouse season opens though. I don't usually do a lot of grouse hunting until October when some of the leaves are down, but if the backcountry is closed it won't matter anyway!
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Don't give up on bear, should be easy baiting this year there are almost no berries around.
Opens on the 8th.
