Did MLD ruin opening day in Texas

[tminc]

Its total crap I think,they should at least let us bow hunters have a season to ourselves.thats why they call it BOW season.Not MLD too,(for the #^$%%@es that cant figure out how to draw a bow).what's a week or two anyway?

[SaltwaterSlick]

Deer season still opens the same day whether MLD or not... The only difference MLD makes is you can choose your weapon. That and the tags are the only 2 real differences that MLD makes with deer season... The REAL big difference is IF a hunter wanted to, he could go out and kill 20 deer himself with the MLD tags whereas, that would not be legally possible with regular season regulations and in fact would require more hunters to get to the recommended harvest levels... MLD harvest can be accomplished with fewer people. To me, that's a plus. We hunt on a ranch that is huge and we are right in the middle of it... there are a few of us who bow hunt and still there's very few "shots" to be heard on a typical day from october thru February... so that's no big deal. To me, the MLD just gives us more freedom to hunt like we want and when we want and kill however many deer we want ourselves... win-win far as I'm concerned...

[jfk47]

If you are on a lease that has to kill 150 does and 50 cull bucks and you think it is a pain in the a#$, then here's a suggestion. Why not open up your lease for a weekend or two for all the guys on here that don't have a place to hunt or are not lucky enough to get on a lease and let then come in an shoot a doe or cull buck. Sounds like a win-win to me. Because now, if you shoot 150 does, what do you do with all the meat ? Are you going to tell me that you skin 150 does every year and only keep the meat from one or two. Or do you just shoot them and let they lay ?

[BrianL]

I think the 100+ day season has a larger effect than the MLD. Back in the 70s and 80s there was a much shorter season. Everyone had to hunt in a very short timeframe, so it made more conversation around opening day.

[DedDuk]

Its total crap I think,they should at least let us bow hunters have a season to ourselves.thats why they call it BOW season.Not MLD too,(for the #^$%%@es that cant figure out how to draw a bow).what's a week or two anyway?

Entitlement much?

[hpdrifter]

Entitlement much?

back atcha! entititled to extra length season?

[DedDuk]

Nah, I still bow hunt October through February. Only difference is I don't think my preferences should affect how others legally hunt.

[tminc]

I do too,and cherish the ability to bow hunt through gun season.i work my *** off all yr.long and its madding that people show up a week before the season throw corn in the feeders,and start blasting with their rifles on opening day of BOW SEASON.imo

[hpdrifter]

Nah, I still bow hunt October through February. Only difference is I don't think my preferences should affect how others legally hunt.

the legal allowance of gun hunting while bowhunters strive for stealth is, to me, a safety issue.

Like on National Forest land, now you have to wear orange while bowhunting. Just doesn't seem like bowhunting when wearing orange.

Setting hunting season affects other people too, or don't you realize that.
Everything affects some one.

[Chance Love]

That additional time at the beginning of the season is simply not needed

Maybe not for you. But for me and I'm sure a lot of others, it absolutely is needed. Hunting time is limited by work, family stuff, life, ect. We need the time. To suggest otherwise when you are not involved with that particular ranch is simply narrow-minded.

It isn't about extra time to manage the herd, it is about having more time to bring in paid hunters. If you can't shoot your allotted number of tags during regular season, then you suck as a hunter. Don't get me wrong I am not against MLD whatsoever or the extended seasons they get, just don't BS me that it is about having extra time to manage the herd properly.


And I have as well and it can be done no problem. 3 of us killed 80 does one year in 2 weekends because the hunters screwed around and didn't shoot any one year.

Geez, Will. Maybe I do suck as a hunter. Maybe not. But I have killed one or two in my lifetime. It's more about the management, not the hunting. Has absolutely zero to do with bringing in paid hunters. On our lease, killing does is pretty tough. We need the time. Same as above, it's pretty narrow-minded to suggest you know more about how to manage our place than we do. And I'm glad you had a couple weekends one year where you were able to shoot a lot of does. If you knew how many of those weekends I've had over the years, you might not make some of these comments.

[hpdrifter]

Maybe not for you. But for me and I'm sure a lot of others, it absolutely is needed. Hunting time is limited by work, family stuff, life, ect. We need the time. To suggest otherwise when you are not involved with that particular ranch is simply narrow-minded.



Geez, Will. Maybe I do suck as a hunter. Maybe not. But I have killed one or two in my lifetime. It's more about the management, not the hunting. Has absolutely zero to do with bringing in paid hunters. On our lease, killing does is pretty tough. We need the time. Same as above, it's pretty narrow-minded to suggest you know more about how to manage our place than we do. And I'm glad you had a couple weekends one year where you were able to shoot a lot of does. If you knew how many of those weekends I've had over the years, you might not make some of these comments.

there is February and March. Usually cooler than October.

[walker1983]

Every ranch I hunt in Texas is on MLD.

I'd agree that rifle season should not start until the first Saturday in November. Especially for low fence places on MLD.

A 4 month rifle season is PLENTY of time to kill all the numbers you want to kill.

[Daniel32]

I understand what you're saying. Growing up "opening day" was always the first weekend in November as my father who introduced me to hunting was not a bow hunter. I remember getting out of school early on the Friday before and driving to Bandera, TX where we hunted. I remember the town of Bandera would have a "Hunters Dinner" that Friday night in town that we attended a few times and it was fun to see everyone getting ready for deer season to begin.

I don't mind MLD as I hunt an MLD property currently. I think opening day is what you make of it. I still take my kids opening weekend of general season, and treat it the same way my father treated it for me. I get them out of school early and take them to camp. We have a nice meal Friday night and talk about what we're going to or rather hope see Saturday morning, etc...

Yes I have taken them with me both bow and rifle hunting in October, however we always treat the first weekend of general season as our "opening weekend", and I plan on doing that as long as they're still willing and wanting to go with me

[jdg13]

I personally think archery should be it's own season because it took so much to get it in the first place, but the attitude of "you're a bad hunter" if you're on MLD and use a rifle is just pure elitist arrogance. If you're so good, why do you need a special season? Plenty of time to kill that buck in November and December with a bow too. Why can't we all just hunt within what the law says is legal and enjoy the time with family and friends?

[gingib]

It's not nearly as special as it used to be. Being pulled out of school at lunch on the Friday before the opener was awesome.

I will be doing this with my kids