Rule Change WILL NOT CHANGE A THING!!

deerman,

You'd better listen to what Timex is saying. If the DNR does not issue the nuisance deer permits the farmers will do one of two things and neither of them are very good for deer hunters:

1) They will shoot them anytime that they please and as many as they please. Does S.S.S. mean anything to you?

2) They will go to the legislature and the legislature will set a season for the farmers to shoot deer. It would probably start about January 1 at half time of the big game and go through to when the everyone is tooting horns and saying HAPPY NEW YEAR! IOW - anytime that they want..

As far as farmers allowing hunters (NRs or residents).. they can or they don't have to.. their choice. Last I looked we are still the home of the free and as free persons we have that choice what happens ON OUR OWN PROPERTY.

Quick question...How well did the "call a hunter" list work last year.....how many did you let hunt? Know anyone that got a call???

I signed up as a hunter and got one call. The farmer said he had 4 days open to bow hunt..all the other days were full. He had 2 people hunting in the morning and two in evening, every day but 4. Needless to say I passed on the opportunity.

Still waiting on you to tell us the prize to see if the effort is worth it.

First off my name isnt "skippy". My name is Mark Williams and I don't agree with your original post...that's who I am.

2nd off, I never called you a liar. I said "I really think that if you owned a farm you wouldn't have the same opinion." That's was just my opinion. Congrats on owning a 100 acre farm. Would you be willing to let strangers hunt it if the state gave you an"incentive"? Sounds like the state would be "sub leasing" farms.

3rd...when the state gives you a "tax break" or "incentive" not to lease or deny hunters, in my opinion, they are indirectly telling you how to manage it.

This is a public forum and people are going to disagree. I believe you took my post wrong. There is no reason to get personal.

Timex, Some folks will never "get it" regardless of how many times it smacks them in face!

#4. NR has a better chance IMO for many reasons. (#1) Most NR looking to lease are usually a group of hunters...could be an outfitter, hunting club, etc...with a large sum of $$$ to their disposal for lease land....(#2)Dont know about where your located but in my area the "Local Guy" is barely getting by week to week, so dumping a large sum of $$$ on a lease is out of the question, opening the window for NR.....

#5. KEYWORD.."USUALLY"

I'm sure it's not universally true but a lot of the leases I KNOW OF are guys hunting "for that big one".

That is beginning to backfire here in a few places. I've gotten access to areas not before open to me and might have 2 others soon simply because I WANT TO SHOOT DOES too.

While not a direct quote, this is the response I've gotten from three local landowners.

"I'm getting pretty fed up with "trophy hunters". I let them in to SHOOT SOME DEER yet year after year they shoot a nice buck, if they find one but if they might only shoot one or two does. I NEED SOME DEER SHOT!"

Part of the problem too is a large majority of the landowners are NOT hunters and it takes some gently offered information that "the more the merrier" is not necessarily going to take out the most deer either.

Some I am politely asking for permission to hunt, making it plain I DO want a nice buck but I WILL take out multiple does if the chance arises......AND offer meat to the landowner out of deer I take from his land if he would like some.

The "new" Hunters Helping Farmers" program didnt get much use last year but I think that may grow on some farmers in time. Lots of information on what the hunter wants, his experience, etc is available to the farmerd to sit down and go through to pick one or two.

The down side I feel with this program is that most farmers wont "bother" till they think of it RIGHT before season when they are VERY busy......or maybe even DURING season when they see damage or herds milling about. In time I think they will make an effort to contact hunters before it's time to harvest the crops but being new, they just dont think of it right away.

A lot of areas are "tied up" with the landowner's grandson, neighbor, friend of a friend etc whom want the experience of hunting without other hunters around. Most landowners will oblige until the number of deer is out of control. I know LOTS of places like this and the "trophy hunting" story above covers most of the same areas.

It's going to be a slow process, I feel, for landowners to make that choice between attempting to give long time hunters of their land what they WANT .......or.........open it up, at least for a couple weeks, to others to take multiple deer out.

The few places I've recently acquired are PURELY because someone had refered me to the landowner due to his disgust with current hunters putting trophy hunting first and foremost and the landowner's desire to take multiple deer out is put on the back burner.

Since other hunters ARE hunting there I attempt to discuss with them the best methods where we can all hunt with minimal interference from one another. Sadly, the few I've spoken with were bound and determined to "have it all".......forever and two ended up losing the priviledge to hunt because they made the mistake of verbally attacking the landowner because "it was THEIR hunting area". They learned quickly that it was not only NOT theirs, and their actions made them unwelcome back.

ALL of us would like to have undisturbed deer to hunt and to do so exclusively but that is becoming the case for those only with enough money to lease, as mentioned.

SHOULD YOU HAVE exclusive rights or a lease.........be forewarned......WHAT THE LANDOWNER WANTS......needw to be first priority for a successful long time relationship. Grab some buddies and have a "doe hunt" in late season, share photos with the landowners and offer help and / or venison. Make sure YOUR BUDDIES are welcome first. You may have to explain why they are needed should the landowner have what he feels to be a serious crop damage situation.

An improvement here would be if the IDNR and biologist would offer WINTER depredation permits for more than trees, nurseries, hay etc and include Indiana's MAIN crops of soybeans and corn.

It was only this month I was informed by a state bioligist that corn and bean permits were "only offered during the growing season". Politely, I informed the biologist that FEW true hunters would shoot summer does with fawns and while I realized the "logic", summer hunts were, IMHO, a waste of paper to print tags on. Literally NO hunters I know will shoot summer does........for any reason.

The biologist and I agreed to disagree on the subject of deer taken out in Jan being "corn and soybean" depredation deer. Growing season or not, it's still my opinion that deer ALIVE in January WILL EAT beans and corn thru the summer. It's not like they move out of state or anything. (ok, off my soapbox now, LOL).

I agree, there has to be a functioning method to encourage farmers to let hunters in but as it has always been in the past.......it's OUR actions or lack of action that will speak loudest to the landowner.

A buddy and I are joining "forces" so to speak, and discussing with local landowners attempting to offer landowners a couple or maybe 2 more hunters whom will not only hunt for their wallhanger but will put equal amount of time into taking a predetermined amount of deer out for the landowner's satisfaction.......within reason.

Unfortunately some farmers want them ALL taken out and it takes a lot of patience and information to convince the landowner that not only is that not possible, it would also be beyond what I and my friend would agree upon (even if legal).

Hopefully , this situation will improve but as the herd grows, as does the landowner's frustrations.

It may be well worth incorporating a few "doe hunts" in your future seasons to share with landowners. Nothing I've found yet will match it for producing a happy landowner and bring out the welcome mat for future seasons.

God Bless

Steve