I was raised on what was left of my grandfathers farm. Each child, including my mother, received 100 +/- acres. There were 6 kids. We had neighbors for miles in each direction that had farms. There was 5000 acres owned by a paper company that boardered our property.
All of it was open to us to hunt and fish on. And we did roam on it... with respect to each other. We would allow others to hunt on it as long as they asked permission, no one ever thought to charge someone to cross their land.
The State owned thousands of acres of State Game Lands, open to the public. As citizens of the state we the people owned those lands and there was no charge to use them. The Game and Fish that lived in/on the land were also owned by the people. All game on all lands.
I would see a buck on Ernie's field and a week later might see it on Cal's field. To get there it crossed 3-4 properties.
This is why I don't understand the conceipt that seems to be held by some that if you own property you own the deer that crosses it. Why should the rules be different for someone hunting on private land to those hunting on land owned by the state? Are they not often the same deer? Unless your land is totally high-fenced how can you say you own the deer and can do as you please with it?
If effect if you do other than allowed by law, you are not stealing from the Government but from your fellow citizens.
So if any management law is put into place it should be done equally to all and for all that call Florida home. At least that's how I see it.
What is wrong with Fl's deer herd now,I killed two nice 8's and a cowhorn spike last year. Old bucks are tough and nasty to eat,young bucks are delicious. Doe deer are for women and children.
What is wrong with Fl's deer herd now,I killed two nice 8's and a cowhorn spike last year. Old bucks are tough and nasty to eat,young bucks are delicious. Doe deer are for women and children.
That's what they said in PA for nearly 40 years. The Doe population was so thick that they had the highest car/deer related crash rates in the nation for nearly 30 years. We would hunt PA and see on average 12-15 does per buck. A large buck in PA used to be a 4 PT. They changed the rules there, it's been a few years. The state herd is under control now, bucks are much bigger, more bucks in the woods, less does, healther herd, less accidents, etc.... It's a win win with proper management. Maybe FWC needs to contact the current PGC (PA Game Commission) folks and find out how they actually were able to manage the state herd.
Private/Pulic Land: Deer move, so the private/public land issue isn't an issue. It's an excuse.
The rule makes sense to me.
They could always do it the way they manage deer in South Carolina, a deer a day, any sex, general gun from 15 Aug - 15 Jan, run em with dogs, trucks, buggies or boats, shoot em if you see em. You'll never see a deer over 150 lbs in the state either, they are more like rabbits. If it's brown it's down. The funny thing is they still have an unhealthy over populated deer population, the deer are just smaller.
obviously something is not right if so many hunters opt to go elsewhere. I would prefer to hunt the state I am a resident of.
Hunted pa 20 yrs ago, 1 deer limit and no hunting on Sundays. Flintlock rifles only in muzzleload season. No thank you,there's more deer around now than I've ever seen. Last week a buck and a doe were hit together just a mile from my house. Fl literally had millions of acres of public land that does not allow hunting,or very limited hunting. Open up more lands,spread the hunters out instead of cramming them together on quota hunts and the hunting experience will improve
