Deer Regulations in your Area.

[X-farmerdan]

I don't remember who asked. With apologies to whomever it was....
The discussion centered around the number of deer we can legally kill here in Virginia and the number that an individual hunter kills (on average) in a given year.

I asked the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF). In abbreviated form, here's the response from our Deer Project Coordinator.

In 2017 in Virginia there were 193,629 licensed Virginia deer hunters. This doesn't include people exempt from purchasing a license.

Just over 89,100 (46%) check in a deer kill. For those successful hunters, individually, here's the number of deer they checked:

 

[X-farmerdan]

Yea I get that- I’d be interested in seeing that data.

In Ohio during our one week gun season we kill the same number of deer in that one week, that are killed in the entire bow season. IF we had unlimited Doe tags or deer a day tag. Whoa! Our numbers would be low!

 

[bigbluetruck]

For rifle season, the state is broke up into "areas" each has a different name and has no real rhyme or reason to the boundaries, sometimes its county lines, some are rivers, some are highways etc. Each area has different rules on the sex, number or species of deer that can be taken, and you cant hunt outside of your area. So if you have land in 2 different areas you have to buy 2 different tags or get a statewide buck only tag. Tags are either "buck only" or "either or" meaning a buck of at least 6" of antler or a doe.

For example, my area is Loup East, covers about 2.5-3 counties ( parts of at least 2 counties plus 2 full counties) and for the last 5-8 years at least weve been getting "either ors" with a bonus doe tag. The bonus tags can be filled before or after your main tag. Mule bucks are legal but mule does are not. You can buy more than one tag. I don't think I know of a single person whos gotten a buck only tag in our area lately.

Then theres also the Landowner tags, basically the same but you can only hunt ground you own or rent, and they are cheaper. Separate tags for bow and muzzleloader, Theres season choice tags so they are good for bow, rifle and muzzleloader. Then theres also youth tags and a late doe season that limited to 3 miles on either side of the rivers.

Bow season starts Sept 1-Dec 31, Rifle is the second Saturday of Nov till the next Sunday, and Muzzleloader is Dec 1-31. Doe only season is sometime in January

 

[bigbluetruck]

For rifle season, the state is broke up into "areas" each has a different name and has no real rhyme or reason to the boundaries, sometimes its county lines, some are rivers, some are highways etc. Each area has different rules on the sex, number or species of deer that can be taken, and you cant hunt outside of your area. So if you have land in 2 different areas you have to buy 2 different tags or get a statewide buck only tag. Tags are either "buck only" or "either or" meaning a buck of at least 6" of antler or a doe.

For example, my area is Loup East, covers about 2.5-3 counties ( parts of at least 2 counties plus 2 full counties) and for the last 5-8 years at least weve been getting "either ors" with a bonus doe tag. The bonus tags can be filled before or after your main tag. Mule bucks are legal but mule does are not. You can buy more than one tag. I don't think I know of a single person whos gotten a buck only tag in our area lately. 2 rifle only tags and habitat stamps cost over $100

Then theres also the Landowner tags, basically the same but you can only hunt ground you own or rent, and they are cheaper. Separate tags for bow and muzzleloader, Theres season choice tags so they are good for bow, rifle and muzzleloader. Then theres also youth tags and a late doe season that limited to 3 miles on either side of the rivers.

Bow season starts Sept 1-Dec 31, Rifle is the second Saturday of Nov till the next Sunday, and Muzzleloader is Dec 1-31. Doe only season is sometime in January

 

[PineSapJunky]

Since no one has chimed in for Mississippi I reckon I will. We are allowed 3 bucks and 3 does per year as a resident or non-resident. This is down from 3 & 5. We do not have a tagging system in place but it's coming. Next year turkeys will have to be reported. Like other states we have certain seasons during certain times. With our season being 4 months long it get wear on you after while. I would like to see a tag system in place in stead of the honor system. It won't keep the outlaws from being outlaws but it will put teeth on some of our laws. Also like other states timber harvest has given way to large tracts of land needing large sums of money to see any benefits (better racks, larger bodies, healthier fawns, better turkey hatch). It seems being a steward of the land has gone by the wayside. Owning land like others is a joy and headache but really is the only way to truly see a benefit.

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