Urban deer management hunts

[MrTom]

Ma and I spent ten days at the cabin near Two Harbors , MN not far off Lake Superior. Lots of deer can be found between the cabin and the town. The town its self has a huge population of very tame "urban" deer which the city tries to control by using archery bow hunting in certain areas by permit only. In the spring one can see bucks in velvet without any problem at all. Come fall.....and after the bow shot begins....those bucks are not to be seen. Of course many of the bucks simply adjust themselves into outlying areas to avoid the hunters, but in a week of open season I heard of several of the bigger animals having been taken already. It seems to me that the lopsided number of does and fawns would dictate that perhaps only they should be taken as there are LOTS of them and they can be seen everywhere thru town and have zero fear of people. Even the bucks have no fear in town meaning easy targets for the bone collectors. Personally I think the doe/fawn populations needs the thinning and maybe offer a few tags for bucks UNDER a certain size....like spikes and those carrying six or less points. I really can't find favor with allowing hunters to take larger bucks that are, essentially, de-sensitized to humans. Some of these big guys will eat cookies right out of the hand at the parking area I use to fish the breakwater. Somehow it just doesn't seem right to allow the big heads to fall in this fashion. I'm going to contact the city government and express my thoughts on what should be taken and how the big guys should be left for all hunters in the area when they migrate out of the city as they do, not someone too lazy to put the work in to take a big buck...anyone here have an idea or thought on this?

The deer in the picture is a 1 1/2 year old. Pretty healthy looking. 130-140 pounds. Lots of good food in people's yards and the fawns in town will hit the hunting season in a month at around 40 to 50 pounds, a better growth rate than fawns found here in the SE corner of the state that are supposed to have the best of the best food around and will hit the same hunting season at maybe 30 pounds .

 

[Squeeze]

I just finished a deck in what we call around here a "retirement village" it's a 55 and older type community, they are all over around here, many the size of a typical town. I would be working in the yard, hammering, sawing, radio going and look up and see deer standing 20 yards or less away. They kept an eye on me, but were for the most part unconcerned. Most were yearlings, but some big does and a few racks maybe 8-9 pt, nothing over about 130. They know just where they are safe, and where to keep clear of people.
Deer dont get big here, but they are plentiful. I think its 5-6 buck if you hunt all the seasons, and most zones are unlimited doe. Lately, I try for 2-3 a year for the freezer

 

[twild]

Here in Mo. on the management hunts a lot of them are doe only, the ones you can take bucks most of them you have to harvest a doe first.