Here's A Thought, No High-Powered Rifles?

[William H Bonney]

I was watching some whitetail hunting show last night, that took place in Iowa. The narrator was commenting on Iowa's deer herd and how well it was doing. One of the key factors he brought up was, there is no hunting allowed with high powered rifles only muzzleloaders or shotguns. Has this been hash and re-hashed here? I don't ever recall seeing this "debate". Another factor they pointed out was Iowa has very low hunting pressure. I'm not to sure how that'd fly here in MI, but an interesting idea nonetheless.:rolleyes:

[ArmyHunter]

I would think the low hunting pressure would be a greater factor than their ban of Centerfire rifles.

Iowa does use Centerfire rifles in an Anterless Extended season in January, but as William H Bonney pointed out only archery, muzzleloader or shotgun for all others.

My opinion is that the use of a rifle would allow for more accurate shots and kill power.

You also have to look at demographics:

Iowa population 2,954,451 (2004); 52.4 persons per sq mile (2000); size 55,869 Sq miles (2000).

Michigan population 10,112,620 (2004); 175.0 persons per sq mile (2000); size 55,804 sq miles (2000).

Not to mention different habitat, ammount of state vs private land and number of hunters.

My .02

AH

[aquanator]

My brother-in-law's family live in Iowa, own hundreds of acres, and shoot a lot of deer. But there difference has nothing to do with the weapons, it's an entirely different landscape with entirely different deer management. It's unreasonable to equate Iowa to Michigan, and more so to equate differences being related to choice of weapon.

Fair question, but the facts simply would answer no.

[just ducky]

....You also have to look at demographics:

Iowa population 2,954,451 (2004); 52.4 persons per sq mile (2000); size 55,869 Sq miles (2000).

Michigan population 10,112,620 (2004); 175.0 persons per sq mile (2000); size 55,804 sq miles (2000).

Not to mention different habitat, ammount of state vs private land and number of hunters.

My .02

AH

Thank you for taking the words, and statistics, right out of my mouth. I posted this same info a couple of weeks ago when someone was trying to compare Michigan to Iowa and Kansas. Don't know how many times we have to say this, but THERE IS NO COMPARISON!!!! Michigan had more population at the turn of the century (1900) than those states currently do! Our competition here is ridiculously high compared to those states, so the ship sailed a long time ago on being able to have that kind of hunting here.

My brother-in-law's family live in Iowa, own hundreds of acres, and shoot a lot of deer. But there difference has nothing to do with the weapons, it's an entirely different landscape with entirely different deer management....

EXACTLY!

[One Eye]

You might want to take a look at today's muzzleloaders, as they are quickly becoming long range weapons. The single biggest issue is the smaller population, high quality food, and limited hunting pressure.

Dan

[NorthJeff]

Our worst buck age structure areas are on poblic land, where guys stare at a bait pile at 50 yards all day often out a hole in a shack. Shoot, depending upon the habitat a shotgun might actually be a step-up.

It's not the number of bucks MI hunters shoot..just the age at which they shoot them.

[wJAKE19]

I totally agree with you guys on the population and landscape differences between michigan and iowa. you just cant compair.

however I do beleave if michigan went to a shotgun/muzzeloader only state the deer quality would be better. I think fewer small bucks would be taken up north and the average age of bucks taken would increase.... I have no scientific proof of this, its just what I think.
I'm not saying i want michigan to go all shotgun, because I love hunting with my old winchester big bore. and I just got a new barrel for my Encore I want to shoot a deer with next year.

my .02

[NorthJeff]

How would there be more bucks, or how would the age improve overall. Are you telling me guys will be less likely to shoot a buck at 50 yards over a bait pile with a shotgun? All 3 of my rifle bucks in WI, PA, and MI were shot at 30 yards or less this year..without bait and I don't know a hunter around here that has shot a buck over 50-75 yards.

[wJAKE19]

like i said, I have no proof of any of this.. Just my .02,
I have shot 2 bucks at 300 yards w/ my 7mm mag. they were both 1.5 Y.O. deer, and I shot one on the last day of season 2years ago I thought was a doe, but was a button buck at about 250 yards. if I had a shotgun I would have never even considered shooting them. that is the only information I am basing my thoughts on. just my experence.

[NorthJeff]

I can see your point in some areas of the state..especially in some of the ag areas or possibly open marshes. But where we have the worst problems with buck age structure...even deer numbers for that matter is on some of the heavily forested public lands, especially in the U.P. I've actually often wondered if I should be hunting during rifle in the U.P. with my 12 gauge single-shot rifled barrel with 400+grains of lead instead of my rifle so it just struck me as kind of odd when I saw this post. But, I can see the point of some of the more open areas, especially ag areas.

[wJAKE19]

yea. the few times I have had the long shots was near Heart, in the corn fields, when I hunt around here, I'm in shotgun zone, all I use in my 50cal ML.
I have hunted in the UP a few times for deer, and I have never seen a buck, it sure is thick up there.

[uptracker]

I use my shootgun most of the time when hunting in the U.P. anyways. So it wouldn't matter to me. Most shots at whitetails are under 100 yards. So my 11-87 w/ scope, rifled barrel, and Lightfields is all I need. My shots are usually under 50 but sometimes 100 yards. It'll hurt em' worse than any rifle I've ever used to....and bleed more.

[Pinefarm]

One cannot discount the combination of no 250 yard plus shots across open fields and this most important part right from IDNR's mouth from another post...
On page 62 of the March 2006 Deer and Deer Hunting, Iowa biologist Willie Suchy states the biggest reason why Iowa has so many mature bucks… “but I think the primary difference between us and some other states is that we don’t hunt our bucks heavily with firearms during the rut. Our firearms season occurs during December, well after the peak breeding has occurred. That saves a certain percentage of bucks each year that will survive and mature.”

[William H Bonney]

like i said, I have no proof of any of this.. Just my .02,
I have shot 2 bucks at 300 yards w/ my 7mm mag. they were both 1.5 Y.O. deer, and I shot one on the last day of season 2years ago I thought was a doe, but was a button buck at about 250 yards. if I had a shotgun I would have never even considered shooting them. that is the only information I am basing my thoughts on. just my experence.
I'm pretty sure this is what the guy on the show was getting at.
For the record, I'm not trying to "compare" the 2 states, I just thought it was an interesting take on it. Another point about the landscape, I've been through IA before and all I saw was cornfields but the guy doin the hunting kept commenting about how he thought IA would be "cornfields", but it really wasn't, it looked like they were in northern MI, and he said, all he's seen while he was there was "forests".

[kingfisher 11]

Kansas is rifle.... I don't think you can use weapons in the quality deer debate. If you have not hunted out of state then you won't realize what we don't have here.

Opening day in 2005, heard very few shots. Just so few hunters per square mile compared to MI.

[Luv2hunteup]

I've never seen a study but I would bet a majority of deer are shot at realatively short range. That's just based on being at deer camp in 5 different decades.

If you really want to make hunting better lets get rid of deer hunting prior to the rut.

[Whit1]

I was watching some whitetail hunting show last night, that took place in Iowa. The narrator was commenting on Iowa's deer herd and how well it was doing. One of the key factors he brought up was, there is no hunting allowed with high powered rifles only muzzleloaders or shotguns.


It depends on one's definition of "doing well".

Southern MI is shotguns only. Is it doing well? According to some that's a resounding "yes"......a lot of deer. Others would say "no", the buck to doe ratio and buck age structure is all out of whack.

I agree with others who mention that Iowa and Michigan are two different places, habitat, climate, culture and we need to compare apples to apples.

[Adam Waszak]

CRAZY

This isn't IOWA either we have heavy woods where it doesn't matter what you use. and the south is where the rifle would be best suited and it is illegal. My rifle is ove a grand you aint tellin me I can't use it anymore.

JMO

[PAbuck]

Do not even say it!!! :bash:

I would have to get a really good slug gun and ML then!!!