2023 Hunting Season

[rhubarbpie]

Island owner here and learned about this just the other day. Will certainly post no hunting signs but to keep hunters off that will also require 60 other residents and the couple owners of the inland portion to post extensively. It’s also very late in the season to implement this rule and provide landowners the time to post.

Do we know what prompted this rule change? Why there wasn’t notice to landowners? Is there any way to reverse it?

It does seem like an epic pain in the butt to go hunt an island, especially during rifle season, but we had an incident many years ago where a couple of our friendly island doe were killed in a very unsportsmanlike manner, for no apparent reason other than to kill things, so I don’t put anything past people at this point.

[Cobalt 12]

Originally Posted by rhubarbpie

Island owner here and learned about this just the other day. Will certainly post no hunting signs but to keep hunters off that will also require 60 other residents and the couple owners of the inland portion to post extensively. It’s also very late in the season to implement this rule and provide landowners the time to post.

Do we know what prompted this rule change? Why there wasn’t notice to landowners? Is there any way to reverse it?

It does seem like an epic pain in the butt to go hunt an island, especially during rifle season, but we had an incident many years ago where a couple of our friendly island doe were killed in a very unsportsmanlike manner, for no apparent reason other than to kill things, so I don’t put anything past people at this point.

Was it from " Hunters " or just some people not appreciating wildlife? I just don't know any " Hunters " that just go out to " KILL THINGS ". I would hate to have everyone lumped into one circle..

[John Mercier]

Notice was given on March 9th.
Public hearings were on March 30th, April 4th, and April 5th.

Our area generally goes to F&G headquarters for the hearings. Those were on March 30th.

The ''rule'' generally isn't likely to be turned back.
Few incidents with the current restrictions involving unintended targets have ever been recorded.

[rhubarbpie]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Notice was given on March 9th.
Public hearings were on March 30th, April 4th, and April 5th.

Our area generally goes to F&G headquarters for the hearings. Those were on March 30th.

The ''rule'' generally isn't likely to be turned back.
Few incidents with the current restrictions involving unintended targets have ever been recorded.

Gotcha. Unfortunately we never received notice, and it's not something we would have been looking out for, because in my lifetime it's never been a concern.

I'm still unclear on what the rationale was for changing to allow hunting on the islands, other than "overpopulation" which certainly isn't the case on ours.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Notice was given on March 9th. Public hearings were on March 30th, April 4th, and April 5th. Our area generally goes to F&G headquarters for the hearings. Those were on March 30th. The ''rule'' generally isn't likely to be turned back. Few incidents with the current restrictions involving unintended targets have ever been recorded.

That's good.

In the past, there seemed to be many reports of "accidental shootings". (Usually out-of-state hunters shooting other hunters).

Regarding islands, where are these "harvested" deer gutted-out?

My neighbor can tell you. (Under high-water conditions, Wolfeboro Neck becomes an island). Over 100 acres of Wolfeboro Neck is posted against hunting, but guess who maintains a tree stand in the middle of that acreage?

A tenant's kid handed me a bone cut-through with saw marks. It was found in shallow water--under my dock.

On a walk with a Wolfeboro friend, I asked my companion, "This is a tiny State Park with lots of markings of antlered deer, but where are the deer?" She answered, "Look behind you". So that I wouldn't be contributing to the delinquency of deer, I'd carried a banana peel in my back pocket. Five deer were following me!

[John Mercier]

I can't speak for all hunters, but they tend to gut almost immediately.
The guts will decompose.

I doubt that other than domesticate dogs off their leash, that anyone will notice.