Why buy a deer tag?

[Tigerpaw]

You are a large land owner and you feed the deer all year round. Corn,Oats, Hay plus natural forage. Having the deer eat your plants and hay costs you $$ every year. Should you still pay for a tag or just harvest your venison responsibly?

This is an open ? to all.

[chessy]

i have a farmer that is in the same sitution as you ... he has put up fences with cost to him and the government and he has tried to do everything to cut deer damage to his crop ie hunters fences even cost at keeping all aples that fall before and after crop is off out of the orchard .. that said last year was enuff he finally broke down and called in the mnr . they granted permits to shoot deer ... That said if you have done everthing listed above there is no need for you to ask this question the mnr will give you a permit to harvest them reasonably thruout the year

[Big John]

Tigerpaw:

Seems to me the question of ethics comes into play here.
On one hand the Farmer may have enormous crop damage and costs incured from Deer and others like Racoons.However the Gov. and MNR don't really respond in kindness to them or sympathetic. There really isn't to much detail regarding this in the reg. book. I know that some of the Farmers around here get up to six tags each to help reduce damage to their crops caused by Deer. I do not know if these are free or paid for.
However I am under the opinion that these Farmers should let Hunters come on their property during season to harvest these Deer, not just them at their own free will. Since these Deer will probably be from all different areas passing through or wandering Bucks chasing Does it will affect other areas if all these Farmers did the same. Everyone in my area (farmers included) posts no hunting or tresspassing, everyone. Yet they go to the ministry to complain about the Deer doing damage and wont let the Ministry invite hunters or give their name and address to get help. But they want it taken care of. So in my opinion, I would say if you are experincing lots of damage and costs associated with this and you cant get
multiple tags to remedy the situation for free or reasonable price then you should use your ethics card and conscience to make up your mind and hope for the best. It is also my opinion that if it's not 100% legal don't! The price is to high.

John

[Tigerpaw]

I was thinking more along the lines of why does it cost for a deer tag when you are the one raising them? If the mnr wanted to help pay for some of the hay or grain then I can see them charging for a tag.

[Lyn-X]

in NC if your name is on the deed to your land you can hunt it w/o license.
also you can get a depredation permit. you make want to check on this in your area. hope this helps. Lynn

[oneshot 1]

Here in Missouri on my property I can take 3 Deer,6 Turkeys without a Permit.Cost I think $5-$7 for extra Doe Permits.

oneshot

[chris4570]

I was thinking more along the lines of why does it cost for a deer tag when you are the one raising them? If the mnr wanted to help pay for some of the hay or grain then I can see them charging for a tag.

It costs money for the deer tag because you, despite feeding them(or perhaps more correctly, they are eating your crop?) the deer are not yours. I thought a farmer had the right to shoot animals that were destroying their property/crops or killing livestock so long as, in the case of a big game animal, it is reported within a certain amount of time.

With some individuals I imagine they could get carried away with the right to protect property and shoot every deer they see whether or not that specific animal is a nuisance.

As mentioned earlier if one is having a problem with an excess of deer invite/allow hunters to help out. Therefore the cost to the farmer is nil, but he still benefits.

[ComfyBear]

We shouldn't complain. We should think of it as a priviledge to be able to participate in a democracy. Although the average citizen works hard to contribute to the "public trough", those in power "work" just as hard feeding off it, So of course government has the "right to tell us what we can and cannot do.

That's the way a democracy works. I suppose it could improve, if they provided the vaseline and helped us bend over.

[JD Jones]

Here in Wyoming land owners can hunt deer or elk without a licence, on their own land. (need to have a certain acreage I believe).
Thing with game is, in origion game belonged to no one, then became the property of "everyone". So, the gumment, which represents "everyone" ( think I'm gonna gag) feels it has the right to control these critters.
JD

[Tigerpaw]

Good one Comfybear If that is true Chris4570 I would love to know.
How sick is it when we pay the mnr to control us so that we do not over harvest. Then they wait until the deer are so over populated that extra tags are needed and we have to pay for them again to fix what we already paid them to control!!!

[fdegurse]

The other thing about the farmer permit for crop damage is its difference from the deer license and controlled hunt application. I don't think you can delegate to another licensed hunter to harvest the "Crown's" game, the MNR have the option to come and evaluate the damage before issueing the permit, and set an expiry date. I think you also have to file a report of any harvest. I don't remember hearing about a MNR fee?..

[Tigerpaw]

( the MNR have the option to come and evaluate the damage before issueing the permit ) Now now we cant have that can we!! With all that walking around they might bump into my other crop

For real though why do we have to pay for extra tags at all. If the mnr had been doing the job we already pay them to do we would have had more tags avalible in the past from regular draws. No this wait for overpopulation was done because they new that we would pay our hard earned money to buy more and thus they make $$$.

jh45gun you are right and that would be just the right Canadian thing to do. ( just like voting the libs back in right after they said to our face that they stole our money.) Is there no way to have a back bone in this country and put a stop to some of this?? When are hunters going to start being proud of themselves and demand things instead of just taking what we are given like we are helpless! Sorry for the raving guys I have made the change and would be happy to get together with like minded folks to see what can be done. Send me a PM.

[ComfyBear]

In other provinces and in the USA, when you buy a licence it allows for at least one big game animal to be harvested. In PA, a deer licence also includes two turkeys tags, then extra tags cost only a fraction of the price of the original licence.

However, in Ontario, each tag, whether turkey or deer costs the same as the original licence. This is the law, and we must abide by it.
What I find quite peculiar is that in some WMU not every one who applies for an antlerless tag gets one, but when it comes to the extra tags they are valid for both antlered and antlerless. IMO, this is outright gouging.

The only way that the MNR will get the message and change its ways, is if folks refuse to apply for these extra tags, and let the population explode.

Unfortunately most folks don't complain, in fact they jam the phone lines trying to buy extra tags. That being the case, the MNR will continue to stick it to the hunters.

[chris4570]

Unfortunately most folks don't complain, in fact they jam the phone lines trying to buy extra tags. That being the case, the MNR will continue to stick it to the hunters.

No one is forcing anyone to buy an extra deer tag. Is anyone complaining about having to purchase another turkey tag? $35 seems fair for the opportunity to get another deer in the freezer, or a shot at that monster buck that you saw while you were putting your tag on a doe.

[ComfyBear]

No one is forcing anyone to buy an extra deer tag. Is anyone complaining about having to purchase another turkey tag? $35 seems fair for the opportunity to get another deer in the freezer, or a shot at that monster buck that you saw while you were putting your tag on a doe.

I agree, no one is forced and $35 (or $38 if via phone) isn't much, but that's not the point. The fact is that the MNR is gouging those willing to be gouged.

Now that you got me going, maybe I should enlighten those who perhaps are too young to remember or know.

Gone are the days, when one didn't need a fishing licence to sportfish. In fact, the first time the need for a fishing licence was first proposed and passed as law under Bill Davis, it was recinded because folks refused to buy them.

How about in the '70's, when purchasing either a deer or moose licence for $10 or $15.00 respectively, meant that a bear licence was automatically included for free, since hunters back then didn't bother going after bear much, because they were considered vermin.

Now, in today new and improved soceity, we have an Outdoors Card, which reduces the cost of printing paper licences, yet we have to pay a surcharge of $6.00 ($2 per year), since the MNR isn't satisfied with just increasing the licencing fees. Not only do they increase fees, add the Outdoor Card surcharge, but they further "nickel and dime" us with additional surcharges.

Case in point, if one were to purchase one's licence at a sporting goods store, the store is paid $1.50 from the $35.00 fee, giving the MNR only $33.50 for a deer licence, however if that same licence is purchased via the MNR phone service, there's a $3 surcharge, giving the MNR $38.00. . The MNR knows folks (myself included) are willing to pay extra for the convenience and so they gouge. The same applies with extra tags (deer or turkey) and that's what I disagree with and feel is unethical.

Having say that, I don't blame the govenment, they are only charging what the market will bear. So for those willing, get out the vaseline and bend over.