# Extended deer season



## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Buck Tags Cannot be Used During Special December Deer Season

North Dakota's special deer season is set to run Dec. 17-31, and hunters
are reminded that unused buck tags cannot be used to harvest a deer.

"The season is intended to focus hunting pressure on antlerless
white-tailed deer only," said Randy Kreil, wildlife chief for the State
Game and Fish Department. "The whitetail doe population is well above
our management objectives in many units. The state does not have an
overpopulation of bucks."

Also, the department is not allowing hunters with unused buck tags to
take a doe. Game and fish decided against this for three reasons, Kreil
mentioned. "First, we already have a problem with more than 80 percent
of all first applications being for bucks. If we allowed people to
convert buck licenses, the number of people applying for does in the
first lottery will decline. The result would be reduced chances for
drawing a buck license in the lottery. Second, if a person really wanted
to shoot a doe, there were plenty of antlerless licenses available after
the first lottery and a person could have received one. Third, the
department did this once before and in some units more does were killed
than expected, which resulted in a depressed deer population for several
years."

Hunters who don't have a license for the December season can buy a
remaining unissued antlerless deer license by accessing the game and
fish website at discovernd.com/gnf, by submitting an application at the
department's Bismarck office, or by mail through the Bismarck office.

In addition, all unused antlerless whitetail or any-antlerless licenses
for units that are open during the special season can be used to harvest
an antlerless white-tailed deer, but only in the unit listed on the
license. Unfilled gratis licenses may be used to take an antlerless
whitetail, but only in an open unit, and only on the land prescribed on
the license. Hunters with unfilled youth licenses may take an antlerless
whitetail in any open unit. Muzzle-loader hunters with an unused
antlerless whitetail license are also eligible to participate, using a
muzzle-loader only.

The special season is open in all units, except 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E in
western North Dakota. More information on the December deer season is
available by accessing the game and fish website.


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## savageman_15weatherby_270 (Jan 30, 2005)

:sniper: I wasn't very happy that they extended the deer season but i guess the are refuge did it because all the other refuges did


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