Once we get tags...

Everybody's grandmammy and wife will all the sudden start hunting. They may not even have to leave the house to fill their tags.

Come again.

I'm talking fraud

Yet another rule (like gun control) that would only apply to the honest folks.

the grandmammy and the wife would have to complete hunter safety education course to receive the tags. Seems like a lot of trouble to kill a few extra deer.

Of course. Daughters, wives, mothers, stepmothers, sons, the neighbors ...

Won't be much trouble, jbc. They'll do it. Folks always figure out the get-arounds, just like now it's easy to pick up 10 regulation booklets or print off extra "harvest" reports and keep right on hunting.

Can't hunter Ed be done all online now? Maybe a field day, but I'm thinking maybe not anymore? Either way, for 30-40 years of double deer tags, it seems easy enough.

I went and sat in a class room at the downtown YMCA in Tuscaloosa and listened to a game warden do a 3 hour class, then took a test. But that's been a while ago.

My wife would tell me to go fly a kite if I told her to do that for me to kill a few extra deer.

Internet would change things.

But then you would have to buy all those licenses. Still seems like a hassle.

And then, only a matter of time via the direction we are headed, there will be Landowner Tags, and Govenor's Tags, and Special-Use Tags......

It will be who you know and what you have.

I used to have a neighbor that was from Pennsylvania originally. When he was younger and lived at home, he wasn't into hunting but his dad would buy him a license and kill deer under his son's license then make him go with him to check them in.

Jbc, clearly the redneck does not run deep enough with you!

At least they will have to pay for a liscense to get them. I'm ok with kids and 65+ having to pay to get the tags also. A lot of states separate liscense cost and tag cost.

Oh great, more fees!

Tell you this much, you have whatever few 65-yo hunters who are exempt from buying a license but tell them they have to get a "hunting card/number" and tags and report those to the state, those hunters will say "Screw this" and quit hunting or take the chance on getting/not getting caught.

Same for kids who are less than 16 and don't need a license. Daddy has to get their tags, keep up with them, maybe for multiple kids ... we'll see how much 'hunting heritage' matters to some of them.

IF a reporting 'tag' system is put into place, it will be a severe generational change and it will NOT matter that we've had a voluntary system for years, discussed all this for years, other states have done this for years and so forth. What matters is when the puck drops and chit starts gettin' real here after years of not having them, people are going to not know about it, ignore it, get frustrated and quit, or bitch to their legislators. Or all of the above.

It probably won't be easy. Generational change on a significant level never is.

I agree Clem. And hunting heritage = gun heritage, which is already eroding everywhere.

They could make the fine strong enough to curb the cheating.

If you get caught with a buck without a tag with your name and your license number and your signature on it,..,

$1000 fine and loss of license for 2 seasons

People would get with the program

With about 60% staffing of GW's as we are running now, WHO is gonna check em and write em up?

The fear of Fines has no Merit without the Fear of actually getting caught!!!!

jbc, they "could" make it stronger but in the past that has been an uphill battle and, I figure, you probably know that.

"night hunting" and poaching offenses were piddly-ass fines for years. DCNR could confiscate guns, vehicles and such but it was a pain in the ass and judges usually heard some sob-ass story from the mouthbreathing poacher about he couldn't get to th' fac'try to put bread on the table for his kids.

Those fines finally got jacked up a few years ago. It still doesn't deter people.


So, to your point, yeah, they could make the fines and penalties strong enough FROM THE START if they go to a tele-check system. Anyone who has hunted in other states with tags knows the deal there. Tag that critter before putting it in the truck. Don't and get caught, and your ass is in 14 kinds of hot water and they don't care if you're from out of state, mentally ill, visiting from Italy or whatever.

Your proposed penalty and fine sounds plausible, but it wouldn't get a sniff of a chance to be put into action. Especially for turkeys.

You are correct , but with a possible $1,000 fine it would make some people think twice. You would not be likely to be caught , but it would be in the back of your mind. Wouldnt stop all people , but I bet it would stop 50% of people that go over the limit right now.

Naa, it wouldn't.

25 to life doesn't stop people from murdering people.... you're never going to stop all of it.

Do away with the buck limit. Go back to "doe days". No need for a tag.

So people can kill all the bucks and the ratio get even more out of whack? Not sure I understand the logic there

Hunter Ed. doesn't apply to me even though I have had it so I'm not up on the rules and regs. But don't you only need hunter ed. to buy a license?? A LOT of people don't have a license. I had a dove shoot this past winter and asked and not a single person there had or was required to have a license.

Ga had tags when I lived there, if you had a deer with a tag on it the tag owner better be there also. Ed Friend, the GW, used to bust hell out of em for trying to use wifes tag.

Interesting. Wonder if folks would try and gift a deer over to themselves?

There ain't no telling how many folks on this site load up their freezer every deer season in the name of their kids or wife even though they never actually fired the shot. While some of us don't shoot so maybe other areas in the county or state that aren't seeing any deer may have some to shoot one day.

Well you know junior said he would shoot it but then he changed his mind so I went on ahead and did it for him. Hell I got to feed my family and we need the meat! Got to have 8 or 10 deer every year cause that's all we eat!

Supervised hunters don't need hunter ed from my understanding. Based on that anybody (all of the kids, wife, etc) should be able to get a tag.

Well it would show a big increase in sales. I don't understand why some of you consider everyone to be crooks, plain and simple ? Are you comparing everyone to yourself ? I'm just sayin.......

Guess they were assuming you got the tags when the license was bought??? Between lifetime and exempt people, I would venture a WILD guess that 40% of deer hunters don't buy a license each year.

I think you can buy a license with intentions of being a supervised hunter regardless of age

I have a question on this subject... Me and my boy kill 3 deer a year, maybe 4 usually not, because that's what well eat. Trying to replace beef pretty much. I don't have a problem with tags, surely we will get at least 3 tags between us. If I had to pay a few dollars for them, I wouldn't jump up and down about it, but id rather not have to......my question is: How many tags would it take to satisfy y'all's NEEDS. How many deer are yall killing and what's happening to them. I understand the tag system would fit my situation better than others. I guess it would suck pretty bad to pay $4500.00 to get into a club and only get to kill 1 or 2 deer. Other than that, if they allow you enough tags to get the meat you need(especially if you don't have to pay a fee per tag), what's the problem with it? Seems like it would go a long way in getting the numbers up and make a hunter more picky about what he kills. That is, assuming everyone plays by the rules.

Well, for one, ALL emphasis has ONLY been on buck tags.

THAT does NOTHING to 'bring the numbers up'!!

Horn Porn in it finest, and TRUEST sense!

My $.02!

Buck tags only? What's the agenda there. I don't understand what you're saying.

How much talk have you heard of doe tags; or limited doe harvest?

??

Not confusing at all.

Jwalker just from observation usually the more you pay to be in a club the less deer you can kill. I know some folks who go 2-3 years between killing a buck they have their standards so high. They might be able to kill a couple does but most of these highly managed clubs have their does down in balance so they don't need to kill a lot. Ya'll ever notice like on Bill Jordans hunts on his property the field will be full of bucks and does they obviously have not bought into the kill all the does you see.

I haven't heard any talk about any of it. What are you saying their motives are, by implementing buck tags only. Apparently different than mine.

Buck:Doe ratio being out of balance does not necessarily mean too many does. It could very well be, and often is, more a case of over-harvest of bucks. Especially with the reduced populations in many areas these days!

The majority of people, according to my perspective AND the article by Chuck Sykes, seem to want Tags for an Enforcement Tool to prevent people from killing more bucks than allowed.

There is very little biological need for counting dead deer.

If hunting legally, 3 a year is what we get. You're saying their trying to give us less? You'd probably really hate my opinion. 3 deer a year, total, bucks and does, per person. That would allow my household twice what we need. Keep in mind, my opinion is based on my situation, and nobody is asking me anyhow.

What good would a physical tag do unless you were forced to turn it in at the processor? How would the DCNR know how many tags were used? They can't set up check stations to verify the tag, so what use would it be. We'd basically have the same limits we have now.

It would be another revenue outlet for them.

I guess with no real way to enforce it the outcome would go like this: Honest hunters and hunters who really care about the resource would tighten up a little and do the best they could to obey the law while those who don't care about anything would have even more deer to poach and waste. More of the world as we know it

U r starting to get it!

And, instead of hiring GW's to replace the ones that we are lacking now......they will divert the funds to help pay for the tags and whine about the Legislature 'mis-using' their money!

So, one more time for us slow learners: What's the reasoning behind less than 3 bucks per person per year but no further restriction on doe harvest?

let me break it down for you. This state has a select few who believe you should only kill a limited number of bucks because they believe everyone who hunts should be trophy hunters. They believe the deer i kill in north alabama effects the bucks size on their property in south Alabama. As for the doe part, they don't believe anyone should be able to tell them how many can kill and what date they can kill them. I know, one contradicts the other but that is pretty much how is goes.

I have the information now. Still don't make any sense.

I hope if the state requires tags it will be for both sexes.

I only support it as a management tool to accurately determine what we are killing as a state.

My thoughts, set the total number allowed and let it be hunters choice. If the number is five then let the hunter kill 5 bucks if that is how he wants to fill his tags.

I'm getting so doe shy that I would prefer to fill my freezer with spikes to be honest.

I'd love to see the state go to a tag system!
3 bucks 6 does given with the purchase of each license.
All lifetime license holders would present their license at any place of business that sold license and receive a free book of tags. Any child wishing to hunt could either use their supervising hunters tags or pass a hunters education course and present their CC# in exchange for their personal tags until they are 16 when license are required.
Seems like common sense but unfortunately that doesn't exist in our state government.
All mom&pop stores could be tag stations and every tagged deer reported by the store to the state would get a $1 issuance just like they do when they sell a license.

How do the people not required to have a license get theirs?? The landowner?? The military guy home on leave?? The seniors??

On the flip side, you have folks (a lot of them post here) who think that what they see or don't see on their property is indicative of the entire state, so they want statewide restrictions that work only for them and their property.

I honestly don't believe the tags or restrictions are the problem. It's the fact that if something happens it will be a CHANGE. The change is the problem in my opinion. I've never heard anyone complain about all the states that have a tag or restriction system. Never heard anyone say " no way in hell I would hunt in the Midwest with that dang tag system they have". The truth is; Alabama's deer regs have been so liberal for so long, it's hard to think about it being any different. Outlaws will be outlaws but I don't think everyone is going to run around getting tags for other people and then using them. When I lived in Indiana 25 years ago they had tags. I never heard one complaint about it and never heard of a situation of someone getting there grandma a tag and using it. I'm sure that stuff happened but it's not like it was a big problem. I've hunted in 5 other states, all of which required tags and had more restrictions. I never thought twice about just buying the tags and hunting. I also saw more deer and better deer on average than I do while hunting here.
Fact is; folks just aren't too fond of change and many people will not impose change upon themselves. It does not mean those people are all outlaws and many of them may follow the new rules. I'm also not saying I want more regs but it does seem through all the comments on here during deer season that maybe something needs to happen. So many were commenting about seeing less deer and the people looking for clubs seem to be pretty high. Seems a lot of people aren't happy with their hunting the way it is but don't want the CHANGE that it may take to get it. They want to join the club that has more deer and better deer and leave things like they are. Chances are those clubs that have more and better have already made these restrictions on themselves and that's why they are better.
I usually don't comment much on these things but it seems a lot of folks are throwing everyone in the same pot of "it won't work because people are outlaws and the state don't have enough GWs" . Or the crowd that "doesnt want the govt making more decisions". I could agree with that crowd a little more but it seems sometimes that people are so resistant to change that even when it's needed it's hard for a group as a whole to make it without someone setting some rules for them.
In the end I am blessed to get to hunt and enjoy the outdoors. I do not want to have to jump through so many hoops to get to do it but I am willing to see if something else can work better than what we have. I don't have the answer to that but I am willing to listen and try something.

6 doe tags! That's the same as 100 or infinity.

Hunting is going to crap. Too many grown men crying about what the other guy is doing. Tags suck! Keep it like it is. I Hunted the tag system for years. And this is a fact! Outlaws are going to kill what they want when they want how they want and no New LAWS will help. What about the guys that actually hunt for meat. Not just a rack to show off! You know the reason 99% of us started hunting for some deer or hog meat and bear in my case. But in this New fast have it now age you suck if you don't kill a 150" buck every year and for God's sake you have to have the newest thundermag with a 1,000$ scope on top to kill it with. And a 10,000$ ATV to pull it out with. Sure give the state some more of the $$ buy some extra Tags! All this is is a way to price the working man out of hunting. Remember when a Dad could throw on some fatigues a old Orange hat and grab the old ought six and take his kid to the local woods kill a 4 point and be happy for it. Wow! Tags. And who cares if a guy kills 8 or 10 deer a year out the delta or a wma to feed his family that's wonderful! Don't make it a bigger pain to be able to hunt.

Well said!! But when I listen to the proposed change, if any, I want a logical explanation of the change. I want them to have an idea of what they are trying to achieve. Not just change for the sake of change. That slip of paper now is a joke at best and serves no purpose. Between wear and tear I go through several a year myself and throw it away at the end with nothing accomplished.

So far, I've not read one single idea here that would improve a single thing.(Not that I think improvement is needed)But trust me, with all of the bitchin going around, they will make a CHANGE and anytime the monkeys in Montgomery make a change, it will be for the worse and it will cost us MORE! Thanks a lot you bunch of cry babies,, my middle finger to you!!!!!!!!!!

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There are already enough people that do not fill out there license when they kill a buck. I've heard of cases where people that filled their license just print off a new one. People are not going to do right. I believe that as a whole people want to kill bigger deer at least that is my goal and my 18 yr. old sons goal. The state needs some kind of regulation or some way to keep this in check,be it tags or check stations.We have to teach our kids and keep them interested in hunting hunting. Take a kid huntin and you want be huntin the kid.

LOL, it may be more like he is saying grow up, just my opinion though.

Like many others have said, outlaws will be outlaws. I dont see how it will work. If I shoot a deer on my farm and did not want to take it to a processor or a tag station I could I could work it up at home and put it in the freezer. And nobody would ever know.

Are we going to require that tag number to be attached to each package of meat in my freezer? How would they know that the meat in my freezer was not legally taken?

If I didnt brag about what I was doing there would be no reason for a game warden to ever consider searching my freezers. I know that is probably how a lot of wardens know who to watch and try to catch, because some dumbass has to tell everyone what they did. Word gets around and then he idiot gets caught.

I am not really worried about it though. If it passes I will do what is required but I feel certain that me, my son, and my daughter can legally take enough deer for our needs. If they dont allow me to take the number of deer we usually eat I can buy beef at the store and save alot of money. I bet my cubed deer steaks cost about $40 per pound when I start adding everything up...

In the past I had access to strips of property that end up being a waste of time to shoot any deer period. One property the night hunters and day hunters shot any buck period. Those properties if I could hunt there I would shoot any mature deer now for meat. Tags don't allow deer to grow people do that is not going to change, especially since you can't hear anyone shoot a deer with bow!

COMMON SENSE!
OVER 65 show them your ID you get free tags
Never met a landowner that didn't buy a hunting license but off the top of my head go to the courthouse and register for tags to be sent by mail.
Military, show military ID!
Is it really that hard for some of you to grasp the concepts of a tag system?

Keep in mind that every lease or hunting camp is not like uours!
Some of us hunt large tracts of land with as few hunters as possible and need to shoot quite a few does just to maintain age structure of the herd. And there are still some areas that can stand excessive doe harvest.
I for one think it's a great practice to shoot twice as many does as you shoot bucks especially when you are trying to maintain a herd.
If you feel 6 is to many you're not require to shoot any but don't tell the guy 2 counties over he cant!!!

Is it really that hard to grasp the idea that bureaucrats and, well I'm not going to say it, can make a leisurely activity into a controlled government social experiment when there is no evidence that deer in Alabama are an endangered species that needs micromanaging. Surely you realize that with the deer you and your family saw and killed this year that they are not endangered, right?

"Fences only keep out honest folks"

Ever had to buy a tag for federal duck stamp. Not worth it for a few ducks. Tags, taxes, license, more on top of all we got now. Take away, but no more taxes, tags, or license on top of what we got now!
Probably insurance and tag on a gun if we don't tell them enough is enough. Turning me away from sport can't imagine what newcomers are thinking! Too much!

Exactly we all hunt for different reasons. Some Need that meat as much as they can get. Some just want that buck. Some just want to see deer. Some just want the new hunter to get one. I'm every one of them one time or another. Don't need no more LAWS. Just hunt your hunt

lol to that

Tags give an LEO another shot at nailing a road, night hunter/poacher.
Can't for the life of me figure how people can be against it. It's a way to get crooks, if we have adequate punishment. We need a possession limit, too. Try to close the loopholes on these scumbags..

So now even if we get tags some of y'all ain't gonna be happy. Jesus Christ what else do yall want? Asking for more fines? I mean how asinine is it for a certain crowd of people who enjoy the same hobby (that's already looked down upon) to ask to be punished more. Please make it harder and less enjoyable to hunt......,I beg you. Please take away all my rights and options to hunt as I see fit, and let my neighbors way take precedent over mine. Maybe if y'all keep on you'll run everybody off and have it all to yourself and then you can kill a damn deer. As for me, I'm fortunate enough that I'll kill deer regardless of how hard y'all try to make it. I've carried around 5 dif harvest sheets for several years now trying my best to keep my family legal. Y'all suck, im out for a while.

DCNR sent me a link to a survey asking what I thought about a mandatory harvest reporting system for deer and turkey. It was 2-3 days before I could get around to clicking on the link to take the survey. When I did, it had already expired. Not that I think my opinion would've made a difference.

Personally, IF they keep the same limits as they have now and IF it doesn't end up costing more, I don't think I have a problem with it. But that's 2 too many IFs. It seems like when it comes to the government, they end up placing more restrictions on us and charging more for their effort.

It's not as if I'm ever in danger of going over my limit anyway. I got a doe and a 5 point this season and felt fortunate. Just my opinion...

Please elaborate! Does not having a tag send a beacon light out to the LEO that a road, night hunter/poacher is in the act? What if the road, night hunter/poacher has a tag in possession is it a lesser offense? Did having a tag or not having a tag stop the road, night hunter/poacher?

So what it is sounding like to me is that it's okay to burden the lawful hunter because dangit we just can't figure out what to do with road, night hunters/poachers. Does that just about sum it up? Besides burdening the law abiding hunter with the tag, what happens when the LEO checks a law abiding hunter and his tag was in the pocket of the pants he wore yesterday along with the fingernail clippers that he didn't need on today's hunt, does he all of a sudden become a damn poacher and he should be fined? Oh yeah, what does the tag do to stop the illegal hunter again?

You and I need to carry on a conversation, because, as you should know by now, each person faces different situations than the other. Your comments make no sense to me, and mine probably have the same effect on you.

Globe's got it straight!

What i don't understand is why everyone is thinking that getting tags is so hard will cost you your firstborn.
All you gotta go do is buy them at walmart or whatever place you get your license now. Usually they are a waterproof type paper with pull off tags that you put around the horn of the animal. Boom! Done! Thats really how simple it usually is. Tags are not that big of deal. Price should be around the same as you pay for your license now.
What tags do is cut down on poaching. Maybe not your hardcore poachers who are repeat offenders and will never stop, but it will make some people think twice. Will it cut out all poaching? Nope, but combined with stiff poaching fines it should cut down on alot.
I would also be in favor of doe days too or a limited doe season or doe tags. I think that most of us are responsible enough to not need these laws but unfortunately not all are and will just shoot anything that moves because they can and no law can touch them. A tag system and doe days would probably help.
If you have a property with too high of doe popularion then additional permits can be issued.
Now how many tags should come wih your license is another discussion. But would 2 bucks 4 doe tags per license be enough for most households to have meat through the year? Probably. If you have other hunters in your hosehold then that number goes up.
Most other states have a tag system, and it really is not that burdensome.

So people with more kids get more tags? That make a lot of sense

Right on!!!
In other states that I've hunted that require tags they have all issued them with your license. Simple to the point all you need is a pocket knife, not a pen or marker. To claim that tags would be a burden to hunters is ridiculous. I'm think that some on here just don't even bother buying a license either. Is it that hard to have your license, tags, and ID in hour wallet while your hunting? If it is then surely the act of squeezing the trigger would be way yo tiresome.
Not only does tags reduce illegal activity, but it gives the state an actual number on what was legally harvested.
Everybody wants to complain about the state regulations and the over harvest of deer in some areas but when they actually have a system that will give the biologist a better view of what's happening across the state it becomes a burden to the hunter....
And some just say no more regulations enough is enough, just let me hunt like I want....
We've already tried that and that is why we had all the restocking efforts in the 60's 70's and 80's!

Stikman, I don't buy a license and I'm still legal.

Either your past 65 or whatever age it is or you hunt your own land.
What does that have to do with have a legitimate tag system?

I don't have to buy a license. I won't buy a tag. I sure as hell won't load up a deer to take to a check in station.

None of that really changes the point - that 6 doe tags for every hunter is the same as it is today regarding doe harvest. Like I said - may as well be 100 - it won't change whatever the current doe harvest is today. So - the point is why even spend resources to have doe tags if you are gonna issue that many. May as well just have buck tags and no change to doe harvest regulations. That's the only point I was making. No need to get that defensive and assume there was any other agenda behind it.

So should it be a certain limit per household or family?

If alabama has similar systems to other states YOU DON'T BUY THE TAGS!!!
If you are required to buy a license you will be ISSUED tags for FREE at the time of sale.
If you are above the set age then you will be ISSUED tags for FREE at the store or agency that sells license.

And I'm pretty sure IF the state does move to a tag system and requires them to be reported you'll either comply like all other law abiding hunters or you will risk getting caught. It will take an entire generation for the state to get accurate numbers on harvest because of the "I ain't gonna" attitudes that will more than likely bleed over to their next of kin but it up to DCNR to protect and manage this resource and until a good sound tagging system is in place with support from the majority of hunters our DCNR is managing in hindsight.
If you're against a legitimate tag system my advice would be to quit complaining about deer and deer numbers because right now your guess is just as good as the states!

No offense
This way the state can have accurate numbers of what is legally killed
If 6 does is not enough for the land you and your buddies hunt I believe the doe tag program is still in place, not used much anymore but if not it could be implemented again if needed on certain tracts of land

First of all, Alabama is spelled with a CAPITAL A. And why are you hollerin?
If I am not required to buy a license, why would I go out of my way to have a tag issued?
If you are so concerned about these damned pine goats, how about keeping them out of the roads. I bet the insurance companies have some numbers.

there's that word loophole. Look man I live in poacherville Alabama every night in late summer before bow season even starts they are up and down my road shooting every buck with a rack they see. Tags ain't stopping that! What they will stop is when you want to take that one extra deer for your sick neighbor that says I sure wish I had a deer I couldn't hunt this year and so on. Fact is outlaws need gamewardens to catch them doing it. All tags are going to do is affect the honest man and he ain't knocking the number down. Y'all have had it good for so long a poor year and its the sky is falling. When I started he put hounds on any track We found and still never seen deer compare to now. And You Got guys crying about corn. Baahaahaa! Well that's another thing corns always been out I been hunting 39 years and have seen corn every year. And we don't care how they do it up north. We live in the south to hunt 4-6 months a year and fish the rest. And killing Big bucks is something special. Not something if you don't kill 3 150" bucks a year hunting stunk let's get new regulations.

Numerous times over!

I see how we have come to Big Guberment now. Make sure to let the state tell me What to do. Have ANY OF YOU ANY SEEN THE STATE DO A JAM UP JOB ON ANYTHING?

I think Bernie Sanders is gonna way more Votes than expected out of this current group here on Aldeer........

SMH

I think your right. As old Earl use to say WAKE Up America! And Only You can control Trigger Finger itch. You Want to help the deer number join a group. Donate some time to improve the land For God's sake feed Some on your property. When did it become a sin to help the herd in hard time. Shoot some coyote trap some. Bug the Gamewarden when you SEE them old boys kill em off the road in September. I meen he'll every one has kill lights with corn piles under them shots all night from September to March around here. Nothing is done about it Cus our man in green is running his ass off and y'all want to give him one more thing to check on the honest guys. That's about like new gun laws. A Joke.

First of all as much as I would love to say that here in this great country that I have a RIGHT to hunt I can't because it's not a right. If it was a right I wouldn't have to buy license or follow rules,regulations, or seasons!
Unfortunately it a privilege that requires a license that can be taken away.
I'm not for a bunch of stupid rules regulations but having a sound tagging system give the state biologist (who may or may not know as much about deer hunting, habitat, and reproduction as you do but from the ones I've had meetings with have got a pretty good foundation for management) a better understanding of legal harvest in all areas of the state!
Why would you not want to help the state manage it resources?
What better way to have a voice than to share your harvest information with the agency responsible for its management?
I'm getting the feeling that some have had bad experiences with the man in green. I bump into the ones around her on a weekly basis and enjoy eating breakfast and chatting up with them. Everyone I've ever met where outdoorsmans just like myself and we had a lot in common.
Maybe I've got it all wrong...
I've always seen that green truck as a resource, not a harassment!

The kids would have their own license with tags attached. Everyone who is issued a license has their own tags. Really not that hard to comprehend. You are overthinking it. It makes a whole lof more sense than free for all, poachers paradise system we have now.

Every license has its own tags. Every hunter must have their own license. If you are under or over a certain age the license could be free or discounted but every hunter still needs to have the license with tags attached.

Tags would actually help the game warden. When he peeks into the bed of a truck he doesnt have to ask any questions or try to determine if the deer was taken illegally. If its got a tag on its ear or antler he is done and on his way.

6 doe tags should cut the number of does taken. That doesnt mean everyone will shoot all six does. Some people dont shoot does at all and some like me usually take about 2 does a year to eat.
How it really helps is that right now we have a little over 3 months of hunting, lets say 100 days. A doe a day means each hunter can legally kill 100 does. Those are just numbers and no one probably kills that many but i am sure some are killin 30+.
Once the numbers go up in the state, then tag quantities can go up.

If y'all want to regulate what hunters do. Lease you about 15,000 acres and start a club and run it how you see fit. Make your tag system for Your club. If I want to kill 10 deer a year I don't need a State man that don't know what's up in my life telling me it's wrong.

I've hunted in 12 states and parts of Canada with tags. I agree they are not a burden. But just because a state adds the cost of the tags onto license does not mean they are free. In order for Alabama to have free tags, the cost of license could NOT change and the state eat the whole cost of the tag from printing to administration cost. IF the cost goes up, not only are the license buyers paying for the cost of their tags but also the cost of the tags of us non-license buyers. License = Tax. I'll never ask for more taxes. YOU WILL PAY FOR TAGS...just like every other state.

And I don't know how many times you've been stopped by a gamewarden but if you got a buck he wants to see your sheet your license all right then. We have a system that tells that. I would like to know how long some of y'all have hunted. To think that southern deer hunting is easy and you should be able to just walk outside and see deer. Some of y'all won't be happy till it's Just like Europe where only the supper rich hunt. And the state control's every part of it. We can call it Caliabama.

Whole bunch of big gov liberals on here it's sad.

Take your tinfoil hat off. Nobody here is trying to take away your hunting rights or even infringe on them. No one is trying to raise the cost of your license either. Not even trying to make it where deer hunting is easy. Its not a sport to me. Its a way of life and a way to provide extra food. Unfortunately some regulations have to be made to keep some idiots from killing every deer in the state and wiping out the deer for future generations of hunters. Take a lesson from what happened to the american bison. Almost got completely wiped out. Could have been prevented with common sense measures.
The current papers we have now dont work. People just print out 100 of them at the beginning of the season and just throw it away when once they get the deer home. Doesnt work. Tags will cut that out. Thats it.
The only people it will burden will be people who want to break the law.
Trust me i dont want a ton of government interference in my everyday life either. A tag system will not have anymore interference than we have now, unless you are trying to kill over your limit.

What makes you say that?? They just heard Billy Bobby's brother's cousin's wife's uncle's daughter is married to a guy that heard at work that a friend heard that his cousin's friend killed 4 bucks and 2 does this year and that's why they ain't seeing nothing by the corn pile that is 101 yards way behind a bush just off the food plot 3 Counties over. So by Gumby the guvment gotta fix them laws cause everybody's killing too many deers that ain't GINORMOUS!! Them tags will fix that and it won't never happen again!

I'm 39 years old and have been hunting religiously since I was knee high to a grasshopper
Where I hunt if you can't kill a deer every other day you go out you might want to try fishing!

Yep.

And yep.

Damn sad

first off I remember hunting all year to see a deer. Deer hunting is better now than ever sure we have ups and downs. Let me tell you what this will do. First off you'll get tags it Will be probably 2-Bucks 3-does with the bucks having 4 point on one side. Then your going to see land lease prices jump up in Alabama again (after all we a trophy state now) Then your WMAs are going to go to quota hunts like all of Florida's good ones did. I've seen How this works when I leased my Georiga club 12,500 acres it was for 1$ per acre. Went to 8$ I let it go. No that land 20$ per acre Because some jackleg thinks it's Dooley Co it's got to be worth it. I own my own land. But you guys keep it up and see if y'all can afford to hunt. Once they make Rules they don't like to change them back. I'd like to know how much you guys that want change hunt predators how often do y'all police your land how much feed and seed do you put out to maintain the deer on your land you hunt? Because there is more to Deer management than tags. And I don't need some 25 yr old kid in a office telling me what I need around my place I hunt and live.

I trap all summer matter of fact I'll have them out tomorrow.
I spend on average 2-3 days a week on my 7400 acres.
We have a 5 doe per membership limit and try to shoot mature bucks only.
I say try because we have numerous youngsters and few inexperienced hunters.
When I first started hunting it was nothing to see 20-30 deer in a hunt, now 4-8 deer a hunt is about average.
Now I can go out and just climb in a shooting house on a greenfield and not see a single deer. To me that's not hunting that's just trying to get lucky.
In the rut with the use of cameras it's easy to key in on a buck that is visiting a field on a schedule.
Hell my 10 year old shot 3 bucks this year, 2 of them I let walk and they were both mature deer. 1 was 4.5 yo the other 5.5

Man..I dont know why anyone wants more regulations OR more costs.....SMH.
It isnt going to FIX anything.

Sounds like you need to stop shooting 5 does and 3 bucks per member then. Or cut down on membership not have everyone in the whole state bend to more rules because you don't see deer every sit. I meen I'd be ecstatic if my grandson killed 3 mature bucks in a season. And what's wrong with 4 deer a hunt? Oh Its not 20 and being easy to key in on a buck sounds like you got it tuff. Come on guys.

Coming from the guy that said if you can't kill a deer every other hunt where he hunts you should take up fishing...

But don't you see tags will fix that. Not sure how but they will I'm almost positive, maybe, but probably not, but then again.....huh?? It's more regulations and laws so it's got to fix it, yeah, that's it!

It's not really more regulations, it is a way to enforce the ones we already have. There is already government involvement in hunting. The problem is the gov involvement under the current regs is useless bc it is not efficient or useful. The regs already say you can only take 3 bucks a year, all tags will do is make it easier to enforce that.

Well said.

I like people arguing the opposite find this hard to understand why it's not a no brainer.

I'd like to know what y'all think it is messing your hunting up bubba killing 8 does a yr to eat or Trophy Tom killing that extra Monster buck he just couldn't pass up. Because Florida's a place that don't hardly shoot does and there hunting sucks. I never killed more than 5 bucks a year there. Or Dooley county Georgia has the best bucks of any place I've seen and only can shoot 8 point 15" wide there it sucks sometimes too and I've shot 4 bucks in 10 years there. So what's better?

Let me ask yall anti tag people somthing. Really a yes or no question?
Do yall believe that deer hunting should be open season, as many as you can kill, all year long, by any means necessary? I am talking hunting them anytime, anywhere, with whatever weapon. Do you think that should be the case? Yes or no?

bama will never be a trophy state because of the likes of billy bob.myself and most of us want the best of both worlds and know we cant have it.there needs to be a population consenus of deer taken in each zone,if 1 has more or better deer than 2 regulate tags accordingly .try this for say 3-5 years if it works stick with it,if it dont drop back and punt.as a whole i think most want to do the right thing,. i do for my sons sake.we live in a world of change just look around its sad but the old days are about gone

This right here, folks, is the very definition of a "strawman argument".

In 5 pages now, no one has stated any of the such, but you're attempting to introduce something this ludicrous to attempt to help you make some kind of point?

We have a 5 doe per member limit!
I never said that everyone shoots their 5!
I didn't shoot any does this year but I had a guest shoot 1 and my son shot 2.
I don't see anything wrong with seeing anything wrong with with seeing only 4 deer a hunt. What I was trying to say was if you hunt out of a shooting house on a greenfield every day then don't expect to see deer!
I very rarely hunt out of a kill box mainly because it takes away my ability to hear and personally I think it's lazy and boring!
Do yall really think that killing a deer is that big of a challenge?
Off the top of my head I think I let somewhere around 30 bucks walk this year and I didn't go out hunting until a week after Christmas.
My personal deer sightings were 150+ deer.
Somewhere around 85 total deer killed on 7400 acres.
They're called wood rats for a reason.
I don't need to shoot a 150 inch deer to make my season, all I need is a place for my kids to learn the sport.
But by the attitude of some it appears to me that tall might be stretching a few laws and have something to hide!

Nothing is a yes or no here lol but h_ _ l no. The deer are already over hunted. This will start a new topic or a old one is the season to long. This may go on to infinity

First of all, your avatar is amazing.
The point to that statement is that some on this thread are trying to insinuate that anyone who wants any regulations are all of a sudden pro big government and socialist. However most would argue that the above regulations are necessary to preserving a healthy heard to be enjoyed by future generations.
The fact of the matter is the government is already involved. Might as well be useful involvement. Enforcing the 3 buck limit with tags that take 3 seconds to put on the animal sems pretty reasonable.

Some regulations are necessary. Those that are support such regulations are not pro big government or liberals like some people are trying to insinuate on here. Thats the point. I really wish everyone was honest and responsible enough where we could just do away with all this. Unfortunately, thats not the case.

I would have to ask why you go to your club every day during he summer and not hunt until December.

Mainly because I have a job!!!
Not to mention the fact that it was 80° most of December ND November

That's cool. Just most people who would take the time to go to their club every day during the summer would be itching to hunt.

What I'm trying to say is new Laws won't help. The Gamewarden is stretch to the breaking point now. They ride all night around here killing them all year I just helped my neighbor pull a spike out of his pond someone shot last night. Now if you guys Really think Tags are going to help what the REAL problem is you will vote Ardvark. Look guys I live in the woods I see what the problems are it's not the guys hunting that are doing it. Its Just the truth. You want better hunting build up a fund and help the law enforcement we do have take care of the LAWS we have already. That's my point! All the rules In the world won't stop it.

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You might not like my view on tags but if you would manage like me you could have something like this!

It's not "more laws" it's just changing the language and making them work better.

The law now is 3 bucks a season. Tags doesn't change that, it just makes it more honest

Beating a dead horse with this bunch jbc

A lot of times I feel like it's just this:

http://youtu.be/2ZBYLIUqmIs

You already have that. Now if a outlaw cheats it don't you think he's going to cheat it because you punch a hole in paper or wrap a band around the rack? Its a waste of tax payers money to pay them goofs to say yea or nea and take 6 months of billing and file. Screw that hire a few more hungry young Gamewarden that will burn up the back roads at midnight and the guys that only have 300 acres can have 30 deer in a field. Cus right now I don't care if You get 1-buck a yr and 1doe tag it's still going to be like it is and always has been.

I definitely agree that the gamewardens need more help. Poachers make me sick. I would be in favor of higher license prices if the money went to directly funding the game enforcement officers.
The officers need to have clear laws they can enforce though. The Alabama regs are not clear or enforceable. All some of us want is clear laws that can be enforced.
It would be a whole lot easier to tell who has an illegal deer in the bed of the truck if all the legal ones had a tag hanging on em.

Ive hunted in MANY states that have tags..MANY.
Ive lived in many.

And non huntin wifes get tags, daughters get tags.

They take the silly course ONE YEAR and get the tags every year because it is easy.
Then the husband/father gets extra tags EVERY YEAR and believe me..he fills them. And takes them to the butcher wearing the tags of his wife/daughter, etc.

I still hunt in states with tags..but outlaws will be outlaws no matter what. I have an Illinois lease. WE follow the laws..but a lot of folks sure dont.

Yall are beating a dead horse.

It aint gonna fix a thing. People who break laws..will STILL break the law.

Just like the guns laws dont stop CRIMINALS..they just cause more hassle for legal gun owners. Yall are asking for the same.

Unless youve experienced the "tag system" your just being theoretical. In REALITY..OUTLAWS will find ways to be OUTLAWS. Next thing you know yall will want "check in Stations"...what a freakin hassle that is!
Man..if you havent actually used tags or check ins..then no offense..but you dont know what youre talking about.

Your talking about an "IDEA" with unrealistic expectations. Reality is quite different. If they are breaking the law NOW..you think a silly "TAG" system will stop em???? REALLY?

SMDH..

By the way..Ive known people who "tagged" their deer, then lose the tag BOTH dragging it out OR while transporting it and get fined. Honest folks, and they got fined!
Ive lost tags dragging damn deer myself! Then had to go back looking for the damn thing in the dark for an hour. Really..yall. are being silly.
I dont know why so many of you feel you have to FORCE the changes you want on everyone else that DONT want them. Kinda like a bunch of dang big government democrats to me. I dont need more Govt involvement in ANYTHING these freakin days.

I'd pay 100$ a year to get the laws we have enforced. But what folks don't get Its already a fine line before we are just like Europe. Hell we have a very huntable population of bear at my house you think the state knows anything about that. To them ain't no bear in bama that's what y'all should be asking for tags for. Not deer. Deer should be fun and if you have a bumper crop of deer and fill up the freezer who am I to say no

May be just my experience but the tag cheating seems to be worse in the Northeast. Even when I was out West most of the tag cheaters where from the Northeast. May have just been a coincidence.

by the way.. a lot of folks will use the tag..then file for a LOST tag..and for $5.00...another tag.

What do yall think youre solving???????

I have hunted in and lived in tag states. You are right that wou cant stop them all, but you can stop a lot of them. The tag systems that work have a number that corresponds to the license holder on them. If you have tags that are in your wifes name (license number) on a deer without her around you are gonna get fined. Even if they used their wife and kids tags they could still only kill the amount that they have tags for. Not the unlimited number they can kill now.
I actually really enjoyed the hunting in the tag states I was in. Tags arent really inconvenient at all. I lived in New Mexico amd Colorado where you have to enter a drawing to hunt and just hope you get picked. That was inconvenient! Tags, not inconvenient at all.

Thank You That's it right there. Next it's a 24 hr check in.

Im talking ABOUT the midwest too.

Wow..you have no idea. Ive hunted all those state and NEVER..EVER saw a 24 hr check in..hence the hassle!

Where do you think you go? the damn 24 hr Walmart super center?????

No..you go to bait shops, hunting gd stores, etc...little mom and pop places. Many dont open at hours you like. Once again..you dont know a thing about what your talking about..sorry.

Buddy we in the south! They going to cheat it. You think these ol boys going to go by the rules. Lol. My pappy said boy if you going to hunt you need to know how to cheat watch here!

Again..wrong. You just need her to sign a "transportation letter" stating you can transport it. Wow... you guys just dont get it...IF SOMEONE WANTS TO CIRCUMVENT THE SILLY TAG IT IS EASY.

No bud I'm with you 100% I don't want that crap. I have a hard enough time finding my wallet I don't need to keep up with tags too.

more folks wanting to force the rest of us to deal the way they like to do things because THEY dont mind. Who cares about how the rest of us feel....your way must be the right way???

you got that right. I cant believe people want more tags..when tag states want to do away with them. By the way..the tags sysytem is ALL over the democratic led states..and NOT republican states..think there is a correlation?
One group LOVES govt..the other...not so much.

Everyone is so worried about the bucks!
News flash, no matter what you do you're only going to have limited number of big deer on your place!
Most will just catch one passing through that doesn't actually stay on their land. During the rut bucks travel, and what better way of getting those bucks to travel to your land than to have as many does as possible living there!
You will always be over run with 1.5 and 2.5 year old bucks that most people will shoot.
If we had a tag system in place 20 years ago you wouldn't be hearing all the gripe and complaining that you here now about deer numbers. There would have still been a movement from doe days to all season doe harvest but I'll guarantee that once the numbers came in the state would have already cut back the number of days. Most land managers saw it early on and restricted doe harvest while other small tracts kept on killing and are now complaining that the state should go back to doe days.
If we had been giving them the information about kill numbers then maybe they could see the impact that all season doe harvest produced.

Im out here..its easier talking to my dang mother in law then arguing a point here. ODO..out.

Lol Its like trying to tell a youngen don't pet that sweet looking puppy he'll bite you. But he looks so sweet. Somethings just seem better. I'm in the worse county in Alabama for deer probley and could have killed 50 deer this year I thought hunting was AOK. I guess all them shows got everyone thinking if you don't see 10 deer a day its deer poor. I guess no one thinks about hunting is hard sometimes. Lol I love hunting Alabama wouldn't change a thing accept hire about 2 gamewardens for each county and watch numbers jump back.

I think tags are pretty much useless in a state like Alabama. Too many hunters and too many killers. I know grown men who've hunted 30 years that just kill a deer to kill it, just to watch it die, or because the supposedly ''need'' some meat.

It's a cultural issue. Also, like I said before, managing land wouldn't help either, because there isn't enough available land or enough available hunters that see the benefit in Alabama for management to make a difference. There are exceptions, where some wealthy or fortunate people have enough acreage and like minded people to really manage, but those are exceptions.

Asking for a tag to validate what was killed wouldn't make a difference if those that kill to watch it die, or because they are deprived of protein, can do so 104 days a year as they do now.

The Game warden can only do a little. He accuses the poacher of violating the law. The judge in the court has to make the guilty decision. Then make it hurt when a poacher gets convicted. Start taking what was used in the crime (guns, bows, crossbows, four wheelers and pickup trucks) when convicted. Maybe they will think twice before squeezing that trigger? If nit the Game Wardens will have some nice stuff to catch them again with.

Thanks. I had to have it when I saw it on another board.

I can't think of a single person that doesn't smile when they think of Farley as Matt Foley.

That's up to the Judge's. Start paying attention to what Judge's you vote in.Because they can do all that now. Peer pressure is the best weapon for it you know guys that do wrong call them out. I don't know one hunter that kills more than they need. But I know lots of poachers that do. Its not the guy killing a few deer a yr hurting the number it's the poachers. The avg guy don't kill but 3-5 deer a yr at most. I've herd of 19 yr old punks killing 150 a summer.

Dang big government keeps violating those 19 yr olds rights to kill as many deer as they want. Today they take away your summer hunting rights tomorrow they are coming for your guns. Dang big government.

Im curious, if the tags won't achieve your desired goals (and they won't IMO) what's your next step? I believe you "government is the answer guys" won't stop there, when you realize the tags didn't do what you hoped it would then yall will push for more rules and regulations.

The DCNR all of a sudden wants to micro-manage every aspect of hunting in a state where the land base is over 70% privately owned. You are more likely to get a ticket for forgetting your pen, than an outlaw because he takes too much resources and time to catch. Outlaws will continue to prevail because the time it takes to catch them cuts out on easy "revenue generation". The "just" will pay and be burdened by limited management options and continue to have no increased ability or agency resource to combat the "un-just".

I am thankful that the private landowner in Alabama manages their own land, timber, water, and wildlife; most more rigorously than required by the broad framework of guidelines within state law. If it weren't for them we wouldn't have the rich wildlife resources we have today.

Alabama needs to continue with a broad framework of game laws that provides flexibility to the stewards of the resource. Enforcement needs to concentrate on enforcement of the real trouble makers for their "revenue generation". Don't add more layers of regulation to the ethical hunters of this state who are already declining in numbers. Folks on this forum; we are the good guys who are making strides to take care of our resources. We're not the ones who need to be more regulated. We need the bad apples that have existed for decades in the same places and communities to quit being a drain on our resources. That is the call of the DCNR, and once that call is answered people will be more receptive to more regulation on better than 16 million privately owned acres in Alabama !

Tags work in other states, I don't understand why you guys don't think they will here !

CAUSE THIS IS ALABAMA!!!!LOL
IF IT AIN'T BASS AACKWARDS IT AIN'T GONNA WORK!
Just think of all the special education course the state will have to pay for to learn people how to cut a tag on the correct date!!!

What do they 'work' to do?

Not sure I understand the point?

Wow what are you 4? You think because someone makes a New rule it fixed. Fact is I told you what the big problems are if you want to act like I'm crazy go Ahead. But in 25 years when you can't hunt anymore unless you have a quota or own your own land you'll be thinking Dang Big Government. And 99-% of the poachers are 18-29 the ones riding roads drinking beer shooting deer off the roads and out of fields all summer because they don't care ,They ain't been busted yet. You must live in a subdivision and not know what's going on in the deer woods after you lock the gate.

You sir are 100% correct! That's a great post.

At first, I didn't think it was a bad idea. After reading 7 pages of this, I'm not so sure. In 2000 I stopped deer hunting and went out OTR driving a truck. I got a local job in 2013 and started deer hunting again. As I recall, in 2000 you could kill 1 deer a day legally. When I started again in 2013, the limit went from over 100 deer a year, to 8. 3 bucks and 5 does. WTH happened?

After reading these posts, I realize that the poachers will poach no matter what. Tag system or not. There may be only one thing that will rein that in. More GWs and more people willing to report them to the GW. And when they are caught, make it hurt. Peer pressure and older hunters setting a good example. Some people will NEVER change though. They will always see wildlife as something that "belongs" to them and they should be able to do what they want with it.

I don't like over regulation, but that's what regulators are paid to do. All they do all day is think of ways to regulate. I'm afraid(like a lot of others here), that tags will just be the start. The license price WILL go up within 1-2 seasons, I'll bet anyone on that. I think I'd rather the price go up a little and hire more GWs, rather than using that money to print up tags.

I hunted in a state once that had tags. I just thought it was strange. I never saw a GW there while hunting. I don't remember the sky falling either. But I feel the less government involvement, the better.

There is something every person on this site could do though. Contact your state representatives and let them know how you feel. Contact AL DCNR and let them know too. As I understand, DCNR makes most or all of these decisions with little or no input from our elected officials. And I know for a fact that they enjoy that unrestrained power. Maybe if they feared losing that power they might listen to opinions of hunters a little more.

Some here have these websites already. To those who don't, try this site to find links to DCNR and other useful stuff.
outdooralabama.com

To find and email your representative, try
http://state-al.capwiz.com/state-al/directory/congdir.tt

It's just a suggestion.

so the tags stopped the poaching in other states, no night hunting, no shooting from the road, no one killing over the limit? That's an amazing piece of paper.

You're already essentially doing the same as tagging by writing the kill on your license. Instead of writing, you attach a tag from your license.

Evidently some have trouble keeping up with their license.

Yea but we are going to make a brand new system take all that money and man hours up to do the same thing we have now. Because if they are cheating it now they will cheat it then. Its not going to help anything. No wonder our country is in the dump. All tags will fix up is a paycheck for the state wasting time doing it. And make a New rule they will waste time "Fixing" it back in a few years. To make a New paycheck. Man they got some good job security with us.

No, mine is in my gun safe somewhere. It's not lost, I just have no use for it and don't plan to ever again.

Where are you limited to 5 does?

If the rule is made to issue tags, 3 bucks and 4 does or what ever the number is, I don't care. I'll just tag the deer and dress it. I don't see what the big problem is. I would hope there is a reporting number to the state or something so the harvest information could be utilized. The current system is useless as tits on a boar hog.

I agree. But the problem is where the funding comes from, what info is going to be obtained from it, and if the hunter pays, where do the proceeds go?? WHERE DO THE PROCEEDS GO is a biggy right now with raiding of the DCNR funds.

Years ago I hunted somewhere (don' remember which state and it may be different now) where the landowner got the tags. Then he could sell them to his hunters so he could manage his land for numbers. Some landowners would charge $5 for one of their tags on their property, some might charge $500 per tag. Now does this really sound like a good idea?? I'm not really for or against until I know all the details....if it comes to that.

Sorry to disappoint but I don't live in a subdivision (not that theres anything wrong with that). Born an raised in the country. One thing I have been blessed with is the opportunity to live in and hunt in several different states. Some that use tags and some that don't.
First I have already agreed that poaching is a big problem with this state. Will tags solve that problem 100%? No. But neither will the current regs, or any reg for that matter.
Tags will however make a lot of people think twice before trying to take and transport a deer over their limit.
I will disagree with your statement that 99% of poachers are just youngens. 2 Years ago I had a lease that I had alot of problems with poachers on. I personally busted 3 different people on my property and every single one was over 40. They just didn't care.

As for as being afraid that tags are going to keep anyone from hunting, look at states like Texas and Arkansas. Both states use a tag system and both states hunting license with tags are actually CHEAPER than our Alabama hunting license. So you can take that argument somewhere else.
Texas hunting license with tags = $25
Arkansas hunting license with tags= $25
Alabama hunting license w/o tags= $26.20

So please tell us again how tags are going to price everyone out of hunting?

You are correct. When the "tags" don't curb JimmyJoe from killing more than three bucks or shooting does on his property — "because NO ONE "NEEDS" more than two or three deer a year!" — the TalabamaTagMafia will decide that something more is needed and begin pushing for that. And then after they decide that doesn't work, they'll ...

Heard the "it'll be a rich man's sport in 25 years" back, oh, 25 years ago. It hasn't happened.

Back 25 years ago, hunters who were in their 60s and 70s at that time said back when they were younger people said it would become a rich man's sport. It hasn't happened.

The friggin' sky isn't falling. In 25 years we'll still be able to hunt. Everything changes.

I love the "it works in other states, it'll work here" people; as if the same legislators there are making the laws here in Alabama. You guys are some very trusting people, tell ya what, I've got some land I want to sell you.

It has happened, and is happening more every year. Look over in the clubs and leases section.

I know where there is a low fence 2,000+ acre tract with a cabin on it that leases for $35 an acre. I would have to quit hunting.

This guy gets it.

Well that's what my harvest record/license has on it. I never looked into if there was a way I could kill more than 5 does, because I'm not gonna kill more than 5 does. I don't have enough freezer space to stockpile deer meat. Maybe someday I will get a bigger freezer.

But that was a small and insignificant part of my overall point. My point was that in 2000 there was almost no limit(Who kills, stores and eats more than 100 deer a year?), and in 2013 there is a MUCH smaller limit. I see nothing wrong with a limit, but I know what happens when government starts nosing around, imposing new regulations. There's a good chance it will never stop until they ruin it for everyone. That's all I was saying.

BTW, how many doe slots does your harvest record have? Maybe I've got a defective harvest record.

I don't understand how tags are going to stop poaching.
"Hey I can't go out tonight I am out of tags". Really?

I can assure you that tags will help nail some poachers/road hunters in our area. When they say they killed deer in the daytime, it won't matter when they say they killed it. It would be a citation after 3. One person killing 14 bucks in a year, an observant GW could get them on that anyway. Hell there are new ones laying in the back of some trucks every morning during late January. And tie the tags back to the license #.
And while I'm on a roll, make shooting into someone's property from the road RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT. It would be like shooting into a house. I'd say $5000 and 30 days. And if it happens again, it would be a ban from hunting, confiscation of firearms, and vehicle, along with the above. (sorry to stray from the tag deal on this little paragraph)

No one is limited by the DCNR to killing only 5 does a season. They put five slots on the "harvest record" because there was no more space (or, if you're a conspiratorial sort, because they were trying to get you in the mindset that you only should kill 5).

But there is no restriction to just 5 does a season. Kill 49 or 110 or however many you need.

Yep, just like the confirmation number is on the form. Since confirmation is voluntary and number of does not limited to 5 there is no need for it to be on the "form" and it is an easy modifications in these days of computers and stuff that the DCNR could easily make and prevent the confusion, right?

I


I just want to throw a little info in here...

Had the Gamecheck system been fully implemented and made mandatory we would have had roughly the same thing as a physical tag system. If I checked someone with a deer they would have had to record it on the harvest record and report it on Gamecheck. I could have, still can, run the hunters name or hunting license number and see if they had reported a deer, what date the deer was taken, buck or doe, ect. Tags, harvest record, physical checkin station, whatever...you will always have poachers. And in my opinion tags are no more enforceable than the Gamecheck system we had/have.

You are right about the Gamecheck doing more or less the same thing as tags. The only downfall to the gamecheck system is 2 things.
1) Not everybody has a cell phone, like my 78 year old papaw. He does carry his license with him so he would have his tags handy.
2) Some places we hunt have no phone service. Technically gamecheck required you to call it in and write it down before moving the animal. Might be hard to do with no service.

I like what gamecheck is trying to accomplish, it's on the right path, but tags would require less technical skills and help the ones who don't carry a cell phone.
No system will ever completely stop poachers.

Just for comparison, this is the Ohio DNR's info for tagging and reporting deer.

Hunters make their own tag. You can print one from the DNR site or make it from a plate of ivory engraved with gold, but you also must call in to report and get a confirmation number. It's very simple.


STEP 1: Every person who kills a deer or turkey must immediately:
Make a game tag with the hunter’s name, date, time and county of kill.
Attach the completed game tag to the deer at the place where it fell.
Fill in the deer permit with date, time and county of kill.

Once finished with Step 1, the hunter legally possesses the deer or turkey and is free to transport it.


STEP 2: For deer, the hunter must complete the game check and tagging process by 12 p.m. (noon) the day after the kill. If the deer is killed on the last day of a season, it must be checked in by 11:30 p.m. on the day of kill. For turkey, the hunter must complete the game check and tagging process by 11:30 p.m. on the same day the turkey was killed.

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/hunting-trap...ing-regulations

As a non-cell phone owner, I have no problem with the way you have that written.

What is the purpose of the Tag?

It sounds like they are attempting to phase them out or something.....

Yeah you can still kill one per day. I wish the limit was 5. I wish it was 2-3 actually. I killed one in Alabama and one in Georgia. There are definitely people who kill large amounts of deer. And a lot of times they do get eaten - by other people. We have people shoot deer for other people that don't hunt. Thats ok, to an extent. Its the guy who shoots one with no plan on what hes doing with the meat. The guy who shot it just to shoot it. That guy you see at the gas station showing of his 60 lb doe and asking around if anyone wants the meat.

To have a tangible limit to the amount of bucks you can kill in a year.

Out of tags? Stop shooting bucks

Ohio DNR wrote that, not me. It's clear, concise, easy to do — I did it in 2013 — and they get info along with GWs being able to quickly check to see if your buck (or doe, I guess) is legally reported.

You're more than able to take care of your wishes. Stop at two, or three. Or five. Or one. Or 33. Or none. Making your own decisions without mandatory oversight is a wonderful thing.

I do limit myself. My post explained how others don't and still aren't poachers/night hunters/etc.

Poaching and night hunting are already illegal. And that doesn't stop them.

I don't have a big problem with those outlaws in my area, so my opinion is probably skewed.

This makes the process much easier that the previous way Ohio did it...having to apply the temp tag where it lay and then finding a check station to complete the tag process and get the metal tag.

Like I said.....trying to phase them out.....

So, we do not have a limit now? Or, are you somehow describing it as an intangible element?

And, again....horn porn......another obsessed with buck tags to limit others. Sorry, bud, but that ain't Biology!

We have a system that works for honest people.

You can kill 3 bucks and print off a brand new harvest record right now, you wouldn't be able to print off more tags.

Everything in the world would work fine if people were honest, but they aren't. Best example I can come up with off my top of my head is why they tear the bottom of your ticket off at Bryant Denny or Jordan Hare,... If everyone was honest they wouldn't need to, but they do it because cheaters would pass it back and get someone else in for free

(I realize it's all digitally scanned now, but you get my point)

Honestly i am not a horn hunter. I could care less if you shoot a monster or a smaller buck. I would like to see either doe tags or doe days or something along those lines. Prefer doe tags. Don't get me wrong I am ok with killin a couple does, just not one every single day for the whole season. In my area anyway we just arent seeing many deer period, bucks or does. In the past 2 years i have probably about 50 hunting trips and have seen a total of about 8 deer. Cameras show a couple more but not many.
A whole lot of guys i have talked to that hunt hard have similar situations.
I Realize that is not the same everywhere and so many different factors come into play but there is less deer.
So the motivation for me is wanting to bring the numbers of deer up and ensure the next generation can see plenty of deer and enjoy hunting and eatin some good venison. I could care less about growing monster racks.
I am by no way trying to say tags will solve everything or are the solution that works best for this state. But it is always good to have a discussion about things and see everyones point of view and ideas. I can learn something from everybody.

So let me see if I get this right. Tags would keep honest people honest, but will not keep the dishonest people from illegally killing more deer. So, I think I am catching on, if we can't make the dishonest people honest, then the only solution is to make the honest people honest, right? But wait a minute, does that solve the problem since the honest people aren't the problem? Well, they aren't the problem until more rules and regulations are heaped on them and hoops to jump through to see if they can still meet our subjective ever changing view of how to keep honest people honest so that addressing the problem of dishonest people killing deer illegally never has to be addressed. But we can always threaten the honest people with more regulations and rules or face a penalty because daggumit you just can't trust those honest people. Does that just about sum it up? However, it does sound just like what government seems the be the absolute best at, creating non-existent problems to fix and not having to deal with the real problem.

their tagging system is also based off of an honor system. Some of the folks I know would tag it, skin it ,throw the tag away and never make the call.

OK.....try this on......

Y'all are asking the Government to fix a problem that YOU/WE caused! The solution is easy, really. Slow down the doe harvest. Mature bucks are there, and in slightly higher densities, there will be even more. Learn how to kill them. Their scarcity is what makes them trophies!

That is Biology 101 for today. And, it really is that simple.

No, that's not what I'm saying.

I'm saying when Joe Blow shoots his 7th buck of the year (also the 7th buck he's seen this year) and runs into a check point with it in the back of his truck, and doesn't have a tag he gets his ass busted. We need major fines and loss of hunting privileges.

With the current system, when he kills his 3 bucks, he can print off a new harvest record and start all over.

Why can't the state develop software that won't allow you to reprint a clean harvest record? In other words, if you reprint your harvest record, it will reflect your previous kills that were recorded earlier.

Right now it's just a .pdf on outdoor Alabama website. You can print off as many as you want

For what you're talking about they would probably have to mail you something with a stamp or something that can't be recreated... Back to why tags make sense to me

I agree with you that the solution is slowing down the doe harvest, and I think most of us understand that. The problem is not everyone does and some do but just don't care. On so many other animals and fish we have a bag limit to make sure they don't get wiped out or hit too hard, and to make sure that it is an enjoyable pastime. We don't have an enforceable system for deer. Under the current system the good game wardens have their hands tied. Tags would be a visual tool to help them. Once someone tags out, there is no way for them to squirm out a nice fine when they get pulled over with another deer in their truck.
For those of us who care about the deer heard what is it really going to hurt to have to tie a tag on a deer's ear?

Plus, maybe if they are busy checkin peoples tags out in the gas stations and stuff they will leave our corn piles and feeders alone haha jk.

If the process included having to enter a state run site and enter you license number to print your tags ..... problem solved!
Lifetime license holders, enter your number. ... print out tags
Kids under age 16 require parents license number followed by an additional alphabetical letter(A,B,C).... print out tags according to state law senior citizens don't have to have a license as long as they had a license the year they qualified, enter that last year license number into the system. ...print tags. Very simple cost effective way of tagging and recording harvest.
Here's the thing, regardless if you want a tagging sy6or not we are all going to have one. But the way the system works now is a joke and why put forth the effort if cheating the system means hitting print on a PDF file. Its not rocket science but if it makes your neighbors think before they pull the trigger it's worth it. We will never be able to fix stupid. The 16-25 year old outlaws will learn the hard way. And maybe a few out of state hunters that give the rest of them a bad name will go elsewhere to feed their entire trailer park!!!
Honest law abiding hunters will carry on just like before and wardens will have a way to actually enforce the laws better. I'm sure a software developer can do what needs to be done for a reasonable fee, the only question is what the idiots in the state house come up with. Will they break history with a common sense approach? Or will every Tom Dick and Harry have his hand in the jar and cost every day people like you and I more money every year.

Glad to know that not wanting or needing additional governmental intrusion and being individually responsible equals not caring about the deer "heard"! Thanks for clearing that up! Now are you consulting with Bernie or Hildabeast for those types of talking points?

Because putting a tag on a dead animal is so intrusive. They will probably have predator drones following you to make sure you tag it and if you don't they are gonna send in the navy seals to take you out. Because that's what they do in every other state that has tags right?

I wonder if you are just as against speed limits, red lights, and other traffic laws?

If you want to bring politics into it, how about ol Teddy Roosevelt? He was a big hunter but also cared about conservation of wildlife and taking steps to ensure it. You can thank him for still haveing some awesome parks and wildlife areas left, instead of skyscrapers. But I bet you think he was just an idiot liberal too huh?

Valleydawg, you do realize that we don't enforce voter ID laws in the US most places, because getting in a car and driving to the courthouse is TOO ONEROUS a burden on citizens.

Nuff said.

Any chance that's the Austin place in Bullock County. In 1999 I was told by the lessee that 2K acres (Austin Place) leased for $28/acre. Doesn't seem to far fetched that it goes for $35/ acre now.

Hunting has been a rich man sport for the last 20 years and it is only getting worse!

Hmm, let's see. Tagging a dead deer, is safety involved? No.
Driving at speeds higher than other traffic, is safety involved? Yes.
Tagging a dead deer, is safety involved? No.
Driving through an intersection, is safety involved? Yes.
Driving at speeds higher than other traffic, is safety involved? Yes.

I think you see where I am going with your extremely poor choice for an example.

Yes, good old Teddy was a fine conservationist, hunter and BIG government guy.

So you want to be able to make someone who might have accidentally forgotten his or her (don't want to be sexist and leave anybody out) tag and killed a deer that is taking the deer to the processor so the meat does not spoil instead of leaving the deer where it lays and driving 4 hours round trip back home on a very possible 70 or 80 degree day in Alabama a criminal because the GW saw them with a deer in the back of their truck? What is wrong with the DCNR setting minimum rules and regulations for the conservation of the resources (you can research for yourself the reason for the establishment of the DCNR) and the individual imposing on themselves greater restriction if that is what they want? Or, is it that so would rather have the government TELL/FORCE/MANDATE everybody else what how when, where, and why because they are incapable of thinking and doing for themselves?

Feel free to create your own tag and tag every deer that you want if that will make you feel like that will help, see no impact on me and apparently no imposition to you. Issue solved!

First off, If a person leaves their license/ harvest record at home now under today's law they would legally have to go get it before putting the deer in their truck or face fines when they get pulled over. So that argument is kind of silly. That rule applies now without tags. Tags are usually attached to license/ harvest record. So if you have your license with you , you have your tags.

So you want the DCNR to establish the regs? I am for that but tell me, isn't the DCNR a government agency with the chair and board put in place by the Governor? So basically the government is already setting limits now and telling you what to do (i.e. the 3 buck limit). Tags would just help the warden enforce the legal limit. You are missing that point. The rules ALREADY exist but are near impossible to enforce.

Also since you are busy crying big government, I bet you didn't mind when the government had to step in and restock Alabama's deer popultaion several times from 1930-1970. That's right, the GOVERNMENT restocked the deer that you now get to enjoy while telling them to mind their own business. Dang Government.

[quote=ValleyDawg][

First off, If a person leaves their license/ harvest record at home now under today's law they would legally have to go get it before putting the deer in their truck or face fines when they get pulled over. So that argument is kind of silly. That rule applies now without tags. Tags are usually attached to license/ harvest record. So if you have your license with you , you have your tags.

Im pretty sure you get a ticket if you don't have your license or harvest record with you while in the stand. And secondly how would you propose use that have life time licenses to get these tags. As states above if we cant control the outlaws from killing deer illegal now a tag system will not help.

The mail? The Internet?

You present your lifetime license at any store where licenses are sold and they give you, your harvest record/tags. Or call in and present your number and tags will be mailed to you.

To your second point. I am not naive enough to think it will stop all outlaws. But there is a large number of guys that wouldnt take that extra deer or fifty if they knew the wardens were looking for tags. Right now there is no risk of getting caught once you go over the limit because you can print however many copies you want. With a tag system, once you use all your tags, if you have a deer in your truck you are running a BIG risk of getting caught. Can't stop them all but does that mean we shouldn't try?

It's only difficult to the people trying really hard to make it difficult

The main thing I've learned is that I will have to go back to school to get an advanced degree and hire a hunting assistant and secretary to handle "all" of the extra requirements for tags.

You are right that is what is in place today and yes I am not in favor of the "by Jimmy, you even as much as roll that deer over without filling out the mandated piece of paper or, you will be fined" mentality. I do it because that is what is forced on the individuals of the State. So, yes I am a good fine honest citizen that appears to be kept honest by the State. And yes the same applies today if the sacred piece of paper is forgotten, which still begs the point what will the tagging system do again? How does it make it any more enforceable over the current system? How is either system going to be enforceable for those that live on the land that they hunt and they don't do or will do either and aren't required to buy a hunting license and that break the law anyway. Oh yeah, it does not have an effect on the guy killing deer illegally anyway. How does that help again exactly??

I believe one could say without stretching for a connection that restocking would fall under the conservation of the resource part of the DCNR duties. I may be wrong, but I am pretty sure that making sure all bucks that get killed have to be over 3.5, 4.5, 5.5, ..... years old is not exactly a biological requirement for conservation.

So would you want to make it illegal for those of us who clean our deer on the property? Because if you don't then those folks would most likely get away with it because not all game wardens set at processing places to check harvest records.

Yes, if you clean the deer in place you would "get away with it".

It's not about "getting away with it", it's about a system to keep people honest

I understand that but my point is if those that are already dishonest are not going to change just because tags are implemented. A dishonest person will always find a way to buck the system so why make everyone else pay. Its the same thing as gun control in my eyes.

Yep, gotta keep honest people honest! While on the other hand, dishonest people it will not impact. The perfect reason!

Aren't all laws this way? Rape, murder, everything?

The tag gets the dishonest person busted

Since most dishonest people and crooks get caught. I just don't think im gonna be convinced it will work that is all. But hey im all for a better deer herd. Doesn't really bother me either way as I only kill 1-2 deer a year anyway.

A tag system isnt gonna change chit for illegal hunters. And every state I hunted with that had tags..they are printed out and of a thicker material then paper...fiber reinforced I believe,..THEY COST MONEY.
For a private business...a buck or two...but get the GOVT involved and add $15 to your license costs.

The law of unintended consequences. And the year after, theyll add $2...the next year a dollar. WHY? because that is what GOVT does.
We dont need more GOVT in any aspect of our lives I feel. Id be fine with a whole lot LESS!

I agree outdoor

Y'all don't see anything positive coming from tags?

In some ways I can see a positive but on the other hand I see a lot of negatives as well. I could care less with a rifle but where I hunt i'll be danged if I want anyone telling me what I can and cant shoot with a bow. The shots are so few and far in between if a doe walks by im gone shoot her. Id rather shoot a doe with my bow that some little buck.

Nope, you are not required by the government to do anything other than not commit rape, murder, etc. Unless they can figure out how to make you start having sex and making sure you have a tag you can put on your partner before you have sex, cause if you don't your raping them and that would be against the law!

You are right about one law, Obamacare. You have to buy insurance or you are fined. Wow, sounds a lot like a tagging system!

N0

What would that have to do with anything. The tags are usually x amount for all seasons. So lets say the tags were 3 bucks and 6 does for the season, you can kill those 9 deer with whatever you want. If you wannakill a doe with a bow go ahead, it just counts toward your doe tags. Not sure anyone is telling you what you can or can't shoot with a bow.

Like I posted before. States like texas and arkansas print the tags on your license and their license with tags is already CHEAPER than an alabama license. Tags are not gonna cause license prices to sky rocket.
I have hunted with tags and it was never really a burden to fill out a piece of paper and tag it onthe deer. Never bothered me one bit. I guess that must make me some sort of communist from the way some of these guys are talkin

Who is gonna catch all these people with these deer with no tags?

We have Counties with NO Game Wardens and a BUNCH more with only one!!!!

We have Laws, we have Regulations and we have Limits.
All we need is feet on the ground ENFORCEMENT of them!

And don't even get me started on folks complaining about the lack of deer that do not want to give up their ability to shoot the 1st doe they see.........

The Government cannot fix stupid.

Y'all LOVE to criticize!
But, guess what?
Most of the folks against Tags and for INTELLIGENT doe harvest had MUCH BETTER Seasons than you did!!!!

this is a bunch of BS speculation about more govt in our lives that we do not need.

More programs to help fix a problem that arent going to fix crap. Just like Obozo care! I heard some lib on TV complaining now there are 35 million people without healthcare ...but wait..I thought that was the number BEFORE my expensive premiums and $12,800 deductable.

Oh ..I guess that didnt fix chit..but you all have the answer..more govt and TAGS! That will fix everything.

if you want freakin tags so much, just make one out and attach it to your dayum deer. Dont make the rest of US do it cause you think its great~!

Im outta here. SMDH.

You said intelligent in this thread

I'm out...

Yep, I guess you are right!

You "could NOT care less".

If you could care less it wouldn't mean much to you

Nighthunter! I know you're intelligent in real life! What has the experience been in other states? Is it "worth it" in your opinion?

Truth.

Someone earlier in the thread suggested setting up checkpoints to catch violators who killed deer without tagging them. My question is, who the heck is going to run the checkpoints? We can't even get a game warden to answer the phone when we call him with a trespasser on our property. Never returned the call when we left him a message.

I went through a game warden and sherif run checkpoint this year.

Highway 82 and old pike road intercection

I shouldn't have gotten involved. I just wanted to poke at Danny.

If you have questions you know how to get in touch with me.

Cheaters and low life, dishonest, immorally corrupt people will find a way to abuse any kind of system.

Whether it's a tagging system or a harvest form, they will always figure out a way to abuse and scam it.

If dissatisfaction over how the current system is abused is the reasoning behind wanting a tagging system, it won't be a cure all for the current program.

You can't regulate morality & ethics.

The honest man will comply and the cheater will cheat.

Personally, I'd rather it stay just like it is now.

My two cents for whatever its worth...

Ha! I don't blame you

I don't care.

just wanted to throw this out there, cause i could care less either way. I know yall say honest folks gonna stay honest and outlaws gonna cheat. But there are folks who need a little help staying honest. For instance, I have a bsa scope on my hunting rifle. That helps me NOT sit longer and try to shoot the big buck who comes out 15 minutes past dark. If I had one of them high dollar scopes i might be tempted to sit a little later

We as a people have been burnt too many times by the goverment. The only way anything is gonna work, is when WE start holding each other responsible, and WE start speaking out. But we're ALL gonna have to get on the same page and ALL get on board. Which sadly will probably never happen.

So you are honest and make the decision to do the right thing when nobody's looking? I think that is called "having character"! The government can't control or force that.

Why are y'all bitchin about something that ain't even happened yet?

Because maybe we "Don't let life get in the way of hunting and fishing. Some of life's greatest moments happen then."?

Then, once it passes, the argument will be "hell its already passed, shoulda spoke up earlier"

OK has a similar system, at least for turkey, I dunno about deer. I've always zip-tied one of my business cards to the gobbler's leg and wrote the date and county on it. One year my tag somehow feel off while carrying a turkey back to the truck. I spent a few minutes looking for it and found it. I had an extra zip tie, so I was able to put it back on.

That night I told the outfitter what happened and asked if he had an extra zip tie. He looked at me like I was crazy and told me I was the first person in the history of his operation to ever put a tag on a turkey.

I am not optimistic about the possibility of tags accomplishing anything in AL. But, passing a new law will make some people feel better, so it will probably happen.

http://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2...m_campaign=0216

These boys weren't worried about tags or rules for that matter. They're paying some heft consequences though

Great reply smartass. If buying tags is going to kept you from hunting I'll be glad to loan you and your buddy 49er a dollar or two so y'all can have fun while bitching about hunting regulations.

Seemed like you had a good answer to your question!

Or maybe we don't want a "have to pass it before what we find out what's in it" moment! Which by the way is the way most governmental legislation, rules and regulations are done.

I think if all the idots killing 40 does for whatever reason would stop shooting everything and only shoot what would fill a freezer, there would be no need for tags. I like the idea of tags though cause it might humble all you stubborn ass guys that think that the deer on your property are yours and therefore you can freely decimate a herd of animals. Refer to Buffaloes in the west...

I guess it's a difference in what part of the state we are in,... But it amazes me people put killing does above killing bucks as a problem.

I see more does than mosquitoes

You're in the black belt I guess, or close. It's night and day compared to hillbilly land. But all the big-wigs have 6,000 acres in Bullock, Macon, Dallas or Lowndes county, and they feel the way you do.

QDMA and the "shoot dem does" philosophy was built for places like you hunt, not like my place.

And, that's what's great about the current situation: if he wants to kill 40 does a season, he can. If you don't want to kill but one or none on your place, you don't have to.

Just like we used to have with bucks. Until the trophy crowd got a boner to cut it to three and tried to cut it to one.

Having a mandate -- "doe tags" -- for something that can be decided voluntarily is unnecessary.

Preaching to the choir, Clem

I know. Might as well wave a white flag and just do what I need to do to do what I want to do. The control crowd won't be happy, ever.

And all from a bunch of "libertarians" that's the best part!

But, you just don't understand.

It's my neighbors' fault that I don't see the deer I think I should see on my property. Therefore, my neighbors, and the entire state while I'm at it, should be forced to manage their property like I want to on my land.

I really, really hope this clears it up for you.