I'll venture a guess as to why nobody's talking. Maybe I just need a whole new set of friends and acquaintances - but since Conservation did away with deer check stations and went to the electronic thing, I don't know anybody who still checks in their deer. Well, I don't know anybody who has to hunt on public property or who takes their meat to a processing plant, either. In regards to the MDC deer check and count though, all I hear guys say is "Well, if they don't care anymore, then I sure don't care."

I don't think Conservation has any idea how many deer are being harvested - and since there are obviously plenty of deer, I don't think they much care. That's not to say they wouldn't still write you a ticket if they can.

Not saying people are poaching, exactly. I think they've got tags and they're generally shooting around the number of deer they're entitled to - BUT farm-tag deer might get shot somewhere else or at some other time, they're not getting tagged anyway. With all those various seasons anymore, November rifle season doesn't mean much like it used to.

We've got some property out in the country, and if you go there "opening morning" you'll hardly hear a shot fired in all the miles around. Go there during "archery season" and it sounds like there's a war going on. I think the neighbors all get their freezers full before November, and so do all their friends and relatives. Just sayin'.