New Jersey Hunters banner

What is the reason for the 6 day?

5.4K views 42 replies 38 participants last post by  jerseybowhunter  
#1 ·
Just trying to understand the idea behind and reason for the 6 day? There is a ML and Shotgun season with a buck tag that can be bought. Why have this 6 day "buck season" that as far as i can tell, seems to be thought of as a joke by most serious hunters on this forum. Not trying to start a war with this question, just want to understand.
 
#4 ·
It used to be the only deer season. I look forward to 6 day just as much as another season. Each one has its pros and cons. I think it is wonderful how we have all these fawns that show up each year and try to get us "serious hunters" arguing with each other just before 6 day starts. When is Jack Daniels going to show up? The only joke is the lame attempts by the antis to get us arguing.
 
#32 · (Edited)
I live in zone 6 also. The season there sucks! Thats the reason I hunt zone 9 from September- February, with the bow. I dont even look at my shotgun Or muzzle loader any more, unless its small game or waterfowl season. I hunt 6 day with the bow also now that they allow it. If zone 6 had seasons that were actually worth hunting I would probably hunt it again, until then I stick with the farm in Mendham I hunt in zone 9.

Sent using Tapatalk 2 NOW FREE!!!
 
#10 ·
6 Day was deer hunting as I knew it growing up.It was like xmas,you couldn't fall a sleep the night before.Dreams of that big one walking under your old broken down wooden deer stand.Driving around after the hunt and watching all the bucks getting weighed in at the couple of deer stations that where in your county.Driving around and seeing deer hang in peoples front yards or driving past the hunting clubs and checking out there deer hangs.Sitting at a red light and a 4 door ford car pulls up to you with a deer tied to the roof. That's what the 6 day deer hunt was about.I just wish sometimes it was like that again.Hate to say it but by the time winter rolls around I'm burned out from hunting since sept....................I sure miss those day's.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I remember 6 day when I started hunting 34 years ago. I actually looked forward to it. Then we had the doe day after. Then it went to 3 doe days. I remember having to stand in line for a doe permit. Today, I rarely hunt during the 6 day. I love bowhunting . 6 day, to me means the start of the 2 1/2 month gun season obliterating anything brown. 2 1/2 months of shotguns blazing, deer drives has the deer running every day. Dont get me wrong, I have nothing against gun hunting at all, I hunt other states with the gun, the deer need a break from the stress. Its not healthy for the herd. We need to scale it back across the board. They should come up with a new name for the season, because its no longer 6 days.
I may actually try to go on monday , just to enjoy the time out, good luck and be safe
 
#13 ·
I never realized how exciting deer hunting was and deer actually moved on their own without being driven - until I picked up the bow back in 1983.... There is nothing better than the weeks covering the peak foliage through every leaf off the trees.... (aka "the rut"). By the time 6 day comes around, I am tired of deer hunting and have no desire to revert back to that. To those that enjoy it- have a great day or week or whatever you can get.
 
#16 ·
As others have said, it was the ONLY deer season years ago. Now I believe it's continued only because of tradition. It makes NO SENSE to allow a gun hunter to shoot two bucks with only his license and not require EAB. Other states require EAB with firearms hunting. This state makes the bow hunters do the work of management. Yeah, people will say "but you get to hunt before gun hunters". I say if you don't want to make the time or investment to bow hunt then it's too bad.
 
#18 ·
  • Like
Reactions: almaink
#19 ·
It is 6 day firearm by name only. In reality it is just a week in the middle of the free for all today. The week after the lunacy starts with ML and permit shotgun. It was once a tradition whose participants numbered much higher with anticipation akin to a wedding night. You just couldn't wait. Now with all of the seasons and the time allowed to kill deer it has become just another week to go hunting with a few different rules with a different license to kill bucks or the modern "doe permit" if you have the need to "stuff" the freezer anymore than you already have. All of this is followed up by 10 more weeks of "no holds barred" mayhem on what many see as a dwindling herd.

The rules in place are ludicrous at best. "Its legal"....so I guess we should run roughshod over the resource.
I long for the old ways of the old days. Times sure have changed.
 
#28 ·
Buck week simply did not evolve once the doe days were placed ahead of it and neither did it when they placed the start muzzleloader season in front of it. It used to be the first time you could kill a buck with a gun. It lost it's luster now expecially since bow-hunting has become so wildly popular and a ton of more people hunt it. Buck week is basically a dinosaur now.