Your Thoughts on “Cross-Tagging”

Deer hunters in my region of Minnesota will soon be mailed a survey asking them to consider several changes to season structure and hunting rules. Among them is the subject of “cross-tagging.” Currently, firearms deer hunters are technically allowed to tag just one buck here, but once your either-sex tag is filled, you can continue hunting and kill another buck if someone else in your hunting party puts their tag on it.

Cross-tagging is a time-honored tradition in Minnesota. It is also, in my opinion, a tradition that needs to go away. If the state game regs say you are entitled to one buck, then that is your limit. You shoot a buck, then you are done buck hunting. If hunting for antlerless deer is still an option, then by all means go ahead and enjoy the woods. But shoot another buck? I don’t get it…the regs tell us we have a one-buck limit, so put some teeth in the reg by eliminating party hunting.

I have hunted other states where cross-tagging not only a frowned-upon practice, it was illegal. So I’m curious about your take on this? Is group bagging bucks forbidden by law in your state? And where legal, is the practice socially acceptable? Please weigh in here, as I’m anxious to get a broader take on this question.