Here in Maine the Dept. Of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife relies quite heavily on the income from license fees.We probably have between 28-32000 deer shot per season which lasts from October to the middle of December.This is a month for Bows and guns and a couple of weeks for ML.We probably have 200,000 license holders.

I am just guessing on these numbers but I would think that no more than 5% of the kill could be classified as tropy animals.Does and young bucks make up the rest.We have to apply for a doe permit(I didn't get lucky)and some people in certain areas get two permits.

If we turned our hunting season into a lottery for the does and a
trophy only for experienced hunters (5 yrs) where do you think our revenues would go? Where do you think our license fees would go?

80 hours on stand probably isn't much for some of you.I would bet that you let a lot walk by.I let none walk by for the second year in a row.

Your promotion is fine for States that can boast a deer population in the millions,it just doesn't fit where I live.In southern Maine densities are much higher and such a program may be beneficial.

Most people are not dedicated to hunting like I think most of us are. I fear that a trophy only approach would have a very negative effect on our revenues,our sport, and only fuel the anti hunting fire.In fact I would be willing to bet that if you made hunting so that it was out of reach for the average Joe,and I don't mean finacially,hunting would be lost.