ORIGINAL: davidmil
Well there's more to play here than just growing macho bucks. Hunting is a tradition and gun hunting in particular that started long before archery became popular. It's traditionally been done at this time of year since forever. On top of that, when's the best time to get a big old mature buck? During the rut. Move the gun season to an earlier time or a much later time and the old boys are in seclusion. So after a week of banging around the woods with no big buck showing all the firestick hunters would start unloading on the little guys to fill their tags. Time of year isn't the problem if you want to grow big bucks. Antler restrictions would be more effective. November is the perfect time of year to be hunting deer. The weather is more suitable for comfortable hunting, meat preservation and visibility to cut down on accidents. You want to take away the best time of year for hunting simply because you want bigger bucks. That's a pretty selfish wish I think.
First of all, let me say that this has nothing to do with my "personal wish." We/I manage our personal properties for dig deer. That's our choice and more power to anyone that manages their land they way they like. Personally, yes I'd like to see bigger deer in this state... who wouldn't? In all honesty, there's a very small portion of the state that I even get to hunt. So if there were macho bucks all over, chances are I wouldn't be shooting them anyway.
The part that I have a problem with is the DOW stating their claims, and doing nothing to support it. I wouldn't have any problem at all if they didn't do a dang thing,
IF they didn't claim to want to change things. In all honesty, I'd rather see them do
something even if I don't personally agree with it, then to do nothing at all. At least show us that you're trying to implement some type of... something. I agree David, antler restrictions would be wonderful... but they won't do that either.
As far as November being the perfect time to hunt... I'm not saying they should move the seasons to the last weekend in December or the first weekend in October for ML season. I'm saying lets push the gun opener to Thanksgiving day, and let it run from there. We can keep the hunting traditions that have existed for so long, allow all those that come home for the holidays to hunt with their families. Lets open the muzzle loader season a week or 10 days earlier. One week either direction isn't going to make a huge difference in the weather... and it's not like it gets ridiculously cold down here to start with.