NEW61375

I think season dates(where I hunt anyway NC/VA) are set not based on the rut but more on the calendar and fitting all the seasons in. I personally don't care about the dates of the seasons(mainly because I doubt theyare changing)but Iwould like to see both states reduce the # of buck tags issued and implement some kind of earn a buck tag for every buck other than the first one. Our buck/doe ratio is out of whack in both states it seems like there are some relatively simple solutions that could at least get us headed in the right direction.

The season dates annoy me a little because I don't really want to bow/bp hunt in the heat of September(NC) and in VA two of the counties I hunt inhave aGeneral Firearm season comes inOct. 1 which isbefore primitive weapons which comes in Dec. and runs through the 1st week of Jan. Which basically means I have to bowhunt spooky deer in the late season. For some reason I think the season dates are the least likey to get changed of all of the regs though.

Another reason gun hunters get the "more prime" time is probably due to the fact that there are way more gun hunters/harvest than bow/bp and they need the gun hunters to do most of the herd reduction, from anumbers standpoint. As far as protecting bucks Ilike the earn a buck system and reducing buck tags issued while increasing antlerless tags. I'm not a huge fan of antler restrictionsonly because I know many people that don't hunt forheadgear alone.