ORIGINAL: BrentH243
DNR...$$$$...that's what its all about to them. Gun hunters know they have limited time and they may be willing to buy a tag if they know that there chances are better that time of year!
BINGO!
You nailed it. Gun season is where the DNR getsmost of their money. The DNR would never cut their own throats by messing with gun season. If you made gun season later, to miss the rut, gun hunters would kill less bucks and get discouraged. Eventually, gun license sales would suffer.
It has NOTHING to do with managing the resource to provide balanced deer herd. It has EVERYTHING to do with the Mighty Dollar.