ORIGINAL: GMMAT
I could very well react the same way in your shoes....But if I was complaining about deer numbers and ratios while making a conscious effort to correct this by bagging a LOT of does each year, I would find it kind of hypocritical to complain when the DNR tries to aid in getting the numbers in check.
Well, "their" way isn't working, either. In case you overlooked it.....we (as a state) STILL kill more bucks than does. I don't see this getting any better with a prolonged gun season (the ratio). I could be pleasantly surprised, but I highly doubt it.
If it's all bout the does.....why not open up the "early" gun seasons to does, only?
Our NCWRC doesn't care about ratios. They care about one thing......harvest numbers. They're gonna get that.....and I'm betting the ratio of bucks:does killed goes up even further (with the deficit being in the doe kills).
Fair enough, it just seems from your descriptions that overall deer numbers are too high, regardless of antlers or not. More gun hunting= more population control. Like you say though, more things could be done as far as ratios go, such as doe only seasons and such.
I dont think a prolonged gun season will increase buck to doe kill ratios...in fact, it may have the exact opposite effect...think about it, you are a gun hunter, and you have 2 weeks to kill a deer...are you going to be very selective? Give the same guy 1 month to hunt and he may begin to start letting smaller deer pass since he isnt in a time crunch to get it done.
Whether hunters kill does for meat instead of small bucks isnt in the seasons, it is the attitude of the hunting masses. If, like TreedNC said, hunters are beginning to come around and the numbers arechanging, this is due to a change inhunters attitude...These guys will most likely not reverse this attitude simply because they have longer hunting seasons.
Just trying to look at the glass as half full, i can see this being beneficial to your Deer numbers, only time will tell though.