Haha. This never ending battle is why I am glad I moved to Illinois 4 years ago and picked up a LL.
After living 45 years in Indiana and hunting in 12 different states, I gave up on Indiana. Bottom line is it is near impossible to retract entitlements (for anything) once they are handed out for free. The reason Iowa, Illinois & Kansas have superior trophy hunting is because they never allowed firearms in the peak deer rut to begin with. There are far more firearm hunters than bowhunters, and they raise holy hell any time their opportunity is reduced. Politicians and conservation departments don't want to fight the battle necessary for change. Why game management is put in the hands of public opinion instead of wildlife professionals is beyond me to begin with!?
Crappily managed states are slowly recognizing their faults, but they are stuck with trying to fix things via less desirable options that step on the fewest toes. Several examples in the last 10 years:
Indiana - Went to one buck rule about 6 years ago. You see they got this through (barely) because this rule did not infringe on the majority of gun hunters. They were only allowed one buck via gun anyway, and most did not bowhunt. Thus it did not affect them personally other than benefit, and only took opportunity from dual weapon hunters. But that is why it passed.
Missouri - Went to antler restrictions on a very gradual county-by-county basis, each year adding 5-10. You see, the amount of people objecting to it in any one year was kept very low.
Pennsylvania - Went to antler restrictions statewide in one year but I believe it cost the conservation director his job due to too many hunters objecting all in one year.
There are a few others I can't remember now.........I Arkansas tried.
It will take an act of god to reduce the ~32 gun days in Indiana.............or move the gun season out of peak rut. Any possible imrovement will have to be done with less than optimum effectiveness options.
I think the thing most people fail to realize is it really only comes down to about 5 days per year...........the absolute peak rut. I hunt Illinois public land and I can't tell you how many truly monster bucks I have seen going bonkers during those 5 days, which I could have easly shot if guns were allowed during those prime dates. I am very glad for the statewide seasons we have, even though I have not gotten to harvest one of those toads. At least I get to see B&C's every year! And eventurally I will get lucky and tag one, likely during one of those 5 days.
Onion is right about moving the IN gun opener back one week (it currently includes those 5 magic days I refer to) but it will never happen due to public gunhunter outcry.
At one point in time some in IDHA asked me to spearhead an effort to change, but I recognized a lost cause when I saw it. I had even gone to one public meeting where two CO's believed moving guns from the rut would not improve age class distribution. They even had the opinion older age class bucks were not a necessary component of a "healthy' deer herd!!! Who the hell would want to take on mentality like that!
Indiana was the last state in the nation to phase out single class HS basketball and almost daylight savings time. Why beat my head against a wall?!?!?!
