4 counties in VA have an antlerless season from Jan 5th thru March 28. These counties are extremely populated with deer. Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William. I assume the counties and VA DGIF believe this is a more effective way to control the herds. Getting a 2 for1 or even a 3 for 1 kill ratio, since the majority of does will be pregnant. This extended anterless season is not for me and for many others. I would rather suggest Sunday hunting or aseason long doe season. I'll leave it to the non hunting bureaucrats to decide.

In many states the bow hunters will scream bloody murder if you try to add any firearm deer hunting in the Fall. Of course these are the same folks who will spend the entire month of October sitting in their stand watching does stroll by without shooting one. The only way to keep folks even reasonably happy is to add extra antlerless hunting after all the other seasons have ended, even if it results in some collateral damage.

I'd like to just see december as the entire firearm gun season... and maybe allow antlerless only tags in the 2nd half of december. Spread out the pressure a bit.

Also I'm not sure I like the idea of stressing deer in the middle of winter, with long seasons at this time of year. As well I don't want to see seasons so late that deer are dropping their antlers...and mature bucks may be getting shot in place of does.

Personally here in IL if we had just a month long december gun season, I think we would have no need for special seasons, and personally I'm kinda annoyed with all sorts of new seasons etc... 1st and 2nd shotgun, now muzzleloader....next late season gun/antlerless only, early youth gun firearm...

1 gun season, december! Guys can hunt for that big buck anytime of the month, all those antlerless tags can be used whenever, or perhaps just leaving that 1st week to the non late season antlerless guys.

Simple and easy and would get the job done I think.

I agree salukipv1. That idea sounds pretty good. As a bowhunter Iowa is as good as it gets. We have all of Oct. and Nov. to bowhunt only (other than youth seasons) So the rut is just forbowhunters. But the past two years during shotgun seasons the weather has been horrible and not enough deer were killed, so thats when they started implementing these other seasons.
I know there are reasons for not having an early doe (firearm)season but we are allowed to get a ton of doe tags so if everyone would shoot does and does and does it would help.

How about Nov. 15 - Dec. 15 instead of the whole month of December?

This starts pretty close to where the first season usually starts and ends close to where the current muzzleloader season ends.

It also allows you to hunt with the gun on Thanksgiving day or the "long" weekend.

It also ends before Christmas.

Iowa has early muzzle loader season in October & there is a early antler less season in November the 3 days after Thanksgiving

Shoot that same doe 3 months earlier and you accomplish the same thing.

They don't breed if they are not breathing.

Steve