My family hunted the on the grandmother's farm in 4B. It is only 125 acres with only about 20 acres wooded. I sat with my 12 year old daughter. We saw 14 doe and 3 small buck that were in a no shoot area, top of the hill with open sky in the background. We had to deal with 40 acres of corn still standing on our property and the neighboring farms also had corn standing. In this area most people hunt from shanties in the middle of a field with the hope of seeing deer coming out to feed in the fields. Our woodlots are so small we don't drive them out until the last hour of Tuesday. But when the rain, ice and snow moved in we quit hunting to return home safely for work on Wednesday. I hated telling my daughter who had a doe tag that she couldn't shoot a doe on the opening day because a bunch of idiots pressured the game commissioners to reduce the number of days of doe hunting. For you guys that keep saying we need to go back to the old 3 days after buck, you are wrong. Doe harvests can be manage by the number of licenses allocated not by taking opportunities away from kids that only get the first 2 days off from school. I would rather have the first 3 days of rifle be concurrent than have this current system. My daughter and wife can't hunt the 2nd week due to school, my wife is a teacher and can't take additional time off. Also, about the CWD areas increased doe tags. The purpose of the increased tags in that area is to reduce/slow the spread of the disease to protect the rest of the state's deer herd.
Whit, I dont think guys are wrong for wanting to go back to 3 days, or wrong for wanting doe hunting stopped in some areas for a bit. Not all areas are the same, but you must be honest and admit there are areas that were taken way above and beyond what was needed. You cant micro manage under our current system, and future adjustments need made to current WMU boundaries. But the fact remains the GC's goals were too aggressive for most areas. And to add insult to injury they, IMO and many others, abused DMAP on public land. If they want to make hunters happy and regain lost revenue while introducing new/old hunters, they need to do one of two things. Lower tag allocation, or go back to 3 days in some areas. The best option, IMO, is taking a look at WMU's and totally reworking the boundaries, and lowering tag allocation.
Not to offend you, though it probably will, people must understand a very important issue, one we will face much more in the future if things dont turn around. The issue of your wife and daughter is one many face. But the fact is, making your issue everyone else's cannot happen. Its a social issue, one of priorities, in which have nothing to do with deer management. I understand how the Dept of Ed treats kids taking days off. Thats something the GC has needed to work on for decades now. Districts will give a pass to a kid whose family goes to Disney and the child writes an essay on it, but punishes for taking a couples days to head afield. Thats a problem. And it needs addressed. Thats what your Senators and Representatives are for. Email concerns to Sen Game & Fisheries and House Game & Fisheries. As for your wife, theres always vacation time, and sick days. If she has neither, we've all been there. Building up time to do all one wants in life takes awhile. Thats where priorities come in. We cant expect everyone to change just because a few have issues. Our saturday bear opener is a perfect example. Totally changed the way bear hunters hunt, and harvest. They thought weather an important factor in bear harvest, with the saturday opener weather plays an even greater role in meeting goals. Hunters just arent hunting mon-wed like they used to. And that can have a huge negative impact on bear populations. Same goes for doe. The longer the season, the more efficient hunters become strictly due to time afield. And with deer numbers the way they are, a longer season isnt needed, or wanted by most.
