The rule changes, as I understand it, come from the Natural Resource Commission. It is composed of representatives of all the major stakeholders. It gets sent to the legislature, where it becomes a bill and the bill is debated in committee, before being passed and sent on to the governor for signature.
The NRC makes the rules. The DNR enforces them. That way you don't have the enforcement arm making law. If the DNR made the rules, then it would be like your local police department passing ordinances. Most states have something similar.
RED53 is technically right, but DNR would have a lot of input to the NRC as to what can practically done, what can be enforced, etc. In fact, I would say the "FIX" has been on this for some time-- nothing sinister, mind you. It's just a large majority of folks decided this was the right way to go. Most hunters agree, and have been wanting this for a generation.
I said "most" not "all" hunters. In my state, Ohio, I just got tired of waiting and moved all my hunting to Kentucky.
