Post links to research for or against changes.

Top link is about mule deer. From the article:

Restricting season length reduces hunter days in the field, but doesn't necessarily reduce buck harvest or improve buck:doe ratios.

Second article about whitetails in Minnesota.

Legislation passed in 2009 lengthened southeastern Minnesota's firearms deer season from seven to nine days. Cornicelli said the longer season remains in place for 2010 because it potentially increases the number of antlerless deer harvested, which helps manage deer populations.

You could request info from Ky. or search the telechek records if you know how.

www.kdfwr.state.ky.us/navigation.aspx?cid=559&navpath=C151

Ky tried a two day doe only rifle hunt in Jan. that didn't result in a increase over what is normally killed on those days. Only lasted one year. Doe only hunts don't get much support.

They have a 2 day either sex Oct. ML hunt that kills a few does. There is also a 2 day early rifle youth hunt that is either sex that kills a few does.

Ky. opens archery season on the first weekend in Sept. and it results in a few does being killed over what was before it went there.

Ky. also dropped the ball on crossbow expansion same as Ind. is doing and it is of very little help with killing more does

When Ky. wanted to kill more does and more does in the harvest precentile, they added days and expanded bag limits in some counties. The Zone 1 counties...you can kill all you want for $12.50 each. Any county with more than 25 deer per sq. mile gets a Zone 1 classification.

Was it last year or the year before that when there were multitudes of net posts that indicated the stick and string crowd didn't hunt much of the first 2 or 3 weeks of October because of the heat and insects? Was the deer kill down during that time period? Who wound up taking all those does that helped post another record kill for the state. Who was that? I don't recall, does anyone else?

Not this old country boy.

Way down there it mentioned something about over a million dollars that deer hunters would be willing to spend for an additional day and there was some harvest benefit..

A poster on another site mistakenly said that Ohio tried a longer season and the kill went down. Not true. It did not go down. It went up 2%. Ohio decided that was not a significant enough percentage and did not go with a longer seoasn.

I believe in the 2008 Ohio season they did extend it again for antlerless. Maybe just a weekend or two?

I know Iowa got stuck with an emergency antlerless season tacked late on after bad weather screwed up ther regular short season.

I know Dr. Mike Tonkovich in Ohio very well and have asked for clarification. I'll post it when I get it..

Sound familiar?

" The Deer Management Technical Assistance Group (DMTAG) consists of stakeholders with a vested interest in deer management in Florida. This team discussed the pros and cons of allowing crossbows during the archery season. The opinions of DMTAG members were split in regards to allowing crossbows during archery season on private lands but were overwhelmingly against allowing crossbows during archery season on public hunting areas. DMTAG members voiced concerns that increased hunting pressure during the archery season could result in the overharvest of the doe segment of the population."

Good point...

The IDNR Director could issue an emergency ruling and get the October and December antleless hunts done this year. That would be a jump start IF these proposals were adopted next year.

It would also give the IDNR some information on whether these antlerless only seasons will have any or enough herd reductiion impact or not.

It also might appease Rep. Friend and his coharts.

www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/deer/2009DeerHarvestReport.html

Deer harvest by month of season demonstrates this phenomenon (Figure 2). Although firearms seasons are not open in all parts of the state in late August and early September, relatively few deer are harvested during that time where the season is open. On the other hand, a disproportionately high number of deer are taken during October and November. October and November encompass the majority of the breeding season in South Carolina with over 80 percent of does conceiving during that period (Figure 3). Ultimately, timing of the season is a more important factor in determining deer harvest and quality hunting than the length of the season. Although South Carolina offers early opening seasons, there may be negative consequences as it relates to deer harvest. Hunters should understand that hunting pressure that builds prior to the breeding season can suppress daytime movements of deer during the breeding season when deer movements and hunter harvests should be greatest.

SC says timing is most important and the majority of deer are killed in Oct. And Nov.. So by moving the season later less deer should be killed.

www.steelvalleyoutdoors.info/pa-2009-2010-deer-hunting-seasons-approved/pennsylvania/

The only significant change was the Board’s vote to extend the late flintlock season for Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2B, 5C and 5D to run from Dec. 26 to Jan. 23.

In PA they are increasing days to reduce deer numbers.

Yes, thanks js2397!