Post by Woody Williams on Jul 25, 2010 7:27:57 GMT -5
Steve Ford called and asked if I knew what was going on about these proposed deer changes. I told him that we were in the thick of it. We had a long talk and then he wrote this column -
Indiana deer hunters might want to get involved.
They might want to take a hard look at the proposed deer hunting changes by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for 2011 and start making comments through proper channels.
If Indiana deer hunters don't, they may look back in five years to the 2010 deer season and long for the good old days.
Here's why.
As things stand right now, it's going to change next year. No sooner than those proposed changes hit a public forum, they were rubber-stamped with "preliminary approval."
A Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting Tuesday in Indianapolis to discuss those proposed changes heard comments from several pre-selected groups, groups whose agendas were known and in line with the changes. Then the chairman, Bryan Poynter, attempted to close comments.
Veteran deer hunter Woody Williams protested and was allowed to speak.
"He relented for me, but nobody else was allowed to speak," said Williams. "That wasn't right. There were a lot of average Joe deer hunters there who wanted to voice disapproval and didn't get the opportunity. They were irate."
Understand, Williams is a bowhunter and he thinks many of the proposed changes favor his preferred hunting method. But he doesn't think they favor the average deer hunter who hunts with some sort of a firearm.
"The biggest points of contention I see are the shortening and moving back of firearms season and the shortening of muzzleloader season," said Williams. "The muzzleloader proposal is totally wrong."
This year the firearms season will run Nov. 13-28. That's three weekends, the last of which is the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Then the muzzleloader season will run Dec. 4-19, which also covers three weekends.
Next season's proposal is that both of those be shortened one week.
The firearms season would start the Saturday before Thanksgiving and continue for eight additional days. Muzzleloader season would also be nine days covering two weekends.
But Williams wasn't just concerned about the time the participants in those seasons would lose, but the timing of firearms season.
"They're moving it permanently away from the rut," he said. "Deer, both antlered and antlerless, move more during the rut than any other time of the year and there's no better time to hunt than when deer are moving."
There are proposed additions as well. Crossbow hunters get more consideration and the maximum case length on rifle cartridges moves from 1.625 inches to 1.8 inches.
Urban deer zone hunters get the use of crossbows during archery season and the season in urban zone seasons will be lengthened until Jan. 31 of the following year.
Antlerless deer seasons will be expanded to include a two-day hunt in October and an antlerless-only season Dec. 25 through Jan. 1 of the following year.
Williams has commented and will again. To join him get on the Internet and go to
www.in.gov/nrc/2386.htm.
The column is at the Courier websaie wher you can leave comments -
www.courierpress.com/news/2010/jul/25/hunting-changes-present-a-threat/
Indiana deer hunters might want to get involved.
They might want to take a hard look at the proposed deer hunting changes by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for 2011 and start making comments through proper channels.
If Indiana deer hunters don't, they may look back in five years to the 2010 deer season and long for the good old days.
Here's why.
As things stand right now, it's going to change next year. No sooner than those proposed changes hit a public forum, they were rubber-stamped with "preliminary approval."
A Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting Tuesday in Indianapolis to discuss those proposed changes heard comments from several pre-selected groups, groups whose agendas were known and in line with the changes. Then the chairman, Bryan Poynter, attempted to close comments.
Veteran deer hunter Woody Williams protested and was allowed to speak.
"He relented for me, but nobody else was allowed to speak," said Williams. "That wasn't right. There were a lot of average Joe deer hunters there who wanted to voice disapproval and didn't get the opportunity. They were irate."
Understand, Williams is a bowhunter and he thinks many of the proposed changes favor his preferred hunting method. But he doesn't think they favor the average deer hunter who hunts with some sort of a firearm.
"The biggest points of contention I see are the shortening and moving back of firearms season and the shortening of muzzleloader season," said Williams. "The muzzleloader proposal is totally wrong."
This year the firearms season will run Nov. 13-28. That's three weekends, the last of which is the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Then the muzzleloader season will run Dec. 4-19, which also covers three weekends.
Next season's proposal is that both of those be shortened one week.
The firearms season would start the Saturday before Thanksgiving and continue for eight additional days. Muzzleloader season would also be nine days covering two weekends.
But Williams wasn't just concerned about the time the participants in those seasons would lose, but the timing of firearms season.
"They're moving it permanently away from the rut," he said. "Deer, both antlered and antlerless, move more during the rut than any other time of the year and there's no better time to hunt than when deer are moving."
There are proposed additions as well. Crossbow hunters get more consideration and the maximum case length on rifle cartridges moves from 1.625 inches to 1.8 inches.
Urban deer zone hunters get the use of crossbows during archery season and the season in urban zone seasons will be lengthened until Jan. 31 of the following year.
Antlerless deer seasons will be expanded to include a two-day hunt in October and an antlerless-only season Dec. 25 through Jan. 1 of the following year.
Williams has commented and will again. To join him get on the Internet and go to
www.in.gov/nrc/2386.htm.
The column is at the Courier websaie wher you can leave comments -
www.courierpress.com/news/2010/jul/25/hunting-changes-present-a-threat/
jjas!