Vertical bow opportunity has not changed much in many years (its basically maxed out). We have introduced crossbows and additional gun days in recent years. Additional weapon options and more days to hunt with with those weapons are going to affect the harvest percentages. You start out with a whole pie...but the more slices you take from a pie, the smaller the slices become.

I would also offer that we're not recruiting new vertical bowhunters at a significant rate. Most bowhunters started out a gun hunters and picked up bowhunting for the additional opportunity. Today, folks have the option to gain that same opportunity without learning to shoot a vertical bow. They can take a crossbow right off the shelf....aim and shoot it using the same form as their guns. The incentive (extra opportunity) for people to transition to vertical bows has basically been eliminated.

The percentage I posted from Ohio (45% of total harvest) was vertical bow and crossbow combined.
In 2015, that was a combined 26% of the Indiana harvest. If we reduce gun days, that percentage will climb...just as it did in Ohio.

To be clear, I have no delusions of Indiana adopting shorter gun seasons for the sake quality hunting. If it happens, IMO it will be due to over harvest. If we get to that point, it just makes sense to shorten the "management" season versus the "recreation" season.

I have no inside sources or information...but I won't be surprised if our deer seasons look alot like Ohio's sometime in the not too distant future.