I too remember when deer hunting wasn't so easy. I appreciate how good we have it.

PAV, I'd much rather discuss this stuff over a beer in a Colorado deer camp...And I'm only responding to defend my statement, not to make this go on forever...
I think what you are saying is that Iowa hunters "are the way they are" because they've had guns out of the rut and therefore have seen more mature deer as a result? And because of this, they've naturally become more selective?
If that's the point, I get it. You're 100% correct about the OBR doing that here. I admit I HATED the OBR in it's inception. But I went out the next couple seasons and passed youg bucks in Bow season and saw more big deer than I could've ever imagined were there...all because I didn't drop the string on the first buck. Changed my attitude forever.
It wouldn't bother me a bit if Indiana moved firearms out of the rut.
But I'm not as optimistic as others are, that the guys shooting the first deer they see aren't going to be successful in december. My problem with guns out of the rut theory is that when you put 2 hunters per acre in the woods on ANY WEEKEND... lots of deer are gonna die. Maybe I'm wrong? I believe if we had opening weekend of firearms this July, we'd kill a TON of deer. Would we kill fewer mature deer? Maybe. But I personally don't get mad if a kid on his first hunt kills a booner either. Good for the kid.