Originally posted by Scarlett Dew:
Originally posted by jjas:
[b] [QUOTE]You guys that wanted 1.0 should be happy if crossbow inclusion leads to higher archery totals and lower gun totals. If higher archery totals (especially for antler less deer) occur, that helps to show that archery can be a management tool in Indiana, when in the past it was looked upon as "recreation".
Does that mean gun seasons will be shortened and/or moved? I don't know, but I do know that a more legitimate case could be made @ that time.
And that just wasn't the case a couple of years ago.
Now....with that being said.....you make a good point on the legitimacy of "archers" contributing to the deer management scheme.
Would have also been accomplished by blending 1.0 and 2.0 strengths.....which I believe we are headed to anyways. Sure would have been nice if both "camps" could have realized this from the start. May have been a lot less "angst" towards each other from the start .....during the process.....and in the end. [/b]Had 1.0 included crossbow usage for all, and left the gun and muzzleloader seasons to start when they always had, then I think people would have been a little more likely to think about going along with a 9 day gun and 9 day m/l season. The new bonus antlerless season would have still happened, but adjustments can easily be made to that.
But, sometimes when you push too hard...you get shoved back....And you're right...the process created hard feelings for many but more importantly it created a lack of trust between hunters.
As far as a "freefall" goes...Without data from several seasons we don't know if that's true or not. But, what I'm hearing from people isn't so much that season length and weapons choice is the problem as much as people think the bonus antler less season is unnecessary and the bonus doe quota permits are too high thus putting too much additional stress on the doe herd.
And to see where we are on that concern, we need to see the data from this season (and the next few) and compare that data to data from seasons past. We also need to see how the DNR reacts to the numbers and what they do with the bonus antler less permit numbers and thus the number of counties participating in the bonus antler less season.
Finally, we need to remember that the state grew the herd with the current gun and muzzle loader seasons. Now will crossbow inclusion help lead to an archery season that participates in management? And will those numbers be large enough that the DNR would recommend and hunters would be willing to accept shorter gun seasons?
I don't know as those questions can only be answered intelligently by accumulating data from the current regs running for a few seasons.
