Fir me, and how I hunt those bigger mule deer, making the season start later changes the deer hunting. Second season can often be hunted at 11,500+ when the big bucks are still in their summer pattern. The later it is, the more likely storms have come through and pushed them all down. It already happens quite a bit like last year, so moving later seems to increase the likelihood of getting there and the deer have already moved. And I loose 2 days of hunting.
You're absolutely right. The problem we see here in CO is that CPW is being coerced down the road paved by 1. the voting general public (non-hunters), and 2. profitiability. It is clear that the biology that they want to practice is overridden by factors that are not in the best interest of the wildlife.
I'm from Cali and have been watching this since the 90s. DFG has completely screwed the salmon populations and kill off a lot of hatchery fish annually. Then there's the dog band on mammals, no lion hunting, no lead bullets and I'm sure many more.
There is no first season for deer. Seems like pushing the dates back is going to result in a lot more big bucks killed for a few years during the rut.
