Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 7, 1993 TAG: 9302080289
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
HUNTERS BEING ASKED TO HELP SET SEASONS
State game officials are asking the people who tramp the woods, fields and marshes with bow, gun and dog to help draft some radically different hunting regulations for the coming seasons.The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is holding town meetings across the state - including stops in Forest on Monday, Marion on Tuesday and Fisherville on Wednesday - to hear what hunters have to say about how the next two seasons should be organized.
"Everything is up for grabs," said Bob Duncan, chief of the department's wildlife division. "What we want to do is give people the opportunity to get in on the front end of the planning. We want to talk about concepts and issues."
Getting the most attention will be deer hunting regulations.
"In some areas we are going to have to stabilize the herd, in other areas we are going to have to reduce it," Duncan said.
Last season's deer kill eased above the 200,000 mark for the first time, a figure game officials were aiming for in an effort to keep the herd in balance with its habitat.
"The harvest may go up another 50,000 or 60,000 before it levels off," said Duncan.
Under discussion by game officials are the most liberal deer hunting regulations in the nearly 80-year history of the game department. One idea is to allow unlimited use of bonus deer tags on private land.
"After you used the tags on your bow, muzzle-loading or firearm's licenses, you could purchase all the additional tags you want," said Duncan. "They would be available for any season. That is going to scare some people. That is a pretty bold proposal."
The concept would not apply to national forest land, Duncan said.
No matter how many game tags are available to hunters, officials know that sportsmen have a limited amount of time and interest, not to mention freezer space. What's more, the percentage of hunters who kill more than one deer is modest. So the best means of increasing the deer herd likely is to advance opportunities to kill does, Duncan said.
Additional doe hunting days are expected to be proposed across the state, including the far Southwest where buck's-only sport has been practiced. More counties will be considered for either-sex hunting throughout the season, as has been practiced in Bedford County the past two seasons.
Serious attention will be given to lengthening the early muzzle-loading season and allowing either-sex hunting. That idea has been getting more support in comments and letters from sportsmen than any other concept, Duncan said.
Also being considered is the lengthening of the two-week firearms deer season west of the Blue Ridge and the early bow season.
"We are looking to open archery earlier, not only to avoid the dual opening with the squirrel season, but to give archers a little more time."
With the proposed season expansions come scheduling problems.
"It is almost like the domino theory," said Duncan. "If you start tinkering with one season you have to look at how that impacts with all the others."
Game officials have given priority status to the task of streamlining the big game tag system. There was just too much confusion the past two seasons from hunters who couldn't understand what tag could be used when, Duncan said.
One of the four ideas being considered would place all big game tags on a single license, with hunters given the option of using them during the season of their choice: bow, muzzle-loading or firearms.
Following the discussions with sportsmen, game officials will prepare hunting regulation proposals for presentation to board members of the Department of Game and Inland Fishieres in Richmond April 2. The proposals will be subject to final approval June 18.