By Kelly Dean, NBHA Bow Hunter Director
Well, here we go again. Back in, I believe it was 2013, the Department of Wildlife trimmed two weeks off of almost all of the archery seasons in the state. Not for reasons of science based management, but so they could re-align the seasons so the seasons would start at the same time every year… Remember that? So last year they started saying that the late Rubies archery deer hunt was “disruptive” but amazingly enough it was only the late archery season that was disruptive, not the any legal weapon seasons running in the same time period. Now again starting out in Elko County they wanted to change the archery seasons, they had the biologists come in and pitch it, but when pressed the biologists admitted that it was not for any science based reason, but just that the administration wanted to “clean up” the timing of the seasons.
Our President, Jerry Swisher, attended the meeting in Elko and said the commission was surprised at the number of people who came and the number who were in opposition. Then it came to the main legislative meeting in Carson City, unfortunately I was not able to attend (I was teaching a scheduled Hunter Ed class). Lucy Rechel was able to get Korin Carpenter from Yerington to attend and we thought the issue was pretty much done… If you have looked at the regulation book that just came out (3 weeks late) you will find that the archery elk seasons in the Northeast region have all been cut by a week and the bull tags have been moved OUT of the rut.
Coincidentally, I noticed that there are now six any legal weapon seasons across the state that are in the height of the rut… I have not even had time to review all the rest of the fallout in season scheduling this year.
Now, you may say oh yeah, but that’s just out there in Elko County, it doesn’t affect me… This is exactly what they are hoping for, then they can justify cutting the seasons in other areas saying, oh it worked out in Elko county and nobody complained…
We need to get a shit storm of e-mails, letters and attendance at game board meetings to make the issue heard. I strongly suspect that although there is not any biological science supporting these changes, there is considerable political science putting pressure on to effect these changes.
On a more positive note, the African Arrows Hunt Raffle is back on for this year! Go to the webpage and check it out, is basically the same hunt and rules as last year, with a couple of additions on how to get tickets for it.