The number of bucks a deer hunter can harvest may be reduced from three to two for the combined archery and firearms season in 2016-17. Jason Sumners with the Department of Conservation says the change is a response to demand.

“We hear from more and more hunters that desire to shoot bucks in older age classes.  One of the ways we can accommodate that is try to reduce some of the harvest pressure and make hunters a little more selective,” Sumners said.

Changes given initial approve include reducing the length of the November firearms season from 11 days to 9…expand the late youth portion to three days beginning the first Friday after Thanksgiving…reduce the length of the antlerless portion from 12 to 3 days and begin on the first Friday in December…and eliminate the urban zones portion.

Proposed changes include allowing crossbows during the archery and firearms deer seasons…and allowing crossbows during the fall firearms turkey season.

The Conservation Commission will make final decisions on proposed changes in December.