Overview
- Commissioners will consider two start-date options: opening the Saturday before Thanksgiving or keeping the current Saturday-after-Thanksgiving start.
- If advanced, an earlier deer opener would shift firearms bear season a week earlier and compress early bear muzzleloader, archery and special firearms opportunities into a single weekend.
- Executive Director Steve Smith says moving the opener could improve access for young hunters, families and those who travel longer distances.
- Public input is limited to Jan. 24 with five minutes per speaker after 7:45 a.m. on-site registration, and there is no public comment on Jan. 23.
- The board will also take up a proposal for Sunday hunting during the 2027 spring gobbler season with a one-bird limit to offset potential increased harvest, with the meeting available via livestream.