Originally Posted by
Sam Menard
The MNRF moved the season back (and out of the peak rut) to reduce the bull harvest -especially mature bulls. During the rut, bulls are more easily drawn into range by calling. Mature bulls are much harder to call in after the rut however yearling bulls are easier to fool. The number of bull tags available for the archery season were also reduced for the same reason. The opening dates in the far north were left unchanged so that the fly-in outfitters can run their hunts before ice forms on the lakes.
Back in the day, the MNRF believed that an annual 30% mortality rate was tolerable, but they have since learned that 10% is about the maximum that a herd can sustain. This all equates to shorter seasons and fewer tags.