BOISE, Idaho – There are a number of reasons mule deer hunters go afield in Idaho: being outdoors, spending time with family and friends, for tradition and taking in the scenery.

But there some things that hunters complain about, including the hunting seasons being too short, misuse of off-highway vehicles, and loss of public land access, according to respondents in an Idaho Department of Fish and Game survey. The number one complaint, however, was hunter congestion.

More than 7,000 mule deer hunters, most of them randomly selected, participated in the survey in 2017, according to a news release by the department on Wednesday. They are concerns Fish and Game will address in the future.

“Those are important things for Fish and Game officials to know as the agency begins its 2019-2020 big game season setting for deer, elk, pronghorn, black bears, mountain lions, and wolves,” Fish and Game spokesman Roger Phillips said in the prepared statement. “The season-setting process will start during late fall and be finalized by the Fish and Game Commission in March.”

Phillips said the department also is in the process of updating its statewide mule deer management plan that will guide mule deer hunting into the future.

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