With general rifle season for white-tailed deer starting on Monday, hunters are looking at another shortened bucks-only season.

Archery and muzzleloader wrap up on Sunday, then general rifle starts on Monday and closes on the 26th. 

Brian Joynt of Manitoba Sustainable Development says Manitoba’s deer population is still recovering from a couple bad winters in 2013 and 2014. He notes they are looking at making some changes. 

Many local hunters are looking forward to the opening of the general rifle season on Monday for white-tailed deer

"We’re looking at making changes even as early as next year, I can’t say for sure what those changes may be but, in all likelihood, the first step would be to increase the length of the season. A number of years back we reduced the general firearm season from three weeks to two weeks and again that’s just in an effort to reduce the level of harvest so the first step that we would consider would be going back to a three week season."

Joynt explains why it's another bucks only year and what kind of changes they are looking at making for deer hunting. 

"They’re the most highly sought after or popular game species in Manitoba and we want to ensure a healthy and sustainable population. It’s a precautionary approach, we are looking at some changes for next year that would liberalize hunting opportunities for the deer hunters of Manitoba but this year is the same as last year, it’s a buck-only season and it’s only a two week season."

Meanwhile, Darren Penner President of Steinbach Game and Fish, says things have been pretty quiet so far from his own experience and what he's been hearing from other local hunters.

"We’re seeing lots of does. Bucks seem to still be very nocturnal; it’s probably still in the pre-rut stage. Nothing seems to be moving during daylight hours, there are lots that seem to be moving in the night time. Just from the trail cams and the people I’ve been talking to, that seems to be the indication."

Penner adds it would be nice if the general rifle season could be changed back to three weeks and if it would be reopened for does as well.