Things could change a great deal between now and final approval in March.

It was clear to everyone that last year we said, 'OK, we're going to do it your way.' But I, for one, said numerous times I'm not confident it will work. We are poised to again climb rapidly in our deer population.

We hope that really makes it easier for people and really takes away from the uproar that earn-a-buck seemed to have in 2004. This is an idea that came from hunters ? let's get the herd down to goal and do it in the way that's easiest from the hunters' perspective.

It is going to be controlled somehow. Hunting is basically free management for communities and the state.

We did not have the strength of herd control last year that we felt was necessary, and this winter up north has been relatively mild.