CANTON – St. Lawrence County legislator David Forsythe R-Lisbon wants the Department of Environmental Conservation to adjust the muzzle-loading season to increase deer populations.

Forsythe put forward a resolution Monday at the finance committee meeting that would call on the DEC to make the change.

“For the past two years, the NY DEC, has identified a need to increase the deer herd in Region 6 Wildlife Management Unit,” the resolution says. “

According to current regulations the muzzleloading deer season for WMU 6A is Oct. 15 through Oct. 21. During this early season antlered deer may be taken. A late muzzleloader season runs from Dec. 5 through Dec. 11. During this time deer of either sex may be taken.

“Many sportsman feel this philosophy to be counterproductive to increasing the deer herd for the reason that by the late season many adult does by this time have been bred, and harvesting one adult doe could potentially be killing two, three or possibly four deer,” the resolution says. “By changing the early muzzleloader season in unit 6A to a deer of either sex and the late season to buck only, many sportsman feel it would give them opportunity to harvest a doe, if they choose, and still have the potential to increase the deer herd by not harvesting bred doe.”

The resolution was forwarded to the DEC as well as St. Lawrence County’s state representatives.