Chuck,
You are well north of Kentucky. Your deer herd could support the thousands of extra recreation days a much earlier season opener would provide. Politics rather than biology is obviously retarding your bow season.
An early season promotes younger and older participation. An earlier, longer season adds recreation days which increases tourism dollar income. An earlier season will shift your bow harvest earlier also. An earlier season will provide more folks an opportunity to kill does which takes some pressure off your antler-class.
Those who don't want to change the season, especially to earlier will say:
1. It is too hot. Invalid -- Your lows in September will often be in the 40's and 50's. Afternoon hunting in your current mid-October season are hotter than the September mornings will be.
2. Fawns will be orphaned. Once the fawns are weaned, by mid-August they will do just fine with or without the doe.
3. Fawns will have spots. Very few will have spots after Sept. 1st. If you don't like aiming spots, pass on those rare late-born fawns.
4. Here's the biggie: The firearms hunters will be irritated if the bowhunters are given more opportunity. Frankly, bowhunters need more opportunity to have a chance at killing deer. The average bowhunter can see deer at 30+ yards every time he hunts and never get a shot. A firearms hunter rarely does. The average days hunted by firearms hunters is 6-7 days/year. The bowhunters average is 23 days.
Sorry but I think your agency is stuck about 30 years in the past and it is costing you. I wouldn't stand for it. Until recently your agency was one of the most biased AGAINST youth hunting of any state with too-young to hunt laws.
New York used to be a very progressive hunting and hunter regulation state. Bowhunter ED had its birth in your state. Your state bowhunter orgnanization is one of the very active on a national level.
Try to change it. I can tell you from experience from the agency side that a SINGLE comment or letter can affect change in your regulations -- for the good or bad.