How's the PA rifle season been?...

[Red Beastmaster]

Ron, Ron, Ron, when will you learn?

I'm going to get you a shovel for Christmas. You can dig your hole a little quicker that way. LOL!

Hope to see you one of these days!

Dave

[Ron Vought]

Yeah I know Red.. Why even worry about the deer herd in PA...just hunt I suppose!

Ron

[deaddoc4444]

YES  you CAN   blame the people actually shooting the deer  I GUESS it is the killers that have  made the problem      N O T !!!!
      The major portion of the hunters , ( as mentioned here )  are the Hunters who come out   the first three days of Rifle season and USED to hunt the BIG WOODS   and come from all over.   They buy their license   and apply for antlerless tags    as a normal series of events  and rely on the Game commission   WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE MANAGEMENT  AUTHORITY   To say if there is the right amount of tags issued .
     THE HUNTERS did not change the regulations to allow for the whole first week of Rifle season to allow for antlerless shooting ,  when it used to be   AFTER the regular season . It was OBVIOUS that the Game  commission  wanted to slaughter the herd  NOT JUST cut it down .
    HMMMM Less hunters and less deer to complain about the GAS WELLS ?????????????  
   Money commming in from other sources  besides licesne fees ?????????
  WHY  cater to the hunter ?????
     I could go on  about  lots of other aspects of the  MANAGEMENT policies of the PA GC   but its beating a dead horse   (Cant beat a dead deer  there are NONE)

[arrowwood]

Ron Vought, I'm a PA bowhunter - are my observations wrong?

 I don't know what site you're referring to - I read all the so-called "traditional" archery sites I can find, and post only occasionally. I'm not "from the other site", or any site for that matter, but I did read one recently where one of the posters on this thread was contradicted by some respected posters, about where to hunt somewhere north of here and the number of deer there.

Your facebook page says "I had deer all over the place", and a picture of a doe you shot. Same here, except I hunt with a recurve.

I don't think your observations are "way off base". I agree with you, there are deer all over the place here in 5C. As of today, 11,700 doe tags are still available for 5C, where some folks on this thread are saying the deer are "gone".

I've driven between here (Berks/Montco border) and York many times and almost always see deer.


 They're not gone.  MikeW, your son is right - no need to shed any tears - enough are being shed here as it is.

[PA stickbow boy]

This thread seems to be getting off course...  to get it back on... well I saw a dandy buck during the rifle season while sitting with my 89 year old grandpa. I for sure will be pursuing him come second season.  Also, I was able to observe other bucks and how they were traveling now. They seem to have change their routes just a little. This will be filed away for next season as I'm already looking for trees to move my stands to based on this new movement.

[PA stickbow boy]

I used the rifle season more as an observing season.

[PA stickbow boy]

I used the rifle season more as an observing season.  

[arrowwood]

PA stickbow, I agree, these guys should have posted in the legislation and policies forum.

I know of an eight point buck around here, I'm going to hunt the late season too!

[PA stickbow boy]

I hope the buck I saw doesn't shed his antlers too soon. I've been seeing that the last few years too. A few bucks lost their antler by the 2nd week of December. If I don't get this buck in the late season, well I won't be too sad because he should be a real stud next year!  

[emac396]

Here is what I see, I take 4 weeks vacation every year for archery season and hunt hard. I saw more buck than doe for the 3rd year in a row I have seen more big bucks than ever in my life. However I saw allot less deer than in past, less than half.  I have enjoyed all the bucks ESP the big ones and for first time in my life I let small ones pass. Although this sounds like a dream come true i am scared for the future of our sport. I am hearing horror stories from all over the state from good hunters hunting in farm country plenty of food and cover. Is it the coyotes or the PGC either way it's time for some change. It will take license sales to drop ESP youth ones and they will take notice.

[Bob Macioch]

Do you hunt private property or SGL's ?
 Private property is different because you have the power to control the deer herd on your property.Hunters that only hunt SGL's rely only the state biologist to determine the number of deer we should harvest.That number should be based on by SCIENCE not how much money they get from timber or DMP sales.
Pa has lost thousands of hunters EVERY year since its herd reduction......Great Job PGC !

[arrowwood]

Hunting license sales have been in decline in PA for thirty years.

[Ron Vought]

arrowwood - The topic was about hunting in PA and the deer herd so why did you have to bring the compound discussion into this? I'm done with this ...back on topic.

Ron

[Bob Macioch]

Originally posted by arrowwood:
Hunting license sales have been in decline in PA for thirty years.

.
.
you are right Sir but PGC's Herd reduction is just speeding up the process  

[arrowwood]

Ron, this thread is called:    

How's the PA rifle season been?...for TRAD BOWHUNTING, of course!

The caps aren't mine...either you hunted or you didn't. Here's some  bologna, on topic and straight from the butcher shop this time: