Disgusted with PA
#21
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blossvale, New York
Posts: 21,199
RE: Disgusted with PA
The proof will be in the pudding so to speak when the kill numbers are released in the spring. I really expect a huge decline in NY, not because of a lack of doe permits but because of alack in deer numbers. There are of course some pockets that still have abundant herds, but as long as NY keeps chunking out the doe permits in those areas it'll change. PLUS, the CWD in Oneida county should really put a hurt there. I come from a long line of very good hunters. I mean, we always get a LOT of deer. My brother and his gang typically shoot 15-20 bucks. I think they have 3 this year. My one nephew and his son always limit out. This year they have a couple does and one nice 10 point. My other nephew usually limits out...he's come up dry. My other 2 nephews usually limit out, one has 2, etc etc etc. My highschool buddies are quite prolific when it comes to killing. None of the 3 has a deer or saw a buck to shoot. Admittedly 2 of them don't hunt that much but the other does throughout the Northern and Southern Tier. I talked to some locals I usually bow hunt with in NY. One guy who limits out EVERY year has zero deer at last report. Need I go on. These folks are hunting from Boonville to Bainbridge. My brother himself has taken well over 300 deer, and when he isn't seeing deer you better worry NY. We'll see when the reports come out. Of course they'll come up with all sorts of reasons why the counts are down in efforts to cover their butts.
#22
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: QDM Heaven
Posts: 847
RE: Disgusted with PA
ORIGINAL: PABowhntr
I consider myself a fair hunter in terms of how seriously I take it and how successful I am in it. I will say that deer numbers in all of the areas that I hunt are down significantly in the last 3 or 4 years. But that was the intention of Gary's program now wasn't it? Shoot more does and reduce the number of 1.5 year old bucks taken. Well, he has accomplished that. The question is when is it enough? As mentioned we cannot have blanket policies that govern most if not all of the state. The herd needs to be micromanaged. The current WMUs are much too large to be effective in controlling deer numbers within them. The difference between private and public land alone is enough to justify changes in the deer management policies.
I feel very fortunate to have taken a nice buck during archery season this year and I hope to be as fortunate next year. However, I do believe that the intensive hunting of does really needs to be cut back at this point. Many public land areas are being decimated by the generous seasons and bag limits. We really need to....
1) Reduce that two week rifle season for does. I don't have any specific suggestions but two full weeks is just too much considering the current herd levels in some areas.
2) Eliminate or further regulate the early muzzleloader season in October.
3) Reduce the number of doe tags issued specifically to heavily pressured areas. It does no good to issue 40,000 tags to a Wildlife Management Unitwith heavily pressured but limited public hunting land.
I consider myself a fair hunter in terms of how seriously I take it and how successful I am in it. I will say that deer numbers in all of the areas that I hunt are down significantly in the last 3 or 4 years. But that was the intention of Gary's program now wasn't it? Shoot more does and reduce the number of 1.5 year old bucks taken. Well, he has accomplished that. The question is when is it enough? As mentioned we cannot have blanket policies that govern most if not all of the state. The herd needs to be micromanaged. The current WMUs are much too large to be effective in controlling deer numbers within them. The difference between private and public land alone is enough to justify changes in the deer management policies.
I feel very fortunate to have taken a nice buck during archery season this year and I hope to be as fortunate next year. However, I do believe that the intensive hunting of does really needs to be cut back at this point. Many public land areas are being decimated by the generous seasons and bag limits. We really need to....
1) Reduce that two week rifle season for does. I don't have any specific suggestions but two full weeks is just too much considering the current herd levels in some areas.
2) Eliminate or further regulate the early muzzleloader season in October.
3) Reduce the number of doe tags issued specifically to heavily pressured areas. It does no good to issue 40,000 tags to a Wildlife Management Unitwith heavily pressured but limited public hunting land.
#23
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 4,668
RE: Disgusted with PA
ORIGINAL: wolfen68
Absolutely...good points. It is a shame how so many hunters feel it necessary to fill every single tag they are eligible for...when common sense should tell them in certain areas it's a good idea and in others its not.
Absolutely...good points. It is a shame how so many hunters feel it necessary to fill every single tag they are eligible for...when common sense should tell them in certain areas it's a good idea and in others its not.
At least in PA they were TOLD that they wanted the herd crushed. They may not like it down there but no one can say they didn't know it was coming. In NY they destroyed the deer herd either through their own stupidity or by lying to everyone..........either way NY hunters were unknowingly used to slaughter and destroy what they love best. Now we all have to suffer for it for who knows how many years. At least PA has a plan and whether it works or not at least they were all informed and allowed to decide their role in the future there. In NY we are sitting in many areas with hardly any deer around and when you ask our DEC they lie and say "OH......THEY ARE OUT THERE IN RECORD NUMBERS........GO GET 'EM!!" or they just scratch their heads and say "OOOPS, WE REALLY SCREWED UP BY KILLING SO MANY DEER.....OH WELL, BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR"
We were decimated by ignorant incompetence.........or greed. Blaming hunters for believing the DEC wasn't lying to them is pretty far fetched IMO.