DougE

Coalcracker,I hunted 4 weeks in TL before I killed a buck.Two days after that,I had a slammer within 24 yards of me but couldn't shoot.I put Mike Foust in that spot and he ended up taking a different 20 inch 8 point on the last friday.I don't suppose you belong to the UBP but if you did,he's inside the front cover of their latest publication.I hunted three days during rifle season on public land.I could have killed a buck each day but ended up filling two more dmap tags.The saturday after Christmas I hunted TL to fill my last dmap and saw several bucks chasing some doe.The one buck was over 18 inches and offered me severalshots.TL doesn't count though.Point is,I hunted three days on the public land that say isn't worth hunting and killed two doe and had to pass up three bucks.I never said anything about being a great or even good hunter.

germain

consider yourself fortunate doug because there's very very few places in PA on state land with deer hunting like that.I've searched and searched and haven't found any.Found good and bad habitat yet very poor deer numbers.I've been hunting the better part of 30 years and know what to look for.I've killed alot of bucks including some nice racks on public land before AR but I'll be darned if I've found anything close to what you are describing.At least not in the last 6 years or so.Maybe I'm missing something.Sure we're still killing bucks but on private land.

bluebird2

Comparing our 5 year average total harvest to other states was nothing but a cheap ploy by RSB to divert attention away fro the 46% reduction in our buck harvest and the 5% decline in breeding rates.

The fact that you ask for the 2007 data from other states proves once again you don't understand the implications of your request. Our harvest numbers continued to drop after 2005, which would me our ranking would be even lower than in 2005,since other states have not reduced their herds nearly as much as PA.

Cornelius08

BTB, you wanna do all 50 states? Knock yourself out. I have no reason to. Pa isnt 1st as RSB claimed in harvest, (not that it would be a good thing if we were!) and the point all along was that Pas hunting is pathetic in general when compared to "good" deer hunting states, and its getting worse.

We are the laughing stock of the nation, and wether our harvest fell 5th, 6th or 7th out of the ten states mentioned, thats not gonna change a thing, because if we are to stabilize our herd or god forbid allow reasonable increases, our harvest shouldnt be ANYWHERE NEAR number 1 with our current herd size.

You cant keep harvestsexceeding recruitment and expect better hunting. The quality, also being what it is, doesnt permit pgc to even be mentioned with other "good" states, unless THEY are telling jokes about Pa. OR if you are an ecoextremist trying to support a failed program at all cost for the sake of the greater eastern long-nosed wood shrew! (LOL)

DougE

Rich,Try SGL 93 and 77.Both have a ton of deer.I didn't hunt deer there this year but did hunt turkey alot in both places.I saw on average at least a dozen deer each morning I went out.I ride horses on SGL 93 quite a bit and see plenty of deer.I hunted the first day and the first saturday of rifle season on Evans fire tower rd in Penfield.All public land,few hunters and plenty of deer.I also spend alot of time on Seneca resource property,which runs into Moshannon state forest.I didn't hunt deer on it this year because I was late sending in for dmap's.Last year and the year before I killed two deer and saw loads in there.I walkedsome of that property after Christmas and saw sign all over the place.It's timber company land but it's dmap'dand open to the public.I also see deer everytime I hunt in Sinnemahoning.That's tough country up there but it keeps pressure to a minimum.Seriously Rich,there's good hunting all over this area on public land.You just have to stay away from the areas with no food,like Rockton mountain and SB elliot.Give me a call,the next time your at camp and I'll show you all of these places.

BTBowhunter

You were the one who claimed we were 6th for 2007. I'm simply asking you to back up what you said. Since you've dodged that demand several times now it is obvious that you didnt have any numbers for the other states and youmade up your 6th place claim. Dont bother with all 50. Just give us the top 10 like RSB did. It's thefair thing to do since your post was an attempt to refute his.

bluebird2

here is why PA had the highest harvest rate based on the 5 year average. Due to HR we were harvesting a higher percentage of antlerless deer than any other state in the top 10. In 2005 our antler to antlerless ration was 1:1.93. In MD it was 1:1.84 and in Wisc. it was only 1:1.5. So the only reason PA had the highest harvest rate PSM is because we were slaughtering our doe herd.

BTBowhunter

Still no numbers for other states to back up grasshoppers claim.He has learned well from you master!

You fail to mention that many, if not most states, are under HR programs as well. But why bother with truthful details eh bluetwist?

Cornelius08

"You were the one who claimed we were 6th for 2007. I'm simply asking you to back up what you said. Since you've dodged that demand several times now it is obvious that you didnt have any numbers for the other states and youmade up your 6th place claim. Dont bother with all 50. Just give us the top 10 like RSB did. It's thefair thing to do since your post was an attempt to refute his."

Your first mistake was making a demand to me. Not a very good way to get results. I dont generally take commands.(LOL) Second,Unlike you with the truth as has been pointed out on several issues, I didnt dodge anything. I believe Id addressed you more than adequately. If you didnt understand. Reread. If you still dont understand, ask someone for help. All points have been made and nothing further is necessary. Your rediculous statement of Pa being one of the best deer states in the country was a joke, and thats that.

Also, RSB tried to manipulate data to show something it didnt. Its been pointed out the tactics were deceptive and nothing more. We arent 1st in harvest, and only reason we were in the past is because we were on a doe slaughtering foray and the harvests were way too high thanks to pgcs management plan. And no, thats not an indicator of our present fine hunting....its NOT a good thing to have overharvested, and even continue to do so even with lower harvests due to herd size. And our pathetic quality is also well known.

I dont think much more need said. Not sure how you spend your evening, but if you think Im gonna bother looking up deer harvests for 10 states in 2007 then the square miles of each state to divide into, to make absolutelyno point whatsoever (LOL) you have rocks in your noggin. I threw the one recent apppropriate year for Pa into the mix, and you saw the results. Good enough for me. Especially when you consider states reporting compliance rates vary, and some dont even estimate harvests as pa does, but only counts harvests actually reported.

bluebird2

You are right that many states are trying to reduce their herd and NJ even has an earn a buck program . but their antlered to antlerless ratio was 1:1.85 compared to 1:1.03 for PA.