Buck Hunter 1

1st day was lovely. No gunshots to keep hunters awake in the rain. In an area fo usually decent to big bucks only 1 down that was okay and 4 known down that were little basket 7-8 's. Pressure not there, blame it on the 1st week buck only in 2d maybe? Missed this past Saturday where doe were opened up on so it might have got more pressure. I am hunting last 3 days hoping for snow and people moving and deer moving! No doe, we have a ton of them but we again took a moratorium on them bought licensws and had a bonfire! next year we will thin them doe out some.

bowfly

it has been slow to say the least where i hunt rifle

i took a large doe on saturday evening in the snow, and total, for the first week, saw 16 deer, including 2 non-legal bucks in my WMU

i know of only two other deer shot in my 15 mile radius, but that means nothing, as i just didn't see the number of hunters i normally do...weather perhaps?

DougE

Rich,I really have to question where you hunt.I hunted two days in Moshannon state forest this past week.On Monday,I SAW 8 deer and my buddy saw over 20.We went back this saturday and I killed a doe right off the bat and saw at least 8 or nine doe in there.I pushed two areas out for him and he saw at least 14 different deer but no clear shots.We left there and hit more public land about 2 miles away.I saw another 3 deer and he saw at least another 5.On friday,my buddy sent me a text of a spike his 10 year old son shot on SGL 77.That same day,his nephew killed a 7 point on the same game lands.The next day,my buddy killed a wide 6 point,once again on SGL and that was after passing up several other bucks all week.He didn't complain one bit about the number of deer he saw.Today at the gym,I talked with another buddy who hunts SGL 93.He hunted there on saturday and saw over twenty deer including three small bucks that he passed.His cousin that was with him missed a nice buck that was later killed by someone else.The guys I hear complaining the most are actually guys that hunt private land.The guys that hunt public land aren't really all that discouraged.I can honestly say that you can have some slow days if you hunt some of the better spots and sit all day.There so many acorns this year,the deer don't have to move to feed.They lay up all day in the thickest laurel and steepest hillsides they can find.They have food right there so there's no reason for them to get on their feet.However,if you get a few guys that know the areas,you can get the deer moving and have a good season.I talked with my neighbor a little while ago.He's having a good year down here and he even hunted a spot on Rockton mountain.His father on the other hand lives in Tioga county and hunts Pine creek.He said that he only saw two deer all week and it's been getting worse every year.He doesn't blame lead poisoning however.he claims there simple isn't enough pressure in that vast steep country.

pats102862

Same problem I am having with those big old bucks along the gorge I hunt. They have enough food and water on those steep slopes so they hold tight. Plus these 30 degree nights don't help We needed some single digit nights to get them moving.

DougE

I tried several one man drives for my buddy both days I hunted.He saw deer on almost every drive but the majority of the deer simply skirted right around me and went back into the areas I had just pushed.If we would have sat all day,we would have seen very few deer both days.

germain

I like to hunt on my land Doug.I have to pay the taxes so I'd like to hunt there.But we're going to make some changes for next year,maybe a lease in Maryland.All the land around ours is open to hunting and these guys have a new meaning to if it;'s brown it's down.They'll shoot fawns with spots if they get the chance.The place gets hammered.It was fun doing habitat improvement,cuts,browse cuts,plantings and food plots but it's getting to be a waste of time and money.
I do hunt the mosh for bear,turkey and sometimes grouse but I have never came across an area with decent deer numbers.I find it really hard to believe you've found good deer numbers up there but I won't call you a liar.Through bear hunting and turkey hunting in the mosh I simply got discouraged and decided not to hunt deer there.Same with the part of mosh near us,very few deer but easy access.
We get around pretty good Doug and just haven't seen what you're talking about.
I know a year or so you sent clearfield 12 to a spot but he reported he didn't see anything.I know those boys know how to hunt.
Don't mean to brag but I know I know how to hunt.
Back before AR we were killing big bucks in thick stuff where the shot was 20 yards tops.That was in rifle while people were saying those bucks didn't exist.I have alot of kills throughout the years and don't sit around on a stump in the open woods.Back in the 80's we were killing racks still hunting the ridges of Potter.Reason I'm bringing this up is I do know how to deer hunt.
Now I don't live up there like you and my time is limited for scouting and gas cost is an issue so I can't spend the time you do scouting.I suppose if I lived up there it would be different.
Forget the gamelands down here.......over hunted and over harvested.Dutch will tell ya that.
My options are coming down to out of state I suppose.

ManySpurs

You hit the nail on the head. There was a good bit of pressure that second week for doe season in this area of 2G last year and they were shooting all week. Throughout this summer I predicted that the buck kill in 2G would be down by 20% due to all the extra pressure during that second week. Now I'm predicted the harvest will be down closer to 30%.

Little hard to believe, but those cornfields all around Elephant Mountain have 'nary a track in the snow.

BTW....campground has been sold. $525K.

germain

That was always my favorite campground.How are Ken and Shirly doing?

ManySpurs

Ken is doing great. Shirley is having ongoing troubles with her breathing. Right now I think they are in Texas doing Habitat House work. They'll be back on January 4th for the closing on the campground. Sure gonna miss them owning that place. New owners are a young couple from Wyoming that think wolves are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Oh boy.

DougE

No Rich,I don't lie and have made numerous invitations to you.Call me when you have a weekend and I'll show you every spot where I hunt and others that have plenty of deer.I'm not calling you a liar but you're definately leaving out at least half of the information about your posts concerning me.Yes I did tell Joe about a few spots.He hunted one partial day in the spot at the end of the second week and didn't see anything.What you neglected to add is that he went in there the weekend before the season and saw 9 deer on a short walk.My buddy and his cousin hunted there this past saturday and my buddy saw over 20 deer including three smaller bucks.There deer are out there Rich.I don't know the areas surrounding you camp and I don't doubt you know how to hunt.I do question why you continue to hunt areas that have little sign.I haven't hunted one spot on public land this year that I HUNTED LAST YEAR.Condtions change from year to year and so do deer densities in every area.I'm having good luck in an area this year that was timbered heavily about 6 years ago.It will dry up in about another 5-6 years.I GUARANTEE IT.