deerslayer223

Last year here in Pa was a tough year to hunt. I saw very few deer and although i did fill all my tags i was not impressed in the least bit! How many other Pa hunters were not impressed with the deer herd? [>:]

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lonewolf5347

deerslayer223 I were not impressed with the deer herds as far as seeing large number of deer in the woods.I did hunt in the early m/l season and only seen 1 doe,which I did take with the m/l.During the big game season I seen only one deer at 8:15 am on opening day a huge 8 pointer with a 20 inch inside spread that I did take again with the m/l .
I did see alot of deer were I was staying crossing the road,one time I think it was on the second day of the big game season I counted 27 does moving at dusk to feed.

dvdegeorge

Hunted down in Washington county last year around Hickory I beleive,I saw close to 100 deer opening day 8 buck,3 legal buck,1 good shooter(I missed,dam wind was blowing me around in my tree like a rodeo cowboy[:@])Maybe I was just in an awesome spot.

CattNY

Take this for what it is worth. I live in NY and mostly hunt NY. But I also hunt PA 3 to 4 times a year. When I hunt PA, I will hunt and stay in the woods all day. I started hunting PA in 1995. I only hunted Public Paper lands in McKean Cnty. From 1995 thru 2002, I've saw a total of 3 bucks. The only buck I was able to shoot at was a 8ptr that I bagged in 1997. Through those years I was successful getting does. Last year I switch to private property and before noon saw 3 different bucks. All were within 40 yards, never winded me nor saw me and all were broadside. Even I would not have missed. Unfortunately, they were not legal bucks. Later, on another day I did shoot a medium size doe, but that was all I shot all year. My point is, I must've been in a good spot to see so many bucks, how come no legal ones? I am not a trophy hunter. Any buck to me is a trophy. I am happy to get a doe but it does not thrill me nearly as much as dragging out a buck (any buck). The one year that I could easily get a buck and I couldn't shoot it. For now, I say the Antler Restrictions SUCKS! What is a trophy to you? To me, it is not a doe, I've shot many. I would rather shoot a nice 4 ptr than a large doe anyday.

mauser06

i think the deer herd is barely reduced and the reson less deer were seen is because people dont want to change......the weather holded them up hard this year......and they werent in the normal spots doing the norm.......so people quit early and said theres not any deer left.......BS.....i changed my style of hunting after the 3rd day.....seen deer the first 3 but not what it should have been......so i changed tactics and started hunting with my buddies who hunt in large groups and do giant drives......the deer werent moving......so we made them........in one township......not even a whole township.....just s few local farms we took over 20 deer.....14 or 15 or something like that wer bucks......i seen a few bucks with them........never got a shot and i seen many unidentifiable deer others said had racks taht i missed or they came by me and i couldnt see them an tons of does.......the last day of flintlock season we seen over 20 deer on just a few farms......i for one dont buy that crap that we killed them all....this was also in a SRA area that you could rifle hunt does during the late season.....im dissappointed in the hunters......the second day on SGL me and dad had it pretty much to ourselves.....previous years its elbow to elbow and deer are running everywhere....but it was absolutely freezing and the wind was horrible and i think most guys simply stayed in.....3rd day....i do believe we were the only ones left......i know theres many deer left.....i just think people resisted change like normal and blammed alt and said we killed most of the herd.......so far i like the changes.....more opprotunities to fill the freezer and in the end i think it will work.........we will see soon........

keystoneanglers

Its a sad day when CattNY has to shoot any little buck just to prove his manhood. The doe fills the freezer what do you do with all those little racks?

This year I saw over 12 legal bucks in central PA during archery and rifle season. I saw 2 monsters two different days in rifle but they were running in the woods and I do not take those shots in fear of wounding the animal. I also saw many small bucks that will be good ones next year. Although God blessed me with all of these deer spottings I also saw 100's of does. The second day out of my stand I saw 39 deer by 9;00 only one spike and a fork horn. The rest were does and fawns. I had already filled my doe tag in archery.

I think PA's program is working by increasing the number of bucks but in some areas they will never be able to get the doe numbers down do to how the tags are allocated. Some properties get all the deer as soon as the pressure starts. I for one will not push or drive deer so once everyone starts pushing and walking through the state lands that border our property the deer come on to ours. I have nothing against shooting does, but the game commission will soon have to find a way to get private land owners of large tracts extra tags.

In fact, on extremely large pieces of land over 1,000 the landowner should be allowed to install their own management practices which PGC could approve. THis is the only way we are truly going to get doe numbers down in PA. We have over a million deer hunters and most of them are on public land or small under 50 acres private pieces. IF a deer can work in larger tracts where they aren't pressured they will.

We have owned this property for three years and each year more and more deer get pushed on to our property, because of outside pressure and that they recognize our land has a safe area.

MikeE51848

So what you, and others here, are saying is if you hunt private land, your hunting's great and those who hunt public land, the hunting is well, not so great.

CattNY

Personally, I don't see where anyone (including keystone angler) gets a kick out of killing does. We are into hunting for sport and/or the meat. I personally consider a young buck much better table fare than a big doe. No one can agrue or dispute me because that is my opinion. My initial point was that I saw 3 legal shooting bucks the Opening day. Where were all the bucks left over from last year? I've talked to locals who hunted year round were I was and very few large bucks were taken. But, they did say a number of big bucks were shot during early bow season. My conclusion, Antler Restrictions were put into place for the bow hunters. Dispute me if you wish, but like my opinion that keystone angler support anti-hunters by only agreeing to one style of hunting and that is Trophy Hunter. Maybe next year I will see many big bucks were I go to and I will change my opinions. For now, in my opinion, killing females make me less of a man. If legally all I could shoot are females, I would quit hunting. Killing bambis and does are for some people, I just don't get excited about it.

dvdegeorge

CattNY,Its uninformed misguided "hunters" like you that make management tuff!If it makes you feel like a great white hunter to shoot a 4 point immature buck,then that is you perogative,but let's adress some issues here.First off shooting a mature doe is a bigger challenge than shooting an immature 1and 1/2 year old buck that is in his 1st rut and has not experienced the pressure of being hunted.Second if you think that a 4 point buck tastes much different than a doe then you aren't preparing or taking proper field care of it,But your taste is your taste.Third off a real "man" is the hunter that realizes for the good of the heard, Does need to be harvested.This helps keep the herd healthy,less stressed and a proper age group in check.So is the real "man" the one who shoots an immature buck just to say he killed a buck or the hunter who passes on an immature deer and harvests a doe.People like you are the Anti's best friend shouting Bambi and mother killer.[:@]As far as antler restrictions being for bow hunters that is nonsense.Did you ever consider the bucks are there but your not a good enough hunter and they outsmart you,quit possible happens to the best hunters.