PENNSYLVANIA Archers

RidgeFACTOR · 12-20-2008, 08:23 AM

I was just wondering how the Pennsylvania archers did this bow season? I'm kinda disgusted on how the season is regulated, they (PA Game commision)take bow season out whenever the rut begins and then they don't bring it in until a day after Christmas. All that down time to do nothing but wait is total BS.

Did many of you guys see very much "rut" activity?

Mikey S. · 12-20-2008, 08:50 AM

It was slow for the most part. But mostly I think it was late. I saw more rutting, chasing and grunting between thanksgiving and gun season then I did in bow season. I sat with my buddies 14 year old son on the first day of gun season, and he killed a 16" wide 8 chasing does hard around our ladder stand. He grunted about 20 times, had a swolen neck, black hocks, the whole deal.

The late full moon had it all out of wack for our bow season.

rage2blade · 12-20-2008, 09:48 AM

I feel sorry for the does he hooked up with later on after that!!

early in · 12-20-2008, 10:06 AM

All I can say is I hunted HARD from the middle of Oct until the end of regular archery season (Nov 15th), and rut activity was virtually non-existent in my area (WMU 5-D)of SE Pa, andI hunted almost 300 hours/12 dark to dark hunts!! Worst season (so far) that I've ever had.[&o]

rybohunter · 12-20-2008, 10:39 AM

I had my worst season by a mile. For me, I believe it was mosty due to the fact that none of my properties had any acorns at all. The deer were just not there. I saw decent rut activity considering the very warm temps. Nothing crazy but it wasn't dead either, the acorns Or lack there of killed me.

Jimimac · 12-20-2008, 10:42 AM

Where I hunt it was business as usual. I was off work the first week in November. Even with the warm temperatures, I had pretty good deer movement.

RidgeFACTOR · 12-20-2008, 11:49 AM

I hunt southwestern PA (Greene County) and the rut was non-existant here as well. Never saw any bucks chasing does like in the past. The game commission needs to change their rules and let the bow hunters hunt that down time before gun season comes in. Maybe the deer were rutting then, who knows, we weren't allowed to hunt then....???

twildasin · 12-20-2008, 12:41 PM

I would like to see the archery season go up to the Saturday before bear season personally! And shorten the gun season to Saturday to saturday! this way gun hunters still get there 2 saturdays to hunt! I would also like to see the state go to shotguns south of 80!

MGH_PA · 12-20-2008, 01:24 PM

In terms of my deer sightings, this was my best season in quite some time. I also felt that I did a lot more things right this year in terms of how I hunted. I'm a bit disappointed in the lack of buck sign, and only one shooter within range this year. I saw a lot of chasing/grunting the last week and a half, but it was mostly 1.5yr olds. I just couldn't get it done this year, but I feel more confident going into next year now that I laid down a pretty good gameplan this year. I know I will need to take more than one doe next season, and that's my goal. We are getting a bit unbalanced here on my property.

elkhuntinut · 12-20-2008, 02:57 PM

For me, it was another great season in PA even though it didn't turn out the way I would have liked once I had my opportunity[:@]..

Hunting in Erie County, I saw deer all but 3 trips into my stand. Other than that I had seen 14 different bucks, of which 3 were good ones. Prior to the season I had 5 different pics of good bucks, so seeing all but 2 was really cool.

The quality of the bucks I am seeing improves every year from my area. Good thing was the amount of apples which the deer were hitting early on. Looking forward to next year as none of the 5 were taken at all