People weren't kidding about the low numbers of deer in PA. I hunted our 100 acres of private land that is bordered by both state land and Seneca Fule land on two sides of the property giving us 500 + acres to hunt without any other hunting pressure - this property was logged out about 8 years ago and no one has steped foot in the woods during hunting season there for the last 5 seasons - It was my brother, two cousins, and myself hunting the first week of rifle and during the entire week I saw about 10 doe and one real nice shooter buck - looked like a 10 ptr but could not get him in the scope - we pushed him out of some real thick stuff and he was running with a couple doe - I only had a split second with him in any type of shooting lane and it just wasn't happening that day. The other three people in the hunting party saw a couple of small spikes and one 4 ptr. and a couple of other doe. That was it. The closest camp to us really hit it hard the first couple of days - they had 15 to 20 guys in thier camp and hunted sun up top sun down the first 3 days of season and they took one nice 8 ptr a 5 and a half rack 3. Lots of sign in the woods when snow was on the ground the day before season but then nothing.
The two week anterless season has got the bucks so spooked come opening day it's ridiculous. In NY our doe and buck season run together and I see a ton more deer on less than half the land than I did this year in PA. I am taking it like it is though and pretty much usign this year as a scouting session for next season. We found plenty of nice stand sites that with be setup during the off season and found a couple of nice sections of woods to put on drives and found out what the most likely escape routes were.
Not a lot of luck but I still had fun - Hey its a week out of the office - We're looking to make this a yearly event. I am looking forward to next season and maybe getting down for a little bow hunting as well.
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"Second Place is just the First looser"
rybohunter - Maybe I mis understood what I was told by some of the locals around our camp - but the way I understood it was there was an antlerless deer only season - and then there was the regular season rifle where if you had a doe tag you could take either if not you could only take a buck 3 points on one side or better. ??? -
I may be way off - but I was only there to take a buck so doe tags or doe season really did not concern me - It just seemed to me that the deer were really spooked - you could not even step into the woods without every deer within a mile of you bolting out of the area - They behaved alot differently than how the do back home. - Where I hunt in NY you almost have to step on the deer to get them up and moving after opening day or they aren't going anywhere. -
I would really like to know how the seasons work down there though - especially if I am wrong.
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"Second Place is just the First looser"
RYBO- Got it straight, doe season runs concurrently with buck season. There is no doe season prior to the opener the Monday after Thanksgiving.
JHoff- I have hunted rifle season in Pa for 25 or so, years,this year was different. I think the major reason for the spookiness of the deer was the high winds and weather in general. Take the shakey weather and add some 800,000 hunters and yeah the deer were jumpy! Also the deer numbers are way down, this is due to the high number of doe tags given out the previous 3, or so, years. They did cut way back this year and the numbers of deer should start creeping up again over the next couple years. Sounds like you have a nice area to hunt scout it out and good luck in the future.
They have to quit shooting does or go back to the way it used to be 3 day season at the end of rifle season, pprefer to quit for a few years adnd let the herd build up again.......
If you have 500 acres with no other pressure I can't understand how the herd could be down. I would think that the place should be full of deer. Did you think that the wind could have had them lying low during your hunt and no other hunters were around to push them? If nobody else hunts there how could they kill all the deer? Recently logged and not hunted for 5 years! Sounds like heaven to me.
People weren't kidding about the low numbers of deer in PA. I hunted our 100 acres of private land that is bordered by both state land and Seneca Fule land on two sides of the property giving us 500 + acres to hunt without any other hunting pressure - this property was logged out about 8 years ago and no one has steped foot in the woods during hunting season there for the last 5 seasons - It was my brother, two cousins, and myself hunting the first week of rifle and during the entire week I saw about 10 doe and one real nice shooter buck - looked like a 10 ptr but could not get him in the scope - we pushed him out of some real thick stuff and he was running with a couple doe - I only had a split second with him in any type of shooting lane and it just wasn't happening that day. The other three people in the hunting party saw a couple of small spikes and one 4 ptr. and a couple of other doe. That was it. The closest camp to us really hit it hard the first couple of days - they had 15 to 20 guys in thier camp and hunted sun up top sun down the first 3 days of season and they took one nice 8 ptr a 5 and a half rack 3. Lots of sign in the woods when snow was on the ground the day before season but then nothing.
The two week anterless season has got the bucks so spooked come opening day it's ridiculous. In NY our doe and buck season run together and I see a ton more deer on less than half the land than I did this year in PA. I am taking it like it is though and pretty much usign this year as a scouting session for next season. We found plenty of nice stand sites that with be setup during the off season and found a couple of nice sections of woods to put on drives and found out what the most likely escape routes were.
Not a lot of luck but I still had fun - Hey its a week out of the office - We're looking to make this a yearly event. I am looking forward to next season and maybe getting down for a little bow hunting as well.
did you scout some good spots prior to the hunt if not trie that next year the deer are most likely there but spooked after not having people in the area and with no other hunters moving the deer around it might be tough to find them if you have some swampy areas check them out they hold the most wildlife
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jhoffman
archery started oct 1st and ran to nov 12th.
Early ML for does only was oct 15th -22nd
jr & sr rifle does only was Oct 20th-22nd(close enough)
Bear season comes in a week before deer
I don't really know why the deer were so spooky were you were.
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Just a regular guy who likes to hunt
First PA Deer Hunting trip
