PA Deer Hunters

ron3775 · 07-31-2006, 06:05 PM

Not trying to ruffle any feathers, but I always here complaints about PA not having any deer. I want to raise this question to you all. How many deer do you all take throughout the seasons? I myself will try to take one, even though I apply for the bonus tag, just to take the tag away.

early in · 07-31-2006, 07:16 PM

I'm in a Special Regs county, WMU 5-D so I usually get a couple doe and hopefully a buck. We have alot of deer in our region and our buck to doe ratio is all out of wack, about 10 or 12to 1.[:@]

downtown · 07-31-2006, 09:57 PM

buck and 1 doe tag
i dont bother with the extra/bonus tags

mathewsXT · 08-01-2006, 06:50 AM

I usually take 1 to 2 doe out of 2B. Alot of deer in Allegheny County. I hunt also in 2G and 2F but I let the does walk in them area's.

DougE · 08-01-2006, 07:32 AM

I shoot several each each year(most in 2G)and I'll continue to do so.Decades of deer overpopulation has severly effected the habitat in 2G.In order to turn that around,we must reduce the deer population below the carrying capacity.If I hunted in an area that had excellent or above average habitat and few deer,I'd let the does walk.However,I've yet to see that situation.All the areas in this part of 2G that have few deer,have terrible habitat.Ifeel no guilt shooting a doe in those areas.I won't apply for a 2G tag this year because they severly slashed them and my chances aren't good.I do have three dmap coupons for areas that could use less deer and I plan on getting two more.I'm seeing no shortage of deer in this part of 2G.The herd was way down in 2003- 2004 and last year it started to rebound quickly.This year,I'm seeing almost as many deer as I did several years ago.With the antlerless allocations getting slashed so much,we're getting alot less pressure and this year we'll see even less.The habitat is really starting to respond to lower deer numbers and now it will go back to where it was when we started.I'll get as many tags as I can and kill as many deer asI legally can around here.

BOB7255KHZ · 08-01-2006, 09:58 AM

Hello gang. I'm in 2f. Forest/Warren Co. I've been hunting for 40 some years and last year I shoot my first doe....my son wanted the meat. Yes I apply every year for the "doe tag " but never take a doe....just to pull the tag, so to speak. The areas in nw Pa have been hunted hard for along time....and the deer population is starting to show a big decline.
The bear population is getting out of hand up here.....unreal. The bear is another reason for the decline of the white tails ....betcha they are getting their share of the new fawns.
BOB

Rob/PA Bowyer · 08-01-2006, 10:29 AM

There in lies the problem, it's not the PGC shooting the deer and the ones that are complaining are usually the ones filling multiple tags...I'm not complaining however I've still not purchased a doe tag in many years. This year however, I may.

PA GOBBLER · 08-01-2006, 10:38 AM

i will try for one doe tag in 4D. iwill notuse it on SGL's.

BowHunter46 · 08-01-2006, 10:57 AM

hey guys. i hunt deer in 2D and sometimes behind my camp in 2F. i buy an extra doe tag each year and usually take two deer each year. the buck to doe ratio seems fine to me in 2D and there deff doesnt seem to be a decline in deer. But in 2F, i never saw a single deer. ive never shot a deer up there.

BTBowhunter · 08-01-2006, 11:16 AM

I hunt 2F 2D and 2B. I generally take a doe from each of 2D and 2F and take 2-5 in 2B where they are still way overpopulated. (BTW I'm in a suburban deer program in 2B)

2F is showing some effects from HR but forest regeneration is just starting to recover and there are still plenty of deer up there if you just take the time to find em.

To the guys who buy doe tagsand not hunt with em simply to save a doe: you are actually contributing to bigger doe tag allocations by driving the hunter success rate down. A low hunter success rate in a particular WMU leads to even more tags being issued so that the desired kill is reached.