PA Antler Restrictions, Thoughts now that it's been a couple of years.

Handles · 09-18-2006, 02:54 PM

In your opinion is the Antler restrictions in PA working? My guess is that you should be seeing larger, more mature bucks and with that larger antlers now that the restriction has been in place for a few years.

What are your thoughts on it? What if PA took away the restriction? Would you go back to shooting anything with horns or be more selective thanyou were say 6-7 years ago?

Just trying to get some discussion going.

jf5 · 09-18-2006, 03:18 PM

Oh Boy, you'll get a discussion going for sure. Check out any PA/PGC related thread and read...

I don't hunt PA (did once) , but have family and friends who do and they all love the restrictions. One guy, a PA native I know, has shot many PA bucks and has hunted deer there for 30+ years. He has seen more good racked bucks in PA the past 5 years than the previous 25+ combined. In fact, he never used to see bucksany better than small basket 8 points before AR/HR.

utter · 09-18-2006, 03:50 PM

I am glad they went to AR's... I am seeing more and bigger bucks in my hunting spots in 2C/2G...

Pa Trophy Man · 09-18-2006, 05:02 PM

You'll get a hell of a debate out of that topic. But i would have to attest to also seeing more and better bucks in 5b.

BTBowhunter · 09-18-2006, 05:29 PM

My personal experience:

More and better in 2B

More and beter in 2D

Less and better in 2F

I've been practicing voluntary AR for about 12 years

deerslayer223 · 09-18-2006, 09:35 PM

havent seen any bigger deer here in the past 5 years than i saw in the years previous.

Big John · 09-18-2006, 10:27 PM

Didn't work in my area, fact is it's just the opposite. Now our doe count is so low I woln't take a doe now.

DennyF · 09-18-2006, 10:37 PM

In the area of 3A where I've hunted for over 45 years (Potter, Tioga, NY border area),things have been looking upduring the past 3 seasons. Nicer bucks and more of them,than at any time I can recall.

Just my experience, others will doubtlesshave different experiences and opinions on the subject. Didn't need ARs to convince me to quit shooting dinky bucks years ago, butARs may be saving some that would've been killed as 1.5 year-old little fellers under the old antler regs.

GR8atta2d · 09-19-2006, 06:00 AM

I love it. Best thing they ever did.

Now if they'd get rid of the concurrent doe season during rifle season, things would be peachy!

It's too dangerous when the guns start blazing.

trytan74 · 09-19-2006, 10:10 AM

The AR are a great thing and I personally was practicing it for about 10 yrs now but the wiping out all the does in Elk county really stinks. Total deer numbers are way down in that area but I will say I have seen more bigger bucks then in yrs past but I used to love sitting in a stand all day and seeing 50+ deer.

Trytan