After listening to alot of this "cabin fever" and complaining (alot is understandable) about what the states DNR management is doing right and what they are doing wrong in contolling their deer herds, I was wondering which state (West Virginia or Pennsylvania) would you rather deer hunt in?
West Virginia has yet to instill an antler restriction (AR), where Pennsylvania has an AR of 3 points to a side and in some counties a 4 point to a side rule.
In West Virginia a hunter can take up to 9-10 deer a season with 3 weeks of doe season. Pennsylvania, 1 buck and 3 does.
In West Virginia, in archery. for $10 more you can purchase an extra tag and kill 2 bucks and then the same thing in rifle season, $10 will get you another permit to let you bust another buck.
Pennsylvania, you take a buck during archery season you are DONE, no buck hunting with your rifle.
Pennsylvania has 3 times the land mass as West Virginia. Pennsylvania has 3 times the deer hunters than West Virginia and Pennsylvania has 3 times the deer population than West Virginia.
Doesn't quite make sense does it?
Hunt West Virginia and kill up to 10 deer or hunt in Pennsylvania and only be able to harvest 1 buck and 3 does, totalling (4) deer?
Both states, West Virginia and Pennsylvania hunters are complaining about their states deer management, some hunters are complaining that they aren't seeing the numbers that they were accustomed of seeing in the past. Alot of hunters are for and alot are against (AR's). Some hunters feel their needs to be a drastic reduction of antlerless deer harvested in certain counties within both states. Many hunters are tired of hearing the same line by both states DNR saying that the reason for the deer kills is the weather.....blah, blah, blah.
I guess both states have (1) good thing in common for next year, both have gotten rid of their "head" DNR representive, West Virginia's Hamrick is gone as well as Pennsylvania' Alt.
So I ask you, what state would you be better off hunting in and who has more problems within their re-construction of managing their states deer herd?
I agree with cyclone. Maryland -- in keeping with it's policies -- is very LIBERAL with bag limits. I'm all for them since we're attempting to control the population and stabilize the buck/doe ratio. I would like to see the AR's implemented here too though because far too many hunters shoot any deer they see with antlers and those bucks will never get the chance to become big bucks. Protecting the young bucks will lead to increased numbers of big, mature bucks -- the kind we all want.
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Today' s small bucks are tomorrow' s trophies.
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I'd like to see WV adopt AR's. Most hunters I have heard from agree. Just knowing more bigger bucks are around is more than half of the fun for me and the people I know.
WEST VIRGINIA? or PENNSYLVANIA?
