While I pretty much despise Gary Alt however,he didn't decimate the herd.The biggest hit came to the herd after the winters of 2003 and 2004.We had heavy snowcover for most of these winters and no mast crop.The snow was past my thighs from the beginning of Feb and well into march and it had a heavy crust of ice.I foundwinter-killed deer all over the place that spring.Dave jackson from PSU was with me when we found five in one small area.Deer died from malnutrition those years and more importantly,recruitment suffered greatly.That was a direct result of poor habitat conditions not hunter's bullets.Anyone that discounts the decreased recruitment from those winters has their head in the sand.I know a guy that raises deer and he loses up to 60% of his fawns when we just have a cold wet spring.Factor in malnutrition and you have a population crash that's noticed over the next couple of years.

I live in an area that's mostly public land and where we got the bulk of antlerless allocations.People are crying about no deer in these parts as loud as any other place in the state.There's an outfitter up here that says he had 200 hunters in over the past two seasons and they only killed two bucks.That's mathematically impossible unless all 200 hunters were blind or they left their rifles at home.The lack of deer around here is an exageration except for areas where the habitat is poor.I hunted in Sinnemahoning this year on the last day of rifle.Several people that have camps up that way told me not to waste my time because there were no deer.I saw twenty by 10:00 am.It's public land so i'd be willing to give anyone directions.It's a long steep climb but the deer are there.

I just fail to see this decimation of the herd or understand all the hate toward the PGC.I hunt from southern 2G all the way up to Cameron county and see deer on a regular basis.I also hunt parts of 2f with the same results.I have family and friends that own property in 3b and 3c.If you can't find a deer up there,you need to take up golf.I am seeimg less deer than I used to but I'm also seeing positive signs that the habitat is starting to respond.I'll take a smaller herd anyday over a larger one being forced to survive on beech and striped maple.It may take a little more effort but it feels better tying a tag on a deer that I actually had to work for.I definately don't feel the need tocomplain to one of the misguided state reps about it.