ORIGINAL: BTBowhunter
Cant speak for 2G but in 2F,some of which is considered north central,hunter numbers have been going downhill for at least 10-15 years. Especially in the rifle season. When I bought my camp in 1978, the town of Tionesta was in gridlock from the Saturday after Thanksgiving till around Tuesday night and camps were lit up all through the first week. Now it gets hard to find a hunter in the woods after about 2 PM on opening day.Most camps are dark byMonday night and the only period of high car traffic in front of my camp occurs between 10 AM and 4 PM on the first day. Allthe trucks are loaded up and headed home.All this started many years ago and has steadily declined every year.
i agree with you. even in bear season, very few hunters at camp.also number of hunters at camp are down to.most here that come go back same day. others pack up and leave by noon,tuesday afternoon.in good days they would leave friday,not now.also, its hard to find a crew driving deer anymore now.i asked former crews why they dont drive now.they said, sproul too many tree sitters now in middle of our drives,we are not driving that 1 deer out to them to shoot.the ones that do drive deer now do it after wednesday if they know the tree sitters are gone.boy, crews that used to come in and hunt, thousands of them.like being in vietnam and being over run with viet cong.guns going off all around you.boy, it got you warmed up quick. now, if you here 8 shots the first day in say 5 mile area ,thats something. i counted 1 time over 100 shots before 9 am the first day in my hunting area. boy, that was something.