Hey guys, today was the opener of rifle season here and PA and it didn't disappoint, it was the same ol' sea of orange doing deer drives, but this year was a little different! I had a buddy of mine huntingmy honey hole area with his bow. I knew that nobody was gonna be in the woods with rifles because we are the only ones allowed to hunt the property. My buddy got in stand over an hour before daylight and at 2:45 p.m. he was back at my house with a disgusted look on his face. I asked him how it went and thats when he told me that he wasn't alone in the woods. It seems the gas-well attendants that tend the wells on this property decided that they had the right to hunt the property and they brought friends, LOTS of friends. They set guys entirely around this patch of woods on the surrounding properties and at 8:00 a.m. a group of guys came through doing a drive. They walked right under my buddy and had the nerve to wave at him in his stand. He was upset but since he was invited to the property he didn't say anything. He watched them kick up a group of deer out of the major bedding area that our stands surround and the war started, he counted over 40 shots within a few minutes. He stayed in his stand hoping that maybe something would happen, well at 2:00 p.m. guess who shows back up driving the woods the opposite way as the morning. This time a 5 point half rack (one of the big 10's I saw that snapped an entire antler off) jumped up and ran right under my buddy, all of a sudden a shot rings out and the deer drops. These idiots shot a deer that was standing just feet from the base of the tree my buddy was in. As these 6 guys drug the deer out whooping and hollaring the whole time my buddy got his stuff ready and headed out.

I talked to the landowner this evening and none of these guys were given permission to hunt this property! It simply amazes me how ignorant and arrogant some hunters can be. Something needs to change, its sad that my buddy and I put soooo much time, energy, money, and effort into creating a sanctuary for these deer, the one spot where the deer feel comfortable and have a chance to avoid the orange army but because of these disrespectful people that is all thrown out the window. Last year we decided to keep these woods to bow-hunting only, we wanted a spot that you could actually hunt with a bow during rifle season and have deer on their normal patterns and that has all been jepordized know.

Sorry for the long post, I just had to vent!!!