Welp,some don't wanna agree with this but hunters are a big part of the problem in PA.Some can't let a deer walk.Some say they only saw one doe in two weeks of hunting so they whacked it.Ok that's fine,it's legal but then don't complain about the lack of deer.Our area got hammered by HR but we started passing on does two years ago and are seeing the results.Obviously in very heavily hunted lands without the cooperation of fellow hunters this won't work.Heck I see guys complain about the lack of deer yet put on drives willing to shoot anything that moves.They're like locusts.
Then there's the harvest cards.
Now having said that the PGC needs to set policy knowing that most PA hunters are going to whack as many deer as are allowed.And they will shoot the button bucks so don't set policy thinking they won't.
But on the other hand a feller is better off shooting a BB if he {needs the meat}as they say then shooting a mature doe.For future populations anyway.And most likely they're killing somebody elses future buck anyway.I'm exempt,don't shoot does or bb's.
Then there's the DCNR.Maine with by far poorer habitat then ours not to mention the more severe winters has goals on average of 20 DPSM yet our DCNR has plenty of areas below 15 yet still hand out demap tags.There's a no win situation as far as deer hunting goes on the state forest lands.
So yes while in my opinion deer management policy needs retooling the hunters themselves has to take responsibility also.