Just for the record, I am not necessarily "against" the muzzleloader or two day-junior/senior rifle hunt in October...exactly. I have no problem with folks who want to use those weapons prior to the rut....

...but I rather don't like the fact that it overlaps..and therefore reduces the amount of time that bowhunters have in the woods...alone. Extending the archery season back, at least two weeks, into September would be a fine solution to this..in my opinion.

I do not really want to sound like I am complaining but this past season bowhunters basically had the first Saturday of archery "free" from other hunter's influence..then the second Saturday was that experimental youth pheasant hunt. In my stomping grounds that was basically the same thing as having regular small game season opening a few weeks early...as even though only youth could shoot the pheasants there were still two or three more individuals with them while they were hunting.

Then the following weekend was when the muzzleloader season started...and then the following weekend was small game hunting. So, in essence, for those of us who might only be able to hunt on a Saturday each week..and on public land...there was basically only one of the day season when they could bowhunt...uninterrupted.

Part of the nature of our sport almost requires that there not be any other hunting disturbances occuring in order for us to be even remotely effective in our attempt to aid in balancing the deer herd. We need to have the deer close...and not moving in order for us to even stand a reasonable chance of harvesting an animal. Having an excessive amount of other hunters in the woods while folks are trying to bowhunt is detrimental to this and directly affects the outcome of the hunt.

Here is something that I don't think many folks have considered....if small game is pushed back to the 3rd Saturday of archery next year and the youth pheasant hunt is again scheduled for the second Saturday then will be again left with just one Saturday without interruption. Not only that but small game and the early muzzleloader season will also both be starting on the same day....which means more hunters in the October woods on the same day than ever before.

Not to sound bitter but I wouldn't be surprised if the Game Commission moved the muzzleloader hunt earlier by a week so this doesn't happen....and then in turn move the youth pheasant hunt back to a week before that...thus leaving no Saturday as a day for archery only.

Rifle hunters have two uninterrupted weeks of hunting.....small game hunters basically have the last two weeks of their season uninterrupted (minus the 3 days for bear)...why can't we have at least two weeks of uninterrupted hunting?




















Edited by - PABowhntr on 01/10/2003 08:17:07