PA hunting
I’m a born Pennsylvanian transplanted to Delaware who returns home each fall to hunt where I grew up. In the short time that I’ve been on this site I’ve read some very cogent, insightful comments. I’ve also noticed some pretty disturbing reactions to posts. Of course discussing the revolutionary changes in deer management are the driving force, with herd reduction and the failure of AR to live up to its claims as a blanket force, are part of it. But from my admittedly limited exposure to this forum, it seems that the most insidious consequence of HR and AR and the discussion of them, is fragmentation.
From my perspective, before HR and AR the PA hunting fraternity was relatively unified. There wasn’t a division over big racks versus smaller ones; if you wanted to wait on a bigger buck you did. It was a personal decision. You could tease your buds about some scrawny rack or praise them over a big one. We all had a good time and the PA hunter was part of a large force for conservation to be reckoned with both philosophically and politically. That personal choice and political clout seems to have been lost in what appears to be a strident squabble between different interest groups attempting to impose their will or ethics on others.
As viewed through a newcomer’s prism and sampled by way of this forum, things in PA have become far more “rulified” and, from my view, elitist. Perhaps this is due to the growth of hunting shows portraying deer hunting in scenarios that are far from the norm for the average person and, frankly, a long .30-30 or .35 Remington shot from our black and red Woolrich steeped PA traditions.
Today there are very real divisions between archers who use compound archery outfits costing into four digits for the latest advances (heedless of the hypocrisy that view might portray to an impartial outsider and who seem to have forgotten that in PA the inclusion of their weapon in archery season was once similarly viewed as “unethical” and “too easy”) and those who want to be able to hunt the same autumn seasons with a crossbow. There are those who enjoyed hunting for any legal buck squabbling with those who feel that only mature animals with big racks offer any challenge. I even read folks who, incredibly enough, feel as if junior hunters should be held to restrictive antler restrictions, forgetting their youth, and others who tell nonresident hunters who pay a disproportionate amount to manage PA wildlife to hunt here, to stay home if they don’t like it.
There are some significant issues going on in PA, not the least of which is the growing schism between those who hunt on public land versus those who don’t, and the increasing inclusion of eco groups in this whole decision-making process. We need to work together to resolve them satisfactorily, and I fail to see how name calling or labeling anyone will accomplish that.
I’m sure some of you will react defensively to this post. Justifiably, I might add. Before you flame this post, read it again and, if you find yourself in its words, ask yourself why it is you feel that way. But the stark truth is that we need to start looking for some common ground here.