RE: Just how tough is it?
It really depends on where you are hunting in the state. I feel I can speak to this accurately because I've hunted6 different counties in different regions of the state over the last 12 years or so. It's drastically different depending on what region you are in. In general the eastern part of the state is very highly pressured and low deer population with the exception of Lancaster County, which is next to impossible to get access on. Also in general the further north you go in the state the lower the deer populations, because there are a LOT of big woods the further north you go.
I hunt in Northeast/Northcentral PA. An area not really known for big deer compared to other counties further west. I honestly don't know of anyone that has better success than I do in this part of the state. Rob consistently takes bucks about the same size and age class as the ones I'm putting down, and outside of him.......I don't know anyone that is doing this consistently in our part of the state. There are 120"+ bucks. I've seen them, but they are few and far between.
We don't have a shortage of deer at my place. We don't have a shortage of bucks now either after 5 years of whacking 3-5 does for every buck we take. I honestly see about 50/50 split between the two, better than anyone I personally know in PA. The problem is that even with 130 acres, a timber management project to produce the perfect bedding cover, several sanctuaries, and food plots everywhere.................the bucks we are passing are still getting shot elsewhere. We have good enough nutrition now that the 1.5's are 6+ pointers and legal to shoot. I will continue passing bucks that I don't believe are 3.5 years old though, because I know they are out there and you can't shoot one if your only tag is full because of a dink.
Edit - I will add one more thing here that a lot may not agree with. I honestly believe I have a MUCH better chance of killing a mature buck at my place in PA during the bow season. I've only seen two honest 3.5+ year old bucks in the state during firearms seasons over a 12 year period, I typically see that many each year during bow season. When the orange army hits the woods, all bets are off. I enjoy hunting with a gun, but don't spend the time to do it in PA because of this. I'd rather spend that time during firearms season in the big woods of the Adirondacks where you see significantly less deer, but also no other hunters.