Here in the SE a hunters biggest problem is access. Reducing the safety zone for bow hunters to 50 yards was a big help. Including crossbows in archery season, should also help in the areas where they weren't legal in the past. But once those yellow signs go up, they never come down again. If you don't own your own land or know a friend that does, you are restricted to hunting SGL, which are already overhunted in most areas.

Our hunter had to head to the big woods if they wanted the freedom of hunting a large track of land and to get away from the crowds. There are those who think that those big woods hunters, are stay at home to hunt, they are half right, these hunters are stay home but not buying a license.

If the PGC wants to retain and recover hunters, they must increase the herd in the big woods. Once these hunters are gone for good, so are their sons, grandsons and those that come after them. Cutting the number of days for antlerless deer by 5 days is a start, but more has to be done to make the big woods the choice of PA hunters.

If something isn't done soon and our numbers keep decreasing, this whole HR is going to backfire in the PGC's face. They will end up with not enough hunters to control the herd and end up back where they started before HR. It's my understanding, that a lot of hunters in WMU 5C, get tired of killing deer andstop hunting for the season.