"After 6 years, APRs are a success," the Pennsylvania Game Commission study concluded. "They have increased buck survival and the buck age structure. They have maintained strong support from hunters. And Pennsylvania hunters are experiencing the same levels of success to which they are accustomed."
It is truly sad that so many outdoor writers simply repeat PGC propaganda without checking the facts. The fact is that our buck harvest has decreased by 46% from 2002 to 2007 . Hunter support for ARs remains unchanged at 57% which is the same before ARs were implemented. That means few if any hunters have seen enough improvement in rack size to change their opinions about ARs.
Yearling buck survival has increased from less than 20 percent to nearly 64 percent since the institution of antler restrictions in 2002. Younger bucks now have a chance to mature into the herd.
If ARs are protecting 64% of our 1.5 buck , why is the 2.5+ buck harvest averaging much less than 50% of the buck harvest. Since 2005 the 2.5+ buck harvest has been 48% or less of the total harvest, so are we losing 16% of the 1.5 bucks saved by ARs to non-hunting mortality.