i have to agree with PGC needs an overhaul.. and i know people will give me grief for stating this, and some will agree. i hope most would agree. I seriously think PA needs to go back to the 3 day doe season. my reasoning behind this is simple.
1. PA is under antler restriction. the slaughter of does.. which is what is occuring because finding a legal buck is becoming harder for the average joe hunter, and so they get a doe tag, and then a bonus tag and from personal experience.. just in my area on private land connecting to public land. we had an over abundance of does 5 years ago (72 does in 1 field in 2003) now we are down to about 15. i know this cause i watch deer here on a year long basis. and 15 is just an estimate. but every year this number is dropping significantly due to over doe harvesting.
2. with the antler restriction in place button bucks are getting crushed. with the restriction and going back to the 3 day doe season bucks will almost get a hunt free pass for its first 2 years, and the amount of button bucks shot will decrease, making way for a higher buck to doe population. and dont let this make me sound like a trophy hunter cause im not. but we have the antler restriction in place for a reason, if we kill all the button bucks there will be nothing left to take the place of the big boys that get shot, and fewer bucks will get taken, resulting in more does being harvested
Also i think the game commission needs to change its regulations on accidental harvest. the way the regulations are set up. i doubt any1 would report or turn in a mistaken kill. for instance. took my best friend hunting during 08 archery season. he shot a 6 point thinking it was an 8 point. (the line between 3point and 4 point was 100 yards away) so he turned it in to the game commission stating it was a mistaken kill he thought he was on the 3point side not the 4 point side.. he was fined 250$ lost his liscense for the year and animal was taken.. now im no lawyer but i found that extremely harsh. esp since the hunter was following the law. he could have very well tagged the animal as shot in the 3 point county, but he chose to do the right thing and report it..