HuntingNet.com Forums - View Single Post - HOW...do we get the changes we need in PA?
Old 12-24-2009, 05:03 AM
  #92  
4evrhtn
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Central PA
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I have thought about this over many hours of sitting in the Pa woods and not seeing deer. A compromise has to be made by the Game Commission and history has shown they choose to be reluctant or "rigid" to make any sacrifices that impact them immediately and directly. They depend on the sale of the antlerless tags to make up a high percentage of their earnings therefore they are not willing to reduce those allocations because it directly and immediately impacts their revenue. In the western part of the state the deer herd is much higher in numbers than in the central and eastern portion of the state.
My idea is this.... Make certain WMU's in the those areas where deer have been decimated Archery/muzzleloader only for an unset number of years, possibly on a rotation cycle-2 years- archery, 3rd year rifle can be allowed if herd numbers reach a healthy level for the deer and habitat and while the rifle is allowed make an adjoining wmu archery only. The blanketed HR program has gone too far and unless you hunt or live in "rural" central Pa you may not see the situation for what it is.

By making certain wmu's archery only the Pagc will still be able to sell their doe tags and make money offthe archery tags that will be sold. Some hunters may give up hunting but they are already are decreasing steadily due to lack of game to hunt. And if the Pagc shows a sincere effort to increase the quality of the Pa hunting experience I believe most will be understanding and supportive of the change, If they are not and they are going to stop buying licenses they are the the exact same people who are not going to be hunting for long in our state anyway. Sacrifices have to be made by everyone. As far as the habitat/timbering/ browsing issue- There are private lands all over Pa being timbered under a "Stewardship" program. They harvest the low money woods while leaving the mast bearing hardwoods that the animals rely the most upon. The PAGC harvest all the high end hardwoods and leave the junk wood that has lownutritional benefit to the wildlife thus depending on the new browse to sustain the wildlife. And then they crucify deer for overbrowsing on the only food source available to them. Duh!
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