Originally Posted by
bill zerby
I have to disagree that the antler restriction is working. The big buck were always here and we had alot of smaller buck that people would not pass up.The deer herd has become very bad on public land making hunters spend alot more time in the woods. As long as the hunters keep shooting the button bucks and doe our hunting will only get worse. The small rack are still getting shot. Most of the big bucks that are shot are on posted land not open to many people to hunt. If we as hunters want the good days of hunting back we must stop shooting the doe and small rack and button bucks to let them grow up to be the trophies we are hunting for.
The big buck have always been in PA, just not with the numbers there are. There's always 1 hiding out somewhere, but now there are more big rack buck in PA.
"The small rack are still getting shot. " - I don't disagree with this statement, however the small buck are less likely to be harvested now, than before the restriction. This is why I state the 3 pt restriction should actually be a 4 pt restriction state wide. There are large buck killed on public land every year. The hunters who are not shooting them aren't putting in the time and effort into hunting for them. You can't expect to walk onto the same plot of woods 100 other guys have already walked through and find bullwinkle right away. Although sometimes it's better to be lucky then good!