I've only deer hunted for three years now but I'll throw my two cents into the pot anyway. I'm in a rural farming area (Armstrong Co.) and there are plenty of deer here - I think too many as there are always roadkills even during summer. I was out walking last week and watched 13 deer cross a field, plus I seen three others separately. I started thinking about how many of them would have fawns. Perhaps half? Let's say half having twins? 16 deer plus 12 more fawns = 28 deer. Now this is just on my property and a couple of surrounding farms. How many more are there that we don't even see?

During last years archery season (of which I hunted all but two days) I seen deer every day - and bucks on almost every day. I would say half of them were legal to shoot but I never had the opportunity (except once). The two previous years I only saw a couple of bucks the whole season. I would like to think that due to the AR's there will be twice as many this year. I think this year should show if the restrictions are working. I have never gotten a buck yet but I think I would have last year if there were no restrictions as I had more chances.

I also hunted in Allegheny county last year where there has been many more licenses given for the last couple of years. I hardly seen any deer there - does that mean that the herd has been thinned out there? I think only in certain places. The places in Allegheny where there are too many deer are where you can't hunt.

I think the only problem here where I live is that there are too many deer. I do think that some places have more deer than others and that there should be more licenses given in those areas. But, how can you really determine which are the high and low areas without a lot of study?

I see deer everywhere I go - day or night. It was interesting seeing about a dozen in the afternoon on the slope where Rt. 28 meets the Highland Park bridge. I also seen four of them bedding on a VERY steep slope off Rt. 28 near where the 31st St. bridge connects. I've also seen them in the woods as you come out the Ft. Pitt tunnel up Greentree hill. I'm sorry that some of you are not seeing any deer...

Sorry to ramble but in a nutshell, I am pleased with the AR's so far, but displeased with the overpopulation in some areas. Let's see what happens this coming season before we really get upset. Also...you have to take the weather into consideration for last years bad season...........