Well Badatta, I don't see a whole lot of controversy here only that if you’re buying the tag prevents someone else from getting that tag. I am not familiar with that. However I do have problems with a couple quotes
First one,
I am more of a wall-hanger hunter now than in years past. (It comes with age and success, if your not there yet, I hope you will be someday)
Now I am not saying this is wrong for your area or that you’re wrong for hunting this way, but if people here in Indiana would hunt this way very few would get a trophy buck, and the deer population would grow even larger then what it already is. Here in Vanderburgh County each hunter can kill up to 10 or 11 deer!!!! Only one of them can be a buck, and you have to use archery for 6 of them and muzzleloader or shotgun for the rest. Now as you propose you only take large bucks, that means does will continue to reproduce until there is a huge over population of deer.
My killing one doe is not significantly going to help the herd
Like you said if everyone felt this way there would most certainly be a problem.
So what’s wrong with an overpopulation of deer you ask........?
I live in an Urban deer zone which means there are way to many deer for the amount of woods/area in the county. That means more and more deer move into the city/neighborhoods to eat peoples gardens/landscaping. Also more deer are hit by cars. 3 deer were hit/killed in front of my house last year 2 were fawns[
]. Also the deer eat tons and tons of corn/soybeans. Now farmers don't mind because they can file crop damage claims and get money handed to them for them having too many deer on their property.
Now again these are only a few problems with the deer population in my neck of the woods. As far as in PA, you might not have this problem. If you don't then disregard these comments and continue to buy tags and not use them. Like you said at least the money is going to the game commission.
I too have wasted tags, mainly because the deer didn't walk in front of me (do you blame them) or I didn't spend enough time in the woods. Not filling a tag doesn't bother me because I think there is an unlimited amount of tags for sale. So, I'm not taking away a deer that someone else wants.
I am a hunter that loves: to hunt; the meat; shoot my bow; the experience; and that big buck. My ideal season is a large doe and buck taken with a bow (considering that’s what I hunt with 99% of the time).
That’s my comment on this issue.
KK