I hunted in Westmoreland county (Southwestern PA) and had a great day. While I did not connect on a deer, my friend who traveled in from WV did shoot a nice doe on Saturday Morning around 10:30. If I can figure out how to get the file size small enough, I will later post a picture.

Myself, I only went about 20 minutes at a time without seeing a deer. In the morning, I saw 1 buck and 6 doe. The only deer that made it within range where 2 fawns from this year and too small to shoot. The adult doe that I saw stayed just below my stand and came thru at about 40 yards in some heavy brush. The buck in my eyes was not a shooter. It later made it past my dad who said it was a 7 point but he couldn't get the bow up in time to get a shot. In my opinion, if I can't tell by looking at him as he walked past, then it really isn't a shooter. (My feeling behind the 4 point restriction is to let the younger deer live. If I took him just because he had 4 points on one side, I've defeated the whole purpose of the restrictions. This was a very healthy 1 1/2 year old buck who will make a nice trophy one day.) My dad saw 1 buck and 5 doe. My friend saw 1 buck (4 point) and 1 doe in the morning.

The afternoon hunt was just as exciting if not more. as we drove in to park we saw a doe and her 2 fawns. Because of the weather changing and the front coming, we were back on stand at 3pm. As I walked to my stand a buck and a doe were both feeding in the orchard. After they moved off, I climbed my stand and the action began. I had a small yearling (I think my 7 year lab was bigger) walk in and stop and 20 yard before crossing the creek into the orchard. She fed there pretty much until it got dark. Shortly after, I had a small buck (spike) walk into the orchard and feed before walking down the hollow. After he left, I had another buck, this time a very wide and tall six point work his way up the creek and to 25 yards. Again this buck will someday make a very nice trophy. I later got busted by a doe that had walked to within 7 steps of my stand before I saw her. She snuck in from behind on the same trail I earlier walked and when I turned around to check my back, she was staring at me from just a few feet away. I later had 2 more doe cross behind my stand on the way to the orchard.

I saw 3 buck and 5 doe (plus the 3 while in the car). My dad saw 7 doe and my friend saw 1 buck and 9 doe.

All in all , a nice way to start the pa season.