Remember Dr. Alts plan IS doe harvests.

That is what will get numbers down to what the habitat will support. As he said repeatedly, yet hunters chose to forget, Penna has twice as many deer as the habitat will support. And harvesting bucks alone will not reduce the herd. Overharvesting does will.

AR was not even proposed in Dr. alts plan in Pa, until he and the staff realized that hunters wanted something in return for their sacrifices of cutting thier own herd by half. It was a carrot to get you to do what you would normally not want done, shoot more does and reduce your own herd. He promised loudly it would produce 'bigger bucks' and it will, but he quietly said there would be less of them. He has repeatedly said in the PGC meetings you better get used to seeing less deer. THAT IS THE PLAN.

Hunters only watched the rack waving, and discounted the effects of herd reductions that are not temporary in pa. Dr. Alt says its going to stay small for the sake of the forest. To allow it to grow large again would only be repeating the mistakes of the past.

If anyone is still thinking it was for "better hunting", then you got punk'd.

In penna. herd reduction to save the ecosystem is the plan, AR was just a convenient tool to get it done.

You won't micromanage anything when HR gets to the 12dpsm that is our goal. (by the way in case you aren't following along Pa is at 15dpsm today).

As dr. Alt said at the meeting. "get used to seeing less deer"