First a little background. I grew up in Missouri and started hunting with my Dad in the late 60's. There weren't any deer. That's the way it was. The season was buck only for a week. Then wait another year. I'm not sure how many years that I hunted before I actually saw a deer. It was quite a few. As the herd grew the state started having lotteries to draw for doe tags. The herd continued to grow.

Then over that last few years I keep hearing how we need to cull the does for a healthy deer population. That probably is true to a certain extent but I feel that the unlimited doe tags are going take me back to the 60's.


The question. Does the Conservation department have the best interest of the herd in mind or are they trying to reduce the herd? Traffic accidents, more deer than wanted in urban areas come to mind as reasons for reducing the herd.

I guess it comes down to this, I don't think that mass killing of does is going to accomplish anything except reducing the number of deer in general. They are the deer producers.

I ok with being wrong, I am a lot. Just convince me. Sitting in a tree most every day gives me plenty of time to contemplate the deer herd among other things.

Hmmm.. Well I'm sure some native Pa guys will chime in...Bawannajim?? But PA has in the past had relatively generous doe harvests, the days of seeing 50+ deer are now replaced by seeing far far fewer. Is it good?? Good for who?? Dunno are car vs deer accidents down..are better bucks being seen (I say yes)..but now EHD has hit the State, hard, in some areas. Will the massive doe kills of thepastand the blue tongue disease, now have a dramatic effect on years to come?? What bag limits will be set forth next year? Will the Game Commision make the needed adjustments? We will find out just how in tune they are with the herd come next year!

Well, you are actually correct on both counts. The conservation dept does want to reduce the herd AND it is in the best interest of the herd. The two go hand in hand. Would it be great to have millions of deer running unabated through your county? Actually, no. Regardless of the impact on traffic and urban areas, there is not enough food supply to maintain an unlimited population. Also, the larger the herd, the more weak and diseased animals you will have which will lead to more predators. I will give your local game managers the benefit of the doubt and assume that THEY don't want mass killing either. They just want to maintain a proper gender balance in the herd.

In north western PA we have some of the best deer habitat in the world yet the P.G.C. has seen to it that our deer population has been cut to 10- 20 deer per forested square mile. In their ultimate wisdom some really smart guy some where figured it takes 85 acres to grow a deer.
And thanks to some really smart deer hunters this goal is being met. But for the life of me I just can't figure why most all the land owners have chosen to post their land and not let this doe slaughter continue. Its a mystery to me.
Controlling the herd is one thing ,eliminating it is yet another. [:@]