NC doesn't keep tabs on hunters' "success" rate.....but neighboring states do. In VA....29% of archers are "successful" in harvesting a deer with their bow. In WV.....it's 20%. In SC....it dips to 8%. In PA....there were 375,000 deer taken during the firearms season. If we're to believe that PA has 1M firearms hunters, that's a "success" percentage of over 37%.

So it would lead one to ask.....

Which is "easier"?

I just read these figures and found them interesting.

Are you part Pit Bull??!![:-]

Nah... he's full purebred. LOL

Now Greg....we have a previous post with no data making an assertion....and I just wanted to post up some REAL numbers.

Yes. 37%+ Pit Bull.

Have you ever hear the saying.......Let it go Louie?[8D]

Those are some interesting stats Jeff, a few things that interest me are that in VA, 29% of archers are successfull and that number only increases by 8% for PA rifle hunters. Also, their are so many other things that factor into the "success rate" for PA that are off record. We have possibly the least efficent/accurate counting system not to mention that the herd reduction has caused hunters here to start purchasing doe tags and throwing them awhile while still reporting that they filled them. Also figure that it is believed by alot of hunters that the PGC is pumping up the "harvest" numbers to make it seem as though the deer population is still too high and allow them to continue on with the massive herd reduction.

Also, according to the PGC, those numbers are wrong. In the 2006 season, there were a total of 361,560 deer shot in PA, that is both for archery and rifle. 135,290 antlered and 226,270 antlerless.

Like I said in my thread that I started Jeff, until you can fully experience what the pressure does to the deer from those 1 million plus hunters entering the woods with rifle in hand, you can't begin to understand how the deer movement drops/stops. All things equal, yes, a rifle would be"easier" to hunt with, but things aren't equal in most areas.

I have, now....and I will

Edit: BM I just read your post....and I agree with everything you said. Nope....I don't experience THAT kind of pressure where I hunt. No experience with the subject matter, AT ALL.

Just found the stats, "interesting". What people are doing in your state "illegally" ....I have no knowledge of. Don't calim to. Just citing numbers provided.

I'm "out"

While on the numbers kick, I also figured that I would add that only 136,932 harvest report cards were recieved by the PGC for the 2006-2007 season (thats is both antlered and antlerless as well as for all seasons). Also, the PGC personnel examined a total of 29,581 deer in the field or at processing stations.

Now, the PGC also reports that there were a total of 64,820 deer harvested by archers. Now, subtract that 64,820 archery kills from the total of 361,560 and you get 296,740 total firearms kills. Now, assuming that there are 1,000,000 hunters in PA, that puts the "firearms hunters" success rate around 29-30%, which is only about 2% higher than what you have listed for VA's archery hunters success rate.

Yea Jeff, some of the people here have gone a little off the deep-end with their theories about the herd reduction. Either way I love seeing these numbers and it is always interesting to see how they vary and change from state to state/source to source. It still amazes me as to how PA gets the numbers they do for "harvest data". One thing alot of PA hunters have been sayin is that we need a more accurate system for getting these numbers.

By the way.... why aren't you out in the woods?

BM:

I was going on figures Rob/PA gave me yesterday....that he heard reported on the radio on your opener Monday (the 375,000 firearms kills) - 2006 numbers. He also gave me a figure of 150,000 Antlered killed in that figure (included in the 375,000). If my numbers are off....I apologize.

I've killed a few deer, this year........and my mgmt. goalhas "almost" been met (I wanted to take 8 does out of the herd....and we're on 7, right now.....with 3 weeks to go in the season). I'll take a day off here and there in the next three weeks.....but to be honest with you....I'd just as soon someone else come over and kill the last doe or two. I'll take one if I get a slam-dunk opportunity.....but I had just as much fun watching someone take one as I would have taking another one, myself. I suspect I'll be hunting a couple days this week, though.