mammasboy

Wisconsin has too many deer, major herd reduction is exactly what we need.

vc1111

The PA that I've hunted is/was not known for "good bucks" by any stretch. Yes occasionally good bucks were taken, but they were always considered quite remarkable.

I'm not sure how anyone could argue that the PA antler restrictions will take the quality of bucks anywhere but upward. I read where the PA game commission stated that a very, very high percentage of the states bucks were killed every year under the old regs... something like 80% if I recall correctly.

Jason N

Dale, I agree that not everyone is for the AR. I reallize your distain for Ar as well, but I'd like to comment on your comment about researching prior to implimentation. I think it would be very difficult to accurately get a good idea from something like a study area. As you are well aware, a good many of PA hunters are one or two day hunters. They travel to camp or back to family farms or whereever and hunt opening day....maybe a couple days and maybe on the two Saturdays. Not that this is a general problem or anything of the sort, but with regards to a study area....I have a feeling those study areas would be avoided because those same one day hunters wouldnt' want to take the chance of not getting a legal buck. It would give false evidence of the program working or the program would be killed becasue of lack of participation. I agree that it would have been nice to have solid research to back it up, but to me it doesn't seem very feasible.


I've tried to make it come out all skewed and off, but it mathematically can't. It's kind of nice to see that information and actually not be able to make it wrong. At least it gives some comfort/ammo to through at the guys that refuse to believe it's impossible to have 15:1 or 10:1 ratios. I have an article about an area in the ANF here in NW PA that shows a 4:1 ratio that was physically counted by hand....HERE'S a link to that if you're interested.

Jason N

Correct! Now those 1.5's are mostly protected and will likely die at 2.5, but they're bigger!

timberjack82

Im from PA and I didnt think it was a bad idea all the long. I think it is good that we cant shoot the little and young bucks. This gives them a chance to get bigger and older and wiser and give us more of a challenge.

Jason N

You may want to get in touch with you're state biologists and see if they're watching what PA is doing or studying other states like Mississippi and Arkansas. If they don't know about what PA is currently doing then I think you need to tell them to crawl out from under that rock and get in touch with our biologists. Not that our porgram is one size fits all or that it's right for you're state, but at least it's information to use in one form or another. Do you guys, as a state full of hunters, consider shooting a doe a consolation prize or unethical or blaphem, etc.?

mammasboy

I believe more and more hunters here in WI are going to qdm.Hopefully not to the extreme, but hunters are recognizing that shooting does must be done and when you have a healthy deer herd, that's good for everyone.I personally believe that can be accomplished by protecting young bucks and shooting does.

Jason N

Good! I only asked that question becasue of my own personal experience with hunters in PA.....I just couldn't resist!

BowHunterChris

Here in NJ there are earn a buck zones which makes you shoot a doe before a buck in each season. There were a couple zones which had antler restrictions I believe which was 3 points on at least 1 side. I am totally up for antler restrictions. The gun clubs go nuts and will shoot 50 bucks during the week of shotgun season. If you take a look at all the deer they get, they are small forking 4 pointers and spikes. They do get the occasional big deer, but this is partially the reason why so many does are seen and not bucks. I'm 100% for antler restrictions. If proper management were practiced, we would have more big bucks running around. I think they should at least enforce the 3pts on one side rule. Most hunters mantality is to run around and shoot every buck they see! You also hear from people, if I don't shoot it, somebody else will.

Dale/PA

Jason your right I dont care for AR. To my way of thinking its just a tool to allow the massive herd reduction that Dr. Alt and the DCNR say has to occur. How many huntyres would have been ok with that if Dr. Alt had said that we are going to cut the deer herd in half where you are because all of the sudden there are to many deer? To ease that blow he and his team came up with AR. To many guys focused on that aspect and not on what he was really saying. Its amazing to me that guys have this fixation on antlers. What good are they? You cant eat them. They have no use except for bragging rights and collecting dust. In over 30 years of hunting I have taken less than a dozen bucks and yes 3 were spikes. I have taken a heck of a lot of doe during that time. Passed on bucks before AR that was my choice dont like having it forced on me tho. As for the 1 and 2 day hunters thats everyones cry that they shouldnt have a say in deer management. Wrong they have every right to expres their opinion A lot of them dont want to be 1 or 2 day hunters but due to work or other things beyound their control some are. There have been times that all I could hunt was a couple days.
vc1111 there are most certainly good bucks in PA even before AR. I have seen some real bruisers but never got a chance to connect. To may guys AR is supposed to be the cure all to their never getting a good buck. They think that because we now have to pass on some they will all of the sudden kill a monster.