Sport 2

I also agree. I've definately seen an improvement in the number and average size of the bucks I see. However, I have not seen a great increase of monster bucks. Although, I'm sure that probably has more to do with thier intelligence. They don't get to be mosters by letting everybody see them.
I am seeing about half the deer I used too. but about swice as many bucks. I'm hoping this year will help to bring up the deer population. I've been seeing twins with most does.

Lefty26

I have not hunted PA since AR. My last year living in PA was the season prior. All of my buddys that still live in PA love AR, they have comments similiar to what others have posted, they are seeing less deer overall, but more and bigger bucks. After seeing some pictures of these deer I have actually been kicking around the idea of getting a PA license again this year. Might have to go showsome of those PA boys how its done...

Rick James

Yes, in 3B there are better bucks. The average age of bucks on our 130 acres is now 2.5 and I see about as many 1.5 year or older bucks as I do 1.5 year or older does. I will also see at least one time a year a 3.5 year old or better buck which used to happen only once ever 4-5 years.Between us and the neighbors on a total of about 400 acres of QDM and foodplots one of us kills a 3.5 or older buck every year now. Hopefully this year is mine...........I have passed a lot of small to decent bucks waiting for something 100" or bigger and even though I have had several encounters withbig boysI haven't shot a buck since 2001.

missedagain

My thoughts on AR is that it depends on how your doe have been hammered by the HR program. If the area/areas you hunt have been pounded near bare of deer the thought that there may be a couple bigger buck around is not comforting. Chances are that you will never see them. As long as there is a herd of sorts you can possibly see a benefit from AR. I have seen huge Public areas that i am familiar becomealmost completely barren of deer with the result that there just aren't any bucks to speak of in the pipeline. With very few doe there are very few young bucks making it to adulthood. They along with their doe sister fawns are shot during the concurrent season. Very few make it through, so you see no spikes or forkies the next year if you are lucky to see a deer at all.

The way it has impacted me and my friends is not good at all. Just seeing a doe now is a cause for rejoicing. And I'm talking thousands of acres of formerly wonderful public land hunting. It's gone now. If I had contacts in another state to go for a hunt without some huge outfitter charge, I would be gone in a flash. From my perspective Pa hunting stinks and I can't see that there will be any relief in the future. The HR program is working exactly the way the PGC wanted it to. They are dileriously happy about it and so are all the DCNR/Audobon types that comprise the inner circle. But that's life.

Wimuzzleman

AR's didnt do any good for me. I dont live in Pa anymore but I still hunt there every year. My family and I hunt on top of a mountain where nobody else seems to like to hunt we have always seen big bucks. The only problem is now you almost never see a doe. Another bad thing I have noticed about it is With all the antlerless deer being shot it seems like more button bucks are being shot than before. Doesn't that kinda defeat the purpose of antler restrictions?

missedagain

Antler restrictions is sort of a scam. It was hung out there by Alt to get all the hunters wetting their pants. If the herd is hit too hard, it can't possibly provide more mature buck to hunt. It was the carrot for the painful stick of herd reduction. As soon as I heard what was proposed by Alt I knew immediately that the deer hunting where I am familiar would turn to nothing. Lots of doe tags, concurrent seasons, kiss the button bucks and the rest of the herd goodbye.

AJ52

No that doesn't defeat the purpose of AR.It simply means hunters need to learn how to distinguish BB from a Doe.Its not hard IF your willing to pay attention and actually give a crap about AR and QDM.On our lease farm,we have experianced alot more 2.5 & 3.5 bucks in recent yrs since all of us have made a concerted effort to recognize and pass on BB's and Spikes.

It does make a hek of a differance in the long term big picture.

BTBowhunter

We have a certain member here who absolutely buries us with statistics telling us why AR's wont work and that HR is taking too many button bucks. Then in another thread, he mentioned that his group had killed 6 antlerless deer last season and 5 were button bucks.

For now that member shall remain nameless. Ill just say that when it comes to shooting button bucks,someamong us have Beenthere too often. There are certainly better ways to tell if its a button than shooting it first and checking the head ofthe Deaddeer. Some guys just shoot when they see that deerfly by and dont care that they're killing a future antlered buck even though they come on here and tell us it's AR and HR that are the villains!.

AJ52

Yea I noted that comment on the other thread about 6+ - BB's and 2+ - Spikes killed as I recall. All those Deadeer that could have been Nicedeer in 2-3 yrs.

In all fairness its because those guys didn't see any 2.5 deerfly bye. They shot up what they needed to fill the freezer. If that be the case Its Ok but don't bad mouth the PGC or complain about scrub bucks.You done shot em up when they were BB's and spikes to fill the freezer.

Turkeyhunter1

The bucks are doing better on my property! I keep a inventory with my cameras, and they seem to getting better in rack, and body size. I recommend to hunters with property, If you have a piece of land big enough to put a small food plot on, then plant it with late season plants or soybeans!! The deer need all the help they can get for the long winters, like what we have in the North. Supplemental feeding is one of the best ways to improve your herds overall health and survival......