bearklr

Went out spotting last night here in Lancaster PA and had the best night in a long time. I checked a few fields around 9:00 and saw some deer here and there (too far to tell buck or doe). Then, I headed over to the field I hunt above. I shined the light right off the road and there were 6 deer standing. No big deal I thought to myself but then looked closer and started counting. 1 buck, 2 bucks, 3 bucks, 4 bucks, 5 bucks and a doe. That was the most buck I have seen in that area in awhile. There was nothing too spectacular, maybe a small 8 point at best with the smallest being a 6. Then I moved down the field about 100 yards and there he was...a monster 10 point. That made 6 different buck just a few 100 yards from where my stand is set up. Man, I can't wait until archery.

livbucks

How does this compare to spotting before AR?
Without AR you probably would have seen 15 does/fawns and one forkie.
Your season sounds promising.
What WMU is that BTW?

BOWHUNTER818

CAN I COME HUNT WITH YOU!!!!I'm just kidden your season is of o a good start! Hope you get one of the 6.

mauser06

livbucks, i must agree i too am seeing more bucks...thats the ONLY benifit im seeing thus far. i hunt 2b and in one set of fields we been seeing NINE diffrent bucks. a couple shooters. a couple might be legal and a couple scrubs. thats just one field. i too would be excited to hunt there the first morning but im not getting my hopes up. everyone in the township is talking about them. someone drove THROUGH the fields numerous times. the first morning there will be a zoo i bet. ill probably take a nap till 9am or so and wake up when the yahoos start walking back to their trucks. i am pretty amazed at the NUMBER of bucks ive seen in the passed year. it took me 4 or 5 years to SEE a buck in season let alone kill one. that was the first year of ARs. he was legal too. i brought him home. but now im seeing more bucks....less deer in general. we might actually start to see REAL rutting activity now. scents and calls may actually WORK. im excited about this season, but not to hunt the field of 9. i got a spot that noone else should be in and ill be there extra early..but im expecting it to be a zoo....

good luck bearklr. just keep in mind my situation and try to setup where you dont think other guys will(unless its super private property) but i know guys that ran out to buy crossbows JUST to hunt this year...ahhh 2B......

DougMD

AR's working bigtime! There may have been some problems overharvesting does, but all I hear is about how there are lots of bigger bucks in PA. Now if we can only get WV to enact restrictions on spikes and forkies we'll be ok too.

bearklr

livbucks you're right. This land is super private land that only 2 or 3 people hunt. I've been hunting it for 15 years and spotting that same field for 15 or so years as well. In the past I would usually see about 10 - 15 doe and yearlings and maybe 1 or 2 bucks. Now granted there have been some monsters spotted out there before 150 - 160 class but I have NEVER seen the quantity of bucks as I did that night. In all honesty I probably saw more bucks in 2 minutes than I have the previous 5 years combined. I also know we still have a decent number of does as I see them on other parts of the property. I think this year will be pretty promising. As for me, based on personal experiences, I think AR is doing what it was intended to do.

livbucks

I'm framing that right there!
It's good to be validated on occasion.
Thanks fortyping it!

GREEK HUNTER

sounds like you will get one... just make sure you hold out for the big 10 though...

bearklr

Greek, I would love to hold out for the 10 although I never plan on doing anything until I get in the stand. I find that whatever I have planned in my head is never what ends up happening. I have a baby on the way so hunting days will be few and far between so if a basket 6 or 8 walk under it's going to be tough to let them walk knowing I don't have much time. We'll see what happens. I'm just glad to see they all didn't get wacked last year as spikes.

BTBowhunter

Best of luck there Bearklr. Maybe that big one will happen by when you get the chance to get out there. More importantly, I hope and pray that all goes well for your wife and new future hunting buddy.