Just a quick question for everybody who hunts NC PA whether resident or non-resident, I am just wondering how many of you who actually hunted in NC PA last year are not going back this year and for what; ie you hunted deer and turkey or whatever else last year in 2G, this year only turkey in 2G, etc. I am not looking to start another long-winded fight on deer populations or whatever, just looking for amounts of guys going back or not or going there for the first time, thanks, Oh and good luck to the Bowhunter's next saturday!! (I can't go, Bow went way of snapped string upon release, rather messy, did in face good too[:@])

the numbers of hunters has been dropping real bad from about 2003 to now in 2g. from 1999 to 2003, lots of hunters because of all extra tags.trucks were full of meat. now that deer are gone, less hunters. friends i know from kentucky come here from 30 years now in 2g. they used to bring 16 ,now 6.why, they only hunt buck and no buck to get here like they did.its really not money to them. they said license fees is not reason. they said they can stay home and have better hunting than 2g here in pa.so, why come. this is why i feel rendell kill the deer off crowd is going to fail on their new PA WILDS tourism to replace deer hunting .maybe not, if they get barn owls going and buffalo,elk, monkeys , gorrilas,oh sproul, now you are getting nutty.what heck, everything i said is coming true, so far.

I hunted the first week of buck season as a NonRes.last yearin 2G and was unsucessful. I'll be driving back from Montana to 2G again this year to hunt bucks. Hope my luck will be better this year.

Cant speak for 2G but in 2F,some of which is considered north central,hunter numbers have been going downhill for at least 10-15 years. Especially in the rifle season. When I bought my camp in 1978, the town of Tionesta was in gridlock from the Saturday after Thanksgiving till around Tuesday night and camps were lit up all through the first week. Now it gets hard to find a hunter in the woods after about 2 PM on opening day.Most camps are dark byMonday night and the only period of high car traffic in front of my camp occurs between 10 AM and 4 PM on the first day. Allthe trucks are loaded up and headed home.All this started many years ago and has steadily declined every year.

big sky. i live here and only saw 1 legal buck last year hunting from archery to end of muzzleloder in 2g,thats about 4 months of hunting.dont feel bad.

i agree with you. even in bear season, very few hunters at camp.also number of hunters at camp are down to.most here that come go back same day. others pack up and leave by noon,tuesday afternoon.in good days they would leave friday,not now.also, its hard to find a crew driving deer anymore now.i asked former crews why they dont drive now.they said, sproul too many tree sitters now in middle of our drives,we are not driving that 1 deer out to them to shoot.the ones that do drive deer now do it after wednesday if they know the tree sitters are gone.boy, crews that used to come in and hunt, thousands of them.like being in vietnam and being over run with viet cong.guns going off all around you.boy, it got you warmed up quick. now, if you here 8 shots the first day in say 5 mile area ,thats something. i counted 1 time over 100 shots before 9 am the first day in my hunting area. boy, that was something.

Although I have to speak only for myself, and being a camp owner in 2G, yes, I will be back. True, the deer are not as plentiful as they once were, but if you put a little time into it, and pay some attention to what people who know the area tell you, there is still a very good chance to fill your tag.
The hunt for me in particular no longer revolves around the need or pressure to fill a tag. This comes mainly, I think, with years of hunting experience and good memories of past years and good friends. Wood smoke, the "Big Breakfasts", good harvests in past years, and the infinite stories associated with camp life are now my treasures.
The good Lord willing, I hope I will be back at least one more time. I hope you will too.

Sproulman ~ It was very quiet in the areas we hunted inlast year. We hunt bucks hard....always changing our strategies/ adjusting to conditions, changing locations,etc.and areusually successful .There are 7 of us who hunt out of a permanent camp.Last year was the first time in 32 years we all went home deerless.
As Pawildman said and I have to agree with him on this, If it wasn't for theWHOLE Deer Camp experience of being with friends you haven't seen in a whole year,the great meals,stokin the ole'woodstove,the cold outhouse,jokin around and just having anenjoyable time being inthe Pa. mountains,I wouldn't even give it thought to come back to Pa. just to buck hunt.I have plenty of those... and then some, right here where I live.

If we still have buck tags left we will go up for rifle, deer or no deer.

After 45 years in what's now 3A, guess I'll just keep going back until I learn better.