PA Antler restrictios--working?
#51
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: PA.
Posts: 5,195
RE: PA Antler restrictios--working?
ORIGINAL: bearklr
wow...that's pretty ironic because some of the oldest deer we have taken have been on state forrest land (tiadaghton to be exact). The mountains are so vast and loaded with laurel that I can believe there would be deer on there that die of old age and are never seen by a hunter. Behind our camp alone is thousands of acres that are nearly impossible to get to by the average hunter and unless you have a group of people to get those things moving out of the laurel they're gonna be gone before you ever see them. I mean, from the ground you're lucky if you can see 20 feet in any direction. My uncle took a 6 point this year that I would bet was at least 7 years old. His teeth were almost worn flat and his rack was on a definite down swing. This is just what I have noticed from our camp though. Down here in Lancaster is a different story. The land is all pretty accessible and there are a lot more hunters down here thus younger bucks.
ORIGINAL: sproulman
on stateforestland here in pa.idont believe you will see a 7 and 1/2 year old buck..
on my privateland this year, i have buck i think is 4 years old..how he made it by the POACHERS is mistery to me.he has rack that is about 24 inchs wide, 8 point...i have not heard of anyone getting him,so far..
i raised a michigan deer 34 years ago, he was a big deer.. he died at 9 years old and had a nice rack, 10 point but i seen bigger racks on some of the 4 year old deer..
so, 7 and 1/2 year old deer on stateforestland is not going to happen..
most of the teeth i checked on some of the big bucks i saw this year were 2 and 1/2 to 3 and 1/2 years old..never saw one over 4 years old..
on stateforestland here in pa.idont believe you will see a 7 and 1/2 year old buck..
on my privateland this year, i have buck i think is 4 years old..how he made it by the POACHERS is mistery to me.he has rack that is about 24 inchs wide, 8 point...i have not heard of anyone getting him,so far..
i raised a michigan deer 34 years ago, he was a big deer.. he died at 9 years old and had a nice rack, 10 point but i seen bigger racks on some of the 4 year old deer..
so, 7 and 1/2 year old deer on stateforestland is not going to happen..
most of the teeth i checked on some of the big bucks i saw this year were 2 and 1/2 to 3 and 1/2 years old..never saw one over 4 years old..
wayback as pgc uses now or some that want to let you think deer are WAYBACK is all big lie..derr are NOT wayback as wayback can be accessed ..years ago, that was not easy..
we have biggest mountains around here in clinton/potter where i grew up..no old deer or bucks , are being taken here and have not,i would say for about 35 years..back then as i said, a buck would go WAYBACK and could survive another year..
it was not necessary to go back after him as deer hunting was easy and close to roads..NOW,there is no WAYBACK..roads and trails take you everywhere..people have GPS,dcnr tells you how to get there,carts for hauling your deer out,bear hunting has brought hunters in and if they see a nice buck, they come back and get it..
years ago, from 60 to 70s , i agree with you , you could find a old buck..i saw it and shot a few that were 6 years old..those days are gone..
i have many, many friends that hunt the VAST, RUGGED, ENDLESS mountains wayback..out of 16 of them, they got 2 buck for 2 weeks of hunting..they very seldom saw to many hunters but also did not see ANY DEER..
they saw MORE deer close to roads and homes than they did WAYBACK..why??
because WAYBACK the terrain and food is not as good as close to roads/homes etc..when you go wayback as you said, all you see is laural..deer dont survive on laural..
where did i get my big 8 point buck this year??it was not WAYBACK..if big buck were WAYBACK in vast ,rugged,endless mountains, ole sproul would be there..
i only hunt huge buck and not 1 in last 35 years has been harvested WAYBACK..
take care..sproul
#52
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Slower Lower Delaware 1st State
Posts: 1,776
RE: PA Antler restrictios--working?
7.5 - That's a Mouldy Oldey Deer anywhere.
The Million $$$ question - WHO - aged the deer?
A F&G biologist admit he errored by 1 yr a Doe he aged - after - I asked him to explain. I showed him a large laminated "jaw bone aging" diagram I keep in truck during deer season(secured thru QDMA).It has very detailed pics and instructions on aging from .5 thru 6.5 yrs. He changed it from 3.5 to 2.5 but said it still could be a 3.5 ???
I suspect it would take somebody with some real expertice in jaw bone/teeth aging to make a call on a 7.5 Deer ??
There are other give aways to older bucks(3.5 +). Would be nice to see pics.
The Million $$$ question - WHO - aged the deer?
A F&G biologist admit he errored by 1 yr a Doe he aged - after - I asked him to explain. I showed him a large laminated "jaw bone aging" diagram I keep in truck during deer season(secured thru QDMA).It has very detailed pics and instructions on aging from .5 thru 6.5 yrs. He changed it from 3.5 to 2.5 but said it still could be a 3.5 ???
I suspect it would take somebody with some real expertice in jaw bone/teeth aging to make a call on a 7.5 Deer ??
There are other give aways to older bucks(3.5 +). Would be nice to see pics.
#53
RE: PA Antler restrictios--working?
Nice try sproul but I ain't buying it. You are trying to tell me that deer aren't "wayback" in any more and that vast mountains won't hold old deer...c'mon. I have hunted these mountains my entire life and can guarantee you that they sure as he!! aren't easily accessible. Sure, I can drive around the tops to the flats but nobody in their right mind is crazy enough to walk the .75 miles through the thickest laurel you ever saw just to reach the brow. Then they have to walk halfway down over just to be able to see enough to hunt it. And unless your a he!! of a swimmer whatever you're lucky enough to shoot has to go back up. Look at my pic as supporting evidence because I tend to back my accusations up with such. Notice that east of 414 there isn't a single road and to walk from 414 to as far right as you can see is at least a days walk. Now if you can honestly look at that pic and tell me a deer can't live to be 6 years old than there sure as heck ain't nothing gonna change your mind. By the way, the area in the blue box is probably a good 12 square miles and hasn't seen a boot in decades. Unless of course one hunter decided to make the 8 hour trek and camp out. Of course he probably shot every 4 year old buck around. I mean he would of had to right? Like you said there is no way deer live to be 6 years old in the state forrests.