At least some PA hunters like the program
 

I guess not everyone has had the results that the USP members are having......

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/136-12102006-754096.html

Regulations getting rave reviews


The opinions poured in last week regarding the effect of antler restrictions
in Pennsylvania. As Mark Polatty of Salford put it, "You don't have to go to
Illinois or out west anymore to have a good chance at a nice buck."

Stephen Cloak, Chief Engineer Naval Air Systems Command stationed in
Maryland, returns to Tioga County every year to hunt. He summed up the last
few years by saying it is only getting better. "I hunted Monday, Tuesday and
(half) of Wednesday before returning home and saw 61 deer," Cloak wrote.

Joe Pano of Langhone said: "Though I've never been a fan of Gary, 'I'll
bring back the flora and fauna to PA no matter what the costs.' I have to
admit the antler restriction idea has been great. I have had tremendous
success over the last four years hunting the state game lands of north
central PA (Clearfield, Cameron and Elk counties). I took another 8-point
this year. Of the 7 guys in camp we took three 8-points and three of the
other four had a shot or opportunity at a legal buck."

That's just a sample of the overall rave reviews of the deer regulations now
in effect in the state. For the last several years many have shouted that
the Pennsylvania Game Commission is guilty of everything from stocking
wolves to mountain lions in their quest to kill all the deer in the
Commonwealth. Most of us laughed it off as the rants of the minority that
make the most noise.

As this deer season continues it is becoming more and more evident that the
regulations considered drastic and risky, and some said down right crazy,
are paying dividends to those who are venturing out of the parking lots and
into the field and deep woods.

I wanted some more proof of what many of us suspect so I visited East Coast
Taxidermy in Telford. Joe and Eric were only too happy to show me a mountain
of racks to be mounted. What they were really anxious to show was how many
were from the counties where the naysayers are saying the deer are all gone.

Pike, Wyoming, Clarion, Union, Bradford Potter, Tioga, Sullivan, Clearfield,
McKean, Wayne, Pike, Forest and most of the traditional "northern tier"
counties that are rapidly becoming a veritable hotbed for large bucks were
all represented. I hunted for years in Clarion County and never saw a buck
like the one I saw at East Coast. It was easily a 4-½ year old deer. We used
to joke that Clarion was good for does but if you wanted a buck it was a
matter of choosing the size of the spikes or "spatch."

Not all hunters had success in the northern counties. Many had great success
right here at home. Jim Stone of Yardley had a hunt that he and his sons
will never forget.

"Hunting in Bucks County, my son Cory (15) and his younger brother Sean (13)
both got their first bucks this year. Cory shot his buck at 7:30 on the
opening day. It was an 8-point with a 17-inch spread that dressed at 140
pounds. Then it was Sean's turn. On Tuesday at about 3:30 in the afternoon
he shot his buck. It was a 4-point that also dressed at 140 pounds. The
excited look on their faces was priceless. I've been hunting for 25 years
and have some fond memories, but none of them come close to this year.
Especially as a father waiting until they were old enough to hunt, and
having them not only get their first bucks but to get them the same year. I'
m so proud of them. This will be a year we will never forget," a very proud
Dad stated.

I'm proud of them, too. I'm hoping I have a similar story to share someday.

And this from Mark Arsenich of Upper Black Eddy. "I was lucky enough to
shoot the biggest 9 point buck of my life all because of my daughter's great
ears and eyesight in Upper Black Eddy. My daughter Julie who is 12 was
sitting with me in our stand and hoping to get a deer her first year
hunting. But at 7:30 a.m. opening day the big 9-pointer came crashing past
us and only I was able to get that one lucky shot off to bring down the
deer. She made me so proud and if it wasn't for her we might have come home
with nothing. It was a day we will both remember for the rest of our lives."

RE: At least some PA hunters like the program
 

I don't have a problem with ARs . But I do have a problem with killing so many does to "manage" for bucks. I'm a deer hunter first and foremost. It is a small minority of hunters whom want so few does just to have some nicer bucks that are legal @ 2.5 yrs of age to be killed.For everywannbe trophy hunter that ishappy with few deer sightings, I'll wager 10 deer hunters could be found whom aren't
The PGC whom needs $now needs the revenue generated by anterless tags and can't afford to cut back to a reasonable number per each WMU. To me that isn't management but a rape of a resource for $$.
Who other than the PGC has the arrogance to cut services,products (deer and other game animals) and cry they need more $ and need rate hikes at the same time. I think they took their money management courses from OPEC!

RE: At least some PA hunters like the program
 

Thats the thing though. There may not be as many deer in PA as there used to be, but there still seems to be plenty to hunt and see, in combo with the mature bucks to hunt.

I see more and more nice bucks coming from PA every yearincluding a nice 9 point my brother got w/ bow. They are seeing plenty of deer (everyday) and have seen lots of nice bucks. Are some areas overshot with does?? Probably, but there seems to be more happy hunters there every year. My friend hunted PA for 30 years and has never seen, let alone shoot, the bucks they have taken the past 3 years.

RE: At least some PA hunters like the program
 

Well we can agree that some places have lots of deer and others don't. I would suggest they give out lots of tags next year for these areas so we can let the areas that are low on deer repopulate.Me and maybe another 200,000 hunters might see you next year where you hunt them. You or othrs who seen all these deers in your area wouldn't mind would you?What WMU are you hunting?

RE: At least some PA hunters like the program
 

I get your point. I am not hunting there, my brother and friends are. Not sure what WMU it is, but I belive its in or near cleafield county.

RE: At least some PA hunters like the program
 

2B 2D and 2F for me and my gang. I've heard basically the same story (from the same type of hunters) in all three.... no deer, they're killing all the does and yet the folks I hunt with see and harvest deer in all three of those WMU's. Do we have hotspots and coldspots in each? You betcha! But we've managed to find the deer on public , or open to the public, land in all 3 WMU's. In some cases, we are not hunting all of our traditional honey holes but we've found new ones.

I really believe that the bulk of the complaints are coming from hunters who want it "to be the way it was WHERE it was" no matter what.They either won't or can't adapt. Guess what? You may have to try a new spot! Not neccesarily a new WMU but maybe a new area. You might even have to do some off season scouting and a little homework to gain permission but the deer are out there and available for those willing to work for them.

RE: At least some PA hunters like the program
 

BT not hard to tell which group you fall into is it? Your arrogance belies you, what gives you the right to "assume" other hunters aren't as adept as you at finding new hunting areas?
The questioning of the PGC's management isn't about AR it is about not manageing the deer herd in general correctly. The PGC's spokesman got his viewpoint to be accpeted by a minority of Pa sportsman. Mainly the type of hunter whom watches too much Outdoor Life channeltv, onmidwest whitetail hunts.What he failed to get questioned on is why protect a male deer for just 1 more year? Anyone in the know realizes that it takes a min. of 4.5 yrs to produce bucks of a harvest age in a well managed herd.
I liken the PGC's deer management to the Iraq war strategy...neither had a good withdrawl plan in place before they forged ahead. deer numbers have been reduced in nearly all parts of the state...BUT THE PGC DOESN'T HAVE A PLAN TO GET OUT OF THE ANTERLESS HARVESTS AT THE RATE THEY PUT IN PLACE!! other than to make token WMU wide tag allotment reductions.

RE: At least some PA hunters like the program
 

What do you tell the people who have jobs and only get out maybe 3 days to hunt? What are you goanna tell the kids who hunt with these main majority of people? Believe it or not, these are the majority of hunters who buy their license. I hope the PGC will see it like this instead of catoring to the ones who don't bring them in the most income. Ask a child what they want to see? Deer of any kind. To cater to the minority is really bad bussiness. If a store doesn't sale a product of popularitythat the majoritywants, Are theygoanna shop there for that product? Not a chance.

RE: At least some PA hunters like the program
 

No trying to be a pain. But let me ask...Did the majority not speak up?? How did it pass with such a small minority??

Well,I huntin New England, which never had nor ever will have the PA herd.I startedhunting as a kid. Yeah, I got lucky my early years but still hunted for several seasons in a row seeing little to no deer. In fact,I never lost interest despite not harvesting a deer in my state foran embarasingly long time. My father taught me how to hunt the tough MA public woods, and taught me that effort would yield its rewards, not luck. The deer don't come easy. They never do up here.

For faster "action" he would take me upland bird or small game huntingas a kid. Where lots of game is sighted, lots of shooting and walking to keep it fun. It was a better way to keep a kid interested in hunting.

For deer, a kid has to learn to become patient, because its part of deer hunting. If not, they grow into adult deer hunters with little patience and unrealistic expectations of the forests capacity and the species itself. Off course they want to see deer. I am in my 30's and still feel that way. But if he can't stand going a day or two w/o seeing one maybe deer hunting is not for them.

I also don't feel the AR is a trophy regulation. Years ago, our size limit for bass was at 10" to keep. They raised it to 12" in the early 80's. Was it because a 13" bass was a trophy?? Or that all the people watching B.A.S.S. wanted to make my state a trophy bass destination?? Nope. It was a simple way to protect more of the adult breedingpopuation. I see AR in PA as the same. Its not perfect, but there had to be a change IMO.

RE: At least some PA hunters like the program
 

I said this in another post, the problem is the WMU's are too big. I hunt int 2f which consists of about 3 different counties. Yes we can all hunt in another part of the WMU but when you work it is hard to go out and hunt in another county. I live in Warren County, we used to be in the top 5 of deer harvested. That doesnt happen anymore. I really thin that they should go back to giving just counties doe tags. There are alot of deer in Forest county which is also 2f so they think that all of 2f is loaded with deer................it isnt. I know alot of hunters that hunt in different parts of Warren County and they all say the same thing............deer populations are down. I like hunting in Warren County and I have for 30 years and continue to hunt there as long as I am able. But something needs to be done about doe allocations. Let it go back to 2 week buck and 3 day doe seasons and back to counties getting the tags not the WMU's.