jf5

Not trying to be a pain here, so don't kill me. I know the tag/license sales are improtant to funding. But with all the complaining here about low deer numbers in PA, I figured some would be happy to see less hunters in their woods.

Addingto the thread topicthough, most NE states are on the same decline as PA on license sales. This whole "no deer= no sales = PGC sucks"is unfounded in my eyes as we in MA are facing the same decline despite record harvests and more trophy bucks than ever. And our deer hunting SUCKS compared to PA, even now!

Younger hunters not getting into the sport has little to do with lack of deer, and more to do with our modern society of instant gratification. If you really are truely concerned about Jr hunters getting into the sport. Its time to volunteer your time and money to hunter safety courses and tutoring young ones on wildlife, shooting, fishing, and hunting.Fishing is a great start, then some target shooting,then small game oruplandbirds, etc. These activites will plant the base for the future hunter IMO.

Rob/PA Bowyer

Does that surprise you, hunters stop buying licenses because there are no deer on public land and that is a direct result of people like you intentionally shooting 5 button bucks. [:'(]

Rob/PA Bowyer

SO that explains why you intentionally shoot 5 button bucks on public land, it's because your mad there are too many tags and you figure if you kill all the deer yourself, they'll wake up. Yeah, that makes sense. [:'(]

shump

A_N_T_L_E_R_L_E_S_S_ _L_I_C_E_N_S_E_S_ *
RESIDENT *
ANTLERLESS 825,174 782,617 * -42,557 5 % DOWN
A N T L E R L E S S L A N D _ _ _ _ _1_,_4_6_7_ _ _ _ _ _1_,_5_1_5_ * 48 3 %
TOTAL RESIDENT 826,641 784,132 * -42,509 5 % DOWN
NON RESIDENT *
ANTLERLESS 25,286 22,689 * -2,597 10 % DOWN
A N T L E R L E S S L A N D _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _8_7_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1_0_0_ * 13 15 %
TOTAL NON RESIDENT 25,373 22,789 * -2,584 10 % DOWN
TOTAL ANTLERLESS 852,014 806,921 * -45,093 5 % DOWN
* Antlerless Deer License Update
Search Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency Home Printable Version eMail

QUICK LINKS:
Antlerless Deer License Information
Overview of application process
Download Application
Statewide map of the new Wildlife Management Units

WMU ALLOCATION DISTRIBUTED REMAINING STATUS
1A 42,000 42,000 0 CLOSED
1B 30,000 30,000 0 CLOSED
2A 55,000 55,000 0 CLOSED
2B 68,000 60,553 7,447 Open
2C 49,000 49,000 0 CLOSED
2D 56,000 56,000 0 CLOSED
2E 21,000 21,000 0 CLOSED
2F 28,000 28,000 0 CLOSED
2G 19,000 19,000 0 CLOSED
3A 29,000 29,000
0
CLOSED
3B 43,000 43,000 0 CLOSED
3C 27,000 27,000 0 CLOSED
3D 38,000 38,000 0 CLOSED
4A 29,000 29,000 0 CLOSED
4B 31,000 31,000 0 CLOSED
4C 39,000
39,000
0 CLOSED
4D 40,000 40,000 0 CLOSED
4E 38,000 38,000 0 CLOSED
5A 25,000 25,000 0 CLOSED
5B 53,000 53,000 0 CLOSED
5C 79,000
79,000
0
CLOSED
5D 20,000 19,280 720 Open
Totals 859,000 850,833
8,167

doctariAFC

Right on! You hit the nail on the head - and uncovered another reason for the troubles with youth recruitment.

Fastest declining sports in outdoors recreation.....

Fishing
Small Game hunting

Basically in that order.... If you look at some of the trends, specific to your own state, the vehicles kids need to peak interest in outdoors recreation and conservation, are not being used to introduce the kids...

We're all sitting here talking about introducing the kids to DEER HUNTING. We need more deer, or my kids won't like it because they will get bored. Gotta have bigger racks, but don't restrict my kid from shooting a PA 11 point ... Oh no.

All the while, the sky is falling, its a conspiracy by the PGC, or the DEC, or NDR or whatever. Same old song and dance. Has it ever occurred to anyone with a stake or a gripe or whatever that we are using the WRONG focus to grow deer hunting and hunting in general?

Take the blinders off and look at all of these sports, please. The issues are widespread and when we say its this or its that, and then blame the "man", we're bafoons! (Not to say the "man" is never the cause, because onlypoliticians can completely mess up a one-car funeral)

God, I wish we had a better way at information delivery and availability. I am different, I am lucky. I get all the info as soon as it is released (sometimes even sooner). But, then again, I am up to my neck in it here in NYS. And I read all that is sent to me......

Here, to make the point and hopefully share some of these facts, Nationally, in 2001, according to USF&W 2001 Report on H,F & WW, the United States had 37.8 million participants, of which 13 million were hunters, 34.1 million were anglers. I know, if you do the math, this comes out to 47.1 million.... It was reported that 9.3 Million were sportsmen, or did both, hunting and fishing, and subtract that from the 47.1 million total, and you get 37.8 million actual participants total. Pretty smart how the separated each sport, yet accounted for potential duplicity with cross over....

So, 13 million total hunters in the US, of which 9.3 million also fish..... Fishing allows kids to be introduced at angy age, without a safety course, and no license until typically 16.

Check on how many fishing licenses have been sold in your state. In PA 50% of the hunters also fish. From what I am seeing in the Demographics and age groups, 2001, 16 and 17 year olds made up 4.9% of those who hunted, fished, or did both. That number is @ 81,000 in hard figuress. Guessing that the trend holds true for youths (doing both), that is a new crop of hunters at the rate of @ 40,500.

What you have to find out is how are fishing license sales currently. We'll all find out Q2 next year, but if you can get some figures, this area can be identified and accounted for.

In terms of participation in each specific facet of hunting, and even fishing, we can get at it. Better still, if I can attach a pdf document to this post, I can at least post PA's report, or you can dig for it yourself at the USF&W site, in their Publications section. The 2001 PA report should be there, somewhere. I found it. ANyone can

Just so we're clear... this is only one source of information, but seems to be very comprehensive and relatively accurate. It can also confuse the heck out of you if you lose what you're looking for. The conclusions I draw from the numbers are my own conclusions, which I base upon an analysis of the numbers and conducting trending based on past data. Hey, I was a marketing analyst for a number of years in the grocery industry. I'm out of that industry now, so why not use a little of what I learned, right?

BTBowhunter

LP, I doubt that many antis buy licenses or antlereless tags to save deer. If they did it in any quantity, it would cause success rates to decline. The PGC takes success rates into consideration when issuing tags andwould simply issue more antlerless tags for the affected WMU's. In the long run, it could indeed cause more deer to be shot through those extra doe tags. It's the same for those misguided hunters who buy doe tags to "save" a deer. It might save a deer that year but could actually cause the demise of more in the long run by changing the success rates.

lead poisoner

This is just evidence that the management of game(lack of) is proof by the number of license sales.Less wildlife to hunt, Less tags to be sold.If the game was abundant as it once was before they start pissin with things.Sales would be higher.This is just evidence of the poor game management and nothing has been improved and only made worse. Thats what the point of the sales was about.To show how bad this is getting.

BTBowhunter

How do you explain the similar trend of declining license sales in virtually every state? Are they all mismanaged?

lead poisoner

I would have to say yes and we are following their paths for something bigger in the future to happen.I would have to say it has something to do with gun control and the freedom of the people of this country. If you look to see who are behind all of this.It's the government in every state.The east was the last of the strong hold here with this many hunters. Hunters=guns less hunters = less guns. Less guns easier for the future agenda. But this is another topic. But yes, It's the intentional mismanagement for someones elses agenda.

BTBowhunter

I agree that we as gun owners and hunters are under fire from many fronts. That probably has some effect on our numbers. But my point is that declining hunter numbers are happening even in states wher there is no deer controversy and where hunting is not under fire. it's a problem of our society becoming more urbanized as well as a problem of parents not commiting the time to take their kids into the outdoors.