buckhunter3

I think the fine was ok as far as shooting a deer with less then 4pts on one side.After all it was archery season he should have a better view of a buck then in gun season.I agree he was trying to get a buck no matter what with a small fine.In the book it says up to a $500 fine depending on the situation,I think there was a little more wrong then just shooting a deer with only 3pts on one side.

PaJack

I think the coyote's won't go hungery this year! A lot of hunters will just let them lay in the woods after a mistaken kill!

Hunt Safe!

Jack

BeltedMag

Wow, didnt realize some states had laws like that, guess its good for game management though. Now i know why so many PA hunters come down to my state (WV) and deer hunt. They dont have to worry as much, as long as the anlters are over 3 inches its a legal buck.

Ruddyduck

I agree with NJBowman , when it comes to hunting there is no"mistake". I think the rules are not enforced vigorously enough. If you can't tell for sure it's no shot ,period, end of story , no excuses. The people that will take a shot without clearly identifying their target for the most part are the same ones who tresspass, poach, shoot over their limits etc. For the majority of hunters these people are a black eye and hunting's worst enemy ,right up there with the anti's.
Please you see these low lifes turn them in.

BTBowhunter

There are a lot of problems with this story. $2500 would usually indicate 5 different deer violations. It's also my understanding that license suspensions come from Harrisburg after several months, not immediately. Where did you get this story? Do you really trust your source? Could this be a rumor started to "help" guys be more careful this season?

Member of NRA, BASS, Buckmasters and Life member of UBP.........Kill a big doe, Let the little bucks grow

wimp

I know a guy who shot a sub legal buck. He is the landowner of the place I hunt. 25$ fine, the PGC took the rack and tagged his deer with a PGC tag. He kept the deer. He is a goofball, not a criminal, I know it wasn't intentional. But that's my 1st hand experience, talked to him personally and saw the deer.

3DNWV

Lets look at this the law is 4points or more he shot a 3 by 2 with a bow. Now at archery range he should have been able to identife his target a little better and with a 25.00 fine most guys would just shot and risk the fine. And Beltedmag dont know what part of state your in but in my part its very hard to get a really good buck do to everyone shooting the small bucks. Id love WV to go to a 3 point per side limit. And also my area is over running with out of state hunters.I had one scoping my 3d target in my front yard last week. From his truck road hunting.

3DNWV

cableguy119

I have heard 2 stories of people with violations of the AR. First one guy took the deer to butcher and got a $500 fine for a 6 pointer. Second case guy turned himself in with a 6 pointer as well paid $25 at local game warden's office then got a $475 dollar fine in the mail. Talk about bait and switch and the need to read the fine print.
There should be some diference in doing the right thing and reporting it vs. not reporting it. Is $25 a bit light for not following the rules YES it is but having an equal fine for reporting vs. not reporting it is unexcusable.

In either case it seems odd because 6 points are legal in our area assuming each deer has 3 points to one antler. page 26 in the book defines a legal point is an antler or projection at least one inch in length from base to tip, the brow tine and main beam tip shall be counted as points regardless of length.

Also one of the other grey areas is that junior license holders, active duty military and disabled hunters are allowed to follow old antler restrictions. a 14 year old in our group was nearly run over by a nice 4 point (3-4 inch points)buck and didn't shoot cause he hadn't read the book thoroghly about the antler restictions. He was right to err on the side of caution but it would have been his first deer so there is a bit of bittersweetness to it. We told him and his father for not knowing the rule should really be no excuse. I bet saturday he shoots if he gets another chance.

I guess it goes to show that my early speculation that most people won't report their own violations and with how it is being handled I can't blame them. So butcher your own deer and make sure it is under a tarp or not visable while transporting it. PA GAME COMMISSION has an agenda and what it is time will tell. Antler restrictions and a ton of doe tags this year - prepare for some more changes down the road. Next year fewer doe tags, fewer deer. Look to Jersey for how their herd is diminished over the last few years with their unlimted doe tags and earn a buck program. We are in the face of changes that can affect hunting for better or worse time will ultimately be the judge of that.

chilly

Why is it that no one (other than ilbback & BT Hunter) is questioning the validity of this post. It starts out "the story goes". Is this information factual, or a "whisper down the lane". We are our own worst enemies when it comes to feeding off the rumor mills. If this 'story' was the result of a news article or other media, then refer to the source. And just because it may be in print, does not necessarily make it accurate. I have seen many stories appear in the newspapers one day, with a retraction or apology the next. And as for the one post that said the coyotes won't go hungry, because a lot of 'hunters' will just let the mistakes lay in the woods. While this may be true, I have to disagree, in that they're not hunters--they're criminals. And there are far too many criminals in the woods these days. And for that reason the game laws couldn't be enforced enough.

Even a bad day in the woods, is better than any day out!

KIDD642

Holy Crap...Guess that was an expensive lesson. I did hear that it was the game wardens call on how much of an accident it really is.

Frank