2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

I spent a few days in the Sproul SF last week on a bear research trip with the PGC and I have to admit that I had no idea how poor the habitat in the Sproul had gotten. It has to be right up there among the least desireable habitat in the state for the whitetail deer.That area isn't going to support big deer densities for a long time. On the other hand, while traveling to get there and back. we saw 80+ deer from our vehicle in area 2G mostly from I80 and Rt 555.

My limited observations tell me that it would appearthe deer population is still quite healthy in 2G in the areas where the habitat still exists to support them.

The guys on here that tell of having success in 2G are undoubtedly telling the truth. The hunters who are seeing no deer arealso notfibbing either. They dont need to go terribly far to find deer in good numbers , but they may need to find a new hunting area just down the road.

Just my $.02

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

You hit the nail on the head BT.There's plenty of deer in 2G where the habitat can still support them.There are no doubt areas with very few deer and the FLIR bears that out.It still amazes me that people expect to see large numbers of deer in areas where there's no browse.

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

Doug,
What is FLIR?

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

Bt, were you the good looking young fellow with all the women surrounding ya.
Oh, never mind, I think that was Dennis.
Hey, even if there were deer in that pole forest, can you imagine trying to negotiate some of those hills? That is some very rugged country and all a deer would have to do is drop down from the top and bed about halfway down the hillside. They'd see a hunter coming from 500 yards away.

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?Q=171391&A=11

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

Gene,that's the abbreviation for the IR flyovers.

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

BT,is 555 the route that runs through elk county?
One place in the sproul that's very,very thick is along rte 144 where a fire took place a few years back.Thousands of acres were burnt.I drove through there awhile back but didn't hike or anything.I'm told the deer numbers are also low there and don't know what type of plants are growing in there since the fire.

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

Any place close by to look for the elk?

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

T - the Benezette area had about 100 elk around last week.

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

yep, thats the one. We also saw about 40 head of Elk as we passed through.

I did notice the fire area and assumed it had been clearcut. I really didnt get a good look at whats growing there but it is extremely thick and we didnt see many deer tracks as we drove through.

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

That had to be Dennis cause the "good looking guy with girls all around" ship sailed years ago. Of course, I WAS the best looking Bob there;)

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

T, just take 120 out of Renovo and get on 555 toward Weedville when you leave Renovo and you'll see lots of Elk as you get around Benezette. Take a detour up Winslow hill out of Benezette and you're sure to see plenty of elk and deer.

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

Are the elk sheding their horns yet?

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

motrin...your gone but not forgotten line...are these guys "gone"? What happened to mossy?

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

arcer 58.. Ithink that FLIR stands for Forward Lookking InfraRed

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

Maybe. The only bulls we saw were spikes. My guess is that the bigger racked bulls may have dropped. Didnt have the binos but saw some very large bodied baldies far enough away that it wasimpossible to tell if they were shed bulls or big cows.

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

Now, I wouldn't ever brag on my good looks, (I also am a "Bob"), but one particular writer/radio talk show host/seminar snake oil salesman told meI am --- "an attractive man." Now that is very, very scary but the week before he called to tell me I am --- "very intelligent and good at details."
When ya get accolades like that --- it's pretty tough to be humble.
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

I can't help but wonder if that writer/talkshow host/ seminar snake oil salesman has a "thing" for you Bob! (glad to hear that scares you!)

Could a "Brokeback Outdoors" talk show be in Pennsylvanias future?;)

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

Agreed on the dismal habitat in the part of the Sproul that we traveled several miles through. Nothing much but maturing pole timber that one could see hundreds of yards through, in any direction. Other than patches of laurel, nothin' much in the way of understory.

I did see some deer on the way to Renovo, but they wereon the "east" side of the West Branch, several miles below the Gold Star Mothers bridge on Rt. 120.

Was tempted toget offat the Mile Run exit of I-80 on my way homeand drive a mile or so to an ex-bro-inlaw's camp in the SF, justoff of the Whitedeer Pike in Union County. I hunted therein the early to mid 70s and the deer were few and far between back then. He claims there are "no deer" therenow, but admits their deer hunting improved during the period from the late 80s through the late 90s. As bad as the hunting was in the 70s, it wouldn't have taken many deer to rate as an improvement though.

From what I could see of that habitat near Mile Runfrom the interstate, it doesn't look much different than what we saw in the Sproul.

As for the other, I think Old Bob held his own where attractin' women is concerned. Although most of them treated him like a favoriteuncle they only see every coupla years.

:)

Tall Bob appeared to have fetched his own entourage of adorin' women along. Only critters I attract now (aside from flies and skeeters),are dogs and small children.

[8D]

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

Here's a question for yinz,if you've hunted sproul say for years and the habitat stinks with very low deer numbers in a large area do you stay there or head to better pastures?Personally I'm outta there and headin to the lowlands for permission to hunt some farmland.

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

Thats an easy one. We have parts of the ANF that look something like that (maybe not quite as bad) and we moved on. Didn't have to move far, just looked for the logged areas!

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

or where an F5 tornado went through.:D

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

Thats true. The 85 tornadoes helped the health of the deer population a great deal. Both in and near the tornadoes two paths, which covered a great deal of acreage.

RE: 2G , the Sproul, and deer numbers
 

We can argue which came first, chicken or egg deal.
No doubt that it is irresponsible to put high deer numbers in habitat like that but reducing deer to none would not make browse in that telephone pole forest. Understory will not grow in any amount as it is, period. Deer are not eating it because there is none and a browse line in most areas is a silly thought as there simply is no browse to put a line on. If you see a sickening browse line along an edge, it is because there is no food in that dead forest, and the few edges are getting all the heat. Large scale clearcutting is just what the doctor ordered here. Mother nature knows how to do it now and again: send a tornado or fire through the territory on occasion. The deerhunting heyday of the Northern region was a direct result of the widespread devastation of the earlier loggers. We have to make it ugly before it can become a pretty flower again.
Oh, and I'm glad you had a good time, Bob. Wish you took some pictures!:(