pgc deer report is in
 

2007 Press Releases
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Release #031-07

GAME COMMISSION: 2006-07 DEER HARVEST FIGURES NOW AVAILABLE

HARRISBURG - Hunters harvested an estimated 361,560 deer in the 2006-07 seasons, similar to the 2005-06 estimated harvest of 354,390, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission figures released today.

Hunters took 135,290 antlered deer in the 2006-07 seasons, compared to the previous year's harvest of 120,500.

Also, hunters harvested 226,270 antlerless deer in 2006-07, compared to 233,890 in 2005-06. The 2006-07 antlerless deer license allocation was reduced by two percent, from 879,000 to 859,000.

Harvest estimates for 2006-07 seasons are based on 136,932 usable harvest report cards (50,099 antlered; 86,833 antlerless) returned by hunters to the Commission and 29,581 deer (10,283 antlered; 19,298 antlerless) examined by Game Commission personnel in the field and at processors.

For a copy of the agency's deer harvest estimating procedure, which has been peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Wildlife Management (2004), visit the Game Commission's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), click on "Deer Program" in the "Quick Clicks" box in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage, then choose "Communication, Education and Outreach to Citizens," and then choose "Reporting rate variability and precision of white-tailed deer harvest estimates in Pennsylvania."

For an easier-to-understand description of the process, choose "Research" from the "Deer Program" page, and then select "Harvest estimates of Pennsylvania's white-tailed deer."

Yearling bucks comprised 56 percent of the 2006-07 antlered harvest, up from 52 percent in 2005-06. Button bucks and doe fawns were 23 percent and 19 percent, respectively, of the antlerless harvest, which is the same as in the 2005-06 seasons.

Hunter reporting rates for the 2006-07 seasons remained less than 40 percent, based on cross-checking of field-inspected deer with hunter report cards. Reporting rates for hunters taking antlered deer averaged 37 percent (ranged from a low of 30.1 percent in WMU 2B to a high of 45.3 percent in WMU 5A), which was a slight improvement over the 36 percent rate posted in 2005-06. Antlerless reporting dropped this year to 38 percent (low of 28.7 percent in WMU 2B to a high of 51 percent in WMU 5C) compared with 40 percent in 2005-06.

Total deer harvest estimates by WMU for 2006-07 (with 2005-06 figures in parentheses) are as follows:

WMU 1A: 5,800 (5,500) antlered, 13,200 (13,400) antlerless;

WMU 1B: 6,800 (6,400) antlered, 12,000 (10,700) antlerless;

WMU 2A: 8,100 (8,500) antlered, 17,000 (19,600) antlerless;

WMU 2B: 5,800 (5,200) antlered, 16,500 (14,500) antlerless;

WMU 2C: 9,000 (7,400) antlered, 12,100 (13,700) antlerless;

WMU 2D: 10,900 (10,000) antlered, 20,400 (22,100) antlerless;

WMU 2E: 5,400 (4,100) antlered, 7,400 (7,500) antlerless;

WMU 2F: 7,200 (6,000) antlered, 8,000 (8,300) antlerless;

WMU 2G: 7,200 (5,000) antlered, 4,600 (6,200) antlerless;

WMU 3A: 4,500 (4,000) antlered, 8,800 (8,700) antlerless;

WMU 3B: 6,500 (6,000) antlered, 10,600 (10,900) antlerless;

WMU 3C: 6,700 (5,800) antlered, 9,200 (11,200) antlerless;

WMU 3D: 5,000 (3,900) antlered, 7,400 (7,300) antlerless;

WMU 4A: 5,900 (3,700) antlered, 7,800 (7,600) antlerless;

WMU 4B: 5,000 (3,600) antlered, 6,600 (6,600) antlerless;

WMU 4C: 6,100 (5,900) antlered, 8,900 (9,800) antlerless;

WMU 4D: 6,800 (5,600) antlered, 9,900 (8,400) antlerless;

WMU 4E: 4,100 (4,500) antlered, 9,000 (9,100) antlerless;

WMU 5A: 2,200 (2,400) antlered, 5,200 (4,700) antlerless;

WMU 5B: 7,000 (7,400) antlered, 11,400 (11,700) antlerless;

WMU 5C: 7,700 (7,700) antlered, 16,100 (17,600) antlerless;

WMU 5D: 1,300 (1,500) antlered, 4,100 (4,200) antlerless; and

Unknown WMU: 290 (400) antlered, 70 (90) antlerless

Season-specific deer harvest estimates - such as archery, muzzleloader and rifle - by WMU for 2006-07 as reported here are calculated using the percent of report cards from the various seasons from the total harvest estimates.

For example, if a total of 10,000 antlerless deer were harvested in a specific WMU and 20 percent of the report cards were from archery harvests, then the archery harvest would be estimated to be 2,000. Consequently, these season-specific harvest estimates are likely biased.

"As we learned in our study of harvest rates for the various seasons during the 2000 and 2001 deer seasons, hunters report at differing rates depending on the season they're participating in," cautioned Calvin W. DuBrock, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management director. "We found that hunters during the October seasons report at a higher rate than rifle hunters. Unfortunately, financial constraints don't allow us to more thoroughly capture data to determine harvest reporting rates for all seasons each year.

"While we do not use season-specific harvest data for management purposes, we do recognize that the public is interested in these harvest estimates. For that reason only, we do provide estimated deer harvest breakdowns for firearms, archery and muzzleloader seasons, but we only use total deer harvest estimates when making management decisions."

DuBrock noted that the total deer harvest estimates now will be used to develop a 2007-08 antlerless deer license allocation proposal to be presented to the Board of Game Commissioners when it meets on April 17-18.

Season specific deer harvest estimates are as follows:

WMU 1A: firearms, 4,040 antlered, 10,300 antlerless; archery, 1,710 antlered, 1,550 antlerless; and muzzleloader, 50 antlered, 1,350 antlerless;

WMU 1B: firearms, 5,120 antlered, 9,950 antlerless; archery, 1,650 antlered, 1,120 antlerless; muzzleloader, 30 antlered, 930 antlerless;

WMU 2A: firearms, 6,590 antlered, 13,480 antlerless; archery, 1,420 antlered, 1,530 antlerless; muzzleloader, 90 antlered, 1,990 antlerless;

WMU 2B: firearms, 2,770 antlered, 9,760 antlerless; archery, 2,930 antlered, 5,550 antlerless; 100 antlered, 1,190 antlerless;

WMU 2C: firearms; 6,870 antlered, 9,570 antlerless; archery, 2,020 antlered, 1,190 antlerless; muzzleloader, 110 antlered, 1,340 antlerless;

WMU 2D: firearms; 8,020 antlered, 16,720 antlerless; archery, 2,800 antlered, 1,620 antlerless; muzzleloader, 80 antlered, 2,060 antlerless;

WMU 2E: firearms; 4,280 antlered, 6,160 antlerless; archery, 1,060 antlered, 530 antlerless; muzzleloader, 60 antlered, 710 antlerless;

WMU 2F: firearms; 6,050 antlered, 6,880 antlerless; archery, 1,080 antlered, 430 antlerless; muzzleloader, 70 antlered, 690 antlerless;

WMU 2G: firearms; 6,380 antlered, 3,530 antlerless; archery, 750 antlered, 330 antlerless; muzzleloader, 70 antlered, 740 antlerless;

WMU 3A: firearms; 3,770 antlered, 6,970 antlerless; archery, 710 antlered, 780 antlerless; muzzleloader, 20 antlered, 1,050 antlerless;

WMU 3B: firearms; 5,340 antlered, 8,240 antlerless; archery, 1,090 antlered, 980 antlerless; muzzleloader, 70 antlered, 1,380 antlerless;

WMU 3C: firearms; 5,590 antlered, 7,480 antlerless; archery, 1,090 antlered, 790 antlerless; muzzleloader, 20 antlered, 930 antlerless;

WMU 3D: firearms; 3,830 antlered, 5,600 antlerless; archery, 1,110 antlered, 960 antlerless; muzzleloader, 60 antlered, 840 antlerless;

WMU 4A: firearms; 5,240 antlered, 6,490 antlerless; archery, 590 antlered, 390 antlerless; muzzleloader, 70 antlered, 920 antlerless;

WMU 4B: firearms; 4,080 antlered, 5,390 antlerless; archery, 880 antlered, 580 antlerless; muzzleloader, 40 antlered, 630 antlerless;

WMU 4C: firearms; 4,450 antlered, 6,660 antlerless; archery, 1,600 antlered, 1,160 antlerless; muzzleloader, 50 antlered, 1,080 antlerless;

WMU 4D: firearms; 5,750 antlered, 7,860 antlerless; archery, 980 antlered, 940 antlerless; muzzleloader, 70 antlered, 1,100 antlerless;

WMU 4E: firearms; 3,110 antlered, 6,810 antlerless; archery, 970 antlered, 1,000 antlerless; muzzleloader, 20 antlered, 1,190 antlerless;

WMU 5A: firearms; 1,740 antlered, 3,810 antlerless; archery, 440 antlered, 620 antlerless; muzzleloader, 20 antlered, 770 antlerless;

WMU 5B: firearms; 4,160 antlered, 7,410 antlerless; archery, 2,780 antlered, 2,640 antlerless; muzzleloader, 60 antlered, 1,350 antlerless;

WMU 5C: firearms; 3,660 antlered, 9,500 antlerless; archery, 3,940 antlered, 5,350 antlerless; muzzleloader, 100 antlered, 1,250 antlerless;

WMU 5D: firearms; 410 antlered, 1,750 antlerless; archery, 860 antlered, 2,250 antlerless; muzzleloader, 30 antlered, 100 antlerless; and

Unknown WMU: firearms; 230 antlered, 50 antlerless; archery, 60 antlered, 10 antlerless; muzzleloader, 0 antlered, 10 antlerless.

Created in 1895 as an independent state agency, the Game Commission is responsible for conserving and managing all wild birds and mammals in the Commonwealth, establishing hunting seasons and bag limits, enforcing hunting and trapping laws, and managing habitat on the 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands it has purchased over the years with hunting and furtaking license dollars to safeguard wildlife habitat. The agency also conducts numerous wildlife conservation programs for schools, civic organizations and sportsmen's clubs.

The Game Commission does not receive any general state taxpayer dollars for its annual operating budget. The agency is funded by license sales revenues; the state's share of the federal Pittman-Robertson program, which is an excise tax collected through the sale of sporting arms and ammunition; and monies from the sale of oil, gas, coal, timber and minerals derived from State Game Lands.

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Content Last Modified on 3/16/2007 9:52:07 AM



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RE: pgc deer report is in
 

HMMM

Buck kill is up by 12.5%

Doe kill down by 3.5% with 2% less doe permits issued.

Looks like maybe the herd has stabilized.

RE: pgc deer report is in
 

Now I'm really confuseled. :eek:

Prior to the 2006/2007 season, it looked like many were saying there were few, if any deer left alive in PA. Now the PGC is claiming we killed 361,560 deer??

I had almost been convinced that the 70 ro 80 deerI saw while hunting during the first week of firearms season, were merely the same 6 to 8deer making repetitive circles past me each day. Although I did get a tad suspicious about those "no deer" prophecies,when all them buster bucksshowed up with on the first few days, when folks brought 'em in to the big buck contest in town.

Gee, don't know who to believe now. :(

RE: pgc deer report is in
 

I think the "no Deer" guys either are looking for money from some group that is going to "fight" the PGC. Or they never really hunted at all and they just like to complain. There is dfinitely less deer around, but if you look just a little closer than the same spot where you always hunted you can find come dandy bucks. I have.

RE: pgc deer report is in
 

How long before someone claims the numbers to be "fabricated"? I give it 48 hours max!

RE: pgc deer report is in
 

I think they lied!!!!!!!!![:o]

If they won't count mountain lions how can we trust anything they say?

RE: pgc deer report is in
 

How long before someone claims the numbers to be "fabricated"? I give it 48 hours max!

Never takesthat long. Regardless of the year or the numbers, within minutes someone is whimpering that they're just made up. I predicted elsewheres, that some will claim all them deer have been killed twice and counted three, maybe four times (apiece).

:)

RE: pgc deer report is in
 

Nothing really surprising here in the WMU's that I hunt.
I think most of the "no deer" guys come from the NC or maybe SC.One thing that has changed over the years is the NC used to carry the state and up the numbers as a whole and now it's shifted to the SW to carry the torch.
I'd love to see the harvest numbers broken down in potter county to compare the last 15 or 20 years.

RE: pgc deer report is in
 

It's already strated BT. The over-analyzing has begun.

RE: pgc deer report is in
 

I agree with germain...When I first started to hunt in the mid-50's if you went deer hunting, you went North. There were nowhere near as many deer in SW PA as up North. Things have changed dramatically over the years, and some of the better deer hunting in PA is often in areas that held little or no deer in the past.
Simply because the kill numbers in NC don't compare to what they used to, does not have to mean that PGC is lying about them. They are simply coming from other locales now.
Why do I continue to hunt 2G for deer? Simple. I'm still continuing to fill tags there. You've got to learn to adapt to changes. Seasons, deer densities, timbering, exclosure fences, etc., etc. The only thing that stays the same is change, whether it be you or the enviornment. It's just simple history.