RLong

Now wait. We used to have 2 weeks of buck season. Then FOLLOW it with 3 days of doe. Why would we not be able to shoot more doe with 2 weeks of either sex again?

BTBowhunter

Ralph, from what I've seen we killed fewer bucks and more does for a net change of around zero. That was reported in our local papers and the warm weather was blamed for the "lighter than expected" kill. I know where I was in Westmoreland county the first Saturday and in Forest county the second Saturday, the woods were deserted! We really need check stations especially while all these changes are being implemented!

RLong

Net change of around zero? I think the main issue is the ratio ain't it? It should have helped toward that. It sure wasn't an underkill in this area.

BTBowhunter

Its what the paper said. But i'm a right wing extremist and everyone knows we don't trust the media <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>! I kinda lean towards the thought that the doe kill was up and the buck kill mighta gone down just a little. This is just based on my observations in my little corners of this big state!

Jerry/Pa

I'm sorry but it's really hard for me to believe the doe harvest numbers from the PGC. Hogie,I know you're pretty involved and get some good first hand info and you forward what you hear but I think they're blowing smoke up your butt. The rifle hunters havested the same number of doe's in 2000 with a three day season as they did in 2001 with a 12 day season. Man! I find that hard to swallow. I mean think about it. It ain't like archery season when deer don't move. You have over 800,000 hunters in the woods pushing deer. Even when that number dwindles by the third day they still had two Sat. to hunt and drive deer. The game commission can say what they want. Logic tells me different. We need checking stations big time. Or a better counting system anyway.

I agree with a alot of you guys with the earn a buck for archer's. I wish I didn't think it necessary to have a pre-rut rifle doe season but facts are facts. What I don't want is a pre-rut and a concurrent doe season. Plus when the real harvest numbers are what the carrying capacity should be eliminate the pre-rut hunt and get back to the post 3 day doe season. I think they're making this way too complicated. I also think archer's should have a doe any county with there licence before they take a buck. And if we're not a management tool extent our season from sept 15 to the Fri before rifle season. While I'm at it I want a free Elk hunt out west every year. OK, I'm getting carried away take back the doe tag and give me the rest.LOL. The season's only been over a week and I'm already restless. When's the 3-d season open? JERRY

BTBowhunter

FWIW my butcher buddies volume was down 200 head this year for gun season. He did have to cut off taking deer Tuesday afternoon and started taking them again on Friday. He thinks the 200 less deer he did was about how many he had to turn away cause of the rush. I think what I really want is to move to Illinois<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Deer902

My butchers count was also down this year. With the deer he turned down he would of been about even with last year. He wasn't busy at all first day of doe or any of the Saturdays. 3 or 4 on those days and nothing during the week.

PABowhntr

Jerry,

The 3D season starts the first Sunday in February...in my area...<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

I have to agree with the others. Based on what I saw in the two gamelands in Lehigh County during all of the seasons, especially the 2 week rifle one, there were both more bucks and does harvested.

I also wouldn't be surprised to see an increase in the muzzleloader harvest this year. Alot of folks went out and bought muzzleloaders and muzzleloader stamps because of the increased opportunity in October....and then continued to use that new found opportunity to hunt the regular muzzleloader season in Dec/Jan. I saw alot of deer taken out after Christmas.

BTBowhunter

I gotta say thattill this year I was somewhat comfortable with PGC's methods of determining the kills. they had many years of refining their methods with a constant season. This year however, with a total upheaval of everything has to include a large measure of conjecture. It may be scientifically based but has to be more subject to error than the old methods. I really believe we need check stations now.
ML season around here had very light pressure. We hunted in a group of 4-6 and didn't run into other smoke pole guys at all here in Westmoreland (private land that is open and unposted) We did put out an average of 40+ deer per day doing 1-2 man drives. BTW we put out a fair number of bucks too!

Gar-Shooter

When I lived in Virginia and Tennessee, just about every convenience store and country store was a &quot;check station&quot;. They would have scales and would keep a record of all the deer that were checked. In Tennessee you had to check in your game to get the next tag to use to kill the next animal. They used the same tag for deer, turkey's, and wild boar. Seems like a great idea. You could hunt there on Sundays. You could carry your license in your wallet, too! Another set of great ideas. Why doesn't Alt use the examples of states like this to better govern our hunters and game? Oh Yeah, Crossbows were Illegal in TN too!

Gar

<font size=6>Just Say No to Crossbows!</font id=size6>

Edited by - gar-shooter on 01/18/2002 18:01:33