RE: PA's 2002-2003 Seasons and Bag Limits
 

Jason, you have a very valid point. Don't know what the answer is. Maybe there isn't one. On the other hand, there is just no excuse for an archer shooting a button buck and we could at least have the restriction in early archery.

RE: PA's 2002-2003 Seasons and Bag Limits
 

Jason N I think what 445 was getting at is if it is made to be buck or doe then if you shoot a deer and it is a button buck or even a buck with less then a 3 in rack it is basically still a buck and should be tagged as a buck.When this deer is tagged as a doe and the report card is sent in it is logged in as a doe when by rights it is a buck.Or when it goes to a butcher and the PGC checks their books these button bucks or less then 3in. deer are logged as doe not bucks.So how can the PGC and Gary Alt say there are too many doe's or not enough bucks when by mother natures standards they are calling a buck a doe for their game law purposes.I do see your point on the two deer and you have a doe tag.The only other way around that is if you have a buck tag and the first deer you shoot happens to be a button buck then you must tag it as a buck.If not then you still have a buck tag and go shoot one of the 8pt. bucks from AR and you have shot 2 bucks. Wonder where all the bucks are going now.If you only had a doe tag left then you could still tag it as a doe without getting a fine.

RE: PA's 2002-2003 Seasons and Bag Limits
 

last time I saw a statistic about this (a while ago) the PGC said that 20% of the doe kill was antlerless male deer. Mostly buttons with a few sheds/broken racks thrown in.

RE: PA's 2002-2003 Seasons and Bag Limits
 

I think if you make a shot at a animal and you don't take the proper amount of time to id the animal correctly within the law then your making an unethical shot and deserve to pay the piper. We as hunters in PA are going to have to pay a bit more attention to details this coming year... emptying your mag on a running flash of horns should be a thing of the past for a number of reasons. If it is too dark/too far to correctly see horns or not you are putting others in the woods into danger.

RE: PA's 2002-2003 Seasons and Bag Limits
 

thanks buckhunter3 that is what I was getting at.

Jason N I do see your point and I have a senario for you too. Ok you are out hunting opening day rifle season. YOu decide that after a bunch of hours of just seeing does and no bucks you decide to take a nice doe for some meat. So a nice one comes by and and bang you make a great shot and she drops on the spot.So you stroll over to tag her and when you flip him over you see she is a he just a button with no antlers to be seen. So now you have to tag that deer with a buck tag so when that big 8 pointer comes buy you have to let him pass. That is the situation that I was talking about it helping. As for your senerio I really don't have a good answer for you. BUt I am just glad I don't have to make these decisions. These are just my opinions and arent worth a darn.

brian