Absolutely,but it's not the end of the world if I don't.One man's diamond is another man's lump of coal ! My theory is "as long as you enjoy it" it doesn't matter.Big buck,small buck,doe,or empty handed a hunter shouldn't be measure by the size of horns he brings home.That being said, I don't agree with the antler restriction because of that.I personally feel that it's the PGC's duty to work for the people who buy the licenses not formulate their own opinion of how it needs to be managed.I think they've lost sight of what the average guy expects and enjoys hence the displeasure currently being expressed by numerous hunters today.In the current days of countless tv hunting shows,magazines,outfitters,propery leasing,and posted ground it's getting to the point where it's not only more difficult to hunt and be successful but at times just not a whole lot of fun anymore !

"We all agree that the herd has almost been wiped out on public land,"

Most private land doesnt have as many deer asthey should either. Unless you are speaking of the very regulated or off limits lands. In this WMU there isnt a tonof public land. Yet the reduction was still severeand an unnecessary 50+%. Guess where most of that reduction occurred...Wasnt the tiny percentage ofpublic.

"but don't you also want to see a deer with at least 7 or 8 points once anda while. "

There always have been 7 and 8's here. FAR more than currently in fact. We are a 4 point area. Even many of the yearlings meet the 4 pt per side restriction.

Too much BLANKET reduction. While some areas of the states public lands have been flat out unmercilessly slaughtered down to rediculous deer densities, there are very few areas of the state public or private that hold the deer numbers than can be and should be in place. There are far more deer in this area than say 2G, but still FAR less here than can and should be had due to the quality of habitat and low levels of human conflict, but apparently pgc only uses the guidelines of herd and habitat health + human conflict when it equals less deer. When the factors are assessed and they dont equate to less deer, they simply ignore it and reduce them further anyway. [:'(]

If spikes and Y's are so dumb and easy to kill, why did 800K hunters fail to fill their buck tag in 2001?

If you have an answer to that question, then would you please explain how we harvested 52,602 2.5+ buck in 2002 if spikes and Y's are so dumb and easy to kill.

Don't be so negative. I started this thread because I now have 5 years of history in 4c and the previous years were a lot worse as far as shooting bigger deer goes.

I see A LOT LESS DEER THAN I USED TO but the bucks are bigger than I have seen in many many years.

Same location, heavily heavily hunted but in archery no one make the effort to get there.

Did you wait to see bigger bucks 5 years ago or did you shoot the first legal buck you saw?
Are you still seeing spikes .Ys and 5 pts. or are all the buck bigger? If so can you explain why that has not been reflected in the harvest stats?
Why hasn't the PGC published the data that supports your claims about bigger buck?

I personaly wish PA would lift the restriction. Then maybe we would not have as many PA guys tresspassing on the privet land our hunting club manages in WV.

WHAT IS A REAL HUNTER.someone that hunts posted land that hunting clubs own.Some one who brings big racks home to hang on the wall?.or could it be the hunter that brings home tree rats ringnecks rabs does little rack buck food for the table

I see a bigger quantity of bucks. Closer to 50/50 with spikes forks and a few bigger ones.

In the past I saw 1 spike and 10 does on a normal day.

I used to see 10+ does every day and a spike once and a while. Now I see maybe a deer or 2 every time out, but I do see some nice 2 1/2 yr olds.

Real Hunters are someone who scouts for deer, hunts after animals and just doesn't go elbow to elbow driving the same woodlot on opening day until every deer is gone.

Anyone that makes a claim like that is someone that shouldn't be taken seriously. Claiming you saw 10 doe everyday is simply an unbelievable comment. Then claiming the same habitat that consistently produced 10 doe siting every day only produced an occasional spike is ridiculous.

Have you ever stopped to think how many buck those 10 doe produced every year. Are you claiming most of them were shot as BB and the rest only developed spikes? Are you saying none of those spikes survived to be 2.5+ buck before ARs?