RE: pa antler restrictions yes or no?
 

I am Joe the average hunter who represents the views of thousands of other hunters. Furthermore, I don't dispute the PGC's claims about the benefits of ARs ,because since it has been implemented they aren't claiming it increased breeding rates, reduced late breeding or improved productivity.
Because I base my position on PGC data that represents the results from the entire state, while you base your opinion on your personal observations that only represent a very tiny portion of the state.Furthermore, my observations and the observations of my friends agree with the PGC data ,while your observations dispute the PGC data.

RE: pa antler restrictions yes or no?
 

Let's not turn this thread into an exchange of personal insults. I have seen them all and have appropriate and equally insulting replies for every one.

The fact is ,I haven't harvested a doe in at least five years although I have past on many. I shot one buck in the last 7 years and that was a cripple with 2 broken back legs that a farmer ask me to take care of since it was stumbling around in a field next to a very busy road ,giving hunters a bad name for crippling deer. Also, I passed on 12 legal bucks in the combined seasons of 2001 and 2002, so you obviously don't know me at all.

RE: pa antler restrictions yes or no?
 

Where do you come up with all of these stats?

RE: pa antler restrictions yes or no?
 

I have done my home work and have read the studies from Miss. ,Tex., Ark. and the PGC studies and annual reports. It is all available on the net for whoever is willing to take the time to read and understand the significance of what is presented.

RE: pa antler restrictions yes or no?
 

Well then why did the antler sizes decrease?

RE: pa antler restrictions yes or no?
 

Rack sizes decreased in Miss. due to high grading (harvesting) the biggest buck in each age class. If one removes the best specimens from any group of animals and allows the inferior specimens to survive, the animals that survive will on average be smaller that if a random sample of the herd was removed.

All of the studies show that spikes are inferior for the rate of antler development, which means they have to live to 4.5 before they will equal the rack of the average 6 pt. 1.5 buck. Very few buck in PA live to become 4.5 buck and that means the average 1.5 spike buck will never equal the 1.5 6 pt.

RE: pa antler restrictions yes or no?
 

My cousin shot a buck he wanted to mount this year. He had to call 4 taxidermists before he found one that had room for moredeer and this was only Thursday of last week. So in my "LITTLE" area of the state 5B & 5C more larger buck are being taken.

RE: pa antler restrictions yes or no?
 

How many did he call last year? How much has the herd been reduced in those WMU's compared to the rest of the state? Are the deer that are taken to a taxidermist an accurate representation of the average deer harvested or the verage 2.5+ buck.

RE: pa antler restrictions yes or no?
 

It only makes sense that more bigger bucks are taken since the PGC restriction limits a buck to has either 3 or 4 to one side which equates to normally a 6 or 8 point.This means the smaller bucks which have been taken in the past are now illegal and unable to be harvested with the exception of junior hunter.

RE: pa antler restrictions yes or no?
 

You are correct that the bucks taken are bigger, but that does not mean the average 2.5+ buck is bigger. With ARs there is no way to sample the number of 2.5 + buck that aren't AR legal. juniors and military take a few of the non-AR legal 2.5+ buck , but the sample size isn't large enough to provide a statistically valid sample