I've lived in PA my whole life and have been hunting here for 43 yrs. I keep hearing everybody talk about the "good old days" of deer hunting but I don't see what was so good about seeing 30 to 40 doe a day when you were only allowed to killa buck. I feel like right now is "the good old days" of hunting and every single person I know that actually "hunts" for deer feels the same way. I believe that the changes that have been made only hurt the deer harvesters who traditionallygo to the same place, set by the same rock, and waited for deer to stream by. The hunters are still bagging their deer.
As for kids not getting into the sport. Just go back and read most of the post in this thread alone and it shouldn't be too hard to figure out why a kid wouldn't want to go out in the cold and try something that the adults who supposedly enjoy hunting are whining about so much about.

Well believe it or not some of us enjoy seeing deer and find hunting much more rewarding when when we are seeing deer ,even if it's not 30-40 antlerless/day. Using your reasoning what good is it seeing spikes and y"s if you can't shoot them. Do you really believe having 94,000 fewer successful buck hunters means hunting is better than ever?

It's better than ever for me on the public lands where I hunt.

The best hunting I've had in my hunting career as well.

Only because there is less competition, not because there is enough deer to come anywhere close to the harvests in the past. The success or failure of this plan will not be based on the success of a 100K + buck hunters each year, it will be based on the PGC's ability to control the herd over the long term and with declining license sales it is highly unlikely they will be successful.

Doug have you had to move away from some of your old favorite areas?

I'd say that the hunting is as good or better than it's been in the past for us but I qualify that by saying that we've had to abandon some areas and seek out some new spots. Thats not a new phenomenon. Mostly it's been due to the graduation of seedling sapling habitat of cut areas to pole timber or the evolving of areas like the 85 tornado zones. I don't think it's all the result of HR but thats had an effect as well.

I am beginning to see deer numbers droptoo low in some areas of 2B that are open to all hunting. Personally, I do think the extra long extended doe season in the parts of 2B outside of Allegheny county needs to be looked at.

"read a little slower skippy! I said plenty of bucks in 2F. I didn't say plenty ofbig bucks. A big buck like that is an exception in that area."

A buck of that description is an exception just about everywhere in Pennsylvania. Always was, and thanks to extreme herd reductions, ar hasnt changed that fact.

"100+ inch bucks are plentiful though. I do understand how it could be hard for you to believe though. "

I just said you had noting to back the claim with. I just know there arent "lots of big bucks" in Pa and never were. 100" buck is NOT a big buck either imho.

BTBOWUNTER,I move around quite a bit in about a 20 minute radius of my home.I rarely every shoot deer in the same spot two years in a row.This year,I did well in one area that was pretty stale for the past several years.As you know,deer are very heavily reliant on mast in this part of the state.I key in on mast that's near heavier cover in the early season and look for areas with preferred browse and the season progresses and the mast gets cleaned up.I really don't have any fovirite places or honey holes.I have alot of places that produce when the sign is hot but dry up very quickly.I killed a doe this past saturday in an area where I haven't killed a deer since the first year of AR.TomorrowI plan on hitting a spot in southern Cameron county.It's terrible habitat all around there butI know a small piece that was timbered a few years ago and the deer were hammering it last winter.It will be my first trip up there this year so I don't know exactly what to expect.

I have seen very poor mast crop in my areas this year. I'm only finding deer relating to the few remaining standing crops in ag areas, or recent timber cuts. There is DEFINITELY less hunting pressure this year than have ever seen. Is domsday here? Depends on your interpretation. For many of those hunters unhappy with the deer situation and hanging up their boots, I guess maybe it is. I for one will keep hunting no matter how bad it gets. I'm just too obsessed withthe outdoorsto ever quit. Unfortunately the lack of hunter satisfaction has got to catch up with the PGC eventually. When it does, there won't be enough like me to keep them in check. The hunting will probably improve as a result...but when we can no longer get the job done, then what will happen?

today in wmu2g,its not very good hunting.

i agree on you on not staying in same area.

this is why i made a TOPIC on where and howmost of deer are shot this year in WMU2G.

its called, ROAD HUNTING vrs HUNTING.