BuckAlley

bluebird2

I butcher my deer and none of the BB we shot produced less than 20 lbs. of usable meat. But we are hunting in farm country where a Bb can be almost as big as a 1.5 spike. So, if you are talking about BB from 2G or 2F you might be right.

BuckAlley

15, 18, 20, 22, 25lbs. I'd still prefer to let them walk, and gain more weight for next season! To me thats just not worth the effort, and I don't see much reward in it. Leave'em for next seasons fun! But thats my personal opinion.

4evrhtn

Every year I see yearling and fawn deer and they are always in the same general area and show up like clockwork every day. To me, the experience of watching them helps pass the time while not seeing much of anything else. So it is more rewarding to me to watch these young deer interact with one another chasing and playing with each other. It is not challenging to me to shoot one of these deer who for the most part are oblivious to presence of hunters who take scent precaution and play the wind. With every hunting season a deer survives they become smarter and at 3 1/2 or older they then become more challenging to outsmart and then it is more rewarding to harvest them for the meat and the experience. Just as BTBowhunter stated... If there are few deer in your area why kill either? Let the buckgo to grow and the leave doe to reproduce. Just because you are able to get a doe tag doesn't mean it should be used in your area of a WMU where it is allocated. There are neighboring states with low license prices where deer can be taken to fill your freezer. It costs a little more but it also puts PA's management practices into perspective when hunting states like Ohio. I hunt PA and have done well but if I had to choose between hunting either PA or Ohio, I choose Ohio. It's just a much better experience and the deer are plentiful and the buck I have seen on average are bigger.

bluebird2

Individual hunters can't effectively limit the BB harvest unless they control a large parcel of land. The vast majority of hunters don't know if there are too many deer or too few deer and depend on the PGC to determine how many deer should be harvested. It appears you are saying that hunters should control deer management in PA,which means all the hunters that are complaining about not seeing deer shouldn't buy an antlerless license.

livbucks

That is some great advice!

bluebird2

Would you still think it was good advice if the PGC only sold 200K or 300K tags?

4evrhtn

I am not saying don't buy an anterless tag rather I wish just the opposite. If you or anyone feels there are too few deer in a particular area of a wmu or the wmu as a wholethey would be wise tospend the $6 or $12and apply for the permit(s). Take them and throwthem away, you have just reduced the pressure on that particular wmu. I understand it is difficult due to the size of our wmu's to manage just one particular area of that wmu.Maybe someone else will just go out and kill off the antlerless deer in your area anyway butat least you are doing what you can in that area.Can anyone really justify reducing the herd any further in "most" areas of PA. There are a few places near urban development where the deer herds are in larger numbers per sq. mile but mainly because of the limited amount of acres which is suitable habitat. The deer numbers surrounding Harrisburg are not an accurate estimate of the whole wmu. So... yes, we as individuals need to micro-manage our own hunting areas. If you still need to have your deer meat then spend a couple dollars and go to a neighboring state to fill the freezer. It really isn't that expensive and to me the investment made in an out of state license is well worth it if I can help stabilize or rebuild the herd in my own backyard. Too many people in this country want the government to do all their thinking for them and then some would prefer to have the government and other agencies make their decisions for them. I guess then they can sit back and complain as things get worse yet do nothing on their own to better their situation. So if you kill a doe or yearling orthe firstbarely legal AR buck that you come across in an area which has a low population you are also responsible for the reduction in the herd and potential boone and crocket or pope and young buck not just the PAGC. I have noticed you point the blame toward the PAGC often. Yet, you never take responsibilty for the impact you have personally made. Just because the Game Commission warrants the large number of antlerless kills it doesn't make it right in every part of every wmu. You must use your own discretion. It is the only thing you really have a say in when it comes to PAGC policies.

germain

We stopped killing does in our area a few years back.Others take care of the doe kill.
But it really has a small impact because 99.9% of the land around us is open to hunting and like anywhere else in this state if most land is open to hunting you're gonna have few deer.

bawanajim

Really you can make a difference,dead dear will say I'm wrong but according to him every ones wrong.
At this time the block hand will come to play.
Take a piece of paper and put two slashes on the top.
Under them put two slashes each as for their fawns .
And the next year two more slashes shows that by killing two doe you did what to your herd?
The idea that if you don't shoot them some one else will is bunk. Let them go!!!!!!!!!!!!