I'm not a bigtime poster in this forum, but I wanted to pose this question (not as an attack on anyone, and hopefully not to spur any attacks...just out of curiosity and hopes of generating discussion). It seems a lot of people post about their unhappiness with the herd, lack of deer sightings, animosity toward other hunters due to weapon choice, etc. Now, I'm not an oldtime PA hunter. At 24 yrs of age, I wasn't around to witness decades of hunting in PA, so I'm not really an authority on what it was like, nor can I realistically say whether the deer hunting of today is better or not than it was back then. What I can say, is that I feel that many of us are losing sight on the bigger picture of what hunting encompases. I can honestly say some the best memories and times I had in the PA deer woods in my "youth" have NOTHING to do with killing a deer. Sure, the anticpation of that ultimate goal as a beginning hunter fueled much of my drive, but it wasn't the kills (and I had them) that stick in my mind as much as it was the little things.

For one, all the time I was able to spend with my dad in the woods. From helping me study for the HTE test, to wetting my feet in the woods with pre-12 yr old squirrel hunts, to accompanying me into the deer woods with a gun in hand that he knowingly would not fire until AFTER I got a deer down, even if it took all season.

We (my dad and I) used to go to our hunting club on the Saturday before the opener, and we would spend the night (most member didn't arrive until the next day), followed by a breakfast at a local diner. It was tradition. We would then spend the rest of the day, welcoming hunters, helping unload vehicles, do some final drive-throughs on the main property roads, etc, all followed by a big dinner. Evenings at the club found me listening to stories from years past (sometimes as far back as the 1950s). I lived vicariously through those stories trying to imagine what it was like in that very camp decades ago.

I never slept much the night before the opener, and I was always anxiously dressed and waiting for my dad to finish that last bit of coffee, and to give me the signal that it was time to head out. I remember the walks to the stands in the dark, and how every sound had the hair on my neck sticking up, all the while knowing nothing was really "there," but it still got to me nonetheless. I remember my first sit on a stand on the far NW corner of the 1200 acre property. From here you could see the lights of the few houses people called home in the rural region of the state. I watched headlights flick on, and roll away, most likely heading to work (unlucky for them I always thought).

I could go on an on with all of the experiences I had while growing up a hunter in PA not so long ago. Sure, I took several bucks and doe, and they were special to me, but that never was, nor have I let it become what hunting truly is about for me. Hunting is an experience that goes well beyond the kill. I created some amazing memories from hunting, but not necessarily all from KILLING.

Looking back at the wall of photos in our club, I've often found myself looking at the members standing there smiling, laughing, joking around, and wondering, "was it better hunting that made these hunters so happy, or was it something else?" Do numbers really make or break the experience? Would these same hunters if alive today be judgemental of one's weapon choice, or season length?

I'm not judging, because I have, at times, been guilty of what I'm talking about. I'm not proud of it, and I try to realize the bigger picture. Every season that I'm able to get into the woods, I feel grateful. I'm lucky enough to have the lands I do to hunt. They're far from the best, but that doesn't matter. To get what we get to do as hunters year in and year out is something we should all be thankful for, not necessarily taken for granted.

So what do you think? Are we losing sight as to the true meaning and experience of hunting?

As a side note:
Yes, I do hunt private land. No, I have not taken a buck in quite a few years. I'm still quite happy

Matt, I too have great family memories of the traditions that deer season of past days that I Cherish. As most here do.

If you read any of these thread for long the pattern from a couple very angry, bitter and uncompromising individuals. They don't read others opinions, their minds are made up. By continually attacking anyone with opinions other than theirs the two of them blanket every thread with hatred, distortions and false premises on how bad our state has become.

The termlier is in every other post, the accusations never end, name calling, bold print yelling and just plan threats are the biggest reasons so few will post here.

Although I don't agree with much the PGC does I understand that we as hunters make up a very small part of the states population, and that others priorities might take a persistence over what I would like to See.

I love PA, and I love hunting deer, and I will never let the narrow mindedness of a few destroy the traditions that years of hunting PA have made.

Good luck to you and your family.

Mgh
I think for some part hunting is a dieing game . Bills work some people just cannot fit any or little hunting activities in their busy schedule. Stinks for them i guess.

I do not understand the animosity towards others on the weapon of their choice. If it a re curve,compound,or xbow
i don't care what someone else uses . But then again i was for xbows

My only gripe would be inlines in archery. I just feel they could move that to before or after archery.Or mix it with flintlock. But on the same hand i am certainly not going to let it bug me .

I grew up with hunting traditions.For me i have just as much fun with my family and hunting buddy's. The night before ,the nights after the hunt My oldest has been involved for 20 years and most of our best time spent together has been in the woods. For me and my kids the kill isn't as important as the time spent together.

my second gripe would be allow Sunday hunting so the fine people of this state can spend 1 more day or for some there only day together in the woods hunting.

at any rate mgh i do believe for some the big picture has ended and the experience is not as important as the kill and seeing lots of deer Thats the sad part of things i guess

Unfortunatly for some here it was, is and always will be about filling the tags.

Matt, glad you took time to share that with us. My fondest memories are too,when I first started hunting. But not for deer. Dad was not,quote:a deer hunter. He went because he loved being outdoors and to take me hunting. His love was bird hunting,pheasants and grouse. Even though we had outstanding wild pheasant hunting then,[/align]it "was" the gathering of the family on opening day that made it great. My dad's five brothers and their kids. His seven sisters husbands with their kids and my grandmother having a big spread waiting for us at noon,made it made it feel like a family gathering for Christmas. Your absolutely right,it's memories like this that you will remember more than what you killed that day. As I still enjoy every possible chance that I can get out to hunt. Don't judge by what you read on this forum. I'm sure there are more people that take and look at hunting the way you do.[/align]

Thanks for the thoughts Matt.
Your comments seem to be spot on for some but I can say that in 39 years of hunting, I've always run into those few that simply cant enjoy the outdoorsunless they kill something.

Last fall I posted about a really nice weekend that our gang had at camp in early muzzy seaon. I posted that several of us saw decent numbers of deer and we had to pass several shot opportunities because we couldn't positively ID the deer as does in the foliage. I summed up the story by saying that no shots were fired but we had a great hunt. A regular here (one who posts numbers and stats here till he's BLUE in the face) responded by asking what I'd consider a bad hunt? One where lightning hit me?

The bad news is theres alway been a few around like that. The worse news is that they are generally pretty vocal. The really really good news though, is that there really are only a few of em. They just complain enoughtill it sounds like their's lots of em

Like Gay marriage and abortion rights a vocal few over ride the quite majority. As with common sense not being so common, open mindedness is not so very open.

We will all have a season to remember if we just work more on our hunting grounds and less on unfounded accusations. Go meet your neighbors and fellow hunters and manage your lands as you see fit.

Have a beer a a burger with them and you will begin to see the solution to the problems in your local wood lots.

Sorry Matt,should give an explanation to the photo. This what it basically boils down to. A few disgruntled,making a every day attempt to show their displeasure.[/align]

MGH,

You sound like a very rational thinking person for your youthful years.
I commend you for putting things in a proper perspective. My hat is off to you young man and I wish you many more years of hunting enjoyment.
I have been hunting for near fifty years now and I have never had a bad day of hunting even though I have had many days when I didn’t harvest or even see any of what I was hunting for.

Life, it’s enjoyment, it successes and rewards are all about attitude and it sounds like you have a good one. Keep that good attitude and you will find many rewards in life.

R.S. Bodenhorn

You can bet your last dollar that those hunters were just as judgemental as to days hunters. The opposition to doe seasons was much stronger in the 50's than it is today because the hunters at that time were much les informed than the hunters of today. The reason so many hunting camps are empty today is because there aren't enugh der to make their hunting experience enjoyable and rewarding base on todays standards. Just as todays hunters wouldn;t be happy with a model A Ford pickup compared to a new Ford 4X4.