WV Gino

I just read an article where the author is claiming the PA buck harvest this past season will be 31,110 which is more than 90,000 less than last years buck harvest of 122,410.

Even more stunning is the fact that the number of PA hunters dropped from a little more than 900,000 last season to around 600,000 this season. That's a 33% decrease in one season alone.

I would post a link to this world famous outdoor writers web site and article but he would probably threaten to sue me for directing people to read his stuff.

You can find it via google.com just use these key words in the search window "PA" "outdoor writer". It should be the top hit.


WV Gino

berks/clintonbowhunter13

Wow. That first statistic doesnt suprise me too much. Only because it rain in a lot of the state on opening day of rifle season and i would think about 55 percent of the bucks killed are on the first day. This should make next years harvest much better though. =]. The second statistic is shocking. i dont understand why the number of hunters would drop that much.......?

Cornelius08

Ol James is clearly speaking of the reported harvest. As many if not most dont put much stock in the "60% + noncompliance" figure pulled out of midair by pgc.

Considering last year only a little over 44,000 bucks were reported as being harvested, Id say thats not an outrageous prediction by any stretch.

Aint it kinda fun to hear pgc turn 44k with the wave of a magic wand into 120,000+? lol.

livbucks

Hunting license sales were up 12% this year from what I heard.
The rest of his claims I don't have any info on.
And yes, people simply don't send in the report cards. That is well known.

Cornelius08

Rain first day would simply mean more killed throughout the other "high harvest" days this past year. Thats what happened a couple of years ago. They said the harvest was down due to first day rain in 2007. We were predicted a super harvest the next year, and it was very slightly higher. If i recall correctly 4%. Although the decrease the year before was MUCH higher than 4%. Didnt even come close to making up the diff. Why? Because the weather on that one day had little effect and the herd was indeed smaller.

Cornelius08

Of course some dont. But 60% plus? I aint buyin' it. Their methodology is fine in that it is meant to show trends....not actual harvest. Which can only be a guestimate at best.

BTBowhunter

Gonna take a wild guess Gino Would that be the well known Jiminy the Slink?

I seem to recall references on another site to a prediction from a guy whose name sounds something like that where he claimed we'd be down to 15000 deer statewide (or something like that) by now?

J Pike

There is NO doubt about it that Slinky is an idiot!! But I feel bad for any person that believes the PGC.'s #'s that over 60% of PA. hunters are lazy slob hunters that break the law and dont send it their harvest report cards.
If you actually believe that stat then you have to also believe that 60 +% of your family, neighbors, congregation.,co-workers, political party etc. are lazy slob law breakers as well because the hunters of PA. are no different than any other demographic.
But I have to admit that the PGC. using this stat to pass the buck (blame) onto the hunters of PA. for their less than accurate deer population #.'s and harvest #'s over the years was a brilliant move on their part. Pike

ManySpurs

I had a conversation on the phone with a BOC'er the other night, and he said it appeared that license sales will be up by 3% for the 2008-2009 season.

Slinsky and the USP do more harm to us hunters that oppose this DMP than anything else. Just about the time that it looks like we may have the ear of some of the players, they come along and screw everything up. I wish they and their egos would go away forever.

It was 50,000.

germain

3% increase in hunting license sales would surprise me.I figured there would be an increase in older hunters giving it up.
I'm anxious to see how many more bear licences were sold.We're getting alot of publicity over bear hunting lately.I'm also wondering if the out of state numbers jumped up over bear hunting.