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pennsylvania's first opening saturday so how was it?

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pennsylvania's first opening saturday so how was it?

Old 12-24-2019, 06:06 PM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by edmehlig
WOW, where I hunted there was hardly any shooting at all. I think all morning I heard 4-5 shots and they were far away. In fact, we only say one doe and it was a little one that we let walk. We were wondering if Saturday was truly opening day.
Yep.The openin day was slow here as well and figured on Monday it would pick up.It didn,t.I live in farm country.
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Old 01-10-2020, 03:58 AM
  #12  
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I like the concept, more opportunities for those who have busy lives, have off on weekends, or kids involved with multiple weekend activities.

Personally, I had enjoyable day, other than having a yahoo set up 60 yards away from me, but that's public land hunting in PA. My buddy dropped 1 around 10:30, I got up to help him drag it out, warmed me up quickly. Hoping they allow Sunday hunting for deer sooner than later.
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Old 01-10-2020, 04:30 AM
  #13  
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Pretty much the opinion of lots of PA hunters, they should have left the opening day alone!
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Old 01-10-2020, 05:59 AM
  #14  
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Assuming most hunters, resident and non, attend camps because that's what PA is known for. I hope they go back to a Monday opener and give hunters the middle Sunday for hunting. Allow first weekend for camp arrivals, last minute preparation and catching up with fellow hunters and friends. As a small business owner and fellow hunter I feel this is a better option to what they did this season. As we know the Game Commission and State legislature will do what they want and it's usually not the best decision.
I also need to add that my feelings are that most non resident hunters are former residents or have a connection to PA hunting so I wish others wouldn't always be so critical of them, hunters should stick together. My peace or piece said.
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Old 01-10-2020, 12:51 PM
  #15  
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Actually, the legislature and the Governor's office was upset over the change to a Saturday opener because they were over whelmed with complaints about it and one Commissioner resigned over it.
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Old 01-10-2020, 01:25 PM
  #16  
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the more time i can get to hunt the happier i am. really don't understand what the issue is . if you don't want to hunt opening day on saturday & continue on sunday just wait to monday & go. in ohio we can hunt sundays & i love that . ohio is talking about opening the saturday after thanksgiving & going to the follow sunday. giving gun hunters 2 extradays especially when week day hunting is pretty much gone now a days
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Old 01-10-2020, 02:04 PM
  #17  
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That is the same nonsense that those who favored the stupid change were spewing. What you fail to understand is that the change messed up things for thousands of hunters who have a camp tradition and the way things are today the loss of tradition is a very bad thing. For a few whiners the opening day was changed and it does not make up for the damage it did to those who have the camp tradition. It creates a problem for camp hunters to be with their families on Thanksgiving and then heading for camp and taking care of all the things necessary to prepare the camp for the season. You hunt in Ohio, I suppose Ohio has their own traditions but it is obvious you do not understand the damage that was done with the stupid change of the opening day. When a change hurts as many or more than it helps, it should not be considered, to help the Johnny come lately snowflakes who thought they should be catered to the PGC stuck it to loyal and persistent hunters. I hope they change it back fir the 20/21 season.
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Old 01-11-2020, 03:15 AM
  #18  
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old timer i used to live in pa & hunt pa even when i now live in ohio. yes there are traditions but alot of the old family traditions are gone . the old timers are now gone & newer generations are coming in if at all . i used to know of aleast 3 hunting camps if not more that was alive & well during the 1970's thru the 1990's & as members passed away so did the hunting camps & traditions . the 3 camps i know of have not been hunted out of since the late 90's & early 2000's . they are now just collapsed sheds now. just a shame that has happened . 1 place i know is in forclosure due to delinquent property taxes from 2005. somebody will gobble it up & may build a cabin there so they can rent it out to summer vacationers . let's face it hunting is dieing off the average age for a hunter in now in his/ her 50's pgc is tring it's best to reintroduce hunting to the youth now & really the only time they have now is the weekends . they are all so tied up with personal business & work during the weekdays .another thing here in ohio traditions are'nt what they used to be the saturday & sunday before gun season i 77 south was a very busy hiway into southern oh . now if you travel on i 77 those 2 days you lucky to see a camper of a truck load of guys heading south. they are tring to open ohio gun season on the saturday after thanksgiving & the big fight here is well that's the OHIO STATE VS MICHIGAN FOOTBALL GAME day . what i think is we all fear change
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Old 01-11-2020, 04:19 AM
  #19  
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Most hunter DON'T hunt out of camps anymore though. Take a drive north of 80 during deer or bear season- many of the camps sit empty. Many are abandoned and falling apart.

Allot of the camps that are active are mostly older men who are there for the camp atmosphere, but really aren't that serious about hunting. Fact is that most people now hunt close to home, and most people are doing it in their spare time instead of taking the week off to hunt. Even public lands are dead on Tuesday of the first week. People are doing allot more hunting locally, they're hunting archery seasons on their off days, etc.

I still hunt out of a camp, and I personally would prefer the Monday opener 'the way it's always been.' We usually have 6-10 staying at our camp and 15-20 who show up to hunt and put on drives. The Monday opener was always nice and it allowed us time to travel over there and get set up. Friday and Saturday was often spent small game hunting, shooting, visiting, and we always had a big dinner on Saturday. We still had the dinner this year but those of us who were hunting didn't show up until 6-630.

BUT- I recognize that a Saturday opener is probably better for hunting as a whole. Especially for the kids. It's easier to get them involved and interested. And the camp argument just really isn't an argument in my opinion. Hunting camps are becoming a thing of the past unfortunately. If it gets more people involved it's a good thing.

The average age of hunters being in their 50s is a BAD thing. Where does that leaves us 20, 30 years from now? Without youngsters coming in, the sport is in trouble. Changes have to be made to help get them involved. Even if I don't really like the changes personally.

I think I said it earlier in this thread but..... Who complains about having more days to hunt? I mean really... It's more opportunity. What is there to complain about. If you don't want to hunt, don't.

-Jake

Last edited by Bocajnala; 01-11-2020 at 12:19 PM.
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Old 01-11-2020, 10:43 AM
  #20  
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jake i believe you have hit the nail on the head. camps are not what they use to be. we use to go to southern ohio for deer gun season. for the whole week & have a ton on fun & brought back allot of deer too. there were 11 of us . well the younger guys got married & settled down to there families . which brought me to hunting closer to home . and who can complain about extra days to hunt . like you sad kids don't skip school anymore to hunt & especially with all the social life & activities after school. so when they can get out & hunt especially during the weekends that's a good thing for hunting.at my sportsman club we would put on hunter education about 2 times a month twenty yrs ago. now we are lucky if we put on 2 to 3 classes a year.hunting is becoming a dying sport. even worse a rich man's sport due to all the expensive leasing going on. what has the hunting world come to ? let's perserve this sport by getting out more & even better let's get the youth of our world involved.
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