PA AR going BYE_BYE??????
 

Hey guys, I heard that they will be resetting the old antler restrictions for next year possibly due to the # of hunting licenses that dropped . It was something like PA went down 300,000 sales this year , and WV went up 200,000. I personally think they should keep them around , i have already seen more big bucks the last 2 years its been in effect. If they want to go hunt other states for the fear of not getting a buck , LET THEM , that only means more deer for me. One thing i do think we should try to pass though is gettin an antlerless tag with our buck license , then being able to purchase others from there. What are your thoughts on these matters?>

RE: PA AR going BYE_BYE??????
 

Where did you hear this? My guess is that is just another rumor floating around the mill.

The only talk of next season that I have heard is starting doe season the Monday prior to Thanksgiving. It would be a week of doe w/ buck starting on the traditional Monday. That would create a 3-week doe season. There has also been talk on other sites that the PGC would like to increase doe tags to further implement HR.

RE: PA AR going BYE_BYE??????
 

i heard about the three week does season too. i like the current antler restrictions as well. i didn't at first because i thought i had a hard enouph time finding horns when it was legal to shoot a spike, but believe it or not, i think that the law forced me to pay more attention and can almost immediately find antlers on a deer. as for making a three week doe season, starting doe a week earlier, i think that will improve the quality of bucks in my area just because the bucks are pretty smart...... after the first couple hours of the "new" first day, the buck will sense that it's the beginning of yet another gun season in PA and will head to the thickets and swamps to "hole" up for the season. then you'll see them popping up shortly after it all comes to an end!!

RE: PA AR going BYE_BYE??????
 

Big whoopdy doo if they make a "Doe Season" starting the first Monday before Thanksgiving. That will just be 5 more days that I and 95% of the working class guys here can't hunt.
You want to do it right.........Start a concurrent Buck/Doe season on the SATURDAY after Thanksgiving and give us SUNDAYS as well. More antlerless deer will be killed on that extra Saturday and the 2 Sundays than any week long DOE season ever will. WHY? Because us guys who actually have to work will have an extra day to actually be in the woods hunting.
Want to sell more licenses? Give us Sundays. It's not worth it to a lot of guys anymore to only be able to hunt one day a weekend. I know I have a beautiful camp in the mountains of Northern PA and I just don't want to make that drive for one day a weekend.
And leave antler restrictions alone.......they work.

I am always amazed at the PGC's shortsighted and complicated solutions to a simple problem with a simple solution.
:eek:

RE: PA AR going BYE_BYE??????
 

I hope the AR's don't leave. PA has a lot of potential. I hope they don't put in another week of gun season. 3 weeks seems crazy. I'm with Matt on the Sunday hunting.

RE: PA AR going BYE_BYE??????
 

definitely with you guys on the sunday hunt, the Saturday opener and keeping the AR's. I personally think the Sunday hunting would be the best move the PGC copuld make to get license sales up. Unfortunately, I also think that it will be the last thing the PGC would do. They seem to have an irrational aversion to the Sunday hunting idea.

RE: PA AR going BYE_BYE??????
 

Yea thanks for the input guys, I also would like to see sunday hunting come to PA.... We need to get the ratio back in line. Last day of rifle i saw 36 deer , 2 had horns . That is rediculous, give me an Antlerless tag with my buck tag, if u must charge me the 6 more dollars to make ur money , then leave some open for WMU sales. IMO

RE: PA AR going BYE_BYE??????
 

Let me start off by saying that I would like to see the AR continued. However, I would like to see more micromanagment of seasons and bag limits based on the different WMUs. In some areas I believe the current 2 week rifle for buck or doe season to be overkill and would like to see it removed for the next few seasons. A doe season starting the Saturday before Thanksgiving through the Saturday after Thanksgiving followed by a two week buck season would be my preferred suggestion for my neck of the woods...though I do ofcourse agree with Matt's comments about Sunday hunting.

RE: PA AR going BYE_BYE??????
 

One thing i do think we should try to pass though is gettin an antlerless tag with our buck license , then being able to purchase others from there[quote]

Just how would you regulate where that doe tag could be used? Anywhere??

My friends, we are divided on this between those who see lots of deer and those who don't. I have hunted deer for almost 30 years in Lehigh, Carbon, and Schuykill counties, on state forests or sgl's, and I've never had to hunt this long and hard to even see a deer. I suspect that those who are clammoring for more tags and more days to hunt are probably hunting either an isolated spot or on a private land, or on a lease. I believe we are becoming a two-tierd hunting fraternity. Those who have, and those who do not. And those that do not, like me, would rather see a reduced season and bag limit. Over-browsing by deer is a poor and unproved reason to have slaughtered our herd. Take a look at your public forests, in summer, and tell me how much sunlight reaches the floor. The deer haven't over-browsed because there's nothing to browse.

RE: PA AR going BYE_BYE??????
 

Sunday hunting, absolutely! We are living in a state( Oh! Sorry I meant commonwealth) that still lives in the historic blue law days. Enough said , please contact the Pa. Game commission and let your voice be heard. The only way there going to change is if we pressure them. It also wouldn't hurt to contact your state senators office and voice your opinion.