DougE

I have no doubt that many of your are seeing more bucks than usual.More likely than not,next year will be a good one.What you have to realize is that in the areas where you are still seeing alot of doe and more bucks,your areas are probably way over the stated goal.Only one management unit in the state has a goal of more than 15 dpsm.Alt has stated many times that he will do whatever it takes to reduce the herd.I'm hunting in an area that is at the goal and it stinks.I still kill a deer every year there but I live where I hunt and I have alot of time to spend in a tree.*

I have no objections to shooting more doe and less bucks as long as the herd is being managed at the lands true carrying capacity.I agree that it was way over that in many areas for too long and we should have less deer.I don't expect to have a deer behind every tree or popping out of the bushes like popcorn as Alt would say.I expect each area to be magaged according to the lands true carrying capacity.I think that's all most people want and that's not what is happening.*

The regulations that were put in place are not the problem.Most hunters can live with ar,resonable herd reductions,more seasons and concurrent seasons.The ultimate goal of having less than 15 dpsm is what stinks.Very few private landowners that hunt would be willing to take the herd on their property to those levels.It's absolute hypocracy since most of these guys support Alt.Unfortunately most have no clue what the true goals really are.The average hunters think we need to kill enough doe to make room for the bucks saved by ar.It goes way beyond that guys.*

If and when Alt reaches his goals none of his original statements can possibly come true.We will never have MORE AND BIGGER bucks than ever before.Our buck harvest will not go down the first year of ar and then return to almost normal.We never had a breeding ecology problem.Over 90 percent of our mature doe are bred and most are bred during a two week period in november.We never had 5 to 6 does to every buck. Currently it's less than 1 antlered buck to 3 adult doe.This can be proven very easily.I heard ALT make the comment that we've been killing more bucks than doe for too long.I don't know where he's been because it's been over a decade since that happened.Now he says the herd hasn't been reduced.Give me a freakin break.

dvdegeorge

CattNy,I see you are new to these forums,we try to keep things decent around here,leaving the vulgar language out,there are some young hunters and some people who just don't care for that type of talk.That aside everyones veiws are welcome here to accepted or debated intelligently.You say you do most of your hunting in Ny,so you have more than ample oppertunity to harvest many deer, buck(a least 2) and doe(countless),someone stated that we did not know how many tags you had.Also you like I are a guest of Pa. when we choose to hunt there,thems the rules if we don't like them we can save $101 and stay home.I like the way they are managing their heard and wish NY would do the same!

CattNY

dvd, I apologize to you. I am sorry. ARs are the rules so I will follow them. I don't necessarily agree with them, but everyone has to follow the rules. Not from you, but from a previous post a person erred me when they questioned my manhood for shooting a small buck. Well, when I shot a doe and I had to continuing chase her fawns away, I did not consider myself a man. In the future, I will not shoot a doe with fawns. I know it is legal and the fawns probably will survive, this is just not my idea of "sport". Could luck to you dvd.

dvdegeorge

CattNy,welcome to the forum,it's intiation by fire around here

PAhunter86

And if the deer heard goes beyond it's carrying capacity, disease epidemics would be likely to happen then the deer herd would go way down...and that would bring more complaints from people[8D]

PABowhntr

I would like to see that in PA as well...


This is the first time I have seen this much participation on a PA thread in this forum for quite some time.

Personally, I am seeing fewer deer in general and only a slight improvement in the size of the racks in my area. Am I complaining? No. However, if the herd numbers are down in my area then why continue to hammer away with higher doe allocations and increased rifle hunting opportunities when it is not needed?

The reason, from my point of view, is simple. There is not enough micromanagement with the current WMUs. A differentiation needs to be made when it comes to allocating doe licenses for public versus private land.

juniorpc

Due to a family illness I was not able to hunt the amount of time I had planned. I shot a ten point on public land (2 1/2 year old deer) on the first day of the season. Saw 4 bucks after that on the three days I was able to hunt, including the remainder of the first day. One spike, one, one horned spike, two small 4 points. Also took a doe in archery season that was claimed by a bear and a doe in rifle season claimed by me. Some tough weather two of the three days I could hunt rifle. Also missed a doe with the muzzleloader. Saw plenty of lousy habitat in my time in the woods before season though. Juniorpc

TreePhantom

Even if the PGC wants to get the #'s down for the forests, what happens when the clear-cut areas re-generate? Within 10 years you will have a nice new hunting area with cover galore, more places for the deer to hide, better feed/more consistent feed. This past winter was bad. A lack of consistent mass coupled with cold/snow. I'd rater see more hunters shooting does than coyotes feeding off the sick/starving deer JMO.

Last season was tough (food sources), however I was still happy with the deer I saw. I saw more and bigger bucks than ever before. I also experienced the most intensive rut in my 11 years of hunting. JMHO

Gar-Shooter

Best season I have had in Columbia county since I move here five years ago. I hunt 100% public land. If I could shoot my bow straight all the time I should have had five legal bucks in five years.

Missed two bucks this year with my recurve. The last one I missed was a four point half rack on the last day of gun season. I missed a large buck in archery season too. I filled both my doe tags with my recurve so I was very happy this year. Great Season, Great Days to Spend in the Woods!

Gar

SchuylkillOutdoorsman

Saw 5 deer all season from bow to the end of rifle. 2 buck-1 legal and 3 doe. I hunt the swatara state park, and it is usually an awesome hunting ground. Not this year though... There were alot of hunters there in the rifle season, not much shooting on the first day, 1 shot in the area where I was.