I personally feel that it really does not matter what the commission does. Why? Simply put, PA has way too many hunters to get the herd in healthy balance. Actually let me rephrase that. Too many hunters in particular areas. Most state game lands are hunted to exhaustion every season. Most of the legal bucks are killed and we are left with small spikes and "Y" bucks. In these areas, the deer typically don't have the food source to generate big racks. This is not from over bowsing either. Agriculture areas stand the best chance of generating bigger bucks each year. But look at where most of the game lands are.. mountainous areas. These areas generally don't produce a decent size buck in its first couple years. These deer need more time to grow these racks. But, in most cases they are whacked in their 2nd or 3rd year as a small 6 or even small 8.

I think the deer herd management is going pretty well. The buck/doe ratio has been out of whack for quite some time. That part of the management is legite. I have serious questions on the part that they tell us that the buck hunting is going to get better.

The B/D ratio is not out of whack. It has been 1:2.2 for many years.What makes it appear to be out of whack is the antlered /anterless ratio which is around 1:5 preseason. If someone takes a buck from an area the first week of archery ,that ratio jumps to 1:10 ,which makes it look like the B/D ratio is out of whack.

However, you are right about the quality of the bucks on most SGL,especially in the NC counties. Poor soils, short growing seasons and hard winters make for a lot of small racks.

Most of you have probably figured this out by now but for the benefit of those who havent and any newbies out there Take DD with a big lump (not just a grain) of salt. Check what you read here! He spouts a lot of numbers making it look,at first glance, like he's done his homework. Had my head spinning for awhile! Problem is, many of these "facts and figures" don't seem to be available from a credible source. If you read carefully, some he admittedly says he "just knows the PGC isnt telling the truth".
Sorry if i've restated the obvious, I just get frustrated when someone starts stating "facts" that have a distorted basis. I just can't let stuff like that go unchallenged! I guess its a character flaw!

Well said, well said. The post that really got me was the fellow that asked for more information from DD, after a particularly "fact" filled post. Kinda like going to L. Ron Hubbard for advice about religion! I don't think DD is Slinsky, his posts aren't as full of himself as Slinksy would be and I don't think Slinsky can tone that down. Gotta wonder about a fellow who has a website with a section for his own qoutations on it! Juniorpc.

I challenge you to prove that statement is true. The OWDD goals are available on the PGC website. Tha antler buck survey is available on the same website as is the harvest data. You can go the the PGC PR section and see many of Alt's claims for yourself. It is all there for those that want to become educated about deer management . But for some ,ignorance is bliss because it allows them to belive in their baseless opinions rather than facing reality.

Wull gee whiz guys[&:]! here we wuz all this time thinkin that we oughter let Doc Alt do his thing but we wuz all ignorant to the numbers.[X(] Thank goodness a smart feller like DD came along and showed us his way of a crunchin them numbers tagether. All this time I wuz a thinkin that seein some bigger bucks wuz a good thang. Seemed ta me that thinnin out some does ,and they is mighty tasty, would leave a bit more food ta go round fer the critters and mebbe let some trees grow up a bit. I guess weez all been wrong. This feller has "bases" fer his opinions an Doc Alt musta been fibbin to us all this time!

Is that all you have,more idle rhetoric and nothing to support you claim that the facts and figure s I provide can't be documented. Talk is cheap and you are pretty good at cheap talk and cheap shots ,but you can't provide facts to support your cheap talk.

Geez thats very contradictory to the PGC's GPS tracking data that indicates that over 90% of the hunters dont venture further than 1/3 of a mile away from the road. Unless the Game lands are only a couple hundred of acres??

Dont know how they could get overhunted up here where many areas of SGL are more than 4 or miles across and in many instances ALOT more than that.

BT, he still has not answered one of your previous questions??

Maybein I is Guessin he was tryin ta ivoid da subgect???? (PS you crack me up!!!)LOL)

I do not know if that is entirely true but I do agree that whatever plan they have is inaffective.

I believe they were talking about NC PA. I hunted Potter & Tioga Cntys years ago and there it's possible to walk miles without seeing another hunter or a road. Not so in the east.