Sieg3006

First trip back to the cabin since buck season.
We went for a walk after breakfast, saw 3 deer - all were dead.
2 buck - 1 was not even legal
1 doe
Saw NO fresh crap.
Saw NO fresh tracks.
Saw NO fresh sign at all.

Saw NO live mammals at all.
Heard 3 grouse takeing off.

Next year is really going to suck !!!

bawanajim

What did your camp shoot this year?

Rick James

Huh..........unusual. All of the property I hunt (huntington and Bradford counties) are absolutely crawling with deer.

My father and I decided to have some habitat improvement done on the 100 acres we have in Bradford County. We brought in a bioligist and had them recommend some things, and the #1 thing they said was selective logging. We paid him a tiny amount of money to select which pieces of timber should be cut and which should be left and they just finished the cutting 2 weeks ago. Already, my father (who lives there) says that the deer are congregating on his property. I am going down next weekend to put up my new Leaf River camera and my father is going to tend it for me and email pics. I will post some pics when we start to get them.

This is a property that has approximately 6-8 does per year harvested every year and only 3 1/2 year mature bucks for approx 6 years now, and the hunting has never been this good.

bawanajim

Rick james You are way ahead of most on this.Proper land management will allow you to have more & better deer hunting than people that don't remove the large saw logs ,and let sun lite reach the ground .Pruning apple trees this time of year will pay off in the fall also . Good luck & post some pics.

Rick James

Thanks for the compliments. I think the problem with a lot of what is perceived of PA hunting is that #1, they don't have access to private land or their own land, and #2, those that do don't do habitat improvement as well as AR's and herd reduction. AR's is only a small part of having more and better deer, and without the habitat improvement it doesn't do much. I do feel for the guys that have to hunt public property though, I am fortunate to have the property access that I do and that is why I am sure that I approve of the management changes in PA. If I was forced to hunt public property that I didn't have the option of improving the habitat on I am sure I would be singing a different tune.

We don't even plant food plots down there. Maybe this spring we will though, dad has a tractor and disc so it wouldn't be difficult.

bullmoose38

It goes to show if you put a little time,money, and effort into improving your hunting ground. You can make a big difference. I put out food plots, minerals, trim brush,and lots of other things to help the land and wildlife. Now I know everyone doesnt have their own land. But if you ask and put an effort into finding some land. You to could be benefiting from your efforts. I allow people to hunt my land under one condition. When they stop to ask me if they can hunt 2 days before the season. I will say no. But if someone stops and asks me early in the spring to hunt and offers me some help with improving the hunting grounds. I will say YES because these are the people that are trying to make a difference. These are the people that are trying to improve the deer herd. These are the people that are trying to improve their hunting. My favorite excuse is I dont want to pay to improve hunting. But think about this... How much is a round of golf? How much is Hersheypark? How much is a MLB game? Hunting is just another form of recreation or what ever you want to call it. No matter what you choose to do it will cost you money. And the way I look at it, it doesnt cost alot of money to make a difference. What it does take alot of is time and effort! So everyone out there who are having successful seasons because of your efforts. You truly deserve it! And the people that are upset because of private land. Think for a minute. The efforts put out by all the people that improve their land are also helping the people that dont give a damn until 2 days before the season. This is one way of improving deer hunting in PA! It all starts with the hunter itself not the PGC, foresters, dcnr or any other group. So instead of complaining of what should be done in PA to fix the deer problem. Try to make a difference where you hunt and maybe the pieces will fall into place. It sure did where I hunt. Good luck!

PA Hardwoods

AMEN Rick James and BullMoose!!!!!!!!!! I have been singing that tune for a while.But the problem is that some people are stuck in the stone ages and refuse to pay any attention to QDM. They just want 200 deer per mile. so they can shoot the first thing brown that comes into their sights.

cardeer

What a truthful mouthful, Oh for sure plant them plots and you will have a haven for huntin. I to feel for the public land hunter. But do know private land owners that are to cheap to improve their land or hunters that make a choice to spend their money on toys that are not even hunting related rather then buy land or lease a farm.. Thats their fault and have no reason to complain.We have the choice to be either 100% hunter or a woods playboy.

germain

You can plant plots till the cows come home but if the surrounding properties allow for the deer slaughters those plots won't have anything to feed.
Some of you guys are really sheltered and don't have a clue.

PA Hardwoods

Germain you are wrong. If you plant those plots those deer will be on your property with the plots and not on the adjoining property where the slaughter will take place. Another sugestion to you rick james would be to have just one area on your property if it is big enough that you do not hunt at all, so the deer have a safe haven to go to when pressure gets hard IF your property gets hunted hard. A friend of mine does this and it works out very well. But they have a large section of property. They have taken some of the largest deer I have ever seen taken in Central Pennsylvania.