I think some of the fawns posting on this thread need to get back on their meds. I thought Dale Gribble was posting there for a second.

We'll know we've arrived when Clinton gets mentioned. I thought he was responsible for every evil in this country extendig from before he was president to everything that's being done under Junior.

I happened to be near McConnellsburg, PAvisiting family a few months ago. My family lives only .5 mile from Gamelands#53.My brother-in-lawdoesn't hunt, but enjoys walking in the woods. I've never seen anything like the terrain there. It's like a moonscape with trees. Everything within the deer's reach was eaten. This is a sign of severe over-population. On both days that we walked we jumped deer. They are probably browsing most of the day to get enough food. Where I hunt there is so much food, they don't show themselves until after shooting hours. That's 1/2 after sunset in NC.

yeah u notice the overbrowsing but... thats not in the entire state... does anyone know of any recent clear cuts or logging incidents on game lands or on big areas of woods?? if there were local clear cuts then the deer could move into those and feed off the brows of dead trees not this underbrush... this whole deer destroying the forest thing is a bunch of bull**** and people that believe that then thats fine but if you are going to restrict hunting and kill off does.. kill the f#cking deer in the area that it's happening, not all over the state... oh well what can a PA taxpayer and hunter like me have a say in this matter... you can't hunt whats not there to be hunted....

Drives suck. I use to do this when I started hunting but will never do one again. Find a place where the deer aren't preasured. I prefer the rest stop on Southside 79 out of little Washington.

Good luck

I'm sure the areas with a lot of ag can carry the current level of deer.

The problem is as with all Public projects in PA, is $. They are trying to regulate a large and diverse state with basically one set of regs. I hunt a bit (with my 79 y.o. Dad) in Monroe county and habitat on the few gamelands we hunt is severely overbrowsed.IMHO, more intensive- dmu by dmu, management is needed.

I completely agree. That's what I posted on the archery forum. This state's habitats are so diverse that it is impossible for one set of regulations to suit them all. seasons need to be wmu by wmu

I consider myself a fair hunter in terms of how seriously I take it and how successful I am in it. I will say that deer numbers in all of the areas that I hunt are down significantly in the last 3 or 4 years. But that was the intention of Gary's program now wasn't it? Shoot more does and reduce the number of 1.5 year old bucks taken. Well, he has accomplished that. The question is when is it enough? As mentioned we cannot have blanket policies that govern most if not all of the state. The herd needs to be micromanaged. The current WMUs are much too large to be effective in controlling deer numbers within them. The difference between private and public land alone is enough to justify changes in the deer management policies.

I feel very fortunate to have taken a nice buck during archery season this year and I hope to be as fortunate next year. However, I do believe that the intensive hunting of does really needs to be cut back at this point. Many public land areas are being decimated by the generous seasons and bag limits. We really need to....

1) Reduce that two week rifle season for does. I don't have any specific suggestions but two full weeks is just too much considering the current herd levels in some areas.

2) Eliminate or further regulate the early muzzleloader season in October.

3) Reduce the number of doe tags issued specifically to heavily pressured areas. It does no good to issue 40,000 tags to a Wildlife Management Unitwith heavily pressured but limited public hunting land.

I like the pgc.after last year they saved me alot of money.my wife and 2 kids gave it up and this might be my last year for pa.if you would like to keep the pgc happy just keep giveing them your money that is all they care about anyway.1 thing to think about the pgc is not out killing the deer it is us hunters that is killing them