I agree that you will see an increase of 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 year old 8 pointers, and these will be good breed stock for the future. HOWEVER, you will have a problem with freak horned deer messing up the gene pool. I have seen mature 4-5 year old spikes and fork horns tending does after running off younger eight pointers. If the deer density is high the younger bucks have a shot at breeding. If the density is low guess who's genes will dominate the deer herd. Good luck on the program, I hope that it works well for your state.

YES, we do need to have more liscences handed out. I am not talking about a HUGE amount, but it is the best way to knock down our buck to doe ratio. I really didn't think that this year will allow the less dominant deer to breed. That is a good point.

Good Luck This Season: Buck Magnet
P.S. Only Chuck Adams can sit at home and see deer so get into the woods. =;^)

Pistoltrainer and Buckmagnet

You're kind of both right. This is the first year in a long time that a virtual sell out of doe licenses occurred. I think we can thank the concurrent season for that. We've had counties with huge amounts of unsold licenses in the past yet they still have too many does there. In those areas more doe licenses did no good. There are also still counties that sell out immediately. Those are counties where more doe tags would be helpful.
BTW Maybe there are counties out there that need smaller doe kills but I aint seen one yet myself.

Everyone keeps complaing how its not fair for the young kids well I have an even bigger gripe. I went on my first deer hunt last year at age 15. I saw one little buck that I missed, and a ton of doe. I wasn't able to shoot any of the doe because all the residents had hoarded up the doe tags and werent using them. Now that Im sixteen and will have to hunt on an adults license I need to find a deer with at least three points to shoot and if I want to kill a doe I have to contend with the permit rat race again? But If I was one freaking year younger I could kill a doe with my buck tag? That is just a bunch of garbage. Especially considering the PGC share Buck MAgents view of not wanting to hear from the out of staters about anything. I mean then out of staters are the one that pay double for license fees and they are they one that bring in extra money to communities not the locals. How about giving us a fair shot to get anterless permits and treating us a little better. If the PGC doesn't wise up pretty soon they will see a mass exodus of out of staters to other states and a huge drop in revune.

I think that our Game Commissions major concern is pleasing the MAJORITY. That is the people who live and hunt in this state. We do need more doe tags to be handed out, I think that the amount should be distributed eavinly to the state and out of staters. I see your point, but you are the minority. Would you be mad if your state took care of the out of staters before you residents. I bet you would. Our Game Commission is trying to correct everything all at once, they want everyone to be as happy as possible and as soon as possible. I don't know if this is the right path to follow but they are giving it their best shot. You aren't the only person that is complaining about not getting a tag so don't feel like you are, I was mad, I tried to an extra doe tag but couldn't get one. I think that one of the major problems is the amount of hunters in Pennsylvania, we have almost the same amount of hunters as we do deer. If EVERYONE got a buck and a doe tag, the herd could be killed to a tiny amount and then where would we be. Up the creek without a paddle. I think that the Game Commission is doing the right thing in helping out the Pennsylvania residenc first. We live here. I don't feel that they should entirely discard out of staters but it shouldn't be their main concern. As for the price of the liscence, that is the price you were willing to take for hunting here, you don't have to hunt Pennsylvania if you don't like it. You could always hunt in your home state.

Good Luck This Season: Buck Magnet
P.S. Only Chuck Adams can sit at home and see deer so get into the woods. =;^)

I agree with BM. From what i understand Jersey is pretty liberal with tags and has a good population of deer also. You should have no problem taking care of yourself in NJ.

Jersey regs are fairly liberal and I do make use of them in black powder season. But six day firearm is crazier then opening day in PA. You dont just see random little gropus of pumkin impersonaters moving around you se patch after patch of them. I dont really like to drive deer which is why I enjoy hunting in a Place like PA where you don't have to. And I understand taking care of your own first but if your own are just hoarding the tags and not using them that deafeats the purpose of having them in the first place. I mean if you have 17,000 antlerless tags for a county that should equal 17,000 dead antlerless deer. But because the people who like to let does walk oard the permits it aint never gonna happen. I'm not asking for a ton here just a little. I mean you have 17,000 permits for clearfield county, set aside 3,000 of them for non-residents which leaves you 14,000 for residents. that and maybe like jersey used to have 1 permit untill the left overs go on sale. I mean people with 8 permits is redicoulus.