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PA Makes Progress

We had the same thing in Michigan , some counties didn't allow hunting on Sunday BUT it was OK to hunt fox with hounds. Some of the county commisioners had hounds, go figure. Michigan went from a set weekend to a set date, Nov. 15 for the opener of gun season. Much better for most as vacations can be planned a year ahead.
 
What they don't realize is that Sunday hunting gets more non-resident hunters to buy a license. They come in from out of state and spend money. Sunday hunting helps not just the game commission.
 
Starting on a Saturday is going to make a few logistical problems for a few guys as now they will need at least one more day off ahead of time to travel.
On the other hand I also hunt ny state and love the fact that season opener is always on a Saturday. Ny also allows sunday hunting thou which makes the whole deal sweeter.
So hopefully pa pulls thier head out of where they are hiding it and at least opens up state and national land to sunday big game at a minimum. However I would prefer it state wide. If a private landowner does not want sunday hunting the state should provide the no sunday signs for said landowner, then strictly enforce it.
 
Sunday hunting is a Dept of Agriculture thing, not the PGC. That's who we need to lobby. I'd rather have seen Sunday hunting over the opening day being Saturday. But the same can be said, If you don't want o hunt the 1st Saturday or Sundays, then don't
 
Pennsy's hunter numbers are literally falling off a cliff and this is only a band aid. Sunday hunting, already allowed in 49 other states, is the only thing that will stabilize license sales. Been hunting PA for over fifty years and from this chair, the Saturday start and even Sunday hunting are too little too late. I won't even go in to the micro-managing of the deer herd, overthinking of season dates and seventy five pages of regulations. e-huh.gif
 
I have to admit, when Gary Alt first proposed his deer management plan and the PGC Adopted it I was disappointed (in the doe permits, I liked the antler restriction from day 1). The deer numbers dropped dramatically. As the deer population dwindled so did the license sales. There were a few years i struggled to see deer, I'm not sure why i continued to hunt during that time. But now, some 17 years later, look at what we have, yes it's been a long time but the quality of bucks has now increased significantly, the buck to doe ratio is a little more in check, you can actually rattle and grunt without scaring every buck in a 2 mile radius into the next county. I don't consider drawing back on anything less than 100"s. And this year it might be 120" I know of 3 140" Plus bucks in the area I hunt, one was killed the other 2 made it through the season.

I'm not a meat hunter, I enjoy being in the woods and really look forward to taking a trophy buck, all while watching smaller bucks fight and carry on like youngsters, these last couple years have been extremely satisfying. A couple years ago pretty decent 8 point walked by my Daughters stand, I told here to take it. She said we'll wait for a bigger one, that made my day. When i was her age I would have shot it and been the happiest guy in the world. She said it'll be bigger next year, now look 3 140 class bucks, Times are changing
 
I have to admit, when Gary Alt first proposed his deer management plan and the PGC Adopted it I was disappointed (in the doe permits, I liked the antler restriction from day 1). The deer numbers dropped dramatically. As the deer population dwindled so did the license sales. There were a few years i struggled to see deer, I'm not sure why i continued to hunt during that time. But now, some 17 years later, look at what we have, yes it's been a long time but the quality of bucks has now increased significantly, the buck to doe ratio is a little more in check, you can actually rattle and grunt without scaring every buck in a 2 mile radius into the next county. I don't consider drawing back on anything less than 100"s. And this year it might be 120" I know of 3 140" Plus bucks in the area I hunt, one was killed the other 2 made it through the season.

I'm not a meat hunter, I enjoy being in the woods and really look forward to taking a trophy buck, all while watching smaller bucks fight and carry on like youngsters, these last couple years have been extremely satisfying. A couple years ago pretty decent 8 point walked by my Daughters stand, I told here to take it. She said we'll wait for a bigger one, that made my day. When i was her age I would have shot it and been the happiest guy in the world. She said it'll be bigger next year, now look 3 140 class bucks, Times are changing


I'm with you when it comes to wall hangers and being out in the woods but we're a very small minority of PA deer hunters. The average guy just wants a buck, no matter the size, or a doe for the freezer. Instead of catering to this class of yeoman hunter, the game commission, at the behest of this minority, the "experts" aka biologists, and those who profit from the trophy mania, embarked on a plan for trophy bucks and I fear it's helped ruin deer hunting in the state. When a hunter doesn't see but a few deer when there were once herds, they leave the sport and quit buying a license.
Call it the law of unintended consequences but in the long run who knows what's next. Hunting is not exactly a well supported sport among the general population.

Edit: As to the quality of bucks, yes they have improved but why? More farmland has been put in corn, read ethanol, hundreds of thousands of less deer hunters and to a lesser extent, the antler restriction. I put most of it to more corn being planted.
 
I see no problem with antler restrictions in pa archey. I've pasted many a smaller legal buck up because the area was hot with large buck as well, sometimes it pays off others it dont. Not much of a problem counting tines when a buck is in archery range.
With all that said for the average rifle hunter to have to count tines when a buck is partially in coverage and or on the move is very difficult during gun season . In my opinion antler restrictions should be dropped down some during gun.
 
I'd be happy if the stupid d#$N deer that keeps eating my trees and bushes would just drop dead...there may not be herds in the "big woods' but they are like rats in my yard. i see seven or eight every night when I drive in, and I have a lousy half acre. I am to the point where I consider SSS
 
Just checked the antlerless permit number for the upcoming season. Most are stable, a few reduced and one interesting increase from 58,000 to 67,000, WMU 5B. This encompasses Lancaster, York and Lebanon county where there are almost ZERO deer. The Pennsy hunters know what I'm referring to, drives with the maximum number of hunters and the mindset if its brown it's down. To those who are hunting these three counties, good luck. You're going to need it.

https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2019...ng-here-changes-coming-pa-hunters/3421501002/
 
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Just checked the antlerless permit number for the upcoming season. Most are stable, a few reduced and one interesting increase from 58,000 to 67,000, WMU 5B. This encompasses Lancaster, York and Lebanon county where there are almost ZERO deer. The Pennsy hunters know what I'm referring to, drives with the maximum number of hunters and the mindset if its brown it's down. To those who are hunting these three counties, good luck. You're going to need it.

https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2019...ng-here-changes-coming-pa-hunters/3421501002/
The most efficient way to eradicate the white tail from existence is to bring the amish in... anyone who has hunt around or in the area of them knows what I am talking about.
 
Did PA make the Deer opener always the Saturday after Thanksgiving? Or did they pull a NY and make it the 3rd Sat after the 2nd tues, after a quarter moon or something equally stupid!!!!!!!
 
Did PA make the Deer opener always the Saturday after Thanksgiving? Or did they pull a NY and make it the 3rd Sat after the 2nd tues, after a quarter moon or something equally stupid!!!!!!!
Saturday after Thanksgiving, permanent. Not to worry though, if they ever get Sunday hunting, they'll do what you've described about NY. e-crazy.gif
 
I contribute a lot of the nicer bucks to areas being posted up tight as a bulls ass. Around here, Westmoreland county, more property is posted than is open to hunting. The only ones getting nice bucks are the poachers and yes we have plenty of them.
 
I contribute a lot of the nicer bucks to areas being posted up tight as a bulls ass. Around here, Westmoreland county, more property is posted than is open to hunting. The only ones getting nice bucks are the poachers and yes we have plenty of them.
Between all the monster Buck hunting shows and the antler restrictions more land has been posted in Pa in the last 15 years than I can believe. Not to much different than all the picker or resto shows , everyone that has some rusted pile of shit that they should be glad to get rid of thinks they have a gold mine sitting there.
 
Just checked the antlerless permit number for the upcoming season. Most are stable, a few reduced and one interesting increase from 58,000 to 67,000, WMU 5B. This encompasses Lancaster, York and Lebanon county where there are almost ZERO deer. The Pennsy hunters know what I'm referring to, drives with the maximum number of hunters and the mindset if its brown it's down. To those who are hunting these three counties, good luck. You're going to need it.

https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2019...ng-here-changes-coming-pa-hunters/3421501002/
Oh we have plenty of deer and even more chronic wasting, probably the reason for the increase. The issue is where they are, residential and posted land especially bordering SGL's. They ain't dumb..Mama says,"stupid is as stupid does"...
 
Not sure I would call that single day opening, "Progress".

Sunday hunting would be progress. Just opening the buck season on a Saturday will do little more than satisfy a few casual hunters and piss off lots of wives, students and businesses. First it means hunters will bolt out of Thanksgiving early or immediately after to get to cam and clean things up. Wood needs cut, supplies brought in, stands checked and built, hunters accommodated and all with just that one Friday to do it. Impossible for quite a few, especially those traveling.

Next is that Friday before the first day is a traditional shopping day. Now it's a mess of confusion with many different interests in a hunting family.

Kids will no longer be getting the "first day" off school. Guess how that feels for both them and their hunting teachers. Sure they get to hunt Saturday in what may well be a crowded day afield. Mixed on how that will work out.

Sunday shopping for camp is now over. Stopping at the Moose to watch the Steeler/Eagles game before the season with buck pools and camaraderie now gone.

Sure there may be an extra Saturday in the buck season, assuming it will also end on a Saturday. It does add one more day to the traditional buck season. I doubt it will add any more than a few "weekend warriors" to the overall hunting interest. Far from progress to me.
 
In our school district the teachers and students got Monday ,the first day of buck, and Tuesday off. It’ll be interesting to see how that shakes out but I cannot see the teachers giving up two days off
 

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