Pennsylvania's deer program

Just thought i'd stir things up a bit.....I guess i'm just bored at work...
 
So after a few years with the new regulations, what are your thoughts? What changes would anyone make?
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Well the first couple years were bad but now i do see a improve its slowly getting there but its not a its total potential yet. Honestly they should have 4 on one side for a year or 2 or lower doe tag allotments for a year or 2 then you will see the program really come to its potentential then there be plenty of deer out there and the buck to doe ratio would be closer.

I personally am very happy about the "new" buck program.  I have been seeing more 2 1/2's and 3 1/2's than I ever had.  Hunting primarily in Allegheny county I would love to see them do away with the crossbows.  I found 6 bolts last year in the woods and saw a deer spotting with a bolt hangin out of its side.  People seem to think they are rifles.  Anyhow number of big bucks are up and I think maybe time to ease up on the doe tags.
 
Chris

The buck regulations are great! I just came back from spotting 60 minutes in North Hills Allegheny County seen 2 ten points 18"+ spreads, 1 8 point 18+ spread, 5 smaller buck with 2 being legal shooters, and over 25 doe. Now thats alot of deer in the small area I spotted. Thats Allegheny County now things are different in Northern Butler County, I own 24 acres there and we hunt many days with only seeing 1 or 2 deer now these are the same spots I would count 50-60 in 1 day prior to the Game Commission trying to eliminate the complete deer herd with the ridicolous doe season. Why not just open doe hunting up year round? I would love to see a late 3 day hunt maybe even 2 days the way it use to be when I was growing up. I dont even care if I shoot a deer anymore. I had a 2D, and 5 2B tags last year never shot a deer! How many could have I shot if I felt the need all 6 doe tags and my buck tag would have been filled. I just can't bring myselfto shoot a doe in Butler with the way the herd dropped in the last 4 years.
 
I have seen entirely to many deer with legs hanging, dead, legs missing from archery and rifle's it makes me sick. There are guys hunting these strip mines and you hear shot after shot they never go to check and see if they hit the deer or not they just wait until one falls. If the deer keeps going they dont take the time to track them it sucks! I have notified the PA Game Commission and still nothing being done. I ask if they could be cited for shooting at random never got an answer. But boy get caught with a spotlight on after 11:00 and they do there job.
 
Pa would be a great place to hunt if the hunters used there brains and payed close attention to the herd in the area they hunt and limited what they killed. There is NO DOUBT THE BUCK ANTLER RESTRICTIONS WORK!! I will try to post some pictures or videos of some buck we see I spot almost every night.

Id like to see them make it 4 on a side, state wide.

I would be all for doe season being seperate from buck in rifle again. What happens is guys go out there shoot a doe at 8am, stay till noon... go home and dont come back till the next saturday, if at all. Or they spend the rest of the time riding the road. You all know thats what happens, not saying you do it, im sure you know someone who does.

Also, I want to see it that if you get caught stealing someones gear, you lose your license for 5 years and you pay a fine.

I wanna see deer check stations, just like bears. Im sick of these people who shoot 10 or 15 deer in a year, thats rediculas. When you check the deer in, they keep the tag. You cant catch everyone whos illegal. But Ill bet this would slow it down.

Give up the current first week of archery in favor of another week at the end. I would rather hunt the week in the rut then when its 75 outside.

Raise the price of doe tags to $20, change the extra spring turkey to $6

And last but not least, listen to the hunters, if we tell you the herd in an area is decimated, it most likely is. Dont keep putting tags out just to make money.

ORIGINAL: Esox_Hunter

I personally am very happy about the "new" buck program.  I have been seeing more 2 1/2's and 3 1/2's than I ever had.  Hunting primarily in Allegheny county I would love to see them do away with the crossbows.  I found 6 bolts last year in the woods and saw a deer spotting with a bolt hangin out of its side.  People seem to think they are rifles.  Anyhow number of big bucks are up and I think maybe time to ease up on the doe tags.

Chris

 
Be very careful what you wish for.  There are many groups out there that would make the same claims about archers...  I am not a big crossbow fan, but I would be very hesitant to cannibalize other sportsmen for using them.  I am sure there are bad apples, but that will happen in any activity where groups of people participate. As for the new regs, I like them and have been VERY successful under them.  My photos from the last few years have been scattered across these boards.  I would like to see dramatic reductions on doe permits up north, as they seem to have gone ditch to ditch.  The PGC could solve a lot of problems with major logging and replanting operations.  The lumber alone would pay for the resources to redevelop the entire area. Everyone have a great season.