That's my whole point S. Those who are willing to go where the big boy hang, are far more like to see big bucks. Than those who just hunt areas with high Pop. density hoping higher numbers=higher odds.

When I was still hunting, my buds (2-3) and I hunted the most gnarly pain in the arse locations in the county. We saw few hunters, and most folks I knew & spoke with might hunt around them, but not IN them. We also saw fewer, but much bigger deer than most around us. Actually getting a clear shot, was equally limited. So the "others" had a higher success rate, but on smaller deer. Hunting near these areas, did no good as those deer would move short distances within them, but they never moved out of them.

Yup, bet there's STILL folks waiting on the edges for it to happen though. ''

Those deer could avoid you all day, and never move more than 30-40 yds at a time.

That's my whole point S. Those who are willing to go where the big boy hang, are far more like to see big bucks. Than those who just hunt areas with high Pop. density hoping higher numbers=higher odds

Fact is, if folks hunt those thick areas, their odds are STILL better if they hunt those thick areas that are within areas of good deer numbers as opposed to poor numbers within overharvested deer herds. Thats why the thickets of Ohio are so much more productive than the similiarly thick thickets of Pa.


I hunt the thickest stuff any given area has to offer. Have for years. Have done so in both states as well as others. I dont think more guys do so in ohio than do here is the reason for more big bucks being harvested in Ohio compared to here either.

Another thing to consider Wayne, is that it's not just Ohio hunters. That area is not in the middle of the state. It borders where I suspect the majority of outa state hunters are coming from. Folks that travel to hunt, are more likely to put in the effort. I'm not saying there aren't more big deer, but that area is more conducive TO such a population than most non-urban Pa. lands.

To a point. But many trophy bucks are taken in southeastern Ohio. With terrain is basically exactly the same and habitat types etc. exactly the same as Western Pa. Yet the only real areas in western Pa where any significant numbers of trophy bucks come from is the urban areas of 2b. With very little public land at all in southwestern Pa. By contrast, a LARGE portion of southeastern ohio is PUBLIC land. There are significant numbers of good bucks taken in differing regions of the state. In Pa its largely one or two urban areas, relatively small segment of the state overall.

It interesting to note, it also has the most liberal doe allowance in both numbers, and season length.

Not exactly. They have never had as many tags in play as Pa does annually with our high hunter numbers = a ton of backtags + ridiculously high antleress allocations on top of it, and if their sales rose beyond what they thought necessary, they would decrease bag limits long before ever reaching Pas level. Not even on the same plane of reality. Also noteworthy, rifles also arent legal and the season comment you made in general isnt accurate....and their tags cost much more.

Id be all for pgc utilizing ohios season structure + total number of tags sold there, being sold here. Result would be pretty much a certain herd increase.

The bottom line is the last decade in Ohio shows an increase in both hunter numbers and hunter success while the last decade in Pennsylvania shows a decrease in both catagories. Ohio credits the increased deer numbers for the increase in hunters while Pennsylvania calls it's hunters lazy and used comparisons with 25 years ago in a futile attempt to claim hunting is as good as ever.

ORIGINAL: Dr. Trout

and IF I was that concerned about getting nice bucks and a little easy "woods" to hunt rather than these mountains ..I too may wish to hunt Ohio.. but I am 100% happy/satisfied hunting right here at home....

Please explain to me what is easy about hunting in Ohio?

I must have missed that memo.

Are you really that insane?

Better watch listening to those camp hunters.

60% of them are nothing but liars...

ORIGINAL: Big Tuna

Just 60% ?

 
Yep, just 60%.
 
The other 40% just aren't telling the truth.
 
That's they way PA hunters are.  They are just goons, thugs,and  not good guys that need wormed like dogs with smart pills.  So they lie.
 
Or don't tell the truth.