Statewide split for deer

A yes for me

Don't care either way is fine with me

Mike

Yes

Yes

Yes.

And I would also like to see a possible reconfiguration of 2B. You've got some pretty rural areas in Butler, Westmoreland, Beaver & Washington Counties that are in 2B where the deer herds have been significantly reduced already. While the more suburban/areas of Allegheny County - which are pretty much limited to archery hunting because of safety zone concerns - still have high deer densities that need further reduction. It would be nice to see the deer population be allowed to rebound a little bit in some of these more traditional hunting areas.

Yes.

The extra month of doe down here in 2b is ok with me, but I wish the local officer/deputies would ride through here once in a while on saturdays. Its been ridiculous with A-holes trespassing the last two weeks.

No for me too.  If I am out, I want to be able to harvest not just wave at them.

ORIGINAL: rsquared

Yes.

And I would also like to see a possible reconfiguration of 2B. You've got some pretty rural areas in Butler, Westmoreland, Beaver & Washington Counties that are in 2B where the deer herds have been significantly reduced already. While the more suburban/areas of Allegheny County - which are pretty much limited to archery hunting because of safety zone concerns - still have high deer densities that need further reduction. It would be nice to see the deer population be allowed to rebound a little bit in some of these more traditional hunting areas.

 
I think it really equates to a substantial increase in pressure in those areas, which was primarily generated by the long seasons and unlimited tags.  I have encountered plenty of hunters who drove considerable distances to hunt 2B all with the "its brown its down" mentality.  And no doubt the orange army has hammered some parts of southern Butler that I hunt.  I quit hunting most of those areas because of the insane amount of pressure they receive being 2B yet open to rifles.  Some of them aren't even safe to be near during gun season, last year my buddy saw 12-15 guys hunting the same parcel as him, which is roughly 80 acres.  It wasn't like that 5 years ago... 
 
I would like to see them do away with the last few weeks of the extended doe season.  I hate seeing mature bucks killed that have already dropped their racks.
 
I do agree that there SRA management plan is directed towards the Fox Chapel, Plum, Ross, ect type areas.  No matter how many tags they issue they are never going to get at the true "problem areas".  Lack of access and proximately to housing will never let the desire reductions occur.  I really never understood why Butler and Westmoreland Co were included in the SRA. It is pretty rural throughout much of those areas. 
 
 
Back to the original question.  Yes for split seasons.
 
 

Essox- If I may digress from the OP for a moment. You are right on about 2B. Increasing the doe tag allocations is more or less futile given that access is very limited.
2B provides an opportunity for the PGC to be innovative. For example, what about working with schools/ municipal properties to allow archery only hunting on their property? No hunting during school hours, only archery. Just a simple idea.

For immediate harvesting purposes for myself, I don't care. My area is dmapped with 700 tags so I am able shoot a doe the first week, although I never do.

I started a post about this last year. If you look at the harvest stats of WMU that had this a few years, you'll see a rise in buck harvest and a drop in doe harvest, although small. The big picture overall is the deer herd may increase a little bit overtime but the buck herd ends up younger.

Either way, I don't care.

Why are some of you guys so surprised to see such a rise in the number of hunters now in your areas.. ???

some of us have been saying FOR YEARS that is why there is so much complaining about "no deer up here means no hunters up here" .. the hunters are "down there" now chasing deer all day... has nothing to do with "up here now" .. less travel time and more hunters pushing deer...those of us seeing less "up here" have to realize the lack of other hunters has a part in seeing less deer period.. and I do not see many changes in that because of economy and good deer populations closer to home for many...

I never saw another hunter (except the ones I was with) this year while in the woods .. NONE !!!!

ORIGINAL: rsquared

Essox, I have seen the same thing. When I went to the Butler courthouse to buy my 2B doe tag, there were two guys from West Virginia there to do the same. Didn't know southern Butler County had become such a deer hot spot. I have even seen several out of state vehicles in the past several years around where I hunt, including one vehicle 2 years in a row from Montana of all places.

The area I hunt has been absolutely hammered the past 5 or 6 years. On the property I hunt, which is private with very restricted access, we limit ourselves to one doe per hunter per year. But, the woodlots are small so deer move a lot, trespassers are insane & hunters on neighboring properties absolutely pound the does, from the first day through the end of January. Not to mention last year (and I believe the year before as well) doe season never closed between general firearms season and the end of flintlock/archery.

Now, I'm not complaining. I know what to expect now and I haven't taken the time to find a new area to hunt. But the consequences of HR in some parts of 2B has been pretty devastating.

I wrote a rant about this (trespassing) and then deleted it. You're exactly right. I hunt a wooded area thats about 100 acres. That 100 acres of wooded land is taken up by 5 parcels of very obviously posted land. I know who has permission to hunt 4 of those parcels, and I see trespassers every weekend of gun season, and most of the week days. I have no business telling people to get off our neighbor's land, so I don't, but its still annoying. Need a deer? Get a tag over the counter for 2B, drive around back roads until you find some woods, then jump out and hope the landowner doesn't catch you.

ORIGINAL: DarDys

No for me too.  If I am out, I want to be able to harvest not just wave at them.

I agree.

Ironhed

Before I would vote,I would like to see the numbers, of the just completed season, to see the impact of a split season on the WMUs that was implemented this year. Still believe it is only a smokescreen. Some areas need reduced and some need to increase and the BS with the slight reduction in doe allocations may or maynot have helped but I would like to see more info...WF

Was that the sound of H@ll freezing over that I heard?

Nah, I think Baby Jesus laid his hands on our shoulders for a brief moment.

Ironhed