For those who think a low number of deer is a bad thing..

Considering most hunters have been complaining about the smaller (matter of opinion, I guess) deer herd, I thought I would share these photos.

A few (4 or 5) years ago, the property I hunt was LOADED with deer. If you hunted any 3-4 hours of the day, you would see deer.

I noticed that the impact on new growth was considerable. It got to a point were there was little or NO new growth in most areas at all.

The ferns were taking over and the deer population (and size I might add) were in for a bumpy road ahead.

You could walk for miles and not find a SINGLE young oak or any tree for that matter.And don't blame it on a dense forest ceiling. That wasn't the issue because there is penty of sun light needed to start new growth.

The problem in PA is clear, the deer population was headed in the wrong direction. If you take a small body of water for instince, you can't sustain a healthy population of fish if there are TOO many fish. The same goes for any habitat.

Here's a pic of what my woods used to look like....







Now here is what my woods look like now....



Clearly you can see a differance.

As far as I'm concerned, I would rather only see 3 or four deer this year, than see none in ten.

So get out in the woods and hunt harder. If you kill a big buck now, it will just be that much rewarding.

Depending on how they are managed griffon.  Some are kept up on well and the deer don't get thru.  I've seen lots of "X" on the fences to repair the holes deer make.  Others are bent up at the top and some deer do get in.  Even at 9 feet high, they jump it.  Others have trees that have completely knocked sections over therefore everything can get it if they choose.
 
Mike, lots of hunters think forest regeneration is bull.  Same guys believe coyotes are being stocked.

oh.  haha.  I got ya.  We have some good fences and a few bad ones.  There's is clearly a difference to the naked eye where there's a good population of deer.  They just bust right thru them.  That's one tough animal.  Those fences sure create some good funnels though.

Forest regeneration you say. They sure did buffalo you. Fields can sustain 5 deer per acre ( just grass ) . I don't see any fences around the fields ..... Atleast ones that the deer won't get around. It's not the forest that supports the majority of a whitetails diet in most areas ; northern Butler County it's the fields . Why do they ALWAYS go to the fields at dusk ????? Maybe there are no fields in your area . This land has and can sustain a healthy 1.5million deer in this state and if they did not the deer would move ; wouldn't you? They are smarter than you think. The deer were always healthy in PA . Perhaps you guys seeing these so much bigger bucks now simply because you could'nt hunt before the AR ; I've always seen big bucks in Archery . Could not always get one close enough to stick but they may have been more nocturnal then without having to ravage three counties to find a doe to breed. OH well ..... Keep wasting my time.The fences are to keep you from putting nails,screw in pegs in thier precious lumber duuds .$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$MORE GREED

That's also a concern Maga2120. Farmers who want every dam deer killed, legal or not, if it's brown it's down. It's not us the hunters or farmers who care about the deer heard, it's the jackasses who say kill them all.