Be Chris Rosenberry for a year

So in the "WMU 2B" thread in general hunting discussion, worm_waster threw out a couple of ideas for revamping the deer management plan. It's apparent many of us would like to see some changes - whether it's going back to the good ol' days or making some tweaks to the current plan.

So, you're in Chris Rosenberry's position for a year. Rather than continually criticize the PGC, what proactive changes would you implement to the current deer plan?

Here are suggestions I'd make:

1. Issue 2 deer tags with every license sold. One antlered only tag. One antlerless only tag. Good statewide in every season - archery, muzzleloader, and general firearms season. Keep seasons the same as they are now, except make the general firearms season a state-wide split except in special regs units. First week Monday through Friday, bucks only. Saturday through Saturday, either sex.

2. Eliminate the junior/senior antlerless season in October.

3. Eliminate the open antlerless season with any weapon in 2B after the general firearms season. Don't know the situation in the eastern special regs areas, so I'll take input from my "experts."

3. Similar to what w_w suggested in the other thread, issue bonus/DMAP tags on a WMU or property by property basis. In special regs areas, the PGC could issue bonus doe tags and allow property owners to issue DMAP tags. In non-special regs WMU's, property owners can offer DMAP tags and the PGC could issue bonus tags for use on public/game lands only.

4. Establish mandatory reporting (internet, phone or good old fashioned snail mail) for successful and non-successful deer hunters. Give hunters until March 1 to report. No report by March 1 = no deer tags for the following year.

Tear those ideas apart or feel free to add your own.

rsquared,
 
I believe that an either sex tag is better for keeping the antlerless harvest low in areas that don't need it and making up the difference with DMAP.  For instance, if anyone in 2G hunts has a doe tag, there would be more tags used there than now.  I realise that is not the case in many other units, but 2F and 1B would be similar.  I honestly believe that since we send for doe tags so early, many casual hunters don't think about it until it is too late.
 
I would keep the jr/sr. antlerless seasons.  There has been no fatalities that I am aware of since the season started several years ago.  To make the October woods safer, the PGC would be wiser to bann the use of treestands.  There have been several fatalities directly linked to treestands as well as 100's of injuries over the last few years.
 
Keep the season after Christmas for DMAP areas anywhere in the State.
 
Mandatory reporting is fine with me. 
 
Bings,
 
I am fine with raising the doe tag to $10.70 (same price that DMAPS are now).  $20 is a bit high IMO.  The hunters shooting the doe are doing the managment of the herd, while strictly buck hunters are doing very little for the general public (Who unfortunately the PGC also works for).
 
WCO enforcing tresspass laws while hunting is a good idea.
 
I'm good with Jr hunters starting at 9 with Hunter Ed.
 
Not sure about the migration thing.  I do know that 4 deer migrated north to our freezer...but not sure about the rest of the herd.w_w.

If I was Chris Rosenberry, the first thing I'd do is punch myself in the nads.


I don't think he has the authority to do a lot of the things I'd like to see.  Here's my wish list anyway, even though it's a pipe dream.

1.  Some sort of mandatory deer harvest reporting system.
2.  Eliminate bonus tags.  Once first round is over, no matter how many sold, that's it.  Everyone who wanted a tag got one.  Except for heavy suburban areas keep same plan, but see #3.
3.  Shrink WMU's, even if it means splitting counties, to keep the habitat / land specs even throughout.
4.  Archery October - Jan or at least let it run to 11/15 regardless of how the Saturdays fall.
5.  Bear archery 10/15 - 11/15.  Let us hunt them when the natural food is actually available.
6.  Amend the Constitution to never allow inlines in flintlock, before it's too late.
7.  No more back tags.  I know it's enacted, but I've been saying this for years.
8.  Optional orange for archers and turkey hunters on private land.
9.  Sundays.  Freedom to choose.
10.  Spring gobbler starts 1 week earlier.
11.  The last one would be about crossbows, but I don't want to offend my x-gun shooting friends.

All speculation on your part.

Why sullt the reputation of hunters if you do not have the facts...

I've lost three licenses in the course of my hunting career. My wife has also decided to deer hunt during season at least twice where she bought her license after season started. Does that make me a goon, thug, slob, road hunter, or just an all around not nice guy. It happens, I'am sure some of the other also happens.

As a person who sells the licenses and suspects foul play, did you call your WCO hotline.

If not why??

You have a suspected game violation and do nothing, but beech on here about the dishonest liars, goons, thugs and all around slob hunters of this state. How many of those suspected license cheats did you turn in ???


Or just speculation again.....

Back to the topic . . .

w_w I would not eliminate the Oct. doe season as a matter of safety concern. I would eliminate any "special" seasons or regulations for certain segments of the hunting population. And I have 3 kids, so it's not like I have no interest in special seasons. Eliminate the Oct. muzzleloader doe season as well.

If we're going to do AR, make it for everybody, including juniors, military and seniors. I'm kind of ambivalent about AR. I haven't seen much impact where I hunt in 2B or in 2D (very heavy agricultural area with excellent habitat and food). I could take it or leave it, but if we're going to have it, have it for everybody.

Unrelated to deer, but along the same lines, I'd eliminate the youth only pheasant and duck weekends as well. If kids are going to get into hunting, do it like we all did when we were kids.

I like Bings' idea of eliminating the mentored hunt but lowering the age for HTE and full inclusion in hunting. Like the idea of FORMAL training for all hunters. Age 9 or 10 seems about right.

I'd keep current season structures the same: archery from Oct. 1 - Nov. 15 (roughly); general firearms season; muzzleloader/late archery. No inlines.

I don't think they should eliminate the October muzzle loader season, because I think that was the only good thing about the changes to the deer season,because 1= if you are going to shoot does you may as well shoot them early, to save that much extra food that they will eat before getting shot in Dec., 2= less does available during the rut will cause the Bucks to compete harder for the ones that are left, resulting in more buck activity.Also the milder weather in Oct. makes it more appealing for the younger & older hunters possibly keeping them in the sport longer. sam

9. Put bear back to Mon-Wed so I don't have to listen to Big Ed eat, snore, or bust azz for an extra day.

I don't know who Big Ed is, but that made me laugh.


I have to agree with the folks who like the Oct muzzleloader season.  It's perfect for me.  After surveying the local doe population, (mostly via trail cams), I assess if it's healthy enough to lose a breeder.  Last few years it has been, so the early muz gives me an opportunity to put meat in the freezer, w/o worrying about shooting a doe while buck hunting.  And like others have said, you get your doe before it's bred.  In my area it's far from a sure thing so there's enough challenge in it for me to feel rewarded.

I think if they are "hunting", Trespassing should be addressed by the WCO's.

I would rather the incident be handled as Trespassing hunters by WCO's than calling the State Police and tell them there are three armed men walking across my yard.

Yes they are spread to thin.

#10. Hire more officers.

You might be right there..

Our trespass laws are NOT like yours or the same as in other states that I have hunted, in where trespass laws are indeed civil laws & are enforced by people charged to enforce them.Being ,I believe that Penna. is either the only one or one of a few States that have seperate enforcement agencys.I think that a law would have to be passed giving the PGC power to enforce trespass laws. Where would it stop? Some people cry now that the PGC has too much power.

You need a job on the BOC.
I like your thinking..

Mr Crappie-
The point I was trying to make was that if your state did what ct does and required a hunter to carry written permission to hunt a property it would NOT be a trespass complaint but a violation of the game statute if said hunter did NOT carry such permission. Would clear up a real lot of the issues brought forth commonly here.
No fine line there on trespass-clear violation of the game statute-ct has a printable page in the yearly book of rules and regs that has the required permission slip to be carried at all times while hunting any property.It is an annual requirement to be dated and signed each year by both the hunter and the landowner or leasee.
There is therefore no need for LE to run around and try and find any owner or leasee- the simple fact is that if ya dont carry and present that form- PINCH. No different than not carrying a lisence -just one of those things you MUST have in your possesion while hunting by virtue of the game laws.

That was one thing I found in Ohio. If you pounded on enough doors and wern't dressed in camo at the time, you could usually gain permission to hunt. I never got permission from a landowner that was willing to sign one of the States permission slips. It got so I quit even discussing it. They said I could hunt and I did. I don't know why they didn't trust the slips(maybe they did percieve it as a contract) but they didn't, and all I really cared was for them to say it was ok.