MORE WMUs? HOW ABOUT MORE WTF?!

More WMUs with
split buck-doe seasons (to be voted on April 10th).
Where once all WMUs across Pennsylvania held a concurrent, two-week, firearms buck-doe season, the deer season proposal for 2015-16 includes only five WMUs slated for such a hunt.
As proposed, only WMUs 2B, 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D would allow two weeks of hunting both bucks and does from Nov. 30-Dec. 12.
The other 18 units would allow buck hunting only from Nov. 30-Dec. 4, followed by buck and doe hunting from Dec. 5-12.
Proposed last week as new additions to the list of WMUs with the split season are WMUs 1A, 1B, 3A and 3D.

I'm not really minding this either but it just seems they've been constantly ****ing with the regs since Alt came in and messed with everything.  3 points, 4 points, no brow tine, this WMU, that WMU, etc, etc, etc!

Interesting.......... and I'm (being oooold school)...... for it!

I'll ditto that!!!

Two weeks of antlerless with a rifle is overkill.  Plain and simple.  It can easily be argued that a full week is.   Opportunity is nice but this was done for the sole purpose of quick and extreme herd reductions when coupled with the ridiculously high allocations.   They need to cut back on tags and the antlerless rifle should never exceed a week unless somewhere down the road hunter numbers decline very significantly.  Many areas would benefit from a 3 day season.    Until our ranks decline significantly more at some point down the road, its about time they undid more of the damage that has been done to deer hunting in Pa and reign in more of the herd eradication tools.   They might also want to consider a pro-deerhunter when they finally hire their permanent choice of exec director as well as get rid of Rosenberry.   Until those things happen the credibility, even with some better moves being made, will always be in question.   Nothing better is being done currently that can't be changed in direction in the blink of an eye given the right political atmosphere.  In fact the changes haven't been all that earth shaking either as of yet.   Mostly slight tweaks and a lot of rumors spread which overall doesn't amount to much of real substance and if I were a betting man, it wont be much any time soon.
 
Pgc is currently asking and lobbying actively again for a fee increase and are doing as little as they can to appease hunter demanding more deer just so they get consideration from legislators.   I say no fee increase until the situation at pgc is stable.   With a solid exec dir. hiring which they will likely be hiring one soon, solid or not, we'll find out I guess......also change of direction in deer management significantly compared to last 15 years and no more Rosenberry.   Only then should this even be in discussion.
 

No I don't Beenthere.   Not at all.   While some above him have always shared the view of herd reductions  for biodiversity extremism etc. like Roe & Dubrock who had always been the biggest players, that doesn't diminish the role and great responsibility of Rosenberry.   He was hand selected for the position because he strongly shared those views.   And its clear his arm is never being twisted to give his views and recommendations to the board and legislators and takes on things to the press for years.     Having seen the deceit involved and agenda pushing, there is no way that credibility can be had by the current deer management team as-is.   Even with the turnover in positions at pgc like the head of the bureau of wildlife and the exec director, the suggestions from Rosenberry have not waver a bit.   He is still suggesting increases in tags, still taking part in legislator brainwashing studies, still recommending 2 week seasons statewide and I have no doubt would go even further if he knew he had board support.    He was brought in more as a guy who was to be a partner in the agenda.   Not just some random Joe that someone from above could strong-arm, just as nobody from above forced Fleegle to refer to hunters as little kids crying for a ball.    If change of direction in hunter friendly direction is desired in deer management.  No way, no how can they go forward with current deer team as is.    It would be impossible to trust the information and recommendations were coming from anything other than their known agenda.   And the board of commissioners should have what they can trust is the best possible science to help form their decisions and policy making.

I see this proposal as say; a first step in the right direction and, I know the tunnel is still long but, I like to think there is now light at the end of the tunnel.  Let's just hope, there is not a train behind that light.

treesparrow, are you saying our whitetail are so specialized that even if hungry enough would not browse on non-native species, risking if not extinction, then becoming "endangered"?

  s-10, I am not referring to Japanese honeysuckle, but to Amur and a few others invading . Yes deer will at times it appears browse on the shoots especially when the berries are present and the seeds are dispersed in the feces. Walk a trail in the winter with heavy honeysuckle and observe for years like I have the browsing going on. About every other species is browsed on but the honeysuckle. Also I have never seen any indication of rabbits knawing - feeding on the stems like they depend on our natives. I believe Japanese Honeysuckle comes with its own sets of problems.
  pikepredator2  I am not sure if they would eat if starving or not, or what a heavy diet of honeysuckle would cause in their gut. I know the berries have been confirmed to negatively effect songbird health. Also there is a correlation between Black Legged Tick (deer tick) population and presence of Amur Honeysuckle ( more Honeysuckle= more ticks). It is also well documented that it negatively effects both regeneration and growth of many common native trees ( Sugar Maple, Red Oak, Black Cherry to name three). With your logo pikepredator, how about the (Eurasian Milfoil) and how it is taking over many of the native weed beds that Pike utilize. I am loosing year after year all my honey hole- weed beds for Pike in Georgian Bay of Lake Huron. Guaranteed there isn't a pike that can swim through that milfoil let alone ambush in it.
 
  To all, I hope I am wrong about my dire prediction of the future negative influence of this species. I warned the Game Commission 20 years ago of what I had observed and what I felt the impact was going to be. I also said that it was at that time possible with a strong suppression effort to eradicate it. I was told they had just that year  stopped supplying it from their nurseries, and realized how bad it was. It would take a Congressional Order to eradicate it today. If I was in congress things like this would have first priority. The way we are headed we are unleashing many terrors to ourselves and our ecosystem at an alarming rate.
     I watched a TV show on Florida Wildlife Pest Control agents. They had a little bit in the end on a bunch of people with permits to keep and breed poisonous snakes. Amongst Gabon Vipers, and various Cobras being bred and traded by the public. Its probably to late now-and we may say soon "There Here".
   By the way I am not running for Congress.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

treesparrow, ever been to Manatoulin Island?  That's where we used to go when my bro was alive.  stayed at the Birch Island Lodge just outside Little Current.  Bay Finn

treesparrow, can you recommend some areas up there for northerns that aren't as far as a drive as Manatoulin?  guided, unguided, lodging.  anything would be appreciated.  haven't been back in about 4 or 5 years and would love to do more northern trips to closer areas.