As a youngster I grew up in Penn Hills and chased wild Pheasants with a little fiberglass longbow. I never got one but came close. Shot rabbits at times. When real young we guided hunters to where we knew the game was. Oh how I envied them and their guns. There were Quail around in the early years of my youth and it wasn't uncommon to hear their calls. I stopped back in the neighborhood and asked an old friend of mine if any Pheasants were still around and he said they were but very few. There just isn't much habitat left
  I obtained a mixed breed pup last fall and was amazed at his hunting drive. I haven't been around a dog that motivated since my Brittany many years ago. Well the Grouse population around my haunts is dismal and I do not want to kill any, so I thought Lets chase some stockers. We had a ball and he was fun to hunt with. Do not mind an extra license but feel it is approaching the end of the line for the Pheasant in Pa.
  The Com. is backed into a corner and the Politicians are making a rather odd statement. Not letting an increase in the license fees seems like a joke. Of all the taxes and fees that have increased throughout the state why deny the G.C.?  Are they trying to look like martyrs where the bottom line and consequences do not look bad for them in any way?  The politicians in their zest to appear as saviors for the hunters with the dastardly G.C. wanting more money, are probably just another nail in the coffin in the Pa hunting heritage.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

NUMBER OF PAID HUNTING LICENSE HOLDERS, LICENSE SALES AND COST TO HUNTERS FISCAL YEAR 1977 State Resident Hunting Non-Resident Total Hunting Licenses, Tags, Hunting Licenses, Licenses, Tags, Gross Cost Paid Hunting Permits and Tags, Permits and Permits and to License Holders l-1 Stamps Issued Stamps Issued Stamps Issued 2/ Hunters Alabama 336,991 398,085 21,129 419,214 Alaska 67,878 71,489 12,114 83,603 Arizona 183,470 311,505 13,406 324,911 Arkansas 347,966 496,991 43,626 540,617 California 584,957 966,676 3,410 970,086 Colorado 298,383 394,828 58,774 453,602 Connecticut 82,534 101,683 869 102,552 Delaware 28,563 25,900 2,663 28,563 Florida 260,566 257,182 3,384 260,566 Georgia 361,449 812,562 21,374 833,936 Hawaii 12,079 12,006 272 12,278 Idaho 217,954 437,676 36,544 474,220 Illinois 486,353 474,820 11,533 486,353 Indiana 436,680 541,402 / 10,354 551,756 Iowa 369,108 481,795 44,953 526,748 Kansas 221,252 216,887 22,073 238,960 Kentucky 323,041 382,087 10,471 392,558 Louisiana 360,142 502,751 13,746 516,497 Maine 214,827 182,740 32,087 214,827 Maryland 193,855 366,458 33,761 400,219 Massachusetts 106,125 187,720 1,606 189,326 'Michigan 921,858 1,263,766 30,273 1,294,039 Minnesota 369,665 562,877 3,303 566,180 Mississippi 339,210 530,355 44,881 575,236 Missouri 487,695 729,801 30,874 760,675 Y ana 204,298 588,846 125,306 714,152 h aska 178,625 319,006 29,322 348,328 Nevada 48,615 69,925 4,800 74,725 New Hampshire 89,126 96,425 14,432 110,857 New Jersey 168,856 251,807 1,770 253,577 New Mexico 149,105 145,740 21,320 167,060 New York 746,171 1,338,788 32,064 1,370,852 North Carolina 378,417 564,592 13,964 578,556 North Dakota 290,992 262,960 28,032 290,992 Ohio 594,737 733,377 3,162 736,539 Oklahoma 267,430 411,177 5,523 416,700 Oregon 328,335 756,035 6,253 762,288 Pennsylvania 1.,281,177 1,856,341 100,450 1,956,791 Rhode Island 15,676 18,111 822 18,933 South Carolina 215,920 253,232 24,503 277,735 South Dakota 127,953 296,404 29,374 325,778 Tennessee 483,539 731,743 24,195 755,938 Texas 845,463' 1,084,455 25,817 1,110,272 Utah 234,442 262,274 14,882 277,156 Vermont 132,789 114,878 44,223 \ 159,101 Virginia 443,741 834,979 68,041 903,020 Washington 330,517 813,943 4,662 818,605 West Virginia 308,130 420,003 53,233 473,236 Wisconsin 702,351 990,857 21,051 1,011,908 Wyoming 207,588 188,189 109,407 297,596 2,043,029.00 2,140,550.00 2,163,087.00 2,651,023.50 6,595,719.00 10,239,276.00 372,331.OO 194,914.95 1,593,318.00 2,559,008.70 92,732.oo 3,836,286.50 1,704,286.50 2,005,720.00 3,310,890.00 2,059,539.00 2,419,999.00 2,732,840.00 3,001,296.50 2,258,204.51 923,420.oo 9,647,088.00 4,803,705.00 2,243,179.25 5,447,597.00 3,725,580.00 1,763,427.00 843,365.OO 1,222,517.75 2,217,544.00 2,103,126.26 7,869,427.25 3,483,?03.00 1,049,023.50 3,880,085.00 2,183,343.75 5,217,983.00 14,885,430.95' 64,783.OO 1,790,320.75 1,704,657.60 5,070,988.74 4,981,272.44 2,892,822.50 1,785,890.00 4,239,094.50 5,351,603.00 2,4?3,044.00 7,683,909.50 7,312,755.50 TOTALS 31 16,386,594 24,114,129 1,314,088 25,428,21? $172,834,738.40

Let's see 1977..... hmmm, what do I recall about hunting the PA. Wilds in 1977???


Unless I am mistaken there was no Antler-Restrictions except for spikes and a three day antlerless deer season, no over sale of antlerless deer tags, no WMUs, No mentored programs, no special muzzle loader season, no special youth gun season etc etc etc.

How about young hunters waiting for and earning "the right of passage", not being spoon fed their wild game only to become disappointed, when they too must hunt in the real Pennsylvania Wilds.

So..... how's them changes been workin out for the PGC?


Oh, did I mention enforcement officers far out numbered the biologist, at one time?

I believe you are correct Tuna; two days with the PGC extending the season by one day depending on the kill. Or as would be stated today; The "Harvest" was down.

Hunting season "back then" was about "hunting". No bullchyt "harvesting" of "trophy racks" or promoting "brown and down" and "kill for the thrill" antics called "hunting". Least not worry about (legalizing crossbows and semi-auto loading rifles) kissing the asz of certain mfg of who advertise in what was once, a regulation booklet.

1966 a law allowing for the extension of "antlerless season" was enacted in cases where inclement weather prevented adequate or desired results.


I believe it was 2000 the three day antlerless season was enacted.

Today we can't launch a boat without walking through goose poop, are blessed with a great population of Coyotes, the raptors abound and let's not forget, the expansion from a few square miles to hundreds of square miles, our new Elk range.

So with all that, who needs them wascally wabbits anyways?

I ran a upper speed dogs. On a scale of 1-10 they ran a 7-8 and where close on the line. The rabbit had two choices hole up or die. The late season was the time to roll. Had priorities to keep a dog fast,close,no trash,hit the brush and listen to me. Although you never have the perfect dog,many many where a hunters dream. A wet fresh 2" snow,sunny temps above freezing after a couple of sub temps.Wow rabbits would roll,you know when they come back carrying the mail and you lead them perfect and they somersault 3or4 times. Fun times. I trade that today and give up deer hunting. Back them deer hunting was second fiddle.

I'll certainly stand corrected but I sure can't find where antlerless deer season ran for three consecutive days statewide, before 2000 in PA.

Maybe one of those special regulations like a property owner not permitted to discharge guns in a safety zone on his own property.

I'll continue to research the archives of PA. game laws.

I'm looking neighbor, but I'm on my phone so I'm really limited, to what I can access on some web sights.

You are correct about the time when thing's starting getting stupid. Personally I wish the PGC would have left Gary Alt in the woods crawling around dens studing bear skat.

But that's just me, being me.

Can't pull the first link up........


Second link I can't zoom the print on my stupid phone so I can't see what you are saying.




Stupid phone.

I'm 65 but I remember in the 80's always taking Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday off work for doe season ... then last few years before it came in the whole season , it came in on last Saturday with last day of buck , then Monday & Tuesday .... anyways we have had to many days for years ... wouldn't mind seeing it go back to just 2 or 3 days ..

psu fish, Have you noticed how many Coyote are roaming around G.L. #45. There are definitely less deer than 10 years ago. Still some nice bucks back in there but fewer.

I started hunting in the mid 60s I don't remember all these rules!

OK, so the big meeting with the PGC is the 27th, correct?
 
 
How come there is STILL nothing published on the PGC website as far as outline/itinerary?