Well how about the new Sat. opener ?

Saturday was pretty quiet where my 9 year old and I hunted for a couple hours in the AM.  Close to home in Butler County 2D, I think I counted 10 shots.  Didn't see nearly the normal number of vehicles parked along roads where I'd expect to see them on the gun opener.  My wife was home all day and said she didn't hear nearly as many shots as she's used to hearing.  
 
I hunted solo yesterday evening for 2 hours, again in Butler County 2D, but a different spot from Saturday.  I heard 1 shot, and it was very distant!  
 
The last couple of years since 2D went to the split buck/doe seasons, what I'm finding is that there will be a lot more pressure and a lot more guys moving and doing drives this Saturday.  If I get out Saturday morning, I expect that I'll hear a lot more shooting in either of the places I was Saturday or Monday.  
 
I'm with ya Captain, I hate AR.  Not 'cause I can't count the points quick enough (only cost me once in archery season a few years ago on a 7 point) but 'cause I don't really care if I shoot a spike or 10 point.  I ain't spending money to get it mounted anyway, and the venison all tastes the same to me.  
 
 

Hook, I always thought that trying to count a brow tine in the other part of the state would be harder than seeing three up in our part when trying to see if a forky is really a 5,6 point.

Are you saying you would prefer having to count the brow on those questionable bucks?

I would think that would add difficulty, I am glad they did away with counting the brow in our area.

Great stories fellas, makes me happy happy I didn't waste time applying for my hunting license this year. In fact, I feel good, saving the PGC money by not having to have another license printed.

Of course, not only was it hearing your report but also hearing from a very good friend of mine with whom I've hunted with, for many years.

Same story as younz guys.


Capt. all I can say is... I BTDT and I feel your pain but nobody cares. Sell your guns, buy a cheap crossbow and go swing your feet in a tree. At least you won't freeze annnnd last but not least, garlic baloney and cheese sanmidges is much better than pepperoni.

I hear ya ...BTDT ......I'm just an old man that was use to the old hunting ways ...seemed much simpler and less complicated and more fun but so was life .....lol

Cap. I'm right there with ya neighbor. Here we are, after years and years of supporting the sport of hunting in PA. and we're expected to shoot only doe.

Many a time, I need let a buck pass by, only to see the deer hanging from the barn of an Amish neighbor, less than a half mile up the road. Now the only difference with that dead deer, it could/should have been hanging from my garage.

I don't want to keep any hunter at any age from taking a deer, I only want equal opportunity for us old dudes.

I still enjoy the woods ...it holds lots of good memories over the years, but there is frustration when one sees a buck and can't shoot year after year. I put in my time many a season , cold , rain, lack of sleep , lots of walking, sitting..... then finally comes the opportunity you've earned only to see it disappear because you just weren't 100 % sure because of these AR's. 
It gets old !
 
It takes the wind out of your sails over time ...makes you give up hunting those cold week days or staying out longer . To me it's not an age thing it's just plain frustrating , no drive to go as much. Why go if you can't shoot ? I don't think I'm alone on these views ...just maybe even seeing a big buck once in awhile would be some encouragement, but even that is dreaming in most areas in rifle season.
 
PGC keeps restricting hunters ..... and more and more are just giving up ....and I see their frustrations.....add all the extra days or Sundays they want ...it ain't going to help add future hunters....most woods are empty all week days now !
 
   

And the beotchin' begins.....
 
Here is my post I put up on HPA:
"Daughter and I sat until 1145am. Saw 14 deer total, 31 turkeys, tons of squirrels, birds and woodpeckers, including a pileated. The Turks actually messed us up as they made a complete semi circle around us, starting around 830am and by 9am, we're still there, about 50 yds out, scratching and making lots of racket. Around then, I look over my shoulder and back a little out the ground blind and a nice rack buck is broadside, 35 yds, staring in our direction. We never heard him come in. I duck down, tell my daughter, she doesn't believe me and pops her head up and the buck fever starts. She is trying to get her gun in position, I am trying to get my ear plugs in and as she starts to raise her gun, he has had enough and bounds off down over the hill.  Think it was a good 6 or 8 but not too sure with the quick glance I had. Still a great experience and her first buck seen while hunting got her blood pumping. Seen some more deer (doe) up until we headed out and "still" hunted home (she hasn't quite got that concept down but, I think her having to go to the bathroom played more of a role here). Saw one more doe on the walk. We had thanksgiving dinner with my family that day so 2pm was the absolute max. Time we would have been out there anyway. All in all a good first day. We'll be out tomorrow local with the crossbow as long as it isn't pouring rain. Good luck ya'll."
 
As a follow-up to this, my cousin pulled his trail camera that was 30 yds up the hill from us and @ 2:07 pm on the first day, 3 bucks and a bunch of doe (one buck was a slammer 8 or 10), came through the area and most likely would have offered easy shots for my daughter.   A big 4 pt. also moved through at 2:31 pm.  Such is life....
 
Daughter wanted to sleep in Monday morning so I took my son out in the afternoon with the crossbow.  Blind protected us from the drizzle but no deer seen.
 
Hoping to hit a different spot Saturday morning with my daughter with 20ga slug gun in hand.

Did an all day sit Saturday.   Saw 9 doe, no bucks.  Did not see any more hunters than usual and not much shooting after 9 am.
 
Lots of deer were moving right after dark on Sunday including a nice 7 pt road kill I drug off of the road.  Good thing my wife saw it soon enough or she would have run over it.  
 
Hunting Monday morning.  Did not see a deer and not many hunters out.  Tue evening same story.   My nephew got on Tuesday afternoon.

Started hunting Saturday at 10am because I'm in no rush , we push some may hate it but I seen over 50 deer 2 small bucks and 2 guys missed 2 legal bucks, deer every drive even had deer running into the middle of the drive from a different block got stopped by the local gw had a good talk and parted ways ... havnt hunted since been looking for ducks since the cold waiting on doe season .... seen alot of posts on fb about the typical no deer in pa same stuff every year, do these guys scout? Look for deer sign? If your not seeing deer quit hunting that area! Go 'hunt' and find them! Or blame pgc coyotes bears wolves cwd ehd 😂 but I think we only seen few other hunters out the areas we drove , Friday I moved a stand and within quarter mile I seen 4 new stands and 2 ground blinds 100 yards from each other looking at a bedding area, facing each other (basically shooting at each other) .... Monday I didn't hunt cuz I'm dumb but not wanting to get soaked 😂 the boys shot 2 nice bucks maby I'll hunt tomorrow if we have enough guys and no birds to hunt I'm over deer hunting but I atleast gotta smack my does and I'd like to shoot a deer with gpas pistol, never shot a deer with a pistol

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

dpms
The Saturday opener I sat in one of my archery stands in the bedding area. With the lack of pressure during rifle season lately, deer are doing their normal thing that they do this time of the year. Eat at night, bed in the daytime in the thick. 

 
You nailed that comment !

I hunted Mon, Tues , and today and seen zero hunters and about 5 doe total ...I need a truck load of thunderpole's pushers to visit my woods and stir the pot ! ....lol
 
Tough game now when your hunting alone ...not complaining , just stating facts.
 
 

BeenThereDoneThat.
Eyes... if you see our thoughts and memories as beeching.... simple fix.... don't read em.

Obviously the existing hunting laws meet your every demand making you happy. That's very nice.

Your story brings back fond memories for many us, who for years, took part in some way, shape or form, building the the hunting you see today. Enjoy your success while you can.

I would like to suggest you paying attention and learning from our beeching. Tomorrow will be here all too soon, and you just might be seeing, what we feel today.

Good luck, hunt safely, be thankful.


P.S. Thanks for the memories.

All in good fun old timer, all in good fun......
 
 

I know the reason my deer sightings go way down in gun season as compared to archery, and it ain't cause of AR, HR or lack of deer.  It's because the main property we hunt is 30 acres, and deer patterns change beginning around the end of archery season every year.  
 
This property is my friends place - his house, "yard" and two small ponds are right smack dab in the middle.  A local farmer farms it every year, and does 3 crop plots of about 2, 5 and 10 acres.  When he plants rye or alfalfa, we've got deer all year long.  
 
When he plants beans, like he did this year, we're covered up in deer till they get cut.  
 
When he plants corn like he did last year, he always cuts it late - after gun season - and we see a lot less deer all year because they've got no reason to move very far.  
 
Hunted some big property up until 4 or 5 years ago in the 2B portion of Butler County.  HR did a number on the deer around there.  When 2B started giving out 60,000 + tags, those areas outside of Allegheny County with lots of places to hunt got hammered.  Hunters thought they could fill all those doe tags year after year after year and there'd still be deer behind every tree. Not so much.  
 
Have a friend with 150 ish acres in 2B Butler County and he's seen the same thing.  Said this archery season has been the worst for deer sightings since he bought the property 10 years ago.  
 
In some places, the AR and HR have really hurt the deer hunting and I would hope we all could admit that, even though our own little honey holes may be great or maybe have benefitted because you own or hunt private property and you have enough property to manage it the way you like without outside interference.  
 
In others, it hasn't made a lick of difference, either positively or negatively.  I ain't complaining about my hunting situation, as the last 3 years, my boys have shot 4 deer.  3 of 'em during archery season from that small 30 acre property.  My older son, even though he can still shoot any buck, passed 3 chip shots on smaller bucks this year.  
 
But I still hate AR.  

Congratulations Moses both on your kill and good read. 🍻

My buddy's camp is in Marshburg, right off of 59, hunted that area. We spend some time on the river and creeks up there but I think I may take a few trips up with the bow next year. Found a couple areas with dozens of scrapes and some massive rubs.

Lost Sage, are you insinuating that some hunters may be taking their trophy buck over bait or residual bait?

Wellll I never...... will disagree with that.



Soooo, we have long range muzzle loaders and cross bows too. Children at any age hunting with Sunday hunting and use of auto loading rifles for big game at the door step. Finally, Saturday opener taking place this year, so what's left to entice the future hunters of PA to spend money buying gear and licenses, permits, and tags.

Hmmmm, anybody know how the turkey hunting "with dogs" is doing? Heck if it works for turkey and coyotes, racoons and small game too.

But then again maybe baiting might be better? Not everybody likes owning a dog.🙉