2012 hunting seasons, any luck?

[camo1013]

got 1 doe first sat .saw 6 doe first day no buck at all.orange everywhere.and i agree the old system i liked better at least u saw deer all day.not everybody has private ground to hunt on.

[WalleyeHunter84]

[digdog23]

I encourage all hunter to read a report FROM the PA Game Comm titled: MANAGEMENT AND BIOLOGY OF WHITE-TAILED DEER IN PENNSYLVANIA 2009-2018.  This excerpt was copied verbatim from pages 51 & 52.  There is some AMAZING information contained therein!
Pennsylvania's deer management program had tried to achieve deer management objectives in the past by increasing antlerless harvests. Although increased antlerless harvests successfully reduced deer populations, this strategy ultimately failed because hunter support declined and decisions were made to allow deer populations to return to high levels. To meet management objectives, the Game Commission employed a new strategy by providing new opportunities for hunters to harvest older antlered males while seeing fewer deer. It was hoped this new approach would improve hunter tolerance for reduced deer populations and permit the Game Commission to meet its deer management objectives.  Attempting to grow record book bucks was not, and is not, an objective of the antler restriction regulation.  An expanding research base supports the position that antler restrictions will have minimal impact on future antler development of Pennsylvania's deer herd.     While the majority of fawns were sired by 3.5 old or older males, yearling and 2.5 year old males sire more than a third to almost half of fawns being born in a population. In fact, most males only sire 1 litter annually.

[digdog23]

Cont...
Look at the mathamatical formula used to calculate yearly deer harvest on page 56-57.  I challenge anyone to figure that one out. 

"Given all of this information, the complexity of the white-tailed deer’s breeding ecology, and high genetic variation, large scale alteration to Pennsylvania’s deer herd’s genetics is unlikely. 
"Consequently, for the most recent years, population numbers should be viewed as indices rather than estimates (Skalski et al. 2005). Second, due to necessary assumptions of this population monitoring procedure, population numbers used to assess trends should be viewed as relative (i.e., whether trends are increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable), not absolute numbers."  Page 78
"From 1923 to 1956, the PGC closed antlerless deer season 13 times. The season closures were usually in response to public uneasiness that deer numbers were down, not a concern that the hunting harvest or winter mortality were too excessive." Page 10

[fastribs85]

yeah you can thank insurance companies for part of the dramatic decrease in the deer heard and the push for a smaller heard statewide really wish they would cut down the number of tags if not the season completely in some areas it sucks not seeing deer when your in the woods all day multiple times through the season

[beeverfishing]

I got an eight points on opening day in 3B on Miler mountain hunt club ,Wyoming Co.and saw 3 bucks before I shot... Passed  6 pts and smaller 8 pts... Grow them up  I bought 3 3B doe tags torn up and leave alone doe....  The Pa. GC  really happy to Greedy Doe Hunters buy buy more doe license and found out no doe in the woods at all they ll cry loud no deer no deer. Blame themselves to shot too much in the past......

Yes, it is the doe hunters who need to step up and take responcibility for the lack of doe.  Just cause I can shoot x amount doesn't mean that I need to. 

[ICE REBEL]

Well for myself this huntin season was by far the best i have had in a long time... Completely tagged out 2 doe, a buck (8 pt) and a bear (152 lbs)

[Icemole]

 Or the PGC can just keep increasing the # of tags like they do down here in 5C untill they meet their quota. I wonder how many years it takes selling 100,000 tags to reduce the herd    Maybe if I sneak into the local park or any of the other NO HUNTING zones.... As for the gamelands(5C) you can't kill whats not there !!!  To be fair even back when there were deer behind every tree. They didn't stick around on our small gamelands(5C) after the 1st day either

[nissannutzsx]

In 2009, I took a piebald 6-point on the last friday of buck season. Since then I've only seen one buck(a 4 point), and a few doe, but haven't harvested a deer since that one. Maybe there's some truth to that "piebald curse" bs.

[Chris338378]

Cont...
Look at the mathamatical formula used to calculate yearly deer harvest on page 56-57.  I challenge anyone to figure that one out. 

"Given all of this information, the complexity of the white-tailed deer’s breeding ecology, and high genetic variation, large scale alteration to Pennsylvania’s deer herd’s genetics is unlikely. 
"Consequently, for the most recent years, population numbers should be viewed as indices rather than estimates (Skalski et al. 2005). Second, due to necessary assumptions of this population monitoring procedure, population numbers used to assess trends should be viewed as relative (i.e., whether trends are increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable), not absolute numbers."  Page 78
"From 1923 to 1956, the PGC closed antlerless deer season 13 times. The season closures were usually in response to public uneasiness that deer numbers were down, not a concern that the hunting harvest or winter mortality were too excessive." Page 10

Very simply that's just smoke and mirrors to make their "plan" sound like it has a legitimate basis.  I really wish it would go back to the old ways, two weeks of buck and three days of doe season.  They keep saying the number of licenses sold are down every year well DUH if people don't see or get any game why would they spend the money on a license and take time off of work and loose money to get nothing for their investment?  If it was the old way and hunters saw deer it would keep hunters buying licenses and keep the junior hunters interested.  How many kids want to sit in the woods all day long and see nothing when they can put in a hunting game in a computer and see animals every five minutes? 

[feasanthunter]

had a great year on pheasants, the group I run with is at 98 birds as of tonight, and 2 rabbits LOL. I also harvested a old 8 point in Clarion on the first day of buck

[ICE REBEL]

Very simply that's just smoke and mirrors to make their "plan" sound like it has a legitimate basis.  I really wish it would go back to the old ways, two weeks of buck and three days of doe season.  They keep saying the number of licenses sold are down every year well DUH if people don't see or get any game why would they spend the money on a license and take time off of work and loose money to get nothing for their investment?  If it was the old way and hunters saw deer it would keep hunters buying licenses and keep the junior hunters interested.  How many kids want to sit in the woods all day long and see nothing when they can put in a hunting game in a computer and see animals every five minutes?

You said it in your comment why kids or junior hunters don't want to hunt or have anything to do with the great outdoors... VIDEO GAMES!!!

[digdog23]

I am starting to see the difference in 5C already.  One can only have an unlimited number of licenses for so long before reproduction fails to make up for the losses.  The farms and areas where the general public is granted access simply have less deer than 3 years ago.  In a few years these areas will be decimated.  The remaining deer will be only be found on private lands or in housing developments.  Unlimited licenses and the ability to shoot buck or doe for months will not last.

[beeverfishing]

I am starting to see the difference in 5C already.  One can only have an unlimited number of licenses for so long before reproduction fails to make up for the losses.  The farms and areas where the general public is granted access simply have less deer than 3 years ago.  In a few years these areas will be decimated.  The remaining deer will be only be found on private lands or in housing developments.  Unlimited licenses and the ability to shoot buck or doe for months will not last.

BUT who is to blame for that ?   The game commission doesn't hunt them.  It is the hunters who are taking every deer they are permitted to take.  (and often extra)..   no differant the fishing..  Just cause everyone can take 50 crappie / day  doesn't mean that you have to !! 

[beeverfishingscatch]

OK many of you dont n wont agree with me but i feel the whole antler restriction thing is bogus....i live on a 107 acres and have off and on most of my life and im 39.....the buck sizes havent seemed to change and well i cant tell you last time anyone bothered to go doe hunting here.....but i do know ppl that will get a doe lisc or as many as they can bc you dont have to count points....brown and down they call it....think mayb if the lifted the restrictions maybe morw hunters would go after the bucks not the doe and b4 i remember guys going to "scout for the big ones" and but no scouting anymore bc now they have to take a certain # of points...and back then you couldnt buy extra doe tags one and that was it n only 3 days of doe not a week....think mayb if they went back to the way it was b4 may have a better deer population....2 weeks of buck no restrictions....3 days doe no extra tags....but just my thought on it ....

[feasanthunter]

107

[digdog23]

Not to argue the point, but the Commission is supposed to be there to make bag limitations based on their professional experience and educations as well as various forms of data collected through the years.  The information is specifically gathered to make the best decisions for all hunters.  Granted, there are quite a few interests with a stake, but in the end, license sales primarily put them in positions of power.   All I ask is for them to do the right thing.  These other "hunters" are just following the regulations which allow them to take multiple deer.  That is my issue.  If the regulations permit one deer and they take more, then my arrow would swing in their direction.  If the data concerning the viability of the deer herd supports unlimited harvest I would not argue. BUT. Based on the report I quoted, I feel the Commission is not being honest and forthright.  I'll get off my soap box now!

[Chris338378]

Not to argue the point, but the Commission is supposed to be there to make bag limitations based on their professional experience and educations as well as various forms of data collected through the years.  The information is specifically gathered to make the best decisions for all hunters.  Granted, there are quite a few interests with a stake, but in the end, license sales primarily put them in positions of power.   All I ask is for them to do the right thing.  These other "hunters" are just following the regulations which allow them to take multiple deer.  That is my issue.  If the regulations permit one deer and they take more, then my arrow would swing in their direction.  If the data concerning the viability of the deer herd supports unlimited harvest I would not argue. BUT. Based on the report I quoted, I feel the Commission is not being honest and forthright.  I'll get off my soap box now!

Unfortunately experience and education do not go hand and hand with common sense.  The problem with their "data" is the number of deer in the state's deer herd is estimated which can be either too low or two high, which seems to be the case with their estimation of how many deer there are.  I also don't believe them, I watched the budget hearing they had with the represenatives and caught them in several lies.  In my opinion they don't need all the fancy cars and need to prove where the money is being spent especially since they signed a 10 MILLION dollar gas lease last year.  From what I see the money isn't being spent to further the hunters' interests.

[BIGCREW]

I think they need to come up with a better way to estimate the deer herd,years ago you would apply for a doe permit for 1 county,now we apply for a zone or a wmu that covers a few countys,I would think that it would be harder to estimate a larger area than it would be to estimate a single county but thats just my opinion

[don20nam]

Not a hunting site take it where it belongs. What do u think fatboy?

[JiggerMan]

Not a hunting site take it where it belongs. What do u think fatboy?

Comming from the guy that has has 29 posts from 2003 until now. 

Lurker in other words.

[tonstone]

Hahaha, but on a serious note nothing.

[Chris338378]

Not a hunting site take it where it belongs. What do u think fatboy?

Wow 29 posts and now he's telling people what we can or can't talk about.  Why don't you go hide where ever you've been all this time and take your 29 posts with you.

[delawareriver]

I guess lurkers dont enjoy hunting threads,

[JiggerMan]

I guess lurkers dont enjoy hunting threads,

Were not giving him the secret spots to deer hunt or what the conditions are. 


UNtill we have ice to fish (which should not be ver long).  I dont see a reason for us to vent on something that is obviously bothering a lot of us, icefishing or not. 

[BIGCREW]

Not a hunting site take it where it belongs. What do u think fatboy?

nobody forced you to read these posts so if you dont like it then why are you reading them

[ICE REBEL]

If the moderators had a problem with the topic wouldn't y'all think they would have pulled it already? Take your 29 posts to another forum!!!

[beeverfishingscatch]

If the moderators had a problem with the topic wouldn't y'all think they would have pulled it already? Take your 29 posts to another forum!!!

i agree...n heck im not even an offical ice fisher yet......just needed something to complain about and guess that was it....hmmm 29 posts since 2003...ha i have that beat and i've only been here a few months ...lol...but i know alot more about hunting the i do about fishing at all ...lol

[ICE REBEL]

i agree...n heck im not even an offical ice fisher yet......just needed something to complain about and guess that was it....hmmm 29 posts since 2003...ha i have that beat and i've only been here a few months ...lol...but i know alot more about hunting the i do about fishing at all ...lol

Welcome NewToIce glad to have you aboard... Good luck and stay safe on the hard water

[beeverfishingscatch]

Welcome NewToIce glad to have you aboard... Good luck and stay safe on the hard water

Thanks Ice Rebel ....i was "beeverfishingscatch" until he decided to release me again....but i did post on the Pa board hoping to find someone willing to take on a rookie and show me the ropes ....