...for TRAD BOWHUNTING, of course! Between having a bad cold and having to work, I haven't gotten out since Thanksgiving. Any of you? I'm still hoping to get out this weekend up in 4C. I've got a stand there on private land that I haven't been to in a month - all the deer should be taking refuge there by now! :thumbsup:
Deer down here are hiding under rocks!!
Hunted Pa today. Usually get down there for a week during bow but couldn't this year. I sat in my ground blind from 6:20-11:45 this morning & again from 2-5 this afternoon. Never saw a deer, tail or anything. The land is owned by inlaws & is 180 acres. I used to see litterally 150 deer in a week now usually only 20-50. The guys that rifle hunt took a 10 pt, an 18 pt & 3 does so far. Both bucks were impressive. The 18 pointer had all kinds of kickers & trash off his bases. Nice big Buck. Will be down there Saturday for the last day. Good luck to all.
I went out Saturday and quit by 2:00. I was reminded why I stay out of the woods when gun season comes in. Too many hunters out there for me to have any enjoyment. Thank goodness we have archery seasons, becuase if gun season was the only season we could hunt deer, I'd quit hunting and take up needle point or someting.
I bow hunted last Thursday for the first time ever, and got a nice doe here in 5C. :D It was on our archery club's land, so no rifles. I heard them in the distance, though. They probably drove the deer right to me.
I saw one deer in several days of trad hunting my 1,300 acre private land I'm allowed to hunt. I chased off several trespassers but no one threatened to shoot me or anything fortunately.
The pumpkin army has the deer on the run and they're hiding in thick stuff and mostly nocturnal. I don't know if I'm going to hunt rifle season again, it appears my time is better spent keeping poachers off the land.
Seeing deer and had fun. No deer with my tags, but I have some in the freezer all ready.
Out three days last week(not saturday). Been seeing deer early morning but not close. Surprised that I'm the only car parked there. Hunting pressure here is down. Weather has been fine and I've had some great morning 'sits'. Recurve last week, thought I'd take the longbow for a walk this week. Discovered some 'new' rubs last week. Still using scent. Don't usually go out in 'regular season', but it's been enjoyable.
Shick
ED,
Since you're a good man, I'm going to let you int some research I have uncovered...
They're NOT under rocks. It just appears that way.
Deer, like those tunnel rats of SE Asia some decades back, have tunnels "everywhere".
Think about it...you're sitting in a woods full of frozen, tinfoil crunchy leaves straining to hear any movement.
You're plauged by squirrels, tufted titmouse birds flipping leaves and hopping around... and you slowly turn to investigate each and every movement, hoping its a deer.
Then suddenly, there stands a deer! out in the middle of 100 yards of open woods, staring right at you... No sound. Nothing. Just standing there.
See what I mean? Ever notice there is a decent size rock somewhere nearby? Uh-huh... that or a big tree bowl.
That is where the entrance/exit to them danged deer tunnels underground lie!
They must have a pretty sophisticated trap door system on em, cause I can never spot the entrance.
There ya have it! Underground tunnels. They have small spy cams too, I'm sure of it so when you dig in your pack for swammich, they pop up outa a nearby tunnel and run off while their buddies all watch and laugh... they probably have DVD's of me!
Dirty li'l buggars
Rain today and I am not hunting. Saw the largest buck I saw in bow season Saturday, still walking. Small 8 point that I am hoping I get to hunt next year. Just a few young ones so far, always looking for that big in.
Doc, They seem to do that beam me up thing. Like the Star Trek thing.
Its pretty much been a joke for me. I even have a small private river bottom to hunt and just am not seeing anything to speek of.
i have not seen a deer, im not hunting with bow though either. just don't think the numbers are out there. heard management has taken its toll. i hear same thing from everyone i talk to. just few to go around. im thankful for there being some posted ground. if it wasn't for that it would be even worse, posted ground helps save some deer. i don't get to upset anymore about not seeing deer, im used to it now and so is my friends and family. i know im not setting myself up for a letdown cause i know what coming. state land is rough. good luck
I have seen about 20 deer. Got a doe on monday here in monroe county. No buck yet. Its been fun.
DEER are so scarce in my hunting area ( 3B ) MY Home area (5D) has plenty of deer but no place to hunt them any more. every little 5 acre plot has ten wheelie guys hunting it.
Hunted 12 SOLID FULL days in archery season at my place in 3B saw ONE deer my self in that time. MY son saw a few more than me and did manage to get a shot off I saw more porcupines than deer . I did go up last week during rifle and spent two and a half days in the woods saw 0 Deer .
Hey deaddoc, I'm the same as you. We have a camp in 3B the we rifle hunt at. In 5 days of hard walking/hunting, I saw a grand total of 2 deer! I live in 5D and we have them all over the place. The days of seeing many deer in 3B are long past. It's a shame since I've found my self with a rifle in hand for the last 33 years in Tioga county. That may be coming to an end as we are contemplating selling the camp. It used to be a great tradition, but it's just not the same up there anymore.
QuoteOriginally posted by RedShaft:
i have not seen a deer, im not hunting with bow though either. just don't think the numbers are out there. heard management has taken its toll. i hear same thing from everyone i talk to. just few to go around. im thankful for there being some posted ground. if it wasn't for that it would be even worse, posted ground helps save some deer. i don't get to upset anymore about not seeing deer, im used to it now and so is my friends and family. i know im not setting myself up for a letdown cause i know what coming. state land is rough. good luck
.
.
.Please dont call what PGC did herd management! :mad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JflqDgbnn4E&feature=player_embedded
Just watch!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwbVCJKWj6I&feature=related
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC8ySMCV33U&feature=related
Part 3
Just copy and paste....all you need to know on why Pa has gone from one of the best states to hunt whitetail to what it is today
TR I hear you sounds like we are in the same BOAT in both areas Mine is in Bradford not Tioga but not far from Tioga
I lve in 5 D also
Used to have many places to hunt in 5 D but not any more .
The Gas Drilling in 3B is part of it. The secondary tangent to the Drilling is that the farmers who leased out got so much money fo the leases they are NOT planting SO deer dont have much to feed on NO ACORNS this years the squirrels are even thin in 3B now LOL
BOB I disagree!! It IS herd MANAGEMENT THEY managed it to death!!! ON PURPOSE, in a lot of places . Game commission should be re named to AUDOBON adjunct !!!
Your right deaddoc4444.I didnt think it was possible but in some areas in the northern half of the state the PGC said there are only 1-2 deer per square mile left.
Thanks for posting that info. Bob. Things are pretty bad here in N.E. Pa. It will take a long time to get back to the way things were, even with the proper game management.
BOB its pitiful We made sure we all bought Doe tags for 3B so we WOULDNT USE them. Its going to take LONG time to rejuvinate the herd . NO turkeys EITHER .
This is strange to me, my son moved there about 2 years ago, his step father owns a small farm(100 acres) and he is telling me that there are deer all over the place along with turkeys and some bear. I can't remember the name of the town right now but it's within an hr's drive of Harrisburg and my son tells me he sees deer at least 3 times a week driving to work.
I have an invite to come hunt his farm any time I want.
????
Hey guys, the PGC didn't do it. It was all the hunters that listen to them that did it. They are the ones that made the Northern Tier what it is today. The game commission didn't kill a deer. Hunters did. Blam them.
Sorry Craig..WHO GAVE OUT TOO MANY DMP'S!THE PGC...hunters rely on the PGC biologists who should rely on science to tell them how many deer should be killed in a given management unit.They failed us miserably and now were left to pick up the pieces and build the herd back to acceptable levels
Not only are the number of deer going down but the number of hunters are going to go down with them. More and more hunters are giving up and not buying licenses. I still am trying to get a grip on why they don't cut the doe licenses by at least 50% and go back to hunting does for only a couple of days. I go to Forest county and its a shame to see those old hunting cabins falling in from lack of use. Looks like tough times ahead. The PGC is going to get rich from the Marcellus shale and don't need hunters anymore.lol
I saw some last Saturday. I hunt private land though. I almost jumped out of my treestand when a guy on the next property shot. I was sitting in my stand thinking, I can't compete with these guys with my bow, so I stayed home today. I'll wait for late season, thanks.
bob you are right the PGC gave out too many DMP's but still the PGC did not shoot the deer. Hunters did.
I agree Craig. They could issue a million more tags and the hunters will keep taking the deer but will complain when they are no longer seeing them. Hunters in PA need to take the management into their own hands if they want to see deer but it will never happen so I can only hope the PGC lessens the amount of antlerless tags issued.
I live and hunt in WMU #2G ( North Central Pa. ).This area used to be known as the "big woods" in Pa. and large numbers of hunters came here ( from the big city ares) to hunt. Back in the 90's I would see an average of about 8 to 10 deer per day during rifle season. This year I hunted 8 days and saw a total of 1 deer,,,, same as last year. We no longer have the influx of hunters and in fact I have seen very few hunters for the past few years. Tha Pa Game Commission does not seem to care about any of this because they have a new revenue source from the Marcellus Gas boom. We now have gas wells all over our state game lands with wide access roads running through what used to be pristine wilderness.
Guys its time for us to do whatever we can to make the game commission and hunters get there heads out of there backsides. we are the ones dropping the strings and puling the triggers. We have to band together and lert the does walk. I was just watching october whitetails remembering what it was like bowhunting when that movie was new. I want that back. I took my 10 year old daughtter out during gun season 3 days and she couldnt have shot a deer if she wanted. Now im not sure she will want to go again. She told me the deer are all gone i want to go to sleep. I didnt tell her but shes right.
QuoteOriginally posted by pauljr:
Guys its time for us to do whatever we can to make the game commission and hunters get there heads out of there backsides. we are the ones dropping the strings and puling the triggers. We have to band together and lert the does walk. I was just watching october whitetails remembering what it was like bowhunting when that movie was new. I want that back. I took my 10 year old daughtter out during gun season 3 days and she couldnt have shot a deer if she wanted. Now im not sure she will want to go again. She told me the deer are all gone i want to go to sleep. I didnt tell her but shes right.
Reading that produced tears.
Its been a sad story here in PA ever since the concurrent rifle season was implemented under the so called deer management program. I too lived in 2G (Potter County) and witnessed the decline in the deer herd as 10point mentioned. I now live in SE PA where there are deer in abundance on private land where the PGC can not touch them with antlerless tags. Its a real shame and have no clue what the solution is to all of this other than what pauljr mentioned about hunters being responsbile, The problem is hunters in PA will continue to buy antlerless licenses and try to fill every one of them versus throwing them in the garbage.
Ron
It's a good thing we have lots of squirrels!
I forgot to mention the antlerless tag I purchased is going in the trash. I will hunt late season for a buck but wouldnt shoot a doe on a bet. My total for this year is 5 does seen all year and I hunt as much as anybody can with a job and family. The deer are gone.
I hear you 10pt. I live in 2G as well, saw one hunter, and finally saw a buck last night. It just isn't like it was a few years back. I can remember seeing orange all over the mountainside and shots everywhere, but not now. I'm looking forward to the late season!!
Paul, don't you think youre laying it on a little thick? :rolleyes:
I hunted once (first time ever) last week, saw six does walk by, so I shot one. So I know there are at least five running around here.
(http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/banksiana/27bcf008.jpg)
Ron your spot on its tough hunting now. I have done ok since concurrent season and antler restrictions. But i am working 10 times as hard at it. I hunt state game lands in Erie and Crawford county. My 17 year old son has shot one buck and no does in 5 years. I tell him how it used to be i don't think he believes me. I won't shoot a doe after the third week of october. I like the antler restrictions i have harvested two big bucks in the last two seasons. But we have to lighten up on the does after all thats were the bucks come from. Guys we have to police our own ranks let those pregnant does pass.For those that hunt on private land or public land with lots of deer man have it! You got it good. My two cents. TD.
Not at all arrowwood
Betweem my son and me we are throwing away 5 doe tags, we usually throw 4 doe tags away every year. He likes to take a doe in archery but we don't even do that anymore. We have thrown away a bunch of tags over the last 5 or 6 years.
I was hunting with a self bow this year and wanted to shoot a deer with it but couldn't bring myself to shoot a doe. Passed up a couple real nice shots.
I saw a total of three deer the entire season.
Very little shooting I wonder where all the deer went. Maybe they went south for the winter, the PGC said that there are lots of them.
Earl, They are not here in Southern PA! I have some really good "Private land" that is hunted pretty hard around my properties and the deer numbers are way down. The PGC did what they wanted and that was to destroy the deer population.
I also have hunt a archery only property 20 years that is around 1500 acres and the deer numbers are hurting there to. I am all for shooting doe in the right situation but to shoot unlimited doe in my areas has put the hurt on the population. For every four doe taken you are looking at least six less deer the following season. My area is a very food rich environment for deer and the doe usually give birth to two fawns. It is just a domino effect.
I love venison very much but enjoy the encounters much more. When I take my six year old we always have fun, but there always seem to be more excitement when deer are observed.
Just my two cents,
Ed
I hunt a 90 acre property that is crawling with them. I guess it's just pockets of significant deer. This is my first year on this property and I've had days during early archery that I saw 40-60 deer, 90% doe. Most are small, but we have too many here. I filled my tags during gun season with the rifle simply to have meat and to help make sure that there aren't too many doe.
I think a lot of it comes down to personal management. The guy who owns the property manages very well. He keeps track of the deer year round, and for the last 30 or so years he's done this. There are parts of the woods he simply leaves unhunted to give the deer some room to breathe.
I will continue to hunt with my bow in late season for the fun and satisfaction of hunting the bucks with my buck tag. I'm sorry to hear that other places in PA are junk, even down here in this area.
It's really funny when the PA deer hunting topic is discussed on other Internet sites. People say there are alot of deer in PA but they don't talk about whether they hunt public or private land....in most cases this topic is a difference between having deer and not. Also if you were discussing this topic on the other sites you would probably be told to hunt harder. I guess were all wrong with our observations. :-)
Ron
Ron I hear ya. I just wish the majority of people would just be honest with themselves. Only then will we have any chance of returning our deer herd to an acceptable level. (with the exception of large tracts of private land) Just today i was talking to my Dad and he was saying hes gonna check this or that area where we hunt cause they just have to be there they cant just be gone. I just looked at him and said, Dad trying to lie to yourself isnt going to help, they arnt there. He finally agreed and said he just doesnt want to beleive it. We have to be the answer.
I've been a supporter of the PGC's deer management for a long time. Back when I first started hunting, I would see 50 - 75 deer the first day of rifle season, but only maybe 1 or 2 bucks out of that. It was on State Game Lands. Now that was probably too many deer and an unnaturally skewed sex ratio. More deer did need to be killed, but......I'm not having near as much fun now as I did in my youth. I really worry that I won't be able to create the same memories hunting with my kids as my fater created with me. I just think they won't have interest when you sit out there day after day and not see deer. I'm seeing that already with my teenage nephews. The PGC can have all the youth hunts they want to get kids involved in hunting at an early age, but if the kid doesn't see anything, it won't matter.
Exactly John tnank you
Where there's deer there's hunters. I have a cabin & property in Pa and have hunted there for almost 40 years. There used to be tons of hunters; hunters in the woods, hunters driving the roads, hunters spotlighting at night - hunters everywhere. Oh and we used to see tons of deer too.
Well since the new lumbering, I mean management policies went into effect - after the first two seasons, I stopped seeing so many hunters. Every year I see fewer than the year before. And coincidentally I see fewer deer too.
I don't care what anyone sez, there's plenty of cover, there's plenty of food, there just isn't plenty of game.
It's a shame really. My cabin used to be bustling the Sunday before opening day of rifle. Heck we'd have 15 guys there. Now it's just a couple family members. None of the Maryland guys will spend their money for a non-resident license and not see any deer.
The number of mom and pop country stores and restaurants that depended upon the hunters that have shut down is just a shame.
From a sportsman's perspective, the MIS-management is a crime. If any of us performed our jobs in such an atrocious manner, we'd deservedly be fired in a minute.
The number of kids that want to hunt is declining. It's tough to get them interested when they're not seeing anything. I used to stay awake the night before opening day in anticipation of all the deer I'd see. Unfortunately that's something today's kids aren't experiencing in my area.
It's a just a shame what the PGC has done. And don't tell me it's the hunters fault. We rely on the PGC to set the policies that's best for the game. Hunters are just a tool and a very effective tool at that. If you want them to kill one deer - then issue one tag. If you want them to kill them all - then they will. PGC has to establish those guidelines and judiciously use the tool called hunters.
Ok I'm done. Let's all hope this Tradition known as hunting in Pa doesn't die.
In my opinion this whole issue stemmed a few years back from the lack of revenue coming into the PGC. Has anyone noticed that the PGC isn't talking much about revenue issues as of late? I wonder why that is...
Ron
Downwind Lefty says, If you want them to kill them all - then they will. So, who is the problem the hunters or the PGC. PGC doesn't kill Hunters do. If you have private property to hunt and you are not seeing that many deer do you still try to kill more deer. Is it the land owners fault who wants you to kill as many as you can. No, it's your fault for shooting them all. Just tell them that you shot X amount to save your spot for future hunting.
I buy as many doe tags and dmap permits as I can get and throw them away as soon as I get them. (I do keep 1 in case I come across a severely crippled doe. The large landowners around here plant tons of food plots, bring in the deer and also bring in their buddies who blow the crap out of them with simple sticks...They started this after they were sucked in by that stupid, idiotic QDM (Quick Doe Massacre) When they started a few years ago, they killed 31 doe in one week and never stopped. It has ruined hunting in our area for the rest of us that have small pieces of land to hunt. I bowhunted with my Black Widow all 2 weeks of Buck season and saw 1 doe. Craig is right...Blame it on the hunters...I used to go and speak at the Game Commission meetings only to hear forrester after forrester commending the PGC for deer extermination.Someone's getting their palms greased somewhere!!!Want more deer??? Simple....QUIT KILLING THE DOE!!!PERIOD!!!
I agree we should just stop shooting doe but telling hunters to quit shooting doe is like talking to the wall. Too much greed here in PA. The PGC is accountable for managing the herd in PA and they should stop issueing so many tags and quit the concurrent antlerless seasons. It should be our responsbility to voice the concerns with the PGC.
How many of you guys are going to write letters/emails to the PGC and show up at the meetings in Harrisburg to voice your concerns? If we spent half as much time writing the PGC with our concerns versus sitting here in this forum complaining about it we may move the mountain.
Ron
Mike,
Congrats on the Doe, I saw the picture at the club tonight.
Mike
Thanks!
QuoteI agree we should just stop shooting doe but telling hunters to quit shooting doe is like talking to the wall. Too much greed here in PA. The PGC is accountable for managing the herd in PA and they should stop issueing so many tags and quit the concurrent antlerless seasons. It should be our responsbility to voice the concerns with the PGC.
Ron Vought, I guess you reached these conclusions AFTER you shot a doe with a compound this year?
:laughing:
arrowwood - I figured sooner or later the band of merry men from the other site would show up here to tell PA bowhunters their observations about the deer herd is PA is way off base....here we go!
Ron
Ron, Ron, Ron, when will you learn?
I'm going to get you a shovel for Christmas. You can dig your hole a little quicker that way. LOL!
Hope to see you one of these days!
Dave
Yeah I know Red.. Why even worry about the deer herd in PA...just hunt I suppose!
Ron
YES you CAN blame the people actually shooting the deer I GUESS it is the killers that have made the problem N O T !!!!
The major portion of the hunters , ( as mentioned here ) are the Hunters who come out the first three days of Rifle season and USED to hunt the BIG WOODS and come from all over. They buy their license and apply for antlerless tags as a normal series of events and rely on the Game commission WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY To say if there is the right amount of tags issued .
THE HUNTERS did not change the regulations to allow for the whole first week of Rifle season to allow for antlerless shooting , when it used to be AFTER the regular season . It was OBVIOUS that the Game commission wanted to slaughter the herd NOT JUST cut it down .
HMMMM Less hunters and less deer to complain about the GAS WELLS ?????????????
Money commming in from other sources besides licesne fees ?????????
WHY cater to the hunter ?????
I could go on about lots of other aspects of the MANAGEMENT policies of the PA GC but its beating a dead horse (Cant beat a dead deer there are NONE)
Ron Vought, I'm a PA bowhunter - are my observations wrong?
I don't know what site you're referring to - I read all the so-called "traditional" archery sites I can find, and post only occasionally. I'm not "from the other site", or any site for that matter, but I did read one recently where one of the posters on this thread was contradicted by some respected posters, about where to hunt somewhere north of here and the number of deer there.
Your facebook page says "I had deer all over the place", and a picture of a doe you shot. Same here, except I hunt with a recurve.
I don't think your observations are "way off base". I agree with you, there are deer all over the place here in 5C. As of today, 11,700 doe tags are still available for 5C, where some folks on this thread are saying the deer are "gone".
I've driven between here (Berks/Montco border) and York many times and almost always see deer.
They're not gone. MikeW, your son is right - no need to shed any tears - enough are being shed here as it is.
This thread seems to be getting off course... to get it back on... well I saw a dandy buck during the rifle season while sitting with my 89 year old grandpa. I for sure will be pursuing him come second season. Also, I was able to observe other bucks and how they were traveling now. They seem to have change their routes just a little. This will be filed away for next season as I'm already looking for trees to move my stands to based on this new movement.
I used the rifle season more as an observing season.
I used the rifle season more as an observing season. :archer:
PA stickbow, I agree, these guys should have posted in the legislation and policies forum.
I know of an eight point buck around here, I'm going to hunt the late season too!
I hope the buck I saw doesn't shed his antlers too soon. I've been seeing that the last few years too. A few bucks lost their antler by the 2nd week of December. If I don't get this buck in the late season, well I won't be too sad because he should be a real stud next year! :thumbsup:
Here is what I see, I take 4 weeks vacation every year for archery season and hunt hard. I saw more buck than doe for the 3rd year in a row I have seen more big bucks than ever in my life. However I saw allot less deer than in past, less than half. I have enjoyed all the bucks ESP the big ones and for first time in my life I let small ones pass. Although this sounds like a dream come true i am scared for the future of our sport. I am hearing horror stories from all over the state from good hunters hunting in farm country plenty of food and cover. Is it the coyotes or the PGC either way it's time for some change. It will take license sales to drop ESP youth ones and they will take notice.
Do you hunt private property or SGL's ?
Private property is different because you have the power to control the deer herd on your property.Hunters that only hunt SGL's rely only the state biologist to determine the number of deer we should harvest.That number should be based on by SCIENCE not how much money they get from timber or DMP sales.
Pa has lost thousands of hunters EVERY year since its herd reduction......Great Job PGC !
Hunting license sales have been in decline in PA for thirty years.
arrowwood - The topic was about hunting in PA and the deer herd so why did you have to bring the compound discussion into this? I'm done with this ...back on topic.
Ron
QuoteOriginally posted by arrowwood:
Hunting license sales have been in decline in PA for thirty years.
.
.
you are right Sir but PGC's Herd reduction is just speeding up the process :banghead:
Ron, this thread is called:
QuoteHow's the PA rifle season been?...for TRAD BOWHUNTING, of course!
The caps aren't mine...either you hunted or you didn't. Here's some
bologna, on topic and straight from the butcher shop this time:
(http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab141/banksiana/46e1ac42.jpg)