Good luck to all you PA deer hunters next week; you too Dan B. !!

Rupe

Back at'cha buddy! Found out last night that I'm taking a young'in with me tomorrow that wants to try hunting...he has his license and I've had him to the range before...he's a good shot but really has no one to take him. So I'm busy today hanging another stand in my tree and digging through my old hunting garb to find stuff that fits him.

How did you do in NY?

We geared up for this year. I bought a new Encore in 375JDJ and my son will be using a Contender with a 30-30 AI carbine barrel. Hope we can justify the cost to Wife this year.

Hey Dan - That's a good thing you are doing. Our trip to New York was not productive; although I didn't get kicked by no horse !! We hunted in the Allegheny State Park for that Saturday and the following Monday morning. Out of the 13 hunters in our group, not one buck was spotted. Saw a total of two doe and that was on Monday as a result of a drive. Hope things are different tomorrow.

Rupe

Rupe/PA, don't feel to bad about not seeing deer. I hunt about 50 miles due east of the Allegany State Park. I hunted all day Saturday and Sunday then all day Wednesday and til noon Thanksgiving day. I have not even had the opertunity to cock the hammer yet. Everything I have seen is thru the thick stuff with no shot. The deer numbers are down plenty this year.

I hope you PA boys have a better herd to shoot at.

GOOD LUCK Tomorrow!!

My Western NY deer season hasn't been productive at all. I've seen a few deer, but mostly in the real thick stuff. Haven't even eyeballed a buck yet. Oh well, really ain't been motivated too much this year. Other things on my mind. Good luck PA deer hunters.

Well folks; the first day of our PA deer season was as much a bust as my trip to New York ! To state it in other words; "I didn see no stinkin deers" !! Deer hunting and numbers have sure changed in the past 4 or 5 years. I was for herd reduction and antler restrictions from the get go, but along with the antler restrictions came concurrent buck/doe season. Doe season, which used to be a three day season with a day or two extension based on the weather as it affected hunters productivity, has now become a two week season along with the buck season. Is it any wonder that our herd has been drastically reduced or should I insert my word "dessiminated" ! I don't know whose voice can be heard, but I believe that the state of the deer herd in my area needs some attention. I for one believe that the antler restrictions and the doe allocations can be kept, but the two week doe season concurrent with the buuck season needs to change. Not only would this reduce the number of doe killed, but it would also protect a good number of the button bucks that are harvested along with the doe in this two week season. OK I'm done. Thanks for letting me vent !

Rupe

Rupe I'm with you on the need to go back to the three day season. I'm fortunate that I hunt alot in farm country in Mercer County and we still have a fair number of deer there.
But I spent 3 days of hard hunting near Brookville,Pa during bear season and didn't see a single deer! And just 5 years ago it was common to see herds of 15 at a time with total viewed for day in the 60s. This 2 week doe season is hurting our herd bad.

Well guys things here in northeastern South Dakota are not too much different. We have a two week season in which ANY DEER can be harvested. Once that two week season is over then we have a week of Antlerless Season. Then January 1st we have another 1 week Antlerless Season. Now this is just for firearms. When our first Antlerless Season closes in December the following Monday Youth Firearm Season opens again as does Muzzle Loader Season. These two seasons run through the end of January.

If that all isn't bad enough (and I am not knocking the Youth or Muzzle Loader Seasons) for our regular Firearms season they are selling roughly 1750 tags for this county. Granted this county is large it is just that the Deer are concentrated in a few areas of the county. Of those 1750 tags issued they are 1/3 Any Deer Tags and 2/3 Antlerless Deer Tags some of which are double tags to limit the number of hunters in the field.

In my opinion you have to harvest a few does each year to control the deer heard and get a proper buck to doe ratio. However I think we have been killing way to many antlerless deer in this county expecially considering about 40 % of the Any Deer Tags each year get filled with Antlerless Deer.

OK rant off, thanks for letting me vent.

Larry