PA Hunters - Antler Restrictions?

DarkStar11

Has there been any more talk of antler restrictions for this coming season? What do y'all think about it?

Hans Grueber

There already is an antler restriction, I don't see enough big racks out there anymore.

groundhog devastation

2" past his ears and 4 pts on each side or more!! Ya'll would have a good buck or two if you followed this rule!!!! 4 pts. on each side rule can be ignored if it's a six point that is 4 or more inchs past ears!!!!

gunpaq

Oh, I have a headache already. Last year you needed a college education in order to understand the new game laws in the book. This year you need a game spotter and a wildlife biologist to go hunting with you so you don't shoot the wrong deer. A lot of old timers and young kids are just going to say "the hell with it". Several old timers at local camps said this was their last year because of the new laws. I understand completely what is going on and agree with the theory of this new management system for bigger bucks and a healthier herd, but what a bass ackwards way of informing Joe Q. Hunter of what's going on.

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Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.

Tailgunner1954

Take more trophy does and leave the bucks alone. Unless you have an good recipe for horn and nuts. Up here in N.E. Mich the ratio is between 12-15 does/buck because of all the HORN hunters.Stir Stir

gunpaq

The mindset in PA, in most all areas, for nearly a century has been to only shoot a buck and save the does to produce the new offspring. Doe hunters were considered to be less than honorable, cowardice, unethical, and downright evil by fellow hunters and the general public, "What kind of man would shoot a mother?". This mindset about does and an annual limited doe season along with several other factors have brought about these new management systems and restrictions on harvesting bucks.

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Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.

Tailgunner1954

GunpacThe mentality is the same up here. Unfortunatly their is only one way to balance the ratio, the one I mentioned above.I predict that in the not to distant future, we are going to see a couple years of "does only" hunting, just to get the herd healthy again[This message has been edited by Tailgunner1954 (edited 03-25-2002).]

DarkStar11

My family has a camp smack-dab in the middle of the Alleghaney Nat'l Forest (Elk/Forest County line). That area is known for small bucks, 4 points and under. A 6 is something to be dang proud of. The largest buck that has been taken near our camp in the past 18 years was a 9 point by my cousin. It isn't from hunting pressure -- the number of hunters is dramatically down since the '80's. It is because it is in the middle of the woods, there are no fields, and the PA Game Commision has pretty much ended its feeding programs there. The deer herd itself is down, too. When I started hunting in '85, I saw over 100 deer on opening day (one was the spike that I shot). Last year, I saw 4 deer, total. My father and relatives tell me they used to see 300 deer on opening day -- and even then a spike to four-point was your average buck. The hanging poles are pretty bare these days. From what I've read online, there were a ton of button bucks shot during the combined buck/doe season last year. Can't imagine that will improve buck season any. We've never looked down on shooting a doe, in season. I've killed many of them in Somerset & Bedford counties, when we didn't get any bucks at camp (which was pretty common).So, is there going to be an antler restriction mandated by the PA Game Commission for this coming season or not? Or is it still undecided?I am a non-resident now, and the only time I can show up is for buck season (being right after Thanksgiving). Thanks....[This message has been edited by DarkStar11 (edited 03-25-2002).]

Big Sky Redneck

have you heard the other bull crap coming this year!?! Doe season in the middle of archery season!! Anybody who is a jr or sr license holder can blast what ever they want with a buck tag. Pa has declared war on does and they want a statewide ratio of 1 to 1 , stupid. I can see if they want to up the stakes on the bucks but can you imagine how many young bucks are killed in doe season? The main goal of this nonsense is to reduce the deer herd drasticaly and turn this into a trophy buck state wich they will never never never do. Only thing they will do is ruin the deer season for the people that live here. This is why I will be spending most of my deer hunting in another state. Just sit back and read the proposals that will come into effect over the next 3 years, it absolutely sucks! They will have ruined or deer season. The success rate statewide for bucks is way low, now this is going to make it even harder, I do not blame the people for quitting this state, I know I am.

gunpaq

In our time you will see PA trophy buck hunts for only the wealthy who can afford the licenses and other fees that are coming along with hunting/shooting restrictions in PA Gamelands so that other PA citizens may have equal access for their mountain biking, jogging, tree hugging and sitting, etc.. Try aiming at a buck in the Chester County area Gamelands without a spandex clad jogger or mountain biker crossing your line of fire, then try to determine if it has four points or not - hell, just shoot the mountain biker he's worth atleast four points.

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Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.

salzo

Gary Alt-Game commission biologist is coming to a local college on Thursday, to speak about the PA deer herd, and any future changes to hunting regulations. I will post any information that he gives out that sticks out.

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Happiness is a warm gun

gunpaq

Pennsylvania's "Altered" deer season. The fellows were really hot about this subject at the breakfast counter this morning. One guy was so fired up he left before he finished his coffee and eggs. Honestly, I didn't mean to get people mad by bringing up the new deer season and Gary Alts management plan. The big fear seemed to be the feeling that this is the begining of the end of "traditional" hunting as we have known it in PA and not so much as antler restrictions and season changes.

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Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.

Varmintmist

Salzo, where is the colledge at??Im in Butler Pa, north of Pittsburg, south of Erie, and wouldnt mind going

salzo

Varmintist- Well you are going to have to go all the way to the other end of the state. He is speaking at Deleware Valley College, which is located in New Britian, Bucks County. If you want to make the trek, let me know and I will give you directions

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Happiness is a warm gun

Piadea

Well I guess I'll put my two cents in. I've been hunting deer in PA for over thirty years (not sure if this makes me an "old timer" or not). The doe to buck ratio has always been bad and has gotten worse. There are simply too many deer on too little land. I belong to a club that hunts 500 acres of private and leased land in the NE part of the state and the rule is 6 pts or better. It works. we harvest better deer and more rack bucks than any other club around. It only takes 3 years for a buck to have some real horns. If you just want meat shoot a doe. Until the buck to doe ratio is down to 1:6 or so you will not have that many chances at a trophy head. Let's give Alt's plan a try.

gunpaq

One of the guys this morning at breakfast said he and his wife don't like the taste of doe meat and will only shoot bucks. I have heard that comment many times before. Another fellow who works for a butcher claims that his boss sent the Game Commision a letter stating that they will no longer process does if this new management plan goes into effect. I have also heard that story many times before, especially this past year. Everyone seemed to be upset by the new deer management system and the changing of the traditional seasons, but nobody seemed to care what may happen to our gun rights in PA with the upcoming governor's race nor about the Gamelands equal access movement for nonhunters who demand 100% access and 100% use all the time for their nonhunting recreational activities (mountain biking, jogging/hiking, horseback riding, 4-wheeling/snowmobiling, tree hugging, critter hugging, etc.). Lets let those bucks grow some big racks and maybe during the rut they will attack some of the nonhunter users and scare them out of the Gamelands for good.

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Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.

martzkj@msn.com

Hi, I have hunted Pa for 24 years. I'm no biologist, so I can't say if the mans plan will work or not. But what I do see as the one problem is the disappearing hunting land. I live on the Lancaster Dauphin county border. I can take you out anytime and show you herds of deer. Only one problem, they are all on posted ground (NO HUNTING). Over the years I've seen thousands of acres that I've hunted turned into industrial parks and housing developements. Right now in my township, their is a farm for sale. I think around 500 acres. It has been rezoned industrial. What do you think this will become? What burns me up about this is, these farms for years payed hardly any taxes because of their zoning. Now the kids get the farm, want to sell it for big buck. So they get it rezoned, of course the township goes along more tax money. They sell it for big buck. move out of the area and live happily everafter. Leaving industrial parks in our back yards.

gunpaq

Maybe if the kids were getting an income in to pay the taxes and insurance from a group of concerned hunters who would like a place to hunt, they would not sell the farm. Owning and maintaining a tract of land in suburban populated area can be an overwhelming task especially if one particularly has little motivation to keep itnor have a vested long term interest. Lets see, 103 acre farm, zoned farm-residential costs us $5,800.00 per year taxes plus $2,500.00 insurance, plus roughly anothet $1,800.00 per year in costs to comply with various ordanances imposed by the township run by urban transplants. For the record we do not get government aid or assistance for the farm. Every year there are more headaches from our 1 acre lot urban transplant neighbors that costs money like new ordances about spreading manure etc., or how about last month when little Billy ran his 4-wheeler through the barbed wire fence while trespassing and now we have a letter from his parent's attorney (hey, lets sue them, they must have money they own all that land). Very few original farmland owners are wealthy so sometimes when the urban environment moves in and farming is no longer viable it is either sell it or lose it. Nothing is preventing a group of hunters from organizing corporately to lease or purchase land to hunt on. Our neighbors lease their land (65 acres) to a bird hunting club and still farm but if and when the hunting club does not renew it's lease they are selling the farm. Just as with the State Gamelands, unless the hunters get involved in preserving them we are going to lose them to other users. Where is this place where I can pay hardly nothing for land taxes as would I like to relocate there?

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Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.