LifeNRA Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 This year I bought my SECOND EVER doe tag in 30 years of hunting, because of my first year of archery season. Now this doe tag can be used for any other deer season Pennsylvania has. But after hunting for six straight days. From sun-up to sun-down! I decided that I should not fill my doe tag after all. All I seen were three deer all week. One nice buck, never offered a good shot. A half rack two pointer, not legal for me(three or more points on one side needed). AND ONE DOE, THATS IT ONE DOE! We always seen does in the areas we hunted. My father I think is even more disgusted than I am! Soooooo! I feel this was necessary!!! HEARD REDUCTION WENT TOO FAR!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! ouch A little bbq sauce will make it go down a little easier todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckbuster11 Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! Well bud, you know I agree with you. What a disaster it is in alot of areas in this state. I have only seen between 10-15 does since the Oct. 1 archery opener and I hunt probably 3-4 times a week. I'm not seeing any more bucks or any bigger bucks either. I am scared to death about the future of the overall deer herd here in PA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbucks Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! man im sry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAhardwoods Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! Congrats to you for doing the right thing i just wish people would have been doing that for the last few years myself included.....I wasnt able to make it home to elk county this year and hunt the first time since i've been hunting i know a handfull of people including some of my family that havent even seen a tail yet things are bad I agree with buckbuster i'm very scared about the future of or deer hunting in the common wealth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyt03 Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! I'm right with ya guys, things are looking bad in PA. I have no problems with the antler restrictions, I actually think they are good but they need to cut off doe hunting for alot of years. What ticks me off is that you tell people you are not seeing deer and they make remarks like you have to actually get out in the woods and this blah blah blah. I've been in the woods just about everyday since the beginning of archery season, things are looking real bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bghunter777 Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! I will keep this short first off I am sorry for your expierience I know how that can be frustrating. I just want to say our game commission in flaud I think that Gary Alt is a great guy and meant well his management plan is great for private land and the anlter restrictions are a very good thing. but the doe populations and overall deer populations on the heavely hunted public land is not looking good. That being said I have had an incredible season in Pa I saw several 110-130 class bucks and 1 or 2 bigger while archery hunting this season I was able to take about a 14 wide 8 pt thought he was a little bigger. My brother hunted a peice of property that borders a large peice of public land he passed on 10 different bucks opening day and saw about 60-70 does I am sure some of the does were but repeat the majority of the deer were coming off the public land my dad hunted the same area today saw about 50 does and 4 small bucks. a friend of our was hunting last evening had a 140 inch 10pt at 100 yards for about 15min every time he went to take a shot it was screened by a doe. with light fading he took the shot but he shot the wrong buck there were 2 or 3 other buck with him still was not a bad deer. I will not go on bc that is not really what u want to hear but if hunters would take a little initiative and be the managers it can work Glad to hear you are passing on a doe if the population is that bad just a shame it got to that everybody should be able to take a deer for meat. good luck with the rest of the season hope things turn around for you sorry about keeping it short Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born2Hunt Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! How can PA not listen to the hunters? They need to look at the herd in the whole state not just what is in their back lawns. Remember when approaching the state as sportsmen you will have power in numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M00N Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! I like the antler restrictions even on public lands they work, but I do not like the long doe season, the DMAP doe tags, nor the fact people can get 3 Doe tags. It should be 1 Doe tag per person per year. They should do away with the DMAP tags and put the doe season down to only 3 days instead of 2 weeks of rifle doe season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Daddy Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! I'm in 4A and it's the best season we have had since AR was instituted. Sure the numbers are down - I'm no longer seeing 30-50 deer per day. There are 16 of us that cooperate in deer management over 6 properties that comprise around 700 acres of mixed cropland, CREP and hardwoods. We regularly timber the hardwoods, plant a number of foodplots on the CREP ground, and have a farmer that rents crop fields to plant corn and soybeans. So far 12 of 16 hunters have taken legal bucks, and there are quite a few other legal buck that have been seen. We are shooting fewer does this year because we have the buck/doe ratio down where we want it. Unfortunately, with the orange army numbering over a million, and a good proportion of those on state ground, the indiscriminate slaughter of deer has left the deer population decimated in many areas. Also, there are a lot of areas in the state that would benefit from an active timbering program. Habitat is the key, and our habitat is great and geting better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTbowman Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! I have a female friend I hunt with, actually my wifes best friend, and her boyfriend went down for a week and saw zero deer. They came home 2 days early throughly discussed. I have no idea where in PA they were but years past they always brought home deer. I am sorry for this but I must admit when I 1st saw your pics I laughed out loud, literally. But it does show the level of frustration you must have so sorry for that. Good Luck anyways.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest buddy ahart Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! You cant put that many doe tags out for public land the deer arent there anymore. With the group of guys i hunt with around 20 we got 6 deer the first week and few even saw anything its not that theres less deer its that theres more private land then ever before i mean you cant expect the deer to stay where there is a pumpkin patch of hunters. Honestly there are few private land owners that will allow people to hunt there land and if they do its normaly just a few guys not enough to manage the property i do agree totally with antler restrictions but not with the DMAP tags soon the only place u will find deer is private land. The deer arent dum they know to stick close to houses where they can eat peoples bird food and a hunter cant get them. JMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6sixpoint_nobrows Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! ohhh.....lol....nice...sorry to hear that all the doe's are gettin shot up...hope the start coming back to your property this summer and stay for ya...best of luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
007hunter Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! I feel your pain!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshM Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! Worst week we have had so far to.....only 5 deer out of 6-7 hunters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TreeStandBowHunter Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! Man that stinks. It all depends where you go. I know out west around Bedford, the deer are there. The best thing to do is get some private land. If your waiting to see a bunch of deer on game lands, those days are over for the most part. I'll be home to PA the week after christmas for late season archery. I will be hunting out there in Lawn on some farms. I should do fairly well because the deer are there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shockwave Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! [ QUOTE ] This year I bought my SECOND EVER doe tag in 30 years of hunting, because of my first year of archery season. Now this doe tag can be used for any other deer season Pennsylvania has. But after hunting for six straight days. From sun-up to sun-down! I decided that I should not fill my doe tag after all. All I seen were three deer all week. One nice buck, never offered a good shot. A half rack two pointer, not legal for me(three or more points on one side needed). AND ONE DOE, THATS IT ONE DOE! We always seen does in the areas we hunted. My father I think is even more disgusted than I am! Soooooo! I feel this was necessary!!! HEARD REDUCTION WENT TOO FAR!!! [/ QUOTE ] I am in complete agreement !! the guys i hunt with are all a little mad at me for not shooting at any does, I`m more or less taking my .30-06 out for a walk everytime i go , i don`t have the urge nor see the need to shoot any....Get rid of the 2 week season is my vote.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasDeer Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! the same way here in kansas for the rifle opener..... saw 3 deer since wednesday. Talk about being bored Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BuckMaster058 Posted December 4, 2005 Report Share Posted December 4, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! Like it has been said it is just where you are hunting at and areas of Pa vary in how many deer you are going to see. LifeNRA I hunt in WMU 4C and like you saw only 3 deer. 2 were fawns and one I have no idea got up to get my dad and my lunch and thermos' look up and see something moving try to find it in the scope and finally spotted me then took off. Like you I'm frustrated and many other things that I can't type. I'm only 20 yrs. old and wondering what my children are going to have when they start hunting at the age of 12. I hunt on club property went around the whole area after hunting and didn't see a tail. I hunt on a place we call the chlorine and you see the deer don't stay there they are either chased or wonder on there and with the pop the way it is my area it is time to change what we have been doing for yrs. Going to mix it up and go to the Big Resavoir which I heard is going to be a hike and a half but ppl are saying they are seeing deer back there so we are going to give it a try. Definately next yr. we are thinking of giving the chlorine a rest you know when you don't take a deer off a place in 2 to 3 yrs. I hate to say it it is like my second home but it is time to move on. And find a place where the deer are at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeNRA Posted December 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! Ok, I know its HERD not HEARD! Suprized Chris hasn't corrected me yet! It was late, and my butt was dragging pretty bad yesterday! It was a very tough week. But like some other knit-wits on another forum. I was hunting other areas, getting into deeper woods, getting away from other hunters! OH YEAH, ITS PRIVATE LAND TOO!!! This herd reduction needs to stop in WMU 4C, and other areas in southeast Pennsylvania that I hunted in. BTW Todd, I tried some BBQ sauce. Still tasted like burnt paper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeNRA Posted December 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! [ QUOTE ] Man that stinks. It all depends where you go. I know out west around Bedford, the deer are there. The best thing to do is get some private land. If your waiting to see a bunch of deer on game lands, those days are over for the most part. I'll be home to PA the week after christmas for late season archery. I will be hunting out there in Lawn on some farms. I should do fairly well because the deer are there. [/ QUOTE ] Well Mike I hope so! Everything in this county looks bleek! I would hop along with ya but I have no doe tag! LMBO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockefeller66 Posted December 5, 2005 Report Share Posted December 5, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! oh boy, don't worry you are not alone, i never seen a deer this weekend during the IA gun season, never really hunted more than 2 hours though, it was the most messed up weekend EVER!!!!!!!!! First we went to hunt Sat. Morning and the safety locks were on the guns so i drove home and back (3hrs round trip) and hit a deer on the way home, got the keys, made a push, deer went out the other end, no shots, only had one deer by noon, had to go home for Confirmation that afternoon, then drove back down there that night, another 3hr round trip, then hunted this morning and none of the 3 of us seen a deer, then made 2 more pushes and only seen one monster buck! That was it, i only sat this morning and did the pushing on the 3 pushes! It was horrible but that is hunting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 5, 2005 Report Share Posted December 5, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! Had a week like that here too. Doe numbers here seem to be down considerably this year too. Have not seen near the number of does we are used to seeing. Thinking maybe the added hunts they are allowing are doing more than they realize to the herd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbeck Posted December 5, 2005 Report Share Posted December 5, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! I manage 800 acres. I just timbered 50 3 years ago to thicken it up, going to timber 150 this winter. we have food plots planted, we only have 8 guys hunting it, I've seen 5 deer this year. Used to have 30 deer in the field before dark, now I'm lucky to see 5 deer after midnight. We have alot of state ground around us and the preasure is intense. Just cause you have private ground, don't assume you can save deer. it doesn't work. good luck all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeNRA Posted December 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2005 Re: The Worst Week Ever In Pennsylvania!!! [ QUOTE ] Three deer! I've seen three deer all year and I'm not complaining. Hunting isn't about how fast you can shoot the deer, just take your time and hunt. [/ QUOTE ] If I seen three deer all year I would give up hunting! This is nothing like we are used to seeing. Maybe up there that is normal. NOT HERE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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