Hunting & Fishing Pennsylvania deer hunters

Re: Pennsylvania deer hunters

No trying to start a debate. When I lived in PA I subscribed to that news journal. PA has made some big changes over the past 10 years in the regulations and what not. The deer herd suffered drastically. Hunters were angry. Hell, Gary Alt had death threats and ultimately resigned.
If you take drive through the Appalachian part of PA. Stop and visit with some of the residents. Focus central to north central part. You'll come away with the impression deer season never closes.
Keep in mind PA also has the largest hunter population. About 1.3 million.
I guess I still have some sentimental ties to PA.

How'd you get ahold of a PA game news?
 
Re: Pennsylvania deer hunters

Add on the number killed by cars, farmers, poachers, coyotes ,and starvation form long cold winters.

I lived there for 35 years.

Their numbers are coming from tag reports sent in.
 
Re: Pennsylvania deer hunters

the major problem is that the deer herd is extremely heavy in the urban areas, and not so much in the big woods. there was a pilot project around philadelphia to use bait (normally not legal here)to draw the animals out of the developments and into a more sizeable patch of woods. the antler restrictions that everyone was up in arms about a few years back seems to be praised highly now that huge antlered and bodied bucks are now taken frequently. yes, there are definately less deer in the bigger woods than there used to be, however we shouldn't have seen all those deer in the first place, and the decades of overpopulation has everybody spoiled. the pa. guys complain there is no deer, but they keep buying doe licenses and filling them as soon as they can.
 
Re: Pennsylvania deer hunters

Here's an illustration i found depicting opening day of rifle here in PA.
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Pay attention to the key at the top:
openingday.jpg
 
Re: Pennsylvania deer hunters

I used to live south of Pittsburgh, prior to Gary Alt actually imposing deer management. You couldn't go a mile down the road without seeing a dead deer rotting on the shoulder or a pulpy red slick on the interstate. The first time I went out deer hunting was opening day of rifle/buck season in PA. I was hunting some private land that backed up to state gamelands in Greene County and ended up seeing 80 some odd does in the course of a few hours and no bucks. My Mom still lives in PA in a well populated suburb of Pittsburgh and there are deer walking through her 1/4 acre lot all the time eating all her landscaping.
 
Re: Pennsylvania deer hunters

I and two friends that hunt with me in Bradford County buy a doe license every year and throw them away. There is no doubt that the deer herd was out of balance but the wholesale slaughter of does has really gone too far the other way.
 
Re: Pennsylvania deer hunters

Anybody that wants to complain about the Pennsylvania deer hunting, hop on down to northern Virginia and compare the herds. I've lived and hunted in both places and though you don't see near the total numbers in Pa, there are a lot more quality animals.
 
Re: Pennsylvania deer hunters

I live in eastern Bucks County, PA.
Prior to assistance from the USDA we had over 200 deer per square mile in some areas of our township.
Farmers could only grow corn, hay and sorghum.
Soybeans were a waste of time and money.

Gary Alt bucked the system.
The Game Commission has been in business to provide for the hunters, unfortunately the forests of the state cannot sustain the numbers of deer that have developed over their century +/- of management.
He wanted to reduce the herd.

I'll post some photos of our woods, with and without deer exclosure fencing soon.

 
Re: Pennsylvania deer hunters

I used to live in Bucks County. Albeit 15 yrs ago. I've been back at least once a year though. I've family and friends there still.

There is so much new development the deer have no where to go.

PA make me nauseous, pissed and disgusted with the people and development.



 
Re: Pennsylvania deer hunters

I'm just as disgusted.
But the deer herds around us are abnormal due to the lack of predation and food supply from agriculture.
We should have 15-20 deer per square mile, the block out farm is on had 160-200 per square mile.
We are not as developed as the rest of Bucks.

The state legislation is written to encourage development in an attempt to encourage growth in the low income areas of the state.
That legislation allows for the exploitation of prime farm land that unfortunately lies in the northeast corridor.

My grandfather has been fighting development in our area since the 50's and is still doing so at 86 years old.
The township made his birthday a local holiday in recognition of his service.
I guess to balance out that hard work Bob Toll, of Toll Brothers, moved in down the road in the 70's.