PA Deer Opening day
Anyone do any good? I was out from 6am to 4pm, got soaked to the bone, darn near froze to death up in NW PA, and saw about 5 deer all day. One buck that I could not get an antler count on. Anyone else have any luck? The woods sure were awful quiet, only heard about 100 shots all day, many of which were multiple strings where someone must have jumped some. Do not know of a single deer taken in the area.
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I shot 2 does...yes its illegal but my dad tagged one... 0 -
I'm sure my old Dad was out today. Were I not in AZ I'd be with him.
It was PA weather here today though, I almost thought about wearing long pants and had to wear a hooded sweatshirt til almost 10am(!?)
D.0 -
You did better than I did here in McKean County, It rained all day, never seen a deer or a hunter, only heard three shots all day!!![:(] 0 -
I wasn't going out today but I got a phone call at 0515 from a buddy asking me to come along for some drives. Walked 2 and stood for 3, saw some does, a "Y" and a few tails. Fog rolled in pretty heavy around 2:30 so I split. As a group, 2 sixes, 2 does and a weird ass eight. None of them spectacular but much healthier looking than last year. I'll be heading to Wayne/Pike counties the end of the week.
quote:Originally posted by Mr. Gunz
I shot 2 does...yes its illegal but my dad tagged one...
WOW...my old man would have tagged the other only after knocking the shiite out of me and I wouldn't be hunting the next 2 weeks...times have changed.0 -
The 4 guys I was keeping tabs on in Clearfield only saw 1 buck that was too little to be legal and about 25 doe all day. I guess since they rearranged the hunting areas and joined Clearfield County with another area, doe tags were hard to come by this year. Otherwise the boys would be headed home early! OH NO! 0 -
My daughter got her first buck Mon.at 11am. We hunt small patches of woods around our house.We didn't see or hear much all morning.So I walked out a small hollow to her with no luck. Once I got to where she was standing,we started bs ing and looking around.I glanced behind us,to a field across the road and there come 1 right at us.We hunkered down and just waited til a clear shot was available.Once she shot I saw it carrying it's front leg and knew that was a good hit.But he kept on the move so I popped him to and down he went.Both shots were right behind the shoulder.I figure he wouldn't have gone another 30yrds even if I didn't shoot,so she gets the credit in my book. 
12.5" 7 point0 -
What the heck happened to deer hunting in Pa? Growing up, it was normal to see legitimate "herds" of deer in large numbers.
My family still lives there and a couple still hunt avidly. Seems as if it is now unusual to see more that one or two at a time and then only rarely, at least in our area.
I hunted it last year for the first time in over 20 years. My brother and I spend a solid 3-6 hours a day running the woods checking out the old haunts, scouting for deer sign while hunting bushy tails and grouse. Good times with my Bro, but a massive disappointment on the deer issue. There were some around, but not many.
Opening day found everyone and their grandma sitting up a tree for a rousing session of S&S (sit and shoot). Couldn't hardly still hunt without seeing some bonehead who was sitting up in a tree-ranch (hunting?). Only people I saw on the ground were marching to/from their tree-ranches.
Now I wish I had not gone deer hunting there. It destroyed all my good memories of actual hunting and actual goodly numbers of whitetails.
Did the insurance companies finally pressure the Game Commission into liberalizing the kill to massively reduce the herd?0 -
quote:Originally posted by frog21
My daughter got her first buck Mon.at 11am. We hunt small patches of woods around our house.We didn't see or hear much all morning.So I walked out a small hollow to her with no luck. Once I got to where she was standing,we started bs ing and looking around.I glanced behind us,to a field across the road and there come 1 right at us.We hunkered down and just waited til a clear shot was available.Once she shot I saw it carrying it's front leg and knew that was a good hit.But he kept on the move so I popped him to and down he went.Both shots were right behind the shoulder.I figure he wouldn't have gone another 30yrds even if I didn't shoot,so she gets the credit in my book.
12.5" 7 point
Nice buck! She certainly does get all the credit!! Congrats!!0 -
I'm not sure what's up with the PA deer population. I grew up there and have hunted PA deer since 1967. Thanksgiving and the first day of deer season was always better than Christmas to me--hunting small game on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; watching the Steelers play on Sunday; and hunting deer on Monday. I just retired from the military after 30 years of service, but I attempted to get back home every year for the Thanksgiving weekend and the first day of buck season. I didn't get home this year, but made it the past five years. From my perspective, deer populations in Bedford, Cambria, and Somerset Counties seem to be down. I shot a respectable buck last year, but it was the only deer I saw all day long. My son bagged two does in the last 5 years. My brother, who lives in PA, was famous for taking a nice buck every year throughout the 80s and 90s, but has been skunked for the past 5 years. He saw one deer on Monday, a shootable buck, but couldn't get a clear, safe shot. I'm not sure what the statistics tell, but my impression is that things are not what they once were.
As for the hunters, there definitely seem to be fewer in the woods, which definitely has an impact on deer movement on the first day. However, I've also noted that there are fewer dedicated hunters. I observe many who race into the woods via their SUVs, jump out, spend an hour or two, and then takeoff. Many say they need to get to work and aren't willing to take time off on Monday, the first day of the season. Oh, and I've seen lots of shooters wildly spraying rounds at running deer, but not too many real hunters. The times, they are a changin'!0 -
Up in Potter County you could barely see from the fog. Heard about 14 shots all day. Up and down the road where you used to see 5-10 deer hanging at every camp, we saw 2 bucks hanging and a couple does, TOTAL. 0 -
The 100-120 shots I heard all day are kind of misleading. One guy shot 14 times within a min. Another guy emptied his gun twice (10 shots) at a herd running across a field. There were a lot of 4-5 shot bursts that to me indicates someone jumped one. I usually see 30-40 deer in trucks on the way home, and yesterday i saw none. The good news is that the weather is supposed to be cold and snowy this weekend, thats a big plus. I will be out friday and saturday. I know that there are deer left in this area, but I think that yesterday they were bedded down in the really thick brush to stay dry, and they were not moving at all. Right about sundown the rain slowed a lot and I stuck it out for the last hour hoping that they would come out early to feed, but sure enough it started pouring and nothing came out. I also think a lot of hunters looked at the weather and said screw it I will go out another day. 0 -
Hunted all day, My brother got one large doe, Hit a nice buck but lost it blood trail after about 600 yards. That sucked. I did jump out 25 deer in one herd. 6 in another. Rained all day. This was the first time I ever had gor-tex leak through. I walked through the mountain laurel all day pushing deer, my boots were full of water, not to mention my clothes. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by muss
Hunted all day, My brother got one large doe, Hit a nice buck but lost it blood trail after about 600 yards. That sucked. I did jump out 25 deer in one herd. 6 in another. Rained all day. This was the first time I ever had gor-tex leak through. I walked through the mountain laurel all day pushing deer, my boots were full of water, not to mention my clothes.
everyone in our camp was cussing the gor-tex and Cabelas Dry-Plus stuff they had. We were all soaked to the bone. Miserable day. Unfortunately I could not stay up there through the weekend...0 -
Went to the butcher shop last night and there were only 25 deer brought in all day.They said normally they get over 100.Pa deer hunting sure isn't what it used to be. 0 -
I was able to stay fairly dry until the last hour. I was wearing a Woolrich wool suit (very old school), and a rain slicker jacket. I did go through 2 hats and 7 pairs of gloves though. All was OK until the downpour during the last hour, then even my rain slicker soaked through. In 13 opening days this was by far the worst. I could have a few does, but I was out for racks. Probably will be the same this weekend, by next weekend it will be time to shoot any deer. 0 -
I hate to laugh but we did it to ourselves and some of us who saw this coming was labeled as whiners who didn't know how to hunt. Well if there is a deer in the woods I'll find it, my entire life has been dedicated to deer season here in PA and I must say it is ruined.
You hear the same things from some of these hunters, "There isn't hardly any deer left, this is unreal, ohh by the way I saw one doe today and I shot it!"
If you complain about the lack of deer and how you would like to see the deer herds come back QUIT SHOOTING THE DOES!!! I gave up hunting in PA, I havent bought a license here in two years and I doubt I will ever buy another one. My deer rifles are put up, I have no desires to even take them to the range. The politics and other things that are damaging the deer hunting here in PA has totaly turned me against it. It hurts like the dickens to turn my back on something I love and cherish so much but I can no longer be a part of the problem. Both of my teenagers have said the heck with hunting and I know several people locally here that would rather take the time off work reserved for deer season and go shopping with their wives.
Thank you PAGC, you have destroyed something that was once great.0 -
Just got home from camp, seen 4 bucks 1 eight point to small for me and 22 does in two days. I say we have managed our deer heard a hell of alot better than the PAGC. All total with 5 adult hunters and two youth we seen atleast 8 differnt bucks only 3 legal for adults( 4pt area but not trophy 14-15 inches) and the youth hunters were not able to get good clean shots and passed. We all have doe licsences but choose not to fill, don't realy need the venison now and besides I have a flinlock licsence. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Pa Redneck
I hate to laugh but we did it to ourselves and some of us who saw this coming was labeled as whiners who didn't know how to hunt. Well if there is a deer in the woods I'll find it, my entire life has been dedicated to deer season here in PA and I must say it is ruined.
You hear the same things from some of these hunters, "There isn't hardly any deer left, this is unreal, ohh by the way I saw one doe today and I shot it!"
If you complain about the lack of deer and how you would like to see the deer herds come back QUIT SHOOTING THE DOES!!! I gave up hunting in PA, I havent bought a license here in two years and I doubt I will ever buy another one. My deer rifles are put up, I have no desires to even take them to the range. The politics and other things that are damaging the deer hunting here in PA has totaly turned me against it. It hurts like the dickens to turn my back on something I love and cherish so much but I can no longer be a part of the problem. Both of my teenagers have said the heck with hunting and I know several people locally here that would rather take the time off work reserved for deer season and go shopping with their wives.
Thank you PAGC, you have destroyed something that was once great.
I completely agree...I don't even buy doe tags. And I refuse to even shoot a buck unless it is a good size. I'll be skipping my PA hunt next year and possibly go to WV or MD instead.0 -
quote:I completely agree...I don't even buy doe tags. And I refuse to even shoot a buck unless it is a good size. I'll be skipping my PA hunt next year and possibly go to WV or MD instead.
Well if you want to try to save the deer herd, not buying doe tags is not the way to do it. Buy them and don't use them, if you don't buy it someone else will and use it. I buy several each year and never fill one, the only one that will get filled is my daughters if she decides she wants to shoot a doe.
If these so called sportsman group that are upset with all the doe tag allocations want to do somthing about the deer herd, put up or shut up. If every member would buy a doe tag and burn them just think of all the deer that would survive. They could have a party which seems to be the biggest reason to start one of these groups anyhow; and your addmision fee could be your doe tag when you throw it in the fire.
The Game Comision dose not care about how many deer there are as long as they get your $6.00 and I think it is a small price to pay to try and bring the deer herd back. How many spend that $6.00 at the convience store for coffee every week or for a scratch of lottery ticket. Not trying to make anybody mad but it somthing to think about[;)]0 -
Mike said he heard 7 shots the entire day, saw 3 deer taken, foggy, sloppy, usually good buck weather. 0 -
My dad and I each have 8 doe tags, and maybe maybe we will use 1 of them. We buy the rest so other people can't. I want my two weeks of bucks and three days of does back! Forget this shoot anything crap. 0 -
Deer hunting in PA changed dramatically from the 80's to the early 90's. That's when I noticed the big herds start to disappear in NE PA.
We then started to hear coyotes. Didn't hear them before that....or even know we had them.0 -
i hunt in central pa., and i saw 20-22 deer on monday in all the rain. i missed a nice buck and several doe due to my rifle being off. one shot at 20 yds at a very small knot hole in a dead pine tree confirmed that it was 3 inches low and 4 inches right. i resighted it and later shot a legal buck. eastbank. (i wish i knew what made my rifle shoot off like that, i had shot it at the range a few weeks ago and it was 1.5 inches high at 100yds.) 0 -
ObiWan, you are right. I never saw a coyote in PA until about 5 years ago, now they're all over the place. I've also seen them all along the Eastern seaboard. I was in Florida just a few weeks ago and had one walk right up to me. Unfortunately, I wasn't carrying a rifle. I also bagged a huge Alabama coyote during last year's deer season. I know there's much debate over the damage coyotes can do to deer herds, especially fawns. If there is a decline in PA deer herds, could the blossoming coyote population be at least part of the reason? 0 -
My father in law and 2 brothers-in-law hunted near meadville (NW PA). None of them have gotten anything. My brother, my dad, and I hunted in North Central Ohio. I got the 7 point you see below at 8:20 opening morning. I was the second deer at the check station. The weather was rainy and fairly miserable. My brother got his that afternoon. Dad didn't get his until today. 0 -
I was out in Ohio on Tuesday. Couldn't get off opening day.
Didn't see a darned thing. I was out from 6:30 am to about noon. I would have stuck it out longer but despite no deer, DID manage to trip and fall in a mud puddle. I got sick of being cold and so I left. Tomorrow I'll give it another shot, and this weekend on private ground.0 -
Coyotes are only part of the fawns being killed, the largest problem is the black bear. They kill more fawns than the coyote do; the coyote is a short fast sprinter, if he does't catch it right away it has a good chance to get away. The black bear will just keep on a steady pace until it wears the little guys out and then it will run and they are fast.
We were logging near the Allegheny National Forest on a piece of gamelands. We had stopped to eat lunch in the woods, a doe, a yearling and a fawn came running in close to where we were.; then I saw a large bear coming down the same path, but he winded us or had seen us and went the other way. Pretty smart old doe to run in close to us to get the bear off their trail.
Like I said before, the PAGC does not care how many deer there are it's all about the money. It it is going to be up to the sportsman to bring the deer population back up. Buy the doe tags and the throw them away, burn them, put them in a drawer, forget about them. It will not take that long if you can get hunters to do this , just my 02..........0 -
I know there are a lot of deer where I hunt, I just do not think they were moving in the least on Monday. Last year I know of 5 bucks taken that were 7 points and up, including a nine I took. They were all shot by 9am. The year before I know of 4 bucks taken there, one was my dads 8. This year I know of not a single buck taken there. I will be able to better judge things around there this friday and saturday. 0 -
Gumby, an interesting observation about the bears. I know there are more bears in PA than in any time in recent history. In fact, I saw a bear during the first day of last year's season....the first I'd ever seen during deer season. Hmmmmm, perhaps there's something to the bear theory. 0 -
I think we were just spoiled when bonus tags came along.To many deer were killed because tags were available.Now with bears and coyotes around the herd is not recoperating as fast. 0
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