Split doe seasons

[mhouck06]

i agree with you guys about not having the extra time for the split seasons, that would be tough... I personally like the split seasons tho... I only had a couple years hunting under the old rules, the two weeks of buck then the three days of doe. I did not mind that, granted the deer population was higher than it is now. At least the doe season comes in on saturday now. Keeps you from having to take that extra day of vacation. As far as recruiting hunters, i do not know if it is still this way, but when I started hunting, during the two weeks of buck.. a junior hunter could harvest a doe at least on the first day, maybe more days... I dont remember now. So they had a better chance of bagging something. I always say it, PA has a lot of hunters.. i think last year was somewhere near 750,000. Managing for that many people, they cant please everyone. People complained that the PGC devastated the deer heard when they gave more doe licenses and extended the season. Im not getting into that, other than I agree with what they did given our heard status at the time. Now the PGC is adjusting accordingly to the estimated deer numbers. As far as the antler restrictions go.. I am at a cross roads with that. It is def letting the younger bucks get by another year, but is it really helping the heard that much? (I have not looked into this as in depth as the doe situation). I think the four points on a side is a little far.. three I do not mind. It is hard to tell a whole state what to shoot. I believe that it has made hunters slow down and take a closer look at what they are shooting at... which I think is a good thing. As far as this goes with recruiting new hunters... Again, I have not kept up on the junior hunter rules as much, but I dont think the antler restrictions come into play for juniors. I think they can shoot whatever buck they choose. Trust me, the PGC wants to recruit new hunters as much... if not more than you or I do. Hunters buying the licenses keep them running. Regardless, archery opens up soon!! If you guys are going out, best of luck!!

[kellory]

Hate it. I get a limited # of days off per year and when I walk my gun in the woods I want to harvest a deer. Don't care of it has a bone sticking out of its head or not. Am I a dying breed of hunter that cares about the meat instead of "how big the rack I just shot"? Now not only do I have to get my glasses out to see if it has more than 4 on one side, or is it a point broken off, or is the sun perpendicular to the right of Pisces congruent to the moon on the 4th day of Hanukkah before i can kill a buck, I now have to wait on a doe till the second week when I may or may not have a day off. Thanks PGC, Im sure we can recruit more hunters by doing this . Maybe when the license #'s are down next year you can charge me even more for my license to make up for it

I don't see the point of a split season. Did anyone make reservations with the deer to make sure the right ones are in range on the right day? I hunt for meat, not bone. If it has bone then I got my one per season, if not then I don't. I am glad we don't have a split season.Sounds pretty stupid if you ask me. While you are making those reservations, could you set me up for say an 8 point and a couple of does on the side? Thanks!

[mhouck06]

I don't see the point of a split season. Did anyone make reservations with the deer to make sure the right ones are in range on the right day? I hunt for meat, not bone. If it has bone then I got my one per season, if not then I don't. I am glad we don't have a split season.Sounds pretty stupid if you ask me. While you are making those reservations, could you set me up for say an 8 point and a couple of does on the side? Thanks!

I dont see how you could say it seems pretty stupid when the PGC is adjusting seasons and license allocations according to the current status of the deer heard.. People complained that there were too few deer in the woods after the PGC went to the combined seasons.. Before that, people hunted split seasons.. Its still hunting.. In some WMUs you just cant pop the first deer you see now on the rifle opener. There are plenty of people that hunt for meat.. like you... and plenty of people that hunt for just bucks. I said it in my earlier post. The PGC cannot please everyone. I respect danesdad and his knowledge, he has been on here a while and makes some great posts. I can see where he is coming from, that would be tough if you were limited on days to hunt.. I am limited also, but I agree with the PGC's decision.

[kellory]

Poor choice of words on my part I guess. I hunt when I can, but not nearly as much as I want to. The idea of have to pass on a very good deer because it is the wrong sex for that day of the week, seems like a silly way to decide things. If I am allowed 1 buck and 1 doe (just to set the stage) what can it matter in which order they are taken? or in which season, or weapon? Dead is dead, counted for the year just the same. This allows for no judgement on the part of the hunter, just on the calendar. Perhaps I don't follow what he is trying to do with this idea, or maybe I am only seeing part of it, thankfully, it does not apply to me, as I am in another state. perhaps i let my mouth get ahead of my manners. Please forgive my choice of words.

[cmarberg18]

Poor choice of words on my part I guess. I hunt when I can, but not nearly as much as I want to. The idea of have to pass on a very good deer because it is the wrong sex for that day of the week, seems like a silly way to decide things. If I am allowed 1 buck and 1 doe (just to set the stage) what can it matter in which order they are taken? or in which season, or weapon? Dead is dead, counted for the year just the same. This allows for no judgement on the part of the hunter, just on the calendar. Perhaps I don't follow what he is trying to do with this idea, or maybe I am only seeing part of it, thankfully, it does not apply to me, as I am in another state. perhaps i let my mouth get ahead of my manners. Please forgive my choice of words.

Amen. Dead is dead. In archery or in rifle, not what day of the week it is in!

[bmstaaf]

I love what the pgc has done for this state, I like how they are starting to manage their zones and feel as though it gives everyone a chance.. for instance the area that I hunt is buck/doe all season, now I can travel a half hour and hunt an area that is first week buck only in an attempt to harvest a nice buck with less shooting pressure...the thing is pa has so much game land/safety zones/farm tags you can get the meat in the freezer.. its available you just have to use it... look at the websites,

[bmstaaf]

Sorry typing on my phone, if you search the pgc website it gives a list of the landowners in your areas that do habitat restoration...if you own over X amount of acreage the pgc will give you crops and fertilizer to plant on your land, in return you have to let so many people per acre hunt..this land is all over, you just have to find it and ask...I have permissions from landowners all around my county up to an hour away in other counties...

[bmstaaf]

Cooperative Farm-Game Program:
More than 21,000 landowners and tenants currently are taking advantage of the mutual benefits provided by the agency's Cooperative Farm-Game Program. The farms, located in most the state's 67 counties, cover more than 2.5 million acres.

Some of the common terms used in and benefits associated with Cooperative Farm-Game Program, are summarized as follows:

Project Area: A contiguous group of farms and their accompanying woodlots, suitable for the protection and propagation of wildlife, make up a project area. Each such area must contain at least 1,000 acres (depending on the area the acreage has decreased), with each individual farm having suitable hunting opportunities.

Safety Zones: Hunting for or disturbing game, or discharging firearms, within 150 yards of occupied dwellings or other used farm buildings is illegal except by specific permission of the occupant. The Commission may post notices to this effect around such buildings within the prescribed distance, or furnishes signs for this purpose to Cooperators. (Anywhere in my area if you see these signs this means they are in the program- your area may be different)

Food and Cover Seedlings: If suitable planting sites compatible with a good farm conservation plan are available, the Commission may furnish food and cover seedlings beneficial to wildlife.

Game Stocking: With approval of landowners, Farm-Game Projects with suitable habitat (10-15 acres of good cover) are given preference in the Game Commission's pheasant stocking program.

Benefits to Farmers: Cooperators have found that there are many advantages for property owners enrolled in the Farm-Game Program. In addition to receiving help from sportsmen who harvest surplus game, listed below are just a few of the many benefits that are available through the Pennsylvania Game Commission:

Protection through patrolling and enforcement of law by Wildlife Conservation Officers, especially when project areas are being hunted.

Signs are posted to mark the perimeter of Safety Zones. Other signs are provided warning hunters not to commit any unlawful acts.

Cooperators are provided advice on soil conservation and other profitable farm practices. Since this involves proper use and care of the land, it is important to keep in mind that the following conservation farming measures aid in controlling erosion, conserving moisture, and increasing crop and wildlife yields: Diversion terraces; crop rotation; cover crops; sod waterways; pasture improvement and development; green manuring; perennial hay production; field and gully planting; wildlife hedge planting; wildlife woodland border planting; contour strip cropping; windbreak planting; woodland harvesting; woodland improvement cuttings; and management of odd areas for wildlife.

The Commission aids in the utilization of irregular shaped areas by furnishing various species of young vines, shrubs, and trees that provide food and cover for wildlife, including insect-devouring birds that are beneficial to farmers. A wildlife seed mix consisting of various grain species also is available.

The Commission may cut woodland borders and hedgerows to remove shade from the farmer's cropland, prevent tree roots from competing with field crops for the available moisture and plant nutrients, and provide immediate cover for wildlife.

The Pennsylvania Landowner Liability Act encourages landowners to make their property available to the public for recreational purposes such as hunting by limiting their liability toward persons entering thereon for such purposes. (if they are not abiding by this tell your local PGC employees they will stop the funding) This program is to make more land available to our hunters, sure some do attempt to find ways around this, but this program is available.

Present Commission planning provides for establishment of new projects in suitable areas and that agreements will be accepted from landowners or tenants in or adjacent to existing projects. Further information on the program may be obtained from your local Wildlife Conservation Officer or by writing: Pennsylvania Game Commission, Bureau of Land Management, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797.

MAPS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE OF THESE AREAS OR CONTACT YOUR LOCAL PGC AGENT IF YOU CAN"T LOCATE THEM..

WHEN IT COMES TO PUTTING MEAT IN THE FREEZER GO TO THE DCNR HOMEPAGE AND LOOK UP DMAP. ONCE AGAIN YOU WILL FIND MAPS OF THESE AREAS AND YOU CAN SET UP A HUNT. (THESE AREAS ARE ALL OVER AS WELL)

[kellory]

I can see some benefits all the way around so far, but how does this effect when or what sex deer can be taken? Why pass on a buck to get a doe? Or a doe to get a buck? What difference does it make? What am I missing here?

[bmstaaf]

Everyone that hunts goes in the woods to not only enjoy the environment, but to see healthy deer. The pgc makes their rules and regulations based on deer populations and the health of the deer herd...as hunters we are in the woods for a few different reasons, first because its a hobby, next to put food on the dinner plate...as hunters with either scenario you look at, we are still responsible to make sure that the herd is kept in check on both health levels and population...IMO I don't think it helps in pa with high densities of hunters to have a slaughter house.