Elkhunter24
Well-known member
Great buck! congrats
PA deer season begins!
- Thread starter Elkhunter24
- Start date
Rob96
Active member
Kids today just aren't the outdoor type anymore. Look around neighborhoods, no one is playing outside. When we were kids we were at the park, in the woods building forts and so forth. In my neighborhood you don't realize how many kids there are until you see them getting on or off of the school buses.
jdf
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2011
- Messages
- 490
2 years of extra doe tags by everyone because of CWD and wanting deer herd reduced are showing what they wanted.
I hear all the time that “shots are way down” and I have to agree. I remember years ago opening day sounded like a rifle range. I wonder now with extended seasons and multiple weapons that people don’t feel the need to shoot on opening day? I personally fit my doe harvest into my time schedule and cooler weather. The numbers don’t lie, deer harvests are not dropping dramatically.
Pahoundsman
Well-known member
I do think hunter numbers are way down, and we are definitely short on hunter recruitment. It makes for a quiet opening day.
Elkhunter24
Well-known member
I agree with you 100%. 30 years ago or so on the first day of rifle deer season there used to be over a million hunters on the first day. Now there is probably half of that.
Elkhunter24
Well-known member
This was the first year in the unit I hunt you could shoot a doe all 2 weeks. However in our crew we did not do this and waited until the second week to start shooting. Our crew did see a decent amount of deer throughout the 2 week season.
Johnny44
Member
I was only able to hunt last Thursday and Friday. Normally see 30-60 deer (obviously that's probably a lot of the same deer being seen multiple times) in an all day sit on our farm in 2D. In 17ish hours of hunting I only saw 8 deer, no shooters. Several factors to consider on why that was; weather, pressure, trespassers. Hoping to head back for Flintlock and fill my 2 tags. Wife's cousin did shoot a nice buck on opening weekend.
Pahoundsman
Well-known member
I hunted the last 3 days and saw 8 bucks with 4 being legal. We also didn’t shoot any does the first week, but I think a lot of people did and they were done hunting. We didn’t see anyone hunting the tail end of the season.
lovetotrapitall
New member
Public and coal property in my neck of the woods had some orange through the whole season. I shot the buck that busted me by leaving my stand 5 minutes too early during archery. Adequate shots heard all season but I didn’t see anything brought back to the truck, haha!
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Pahoundsman
Well-known member
Very nice for a PA whitetail
CowboyLeroy
Well-known member
Pennsylvania looks like such a fun place to hunt
Elkhunter24
Well-known member
Its a great place and great times with family and friends at your hunting camp. The hunting its self can be tough and frustrating but all worth it when you put your tag on your deer!
std7mag
Well-known member
I hunted opening day with a coworker and his family in central PA.
I took my Stevens 200 in 250 Savage out because i wasn't expecting any long shots.
Had a buck come running to my left. Slammed on the brakes & gave me perfect broadside shot 30-40 yards away.
What i didn't see was the branch.
I shot and he touched his nose with his butt & took off.
No blood. Me & coworker searched for about 90 minutes.
Then he shot a doe. His mom shot a doe.
We took them back & started skinning when his grandmother told us his grandfather needed help with 2 does he shot.
While searching for 1 of his does, i had a doe stand up in the briars.
Had she not moved i'd have never known she was there.
I got her.
So we drug out 5 deer opening day.
Next day coworker calls me. His mom found my buck. Hit high & back. Bullet hole oblong.
His mom tagged & got the meat.
I took my Stevens 200 in 250 Savage out because i wasn't expecting any long shots.
Had a buck come running to my left. Slammed on the brakes & gave me perfect broadside shot 30-40 yards away.
What i didn't see was the branch.
I shot and he touched his nose with his butt & took off.
No blood. Me & coworker searched for about 90 minutes.
Then he shot a doe. His mom shot a doe.
We took them back & started skinning when his grandmother told us his grandfather needed help with 2 does he shot.
While searching for 1 of his does, i had a doe stand up in the briars.
Had she not moved i'd have never known she was there.
I got her.
So we drug out 5 deer opening day.
Next day coworker calls me. His mom found my buck. Hit high & back. Bullet hole oblong.
His mom tagged & got the meat.
Pahoundsman
Well-known member
Elkhunter24
Well-known member
congrats!!
Johnny44
Member
Back in 2D with the flintlock. Been in all day and haven’t seen a thing. Frustrating but better than the couch. Still have a couple hours plus tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed.
EKYHunter
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2020
- Messages
- 1,177
Congrats sir! That’s a great buck no matter where you’re hunting. Well done!
lovetotrapitall
New member
Thanks! Believe it or not he was a few down on my wish list. I have been after this guy for a couple years now.
A couple other good ones were around earlier in the fall and then disappeared on me. Good luck to all you flintlock hunters. It’s been an uphill battle to keep powder dry in my corner of the state. I may take the bow out and try to fill a doe tag if the weather turns.
EKYHunter
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2020
- Messages
- 1,177
Great deer. Good luck with him.
