PAs new "joint season" experiences?

Legionnaire · November 29, 2001, 05:20 PM

This year for the first time, PA allowed hunters to use their antlerless permits during the regular season (last year jr. and sr. hunters were allowed). I'd heard all kinds of prognosticating about how dangerous it was going to be . . . "if it's brown, it's down" mentality precipitating carelessness afield. My experience doesn't bear this out. I was in Lancaster county on public land opening day. It was a bit foggy to start out. If anything, where I was I heard less shooting than I have in the past couple of years, hunting the same area. What did others experience in PA hunts?

BTW, ended up with a spike around 3:00pm; my fifteen-year-old son got a doe around 11:00am.

birdog4 · November 29, 2001, 10:13 PM

Here in s. Armstrong Co. there was a lot less hunting pressure. Shooting was down quite a bit. Not many long strings of shots. I do believe the archers put a bit of a dent in the buck population in my area. Shot a 4 point in the downpour we had on Wednesday. Do ya think that would upset Gary Alt?

Subby · November 30, 2001, 12:38 AM

The area I was in(SGL 302 on the Washington/Greene border) seemed to have significantly less shooting than in years past. Be that as it may, two large local deer processors were full up by 8pm and weren't taking any more. I had to wait until 5pm Tuesday to take my 7 pt. in. From speaking to others, it seems like a lot of guys were throwing lead at anything that was running across the fields. I'm going to go out next week and try to tag a fat doe.

Sub

smitty21 · November 30, 2001, 06:57 AM

I really wish I was able to come home for the season

orsogato · November 30, 2001, 08:13 PM

I too heard less shooting than usual. But, I think this buck and doe in the same season was a huge mistake. A hunter shooting at a doe fired right in the line of fire of my friend's wife.

Plus, I think the shooting at doe really made the big bucks hunker down. I harvested a young spike at the end of the day. I was the only one in my gang to get a buck on opening day. Typically we have 3 or 4 hanging by noon.

I am not in favor of it.

Legionnaire · November 30, 2001, 10:02 PM

Interesting. Over at the HuntingBBS.com forum, most guys are complaining about too many hunters and way too many shots (see the DeerHunting and NortheastRegional sub-forums). Just wasn't my experience, and I'm glad to hear respondents here didn't feel like they were in the middle of WWIII. I like hunting PA, and will continue. Trick seems to be going to the more remote areas, even in high population counties like Lancaster.

November 29, 2001, 05:20 PM	#1
Legionnaire Senior Member Join Date: July 25, 2000 Location: Central TX Posts: 1,503	PAs new "joint season" experiences? This year for the first time, PA allowed hunters to use their antlerless permits during the regular season (last year jr. and sr. hunters were allowed). I'd heard all kinds of prognosticating about how dangerous it was going to be . . . "if it's brown, it's down" mentality precipitating carelessness afield. My experience doesn't bear this out. I was in Lancaster county on public land opening day. It was a bit foggy to start out. If anything, where I was I heard less shooting than I have in the past couple of years, hunting the same area. What did others experience in PA hunts? BTW, ended up with a spike around 3:00pm; my fifteen-year-old son got a doe around 11:00am. __________________ Cogito, ergo armatus sum.

November 29, 2001, 10:13 PM	#2
birdog4 Member Join Date: December 6, 2000 Posts: 27	Here in s. Armstrong Co. there was a lot less hunting pressure. Shooting was down quite a bit. Not many long strings of shots. I do believe the archers put a bit of a dent in the buck population in my area. Shot a 4 point in the downpour we had on Wednesday. Do ya think that would upset Gary Alt? __________________ grouse hunting is not a matter of life or death. It's much more important than that.

November 30, 2001, 06:57 AM	#4
smitty21 Member Join Date: August 3, 2000 Location: Hampton, Va. Posts: 93	I really wish I was able to come home for the season __________________ "I wear my uniform for the heritage of sacrifice it represents . . . I wear the uniform of my country because others do not. America's freedom is a right given by God, but defended by man. It is our overwhelming responsibility to preserve our heritage of freedom for all Americans, and I accept that challenge willingly"

November 30, 2001, 10:02 PM	#6
Legionnaire Senior Member Join Date: July 25, 2000 Location: Central TX Posts: 1,503	Interesting. Over at the HuntingBBS.com forum, most guys are complaining about too many hunters and way too many shots (see the DeerHunting and NortheastRegional sub-forums). Just wasn't my experience, and I'm glad to hear respondents here didn't feel like they were in the middle of WWIII. I like hunting PA, and will continue. Trick seems to be going to the more remote areas, even in high population counties like Lancaster. __________________ Cogito, ergo armatus sum.

November 30, 2001, 12:38 AM	#3
Subby Member Join Date: December 10, 2000 Posts: 94	The area I was in(SGL 302 on the Washington/Greene border) seemed to have significantly less shooting than in years past. Be that as it may, two large local deer processors were full up by 8pm and weren't taking any more. I had to wait until 5pm Tuesday to take my 7 pt. in. From speaking to others, it seems like a lot of guys were throwing lead at anything that was running across the fields. I'm going to go out next week and try to tag a fat doe. Sub

November 30, 2001, 08:13 PM	#5
orsogato Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 1999 Location: Steeler Country Posts: 628	I too heard less shooting than usual. But, I think this buck and doe in the same season was a huge mistake. A hunter shooting at a doe fired right in the line of fire of my friend's wife. Plus, I think the shooting at doe really made the big bucks hunker down. I harvested a young spike at the end of the day. I was the only one in my gang to get a buck on opening day. Typically we have 3 or 4 hanging by noon. I am not in favor of it.