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Pa. Pope & Young Bucks

7K views 46 replies 30 participants last post by  PA B0WHUNT3R 
#1 ·
I took my fifth P&Y buck in Pa. this year since the antler restrictions. Two grossed over 160 and one grossed over 150 Pa. is fast becoming a trophy hunting state.
 

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#8 ·
In 2002 they imposed a statewide antler restriction 3pts in some areas and 4pts in others and also starting greatly reducing the doe population. I don't think anyone can argue we have bigger bucks now, but we also have less deer to hunt especially in the central mountainous area. But in the eastern and western part of the state it does'nt matter how many doe permits are sold, the deer have to many thick area's and woodlots to close to houses to gun hunt.
 
#9 ·
P&Y6, do you have any tips on getting permission to hunt around pittsburgh? i live in greene county, dont get me wrong we have some good deer around this way but i would love to hunt some of those suburb deer around the burgh! also is there alot of public land around you? i see you got those two bruisers off of public land

anyway congrats on the great bucks
 
#12 ·
I disagree on the east side of pa,I havent seen seem a P&Y buck in 3 years.Prior I killed a 151 and 157.
We dont have deer period!
 
#15 ·
Congrats on your success P&Y6! That is quite an accomplishment here in PA. I have been able to capture a few P & Y caliber deer via the trail cam, but haven't been able to get anything like that in range while hunting. It is nice to know that they are out there though. Good luck taking #6 this fall!
 
#16 ·
I am very impressed as well. As a scorer, I do not get many guys from PA who have 5 P/Y bucks on the wall from PA. I can't wait to get my hands on them.
 
#22 ·
Nemacolin is Fayette county. I am wondering if there is a jefferson twp in Fayette county. If not, J.Hills is ~30-40 miles away. Decent hunting all around. You may experience more pressure than normal due to being within an hour of Pittsburgh. WMA 2A does put out some good bucks though.
 
#23 ·
Wow those are some monsters, The biggest 3 PA bucks ive seen have all been 2G public land bucks...2 of which were taken went over 150", the one that didnt easily went over 160" but hasnt been seen in 2 years and theres tell he was poached although his rack has never been recovered. Last season alone my buddy got 3 bucks that would go P&Y on the same trail camera on public land for over a month prior to season, first day rolled around and didnt get a pic or sighting the rest of the year, granted had my buddy used more scent control and hunted a little smarter he likely would have killed one of those deer....again public land in 2G. But people make the same mistake with big bucks all the time, myself included have done this in the past, we see those big horns and figure we got to get them before someone else does and all we do is educate or spook them spoiling our chances much worse and quicker than anything! I have definitely seen an increase in deer size, not just the bucks but overall deer body size has increased. We still have deer in pockets up here in the big woods, just gotta knock on doors and put on some boot miles but believe me they are there!

I have been fortunate to take 1 P&Y in PA, private land 129 n change, I had 2+ years of trail cam pics, sheds from year before, and multiple sighting before finally connecting. PA is definitely on the rise and you have a better chance than ever to kill a monster buck, I dont see our state record for archery lasting many more years.....heck I give it another 2-3 seasons max with how things have been going!
 
#25 ·
Nice bucks but I dont think youre telling the full story here. You live almost in Ohio and if youre hunting near home youre hunting the richest WMU in the state for killing a big buck. Believe me, Ive hunted from one end of this state to the other and your odds where you are hunting are 5-10 times better than anywhere else in the state.
 
#26 ·
Actually here is the full story. The county I live in Beaver is ranked 21st in the state. Since 2000 Bradford is #1 located on the New York border than Berks located in Philly area

Top 10 counties all time for record-book bucks:

1. Allegheny: 177

2. Westmoreland: 134

3. Bradford: 123

4. Berks: 102

5. Chester: 82

6. Schuylkill: 77

6. Somerset: 77

8. Crawford: 74

9. Washington: 71

10. Fayette: 64

Totals and rankings for some other counties: Beaver and Butler, 61 each, tied for 11th; Indiana, 53, tied for 17th; Armstrong 35, 29th; Greene 31, 35th; Cambria, 30, tied for 36th; Lawrence, 25, tied for 45th.

Top counties since 2000
Top 10 counties since 2000 for record-book bucks:

1. Bradford: 66

2. Berks: 49

3. Allegheny: 43

4. Dauphin: 39

5. Westmoreland: 28

6. Chester: 26

6. Schuylkill: 26

6. York: 26

9. Lycoming: 21

10. Lehigh: 20

Totals and rankings for some other counties: Washington and Indiana, 18 each, tied for 11th; Somerset, 15, tied for 15th; Fayette 13, tied for 21st; Beaver, Greene and Cambria, 10 each, tied for 28th; Armstrong and Butler, 9 each, tied for 32nd; Lawrence, 6, tied for 44th



Read more: Archers reaping benefits of Pennsylvania's spike in trophy bucks - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_768285.html#ixzz1ptq01QHo
 
#27 ·
I think this says a lot...

"Atop the rankings now -- and fueling this second big-buck boom that began in 1980 and is still peaking -- are counties thick with suburbs. Allegheny County, for example, has given up 173 of its record 177 trophies, or 97 percent, since 1980. Berks County has given up 83 percent of its trophies in that time, Westmoreland County 69 percent."

I for one cannot even remember that last time I saw a Pope and Young buck spotlighting let alone hunting. There are nice bucks around in central pa but the dream of a PY is just that, a dream. Pretty bad when you can't see one with the spotlight. A 100" buck is a nice buck around here, I know zero people who can consistently kill a buck of that size around here.
 
#28 ·
those are some nice bucks, and glad to see Pa. restrictions working. I wish Va would do something a little more strict. They did go to a 4pt. on one side rule this past year, but thats for your 2nd buck. You can still shoot whatever on your first.

Any state can produce awesome deer with the proper management.
 
#29 ·
No matter what the ratio is, or the history of the area you're hunting, YOU still have to do the work to get a shot at those nice deer,then make the shot count. I can't hold it against someone who happens to be able to hunt in one of those areas. Nice shootin'.
Yes, I am a big fan of our antler restrictions.
 
#30 ·
I agree no matter where you live in the state it takes alot of hard work and dedication to locate and harvest a big buck. Rarely do I hunt the same area's from year to year. I spend late summer and early fall trying to find a nice buck and getting permission to hunt. My family had owned a cabin in Medix Run, Elk county since the early 60's and sold it recently after my father death. There is no doubt the hunting is not what it used to be, and the state needs to cut back on the doe permits in alot of the central counties.
 
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