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Yeah that does stink. 5D is pretty tough to find new spots. Every acre has 2 hunters on it already.
*** 2020-21 Pennsylvania Hunting Thread ***
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Reckoning, GEN7X, Fast Eddie XL, Easton 6.5 Matrix, DCA IconX 625
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I got the email too. The other Nick is considering it and I'm interested too. Maybe Fri 6/4?Walkers started hitting the trails so I decided about 11:30 AM to call it quits. Found a spot in the woods and was walking into to unload the gun and three tails popped up… Hung up in the timber about 60 yards away from me with no clear shot and they triotted ioff.
Not a bad final day for me on this mountain seeing 9 to 10 deer. Wind was cranking out of the west. I guess hunting in the wind isn't worthless afterall.
I got an e-mail today about the 2021 Total Archery Challenge. Registration for the 7 Springs location starts 2/17 and the dates of the shoot are 6/3 - 6/6. Our sons high school is not announcing the graduation date for seniors until sometime in April and it could be during the dates of the shoot but I won't know for a while. Could still sign up and eat the cost if it comes down to it.
spoon & crockpot proud member......killing tomorrows trophys today
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I’m good with that. 🏹
Just used the same rolling clothes hanger for my new paper tuner haha. It works well!
spoon & crockpot proud member......killing tomorrows trophys today
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Walked past an old baker treestand today. It was about 20 yards from the tree I killed my first archery deer from in 2006. Looked at it every year. This year was the first the metal straps popped from the tree growing beyond the constraints of the stand.
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Did you look around and see if there was a skeleton laying under it? Those things were awful.
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Ended this season tracking a doe for a buddy last night. He’s color blind so he has a really hard time with it. 80 yards of big sprays all the way up to a heart shot Doe. Fun night for me, I love tracking them for friends.
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Hahahahah! Big or small, I take them all!This monster's still holding. JohnPro I'll invite you down when he sheds, I'm sure he will only enhance your collection
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Spent 7 hours walking a local piece of public today doing some scouting. Found quite a bit of sign from other hunters and saw a husband/wife lugging out a ladder std over a mile and half back in. Didn’t see too much deer sign but did find a promising area near a creek with a few potential stds. Seemed to be best distance away from the tram rd I suspect many come in on and I can walk the creek about 3/4 mile in well below that tram rd access pt.
I just enjoy exploring new spots and scouting. I did have higher expectations for this spot though.
I just enjoy exploring new spots and scouting. I did have higher expectations for this spot though.
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Wow that’s wild Joe...especially given the cold temps we have had. Black snake?
spoon & crockpot proud member......killing tomorrows trophys today
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Saw part of the preliminary approvals for 2021-22 season is to open the late firearms doe season to all counties in the special reg WMUs. Berks county which falls in 5C would benefit from this expansion as it has been excluded from this late gun season for about 10 years now. But I know what will happen.....I’ll be able to carry the rifle in January and will see bucks but no does.
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When they had some other areas open to that late season firearms in 5c the first year, A LOT of doe got hammered that late season. I heard more gun shots in the local area that late season then I did during regular season. Then they cut it back and only some select counties were open.
All these attempts to get deer herds greatly reduced only wipes out the deer on public spots to the point of being useless for deer. Take game lands 205 for example. Years ago they had a lot more deer habitat/ food being managed for deer. Now 95% of that same land is for bird hunting. There are even signs up stating “dove habitat improvement project” in the fields being spent money on. I have yet to see “deer improvement” anywhere,,,, just added means to kill more, with no added access or land to get on them.
You guys that hunt or hunted French Creek, know what I mean. The deer numbers may be higher then commission wants them in some areas, but the whole deal where the deer stay on unhuntable ground never changes.
Just making the point that they can add all the chances to kill deer all they want in some of these areas, and it will never yield more deer killed if the “off limits” to hunting areas never change.
We have a decent sized herd that hangs around the industrial park where I work. Those deer only ever die from old age, and car collisions. Not one has ever been shot or hunted,,,, because it’s not allowed.
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All these attempts to get deer herds greatly reduced only wipes out the deer on public spots to the point of being useless for deer. Take game lands 205 for example. Years ago they had a lot more deer habitat/ food being managed for deer. Now 95% of that same land is for bird hunting. There are even signs up stating “dove habitat improvement project” in the fields being spent money on. I have yet to see “deer improvement” anywhere,,,, just added means to kill more, with no added access or land to get on them.
You guys that hunt or hunted French Creek, know what I mean. The deer numbers may be higher then commission wants them in some areas, but the whole deal where the deer stay on unhuntable ground never changes.
Just making the point that they can add all the chances to kill deer all they want in some of these areas, and it will never yield more deer killed if the “off limits” to hunting areas never change.
We have a decent sized herd that hangs around the industrial park where I work. Those deer only ever die from old age, and car collisions. Not one has ever been shot or hunted,,,, because it’s not allowed.
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My critiques have been rather consistent...it isn't about the timing or even the length of the season or even the allowable weapons and tag allocations, it is about access...at least in WMUs 5C and 5D. I want to be very clear, I am not insinuating there are not HUNDREDS of available acres to hunt in these zones, just pointing out that the deer know where to be and where not to be...I've accounted for a lot of my time afiled on this thread this year...easily put more time in the field this season than the last three combined. I had three decent buck in range that I passed on, all in Potter County. With all of the hours I spent beginning last January shed hunting and scouting public land in 5C and 5D, I've only had 5 buck in range, only one was "legal"; a small basket 6. I did see two good ones, both off far in the distance, but at least I saw them as I know others on public ground in these areas do not/have not.....
The only reason I even mention that is because if anyone wanted to meet up, I could take you on a ride and we'd likely see 50 deer with at least a dozen good buck, buck that most of us would be proud to take. They are congregated on properties that are not accessible to the general hunting public. Some do allow a small select group of hunters, who simply cannot or will not accomplish anything remotely close to the necessary harvest rates. I know of one property in Delco where the same 5 guys have hunted the 300 acres for the last 8 years and they don't believe in shooting does. Now they get a couple really nice buck every year (135+) and will let a 3.5 year old walk, but in their small minds, that's management.
I've said it to anyone who asks and plenty who don't, there are PLENTY of deer in 5C and 5D, if there was some creative way for the Commission to engage/incent private landowners to open their land to the general public, and I don't mean daddy Warbucks who owns a couple hundred acres, I am talking about conglomerates like Smith Kline, Hanken, Phizer, EagleView, PECO, Chester Water Authority, Sunoco, hopsitals )Paoli, WC, Riddle, etc..), schools (WCU, Wiliamson, Neuman, Swarthmore, DCCC, Ursinus, etc...) the Commission would be much better aligned to accomplish their goals in these WMUs. (not looking for excuses why it can't be done, more like wishful thinking). If more land was available to the public I firmly believe the congestion that exists in places like Ridley, Marsh and French Creek State parks and the immediately surrounding SGLS, would NOT be so problematic....and if it was there would be plenty of places for someone dedicated and interested enough like myself to get away from the crowd instead of always trying to outsmart them and the deer at the same time.
I am thankful the Commission is engaging what appears to be a better data collection system with regard to harvest data and tag allocation accounting. The results remain to be seen, but its a big step in the right direction.
Sorry for the Monday morning rant...
The only reason I even mention that is because if anyone wanted to meet up, I could take you on a ride and we'd likely see 50 deer with at least a dozen good buck, buck that most of us would be proud to take. They are congregated on properties that are not accessible to the general hunting public. Some do allow a small select group of hunters, who simply cannot or will not accomplish anything remotely close to the necessary harvest rates. I know of one property in Delco where the same 5 guys have hunted the 300 acres for the last 8 years and they don't believe in shooting does. Now they get a couple really nice buck every year (135+) and will let a 3.5 year old walk, but in their small minds, that's management.
I've said it to anyone who asks and plenty who don't, there are PLENTY of deer in 5C and 5D, if there was some creative way for the Commission to engage/incent private landowners to open their land to the general public, and I don't mean daddy Warbucks who owns a couple hundred acres, I am talking about conglomerates like Smith Kline, Hanken, Phizer, EagleView, PECO, Chester Water Authority, Sunoco, hopsitals )Paoli, WC, Riddle, etc..), schools (WCU, Wiliamson, Neuman, Swarthmore, DCCC, Ursinus, etc...) the Commission would be much better aligned to accomplish their goals in these WMUs. (not looking for excuses why it can't be done, more like wishful thinking). If more land was available to the public I firmly believe the congestion that exists in places like Ridley, Marsh and French Creek State parks and the immediately surrounding SGLS, would NOT be so problematic....and if it was there would be plenty of places for someone dedicated and interested enough like myself to get away from the crowd instead of always trying to outsmart them and the deer at the same time.
I am thankful the Commission is engaging what appears to be a better data collection system with regard to harvest data and tag allocation accounting. The results remain to be seen, but its a big step in the right direction.
Sorry for the Monday morning rant...
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