Interesting Stats On Buck Harvest 1980, 1990, 2000, 2009?????

[uncle buck]

At the PGC meeting today at Harrisburg...Biologist got up and show that about 23% of the hunters have killed buck in 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, and up until 2009 etc... See people are complaining that they are not getting anymore buck...However it common sense that yes...23% of the hunting license hunting holders are getting buck equal to hunters way back in 1980. however they needed to break it down and say OK? who are these hunters? See it does not take a rocket scientist to tell you who in Pa is killing all the bucks? Hope I do not upset someone but who really gets the first crack at bucks? that is who is killing the bucks...then the hunters that hunt later on are saying? there are no bucks.  

[Lookn4Fur]

It may be the same percentage but the amount of licensed hunters is down a couple hundred thousand.  That means there is less buck being taken.  It's all how they spin the numbers UB.  The State is very good at that.  I see it every day, just look at the budget.

[bigben]

I have to agree with tim that there are less hunters and in fact it averages out that there is less bucks being killed each year.  I know deer hunting has changed dramatically where I hunt.  in the private ground I hunt I only seen a handful of deer.  when I was 12 I remember seeing herds of deer.  I switched out to hunting other animals compared to spending time up a tree in archery season. 

[Leglifter]

I remember when I was 12 seeing herds of 40 and 50 deer and having to look them all over good to see if there were any spikes in the mob.
This was in Warren co. on German hill, nowadays I hear it hard to see 5-10 deer in a season

[foxpro51]

Yea,they call that deer management. No deer

[foxtrot]

 Its sad but we will all suffer the consequences of the game commissions decisions.I believe they are their own worst enemy.

[scott]

Although I put most of the blame on the Game Commision you have also blame the hunters, how many guys are still killing multipe deer in a year.  In our house we still will shoot one doe a year if we don't get a buck but that is it. 

[Lookn4Fur]

I agree Scott.  It's not all the Game Commission.

[uncle buck]

What a flash back of the 70's?  Going to work and telling them that the first day of buck season you saw 22 deer come by your stand. Of course some would sneak by too and you would not be able to see their heads but you sure saw that white tail waving good bye.

[muttbuster]

UB, if you google pa deer harvest, you will see the site titled "Pennsylvania deer harvest estimates, 2008-2009 pennlive.com". This site will show the total number of deer killed by wildlife unit across the state. It is clear that the gun hunters kill far more than the archery hunters. To state that the deer herd is low due to the archery hunters is somewhat skewed. Excessive doe tags, urban sprawl, poaching, disease, greedy hunters that kill as many as they can each year, road kills, natural deaths, and predators all are part of the reason why the deer herd is low. Some of the blame goes to the PAGC  and some goes to hunters.