Question from wv
Pennsylvania
A couple questions from a WV Hunter
1. Would you rather a three buck limit or your one buck limit with apr in the state of Pennsylvania?
2. If you hunt WV, why do you do so.
I appreciate any responses. I am trying to formulate opinions about wv and other management strategies.
1) A 3 buck limit seems preposterous to me, but I can see where it would work in some states. I like PA's 1 buck limit, but would love to see the APR's gone for good.
2) I've never hunted WV before, but would like to someday.
Good luck with you survey! What are you trying to determine with your data, may I ask?
The reason I ask is that I would like to see other management strategies in wv and want to see the views on what is out there
3 bucks in Pa would be a disaster. Nobody needs to shoot that many anyway.
I love antler restrictions. Whacking deer before they have a chance to grow ruins it for me. If I wanted meat that bad I'd get a doe tag instead of shooting a small buck. I realize that's just my opinion though and any buck can be a trophy for some folks. But they benefit from ARs too I think.
I hunted near Hundred WV a couple times for turkey and deer because I have a friend who lives there. This buck makes me think about going back!!!
One buck is enough and I love antler restrictions. Never hunted WV.
The buck in the photo was taken from one of the four bow hunting only counties. Those counties also have a one buck limit and produce roughly 80% of the states pope and young deer.
I prefer the one buck limit. I hunted WV for more than 10 years but that was a long time ago. Back then you could get a second tag after you checked in the first deer. Not sure how it is today - that was back in the 80's.
I never hunted teh bow-only counties but always wanted to.
Does anybody feel a one buck limit limits their time afield or opportunities?
I do not. I grew up with a one buck limit all my hunting life here in PA and never felt limited in any way, even in the years when I gun hunted as seriously as I bowhunted.
There's much more to spending time in the field than just hunting for bucks.
I think one buck a year is plenty.
I feel the same as Phil. One buck a year is fine, especially since it's what we have always had here. I'm in an area of the state that offers plenty of opportunities for antlerless deer so the the one buck limit does not limit time afield for me.
Heck, back when Phil, RC, and I were young (well, at least Phil and I :^)) it was a ONE DEER limit, and that's only if you got your doe tag. No doe tag, (which was entirely possible back in those days) it was bucks only with a gun.
I have to admit that those rules almost made me quit bow hunting - I killed a doe on the first day of archery as a 14 year old, and I'll tell you what, not being able to gun hunt with my Dad and Grandfather that year was 1000 times worse than breaking up with your best girlfriend. I think I actually went out in the backyard and howled at the moon a couple of times that season. :^)
I agree with one buck only. I just wish they had had multiple doe licenses back then. There sure were plenty back then to support it.
And by the way, I found out that the howling at the moon was more about girls than hunting - I quit doing it after I got married. :^)
I like the 1 buck limit and AR.
I hunted WV for about 8 years in the late 90s and early 2000s. I use to hunt Pa, WV, and OH. I just hunt Pa and OH now mainly because i never saw very many nice bucks in WV where I hunted. I guess it just wasn't worth my time and money to go there and see mostly little 1 1/2 year old bucks anymore. I did see a lot of deer when I hunted there though.
Dave - I guess I'm younger than you and RC. When I started you could kill a doe or buck with a bow but you could still get a doe license separately. I can totally sympathize with you about missing gun season. I grew up in a gun hunting family as the only bowhunter. The two weeks after Thanksgiving was more important to me than Christmas.
Phil, it was one deer per year when I started in 1973.
If you shot a doe or buck with a bow, you were done for the year.
Now, if you were shooting a doe with that doe tag, you were outlawin'. LOL
It was an either sex tag for bowhunters as it still is for muzzleloaders after Christmas. There were people I knew back in the 60s that got a deer the first week every year, didn't care if it was a buck or not and were proud and happy to do it. They amazed me, and all were using stick bows.
You're not that much younger Phil. At least I look younger. LOL.
Brad, you are right. If you killed a deer with a bow you were done even if you had a doe tag. And it was either sex for archery with a regular license. I don't recall how many times we got doe licenses but it wasn't a slam dunk like it is now.
Art, I think you're younger than me but you do look young for your advanced years. :)
Ya old Phil is a spring chicken, LMAO:)
Glad I'm not old! LOL
I like 1 buck and AR. I also like shooting does!
1 Buck and definitely like the AR's wish they were implemented years ago. Think of the size of bucks we would have now.
Sundaynwv,
I think you may have answered your own question regarding a one (1) or three (3) buck limit with the information you supplied.
(photo of Buck in Mule Powers post)
Your response of, "one of four (4) counties with bow hunting only. Those four (4) counties produce roughly 80% of all Pope & Young taken in WVA."
IMHO your proof is in WVA's statistics.
I haven't hunted WVA, But would love to at some point in time. Great looking White Tail country.
Good luck with your survey.
RCs bow building shop circa 1898. He only took what he needed baby. Some food and skins for a roof. Millions of buffalo.
Roy and his civil war era veteran buddies all hunted at that camp.
That is the perfect camp in my opinion...
Buc I 313,
I had my mind made up before I asked the question, however, I wanted to know what Pennsylvania residents thought of apr's. A number of wv residents feel that lowering the buck limit violates their rights and lowers time in the woods. I beg to differ with them.
Thanks to everyone for replying. Much appreciated.
I know you got the answer to your question but just an observation. Growing up I was started in the woods at a very early age. My grandfather and I hunted groundhogs from Memorial Day through the summer. When hunting season opened we started by hunting squirrels. I started bowhunting at age 12 with a relative, since my dad and grandfather weren't archers. My grandfather raised beagles and we started training them in August each year, then hunted rabbits and pheasants as much as we could. I started going with him for rabbits when I was 8. Later, when the rabbits and pheasant populations nosedived, we hunted turkeys. The crown of hunting season was hunting deer. In later years flintlock season came along. Plus for several years I trapped foxes and coons. During the dead of winter we would take hikes on our favorite deer areas.
If anyone complains to me about not having enough time in the woods I just shake my head. They really miss the boat all because they're focused only on antlers.
If anyone complains to me about not having enough time in the woods I just shake my head. They really miss the boat all because they're focused only on antlers.
Well stated Phil...
I would like to see two bucks allowed, even if we had to pay $100 for the second buck tag. I have passed on some STUD bucks (120 -130) early in bow season because we only get one, and not having a tag in my pocket during November is something I can't deal with.
The state of PA does not limit buck tags (licenses). They would sell 2 million if they could, so obviously they don't care how many bucks get shot. And from a herd mgmt standpoint it doesn't matter how many get shot, there will always be bucks to breed does.
I have never hunted WV, but pretty sure I am going to hunt OH this year.
Here is my Wyoming County buck from around 2010. We did not see a lot of deer down there, but the bucks got to grow up because they were hard to hunt. Land owner did not do a lot back then to gate the roads and some of his employees were involved in poaching the place back then. They have done a pretty good job of correcting that issue in the past year and they continue to get great bucks down there. We started seeing more does in recent years too. Always had fun turkey hunting.
Here is me and some guy I used to go hunting with down there. I forget his name. LOL.
Phil,
Excellent point. Many people in wv act as if they will starve without a three buck limit but you never hear of the same person killing a rabbit or squirrel to eat.
Yes, time in the woods includes, sang, trapping, scouting, etc. if you love the woods, you will find a reason to be in the woods.
sundaynwv,
Just an opinion and observation in 45 years of bow hunting, I personally find it incomprehensible to think someone believes (unfortunately) that reducing deer harvest from a 3 buck limit to a 1 buck limit is a violation of their rights.
Just a reminder to those who think this way, "The state owns the wild game and manages the harvest of wild game" The state sets dates, time and harvest numbers in each state.
I hunt with and know folks who think you should be able to harvest what ever number of deer you want regardless of sex. If some one doesn't think this is a ridiculous thought process just look at what happened to the buffalo.
For those who can't find happiness with just being in the woods without killing a second or third buck have my sympathy. If a person truly enjoys being in the woods or the out of doors and having a one buck season lowers his/her time afield then ????
ENOUGH SAID,
Sundaynwv, glad to hear you support a common since approach to deer management.
Apologies to everyone for the rant.
If anyone complains to me about not having enough time in the woods I just shake my head. They really miss the boat all because they're focused only on antlers. Well said. I shot my first bow deer back in 1968 and it was 1 and done. Passed on a lot of deer back then not wanting to use my only tag too early. I like the AR and 1 buck limit. I hunt WV every year starting back in 2001. First with an outfitter and later on my son's property in Hampshire Co. The 3 buck limit is crazy. When we first started hunting his property 10 years ago, we hardly ever saw a buck and if we did it was a spike. 10 - 15 does and maybe a spike was the norm. The neighbors and we have taken more does and passed on young bucks and recently have been seeing more and older bucks. I hunt there for quality time with my son and for someplace different to hunt.
Ive had property down in WV for 20 years, the three buck limit isn't an issue in my area because myself and my neighbor's except 1 practice AR, and the neighbor that does not, doesnt hunt enough to be an issue. Id do 2 buck limit, but 1 buck would just take away so much of my hunting. Now on public land, I can see where more than 1 buck would be an issue.
Pappy what you say makes much sense,although when I first got into archery I was all about killing. A few members to this site, many really,bullied me into becoming a more ethical hunter. For this I'm grateful. Sorry to say If you were allowed to take more bucks I would have taken a few more and not past on a few younger bucks.Yes I hunt horns,although the last two seasons I have passed up doe because the son moved out and much meat would be wasted. Taking multiple bucks will cripple the deer population. I to like AR and have seen more bucks in my area. I always thought of getting a WV license,although never have followed through with it.
Joey, ya gots to know how ta read and write in west virgenny..:)
Guys,
Any info out there on public perception of apr's?
Look at question 96 in the 2014 Deer hunter survey.
64% satisfaction rate with APR's.
