The "other" season, week 2.
Contributors to this thread:Pennsylvania
From: horsethief51
02-Dec-22
Come on Junior, something's gotta give this weekend, brother. Good luck everybody.
From: Bowhunting 5C
02-Dec-22
Art, I can honestly say that this year has been a real low point in my career. Not just me, but some really good bowhunters I know as well. This weather has really stumpped us and the daylight movement has been really spotty at best. Rain here all day Saturday, and I get a few days next week. Honestly, I have never looked forward to the second season after xmas like I am now. A pure cold snap and some 20's with a west breeze, yeah digging that. They got to move then. I seen a root cause of my issues in 5D, the beeding area I love to hunt now has a ground blind and a feeder on it (their side of the property) and we all know how that kills movement once they figure out that feed is not free and they get shot at. So that kinda explains that. I seen some of those pics from your place, man have you got a deer haven or what..?
From: Bowhunter
02-Dec-22
I'm looking forward to late season too I love flintlock hunting. I got a doe in early flintlock season , and a 6 point in archery. But I've seen very little deer numbers this year during daylite.
From: horsethief51
03-Dec-22
I went through that last year Jr. Through bow season I only took off when it rained and in rifle season I did the same every day. If I wouldn't have taken the bear and coyote, it would have been pretty boring. Coincidentally, the black hat/no orange farm families next door moved out at the end of summer and we are seeing record numbers of deer around here. Even took 4 does so far. i saw 13 when I went out to pick up Dan last evening.
From: Bowhunting 5C
03-Dec-22
Art, I see what you mean. That kind of crew is terrible. And them packing up and leaving does wonders for the herd. In 5 years your place will rebound big time. Heading out this afternoon for 5C, hopefully they get moving once this rain pushes through.
From: Red Beastmaster
03-Dec-22
I took the longbow for a sneak Friday afternoon. Saw a couple tails and left them go. I'm not about to run them out of the woodlot to the gun hunters. I shot my bag course on the way out. It was a good day.
From: Bowhunter
03-Dec-22
I think the game commission needs to quit the 2 weeks of doe season, after they done this for like 3 years straight back a few years ago you would go hunting and see nothing up at my camp.. and all the processes are not takin no more deer till today they have no room....
From: Bowhunting 5C
03-Dec-22
But there are deer, and lots of them. Bigger than ever in a lot of wmus that typically have not seen them. I have seen some of the pictures coming from the northern tier and all I can say is that somewhere in pennsyltucky, Gary Alt is smiling ??.
From: montnatom
04-Dec-22
I spent the first two weeks of November at my brother's camp, annual trip. 9 days of bowhunting hard and I didn't see a deer on 8 of those days. Other than small groups of camp does, the big woods herd is hurting. Our group of 4 bowhunters saw a total of 8 bucks (and yes a couple of those bucks were nice) and 4 does the second week. We could already see the impact of the liberal seasons and concurrent doe. Deer management in the northern tier should be way different then the rest of the state but no one seems to listen to the hunters. I've done this hunt for the last 5 years and think I'll go back to turkey hunting and leave the bow at home.
From: Bowhunter
04-Dec-22
Tom I got a camp in 2f back when they did this years ago concurrent seasons, we went to camp first day of rifle we had 3 hunters hunted dark to dark no one saw a deer, I hope it won't come to this again .... I won't shoot a doe with a high power rifle , just a compound or a flintlock.....
From: shade mt
04-Dec-22
The problem right now is...some places have deer.....some places don't.
Parts of the northern tier are really hurting, especially some of our state forest areas....Hunt private land up in Tioga, you will see deer....get back in the state forest some places and you won't.
Talked to a guy that their camp drove for bear all week during inline and only saw a couple deer all week, Sproul state forest.
Some parts of central PA same thing......Down east there is deer...western PA there is deer.
A gang driving for deer during firearms in the south central Tuscarora state forest..drove all day for miles....saw 1 deer.
Guys hunting state ground see deer in some sections north of Harrisburg.......While across the river and west and North in the Bald Eagle SF its pretty slim pickings.
not sure what the answer is, but i'll flat assure you 2 week concurrent doe is not the answer in some areas.
From: shade mt
04-Dec-22
The problem right now is...some places have deer.....some places don't.
Parts of the northern tier are really hurting, especially some of our state forest areas....Hunt private land up in Tioga, you will see deer....get back in the state forest some places and you won't.
Talked to a guy that their camp drove for bear all week during inline and only saw a couple deer all week, Sproul state forest.
Some parts of central PA same thing......Down east there is deer...western PA there is deer.
A gang driving for deer during firearms in the south central Tuscarora state forest..drove all day for miles....saw 1 deer.
Guys hunting state ground see deer in some sections north of Harrisburg.......While across the river and west and North in the Bald Eagle SF its pretty slim pickings.
not sure what the answer is, but i'll flat assure you 2 week concurrent doe is not the answer in some areas.
From: Bowhunter
04-Dec-22
Steve I live in south west Pennsylvania 1a beaver Lawrence county , my buddy from work hunted all this week and so far seen 2 deer took him till this past Friday 1 spike and a small 4 point running togeather , he hasn't seen a doe yet. He hunts alot in archery too many many hunts were no deer seen.... my deer numbers I saw in archery was down too. I did take a doe in early flintlock season with my flintlock. And a 6 point with my compound , but I saw alot less deer this year, I will not shoot a doe with my high power rifle , just not much challenge in it.....
From: Bowbender
05-Dec-22
Shade,
"A gang driving for deer during firearms in the south central Tuscarora state forest..drove all day for miles....saw 1 deer."
Curious. Did they get there before or after tjhe Amish arrive in school buses and vans?
From: Dougell
08-Dec-22
I live and hunt in the northern tier.It's true that some areas have deer and some don't.It's also true that some areas have food right now and some don't.That can all change back next week or next year or the year after that.I've yet to find a place that had good habitat,food and no deer.
From: Boris
08-Dec-22
Here is my thought. I do believe that there are plenty of deer. I think the problem is changing the opener to Saturday after Thanksgiving. Now, think about it. Lots of people would take half day off from work on Weds. travel to family for the holiday. Come back on Saturday or Sunday. Then go hunting on Monday. Now for them to hunt the opener, they would have to be back on Friday. I myself know that would not go over well with the wife. Before you had from Thursday to Tuesday. I don't think this was well thought out. Your thoughts.
From: Bowhunter
08-Dec-22
Boris it is a little hectic for it to start onSaturday, I left for my camp Friday morning beat from working and my wife and I cooking for 3 0 prople.people.. there are deer lots of woods takes hunters moving to see deer , after first shots deer hide, that's why I like archery hunting and flintlock hunting ....
From: Bowhunting 5C
08-Dec-22
Well, this thread didn't take long for the whining over a Saturday opening versus Monday. It's not the day you're not seeing deed, it's location and pressure. Man, the opening day is Saturday, but no one Is preventing you from hunting Monday if that fits your schedule better.
From: Rut Nut
09-Dec-22
I’ll NEVER understand how starting the season on a Saturday could be a bad thing? I just don’t get it!
Most people work M-F so they had to take 2 days OFF if they wanted to hunt the first 2 days.(before the change to a Saturday opener) Then had to take another 2 days OFF 2 weeks later when “doe season” was separate. Now you can hunt the first 2 days for buck AND doe and don’t have to take ANY days OFF from work and that is a bad thing???!!!
From: horsethief51
09-Dec-22
If anybody gets a deer tomorrow, you can put it on this thread. Does archery deer season continue up until Christmas eve day in special regs areas? I know it opens again after xmas. I still have a 5c doe tag. hmmmm.
From: Bowhunting 5C
09-Dec-22
Art, ends tomorrow, not picked up again till the 26th. Closing the books on this first season will be good. It's been kinda like a job instead of fun.
From: Bowhunting 5C
09-Dec-22
This whole Monday tradition thing is just guys clinging to the past and having the woods to themselves and not wanting to share it with a lot of guys that up until recently could not hunt the opener. Guys who through no fault of their own, seniority driven work for instance, being the low guy on the totem pole for time off. How about the kids who could not get off for that Monday like in the past, or the people who just plain had to work that traditional Monday? Saturday opener, get over it, never going back.
From: Jethro
09-Dec-22
No hunter should complain about the state adding days to the season.
From: Bowhunter
09-Dec-22
Doesn't matter my job is open 24 /7 , 7 days a week in a steelmill, I mostly work 6 to 7 days a week so it doesn't matter to me it's hectic to start the season on Saturday but I like the Saturday opener, plus you get sunday ... I had vacation for Sat, Sunday was a rain out so I went to work.... one day when money don't matter and I have a mon thru Friday job I will love it...
From: horsethief51
10-Dec-22
That was my deer season last year Jr. Hunted almost everyday.
From: Red Beastmaster
10-Dec-22
What we have now are options. Like never before we have choices to hunt how and when we want.
Start on Saturday if you want, or drive to camp over the weekend to open your camp and sneak in a Sunday evening hunt. Hold off to start Monday if that suits you better. Have at it. Enjoy the options this state never afforded its hunters before.
Time to start new traditions.
From: horsethief51
10-Dec-22
My 2 buddies saw 24 different does out of range from 2 different stands this morning in Armstrong county.
From: Bowhunter
10-Dec-22
That's good art public or private land?
From: Bowhunting 5C
10-Dec-22
Doe down in 5C, staying put till dark.
From: Bowhunting 5C
10-Dec-22
26 yards, piled up inside 30, dropped in sight.
26 yards, piled up inside 30, dropped in sight.
Tag on it and all, 5C tonight, last day of the gun season with a Hoyt...
From: hawkeye in PA
10-Dec-22
Congratulations. Seen a couple of does today out of my range. Also seen a fresh scrape. Very little gun shooting. Give them a week and they'll be back eating the shrubs:(
From: Red Beastmaster
10-Dec-22
I saw several guys gathering for a drive across the road from my house so I headed for my woodlot with my longbow. I saw four does from 60-200 yards. The drivers certainly had things stirred up in the neighborhood, no shooting though. :]
From: Bowhunting 5C
10-Dec-22
I will say this. I think we may need to step up the doe kill a bunch. Seen 18 tonight, and no bucks. Nada buck among them, all in 5C..
From: Griz
11-Dec-22
I don't care either way you start the season but I will say it sure didn't seem to be a problem for guys to get off M-W back then. The Gamelands were packed, lots of deer killed and you couldn't get a hotel room without reserving when you left the year before. Many factors play in to that and I know economically jobs aren't what they were back then either. My company always allowed guys to have off Monday without being penalized and losing the holiday pay but that is not allowed any longer and everyone taking off to hunt opening day isn't either. In my neck of the woods in Bradford County, there is a definite lack of hunters. I heard three shots in my valley all day other than my own. In lots of ways, hunting is dying and it isn't from one deep cut, but many small ones.
From: Bowhunting 5C
11-Dec-22
Griz, I will have to disagree with that statement. My Dad was a foreman for a highway department. Every year there would be hostility and almost fist fights over the first week. Guys who did not have tenure were forced to take a second week and a few were not able to hunt at all. Same with my uncle who was also a supervisor, the same dozen guys would put vacation days requests in and the same 7 were denied because they lacked seniority! Same with where I work now, guys want off the same days, seniority rules. Sorry, I have seen the trouble that Monday opener brings and now guys do not have to burn time off and are actually able to participate without the animosity so much of those rules brought. Good for the Sat opener.
As a side note I seen longtime friends who worked together for years have that relationship killed over the Monday opener by the seniority of 1 week.
From: horsethief51
11-Dec-22
Nice one for the freezer Jr.! Those Hoyts have always done the job for me.
From: Bowhunter
11-Dec-22
Nice bowhunting 5c, love them hoys , I got the 2017 hoyt defiant, I almost got a shot last day at 4 30 with my 54 calibur late lancaster flintlock 1 more step from behind the tree... she knew something was up and all 4 left running. Got all of late season....
From: Rut Nut
12-Dec-22
Good job John!
From: Griz
12-Dec-22
Bowhunting 5C, I didn't mean to imply there weren't issues with getting off work. There surely were as you say. I was just saying that there didn't seem to be a shortage of hunters back then due to it.
From: Bob McArthur
12-Dec-22
Spent close to 75 hours in treestands on a Bucks County farm the past two weeks. I heard a total of 11 shots during those hours. It used to be that I'd hear 11 shots in the first 15 minutes. Two of those shots were this past Saturday...resulted in me shooting two doe with my longbow as the sought sanctuary where I bowhunt...bordering 2 houses. I sure ain't as young as I used to be. My body still hurts from dragging them out even though I used a sled. I cut one up Saturday night & cut one up yesterday. Not sure if I'lll be shooting multiple deer on the same day in the future.
From: horsethief51
12-Dec-22
That will teach you Bob. LOL. I haven't touched a deer in 9 days but I am still recovering. 19 days and I will be 70. Ouch! Still hard to imagine.
From: Bowhunting 5C
12-Dec-22
Griz, I know. I knew what you kinda ment. It is amazing watching grown men trip every year over the same thing and get more angry every year.
