Pennsylvania Herd Reduction
Spoils of the past and rewards of today
Back when the statewide Herd Reductions and Antler Restrictions started to be enforced and the current plan was put into place, I was one of the people in the crowd and online who was saying, “There are no deer left in Pennsylvania. What are they thinking? It will never work.”
Not willing to accept the plan and open my eyes to the truth, I refused to give it a chance or time to prove itself. I was not willing to accept change and the demands that have to be brought forth in today’s world to meet the needs of people and the need to control and the attempt to upgrade today’s deer herds across this great state.
The past was great when I started hunting in 1981. It was nothing to spend the entire day scoping and watching herds of deer running by with the anticipation of one being at least a spike buck or the trophy we all dream of.
At some point in the season, a buck would come by. It brought forth a very exciting hunt and many stories to be told for years to come. Even my own family and closest hunting partners and I still share these stories to this day. The new Herd Reduction and Antler Restrictions were and still are very hard for a lot of sportsman to swallow. My own family and closest friends all have different opinions. But little by little they are starting to see what is taking place and accepting it a little at a time.
Are the days of seeing huge herds of deer running by gone? My opinion is yes. But that is not a bad thing.
One day not too long ago while scouting an area that I love to hunt, I ran into some guys marking trees. I asked what they were doing, and they said they were getting ready to cut the area out. I was furious and frustrated at the same time. One of my favorite old hardwood spots was soon to be stripped of every good tree. This spot held a lot of deer and was great to me over the years.
So I abandoned the area that archery season and ventured into it rarely during the next two firearm seasons. The following spring gobbler season, I decided to start hunting and scouting the area a little. I was amazed. There was an overwhelming abundance of new growth already and there was wildlife everywhere. This was the first time that I realized what these cuts had to offer for the habitat over a year or two. To this day, the area is one of the best places to hunt in Fayette County.
In 2006 I have come to realize how good the hunting has become in Pennsylvania. If we all take a look around with a positive attitude, the evidence is there. We just need to open our eyes.
Hunting has changed in Pennsylvania. But not for the worst. Try and make it a little more exciting. There are a ton of tools out there for us to use that can make life a little easier.
All that I am asking of the rest of us sportsman in Pennsylvania is to take a closer look at what’s going on in our areas with a more open-minded approach. If you are not seeing a ton of deer or signs of deer, don’t give up. I am just asking that you check out an area close to your own little honey hole. It might just be the ticket — 500 yards changed my entire season and gave me a whole a new outlook.
What the PGC is trying to instill in all of us and the outdoors might be hard to swallow today, but tomorrow you can bet it will taste awful sweet. I have learned the hard way by swallowing my own stubborn pride. What the PGC is doing will not be an overnight issue. I don’t know what is to come or how long it will be this way, but, rest assured, I am having a great time and experiencing the most memorable hunts of my life.
The PGC is going the right way. Its biggest hurdle is not managing the game and lands. It’s managing the hunter of yesterday.
|