|
Dead?
Dec 7, 2023 9:34:04 GMT -5
Post by dougl on Dec 7, 2023 9:34:04 GMT -5
I'm going to give it one more try Friday and Saturday when a couple of the other guys will also be in camp. Ms. Doris says I can't go by myself anymore. Then tell the younger ladies to stay home.
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 7, 2023 9:35:18 GMT -5
Post by dougl on Dec 7, 2023 9:35:18 GMT -5
Hunting has definately been on a downward trend for a long time.There's plenty of reason for that and I don't see anything reversing the trend.
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 7, 2023 11:28:53 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Dutch on Dec 7, 2023 11:28:53 GMT -5
Hunting has definately been on a downward trend for a long time.There's plenty of reason for that and I don't see anything reversing the trend. The peak in hunting license sales was in 1982. Trending down ever since
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 7, 2023 11:35:38 GMT -5
Post by fleroo on Dec 7, 2023 11:35:38 GMT -5
Again Gene, I'm not arguing with you. I'm stating my opinion, and what I believe to be FACT, of why PA Rifle Season has been increasingly trending "more silent" if you will, over the past XX years. Myself, I FULLY attribute it to the incredible participation in Archery over the past decades. Add to that, we are forced to abide by AR regulations now, that 20 years ago we did not. in the 70's, 80's and 90's, when guns were ablaze in PA Rifle Season, archery participation, and harvest of course, was comparatively low vs. the year 2023. It's not a mystery, and not hard to understand at all. Hopefully this link works, but if not, anybody can Google USFWS Hunting license sales. You can plug in the year you want the sales data on in the dropdown box. Going back decades and decades (1958 to be exact). If you plug in 2023 you will see 953,903 licenses sold. If you plug in 2003 (20 years prior) you will see 1,017, 802. That's a whopping (sarcasm) drop of less that 65,000 licenses sold in that twenty year span. us-east-1.quicksight.aws.amazon.com/sn/accounts/329180516311/dashboards/48b2aa9c-43a9-4ea6-887e-5465bd70140b?directory_alias=tracs-quicksightThese USFWS hunting license sales are what is used to delve out PR funds. Do you think the USFWS inflates these numbers because they are generous, and wants to pay out more PR funds ? LOL Stop buying into the notion that we are losing hunters here in good ol' PA at some incredible rate. It's an untruth. And again, do you believe that out of 953,000 licenses sold this year, many choose NOT to hunt rifle ? This is really elementary, as to why we are experiencing an increasingly silent rifle season.
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 7, 2023 11:50:28 GMT -5
Post by fleroo on Dec 7, 2023 11:50:28 GMT -5
That is true... maybe 1983 ?
That is not quite true. It's true up until 2010. Since then, the numbers have been very, very steady year over year 2010 to 2023. Actually, recent years up to 2023, they've increased a bit from the 2010 low.
There is a graph right below the link I sent that shows this. Just choose "Pennsylvania" in the dropdown to see the graph that depicts this
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 7, 2023 11:59:50 GMT -5
Post by ridgecommander on Dec 7, 2023 11:59:50 GMT -5
Again Gene, I'm not arguing with you. Same here. Just having a discussion. Yes. I personally know several folks that buy a license every year and have not hunted in some time. I know some that only small game hunt. Some are into waterfowl. I know quite a few folks that hunt a few days in archery and that is it for the year, whether they get a deer or not. Then, of those that still hunt, few actually spending a decent amount of time hunting. Many are 1-2 days of deer hunting and thats it. The fact is rifle season is a shadow of itself and those missing folks are not all just hunting archery and killing deer which takes then out of the game in rifle.
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 7, 2023 12:02:56 GMT -5
dougl likes this
Post by fleroo on Dec 7, 2023 12:02:56 GMT -5
I'll also add...... one of the biggest successes that have been adding to PA hunter ranks, has to be females. Just look at how many females are hunting with members on this low traffic message board. To me,, it's astounding. Back in "the day", when Pap and Pops were loading up and travelling to their northern tier camps above I-80, you would almost NEVER find a lass in a hunting camp. Now, you almost always will. My youngest daughter is 22. NEVER had a desire to hunt. Well, she up and meets a strapping lad that is a pure killer. He buys her a X-Bow, and I get a pic sent to my phone in October, of a buck she killed. I get another pic last week of a Doe she shot in the neck last week. I'M SHOCKED !!!
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 7, 2023 12:11:49 GMT -5
Post by ridgecommander on Dec 7, 2023 12:11:49 GMT -5
I'll also add...... one of the biggest successes that have been adding to PA hunter ranks, has to be females. Just look at how many females are hunting with members on this low traffic message board. To me,, it's astounding. Back in "the day", when Pap and Pops were loading up and travelling to their northern tier camps above I-80, you would almost NEVER find a lass in a hunting camp. Now, you almost always will. ) We have a young lady in camp that just started hunting a few years ago. She got her first deer opening weekend. An 8 point. Of the 6 hunters he had, 2 were female.
|
|
|
Post by Dutch on Dec 7, 2023 13:42:48 GMT -5
We now have four females hunting, and four males.
In the 80s, my one brother said women don't belong in camp! Jerk
|
|
|
Post by ridgecommander on Dec 7, 2023 14:25:36 GMT -5
In the 80s, my one brother said women don't belong in camp! Jerk Same thing happened at ours. The fellow that thought women shouldn't be there is no longer there.
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 7, 2023 14:46:12 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by moosemike on Dec 7, 2023 14:46:12 GMT -5
I'm giving it a good effort this season. But a torn meniscus is holding me back. I can't get far from the truck for the most part. I've launched a couple mile long forays on days I felt half decent
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 7, 2023 15:04:33 GMT -5
Post by rusty on Dec 7, 2023 15:04:33 GMT -5
The hunting tradition I grew up in was, for the most part, a family thing-my three brothers, me, and my dad. None of my three sisters had any interest at all, though one of them loves to fish and hike. That tradition continues now with my sons(when they are not working) and wife added to the mix.
I spent a couple weekends at a friend's camp each fall for a few years hunting turkey and squirrels with five or six buddies when in my twenties. Those times were more about the get togethers and catching up then hunting though. Looking back on those times, I have to say(speaking as a staunch heterosexual) I can understand how some guys would prefer that the hunting camp gatherings be female free. Even small changes to long held traditions can make a big difference for some folks, Hunting camps probably more than most. The change to the opener is on example of it.
|
|
|
Post by Dutch on Dec 7, 2023 18:32:28 GMT -5
I'm giving it a good effort this season. But a torn meniscus is holding me back. I can't get far from the truck for the most part. I've launched a couple mile long forays on days I felt half decent That sucks. I know with my hip, it doesn't go as easy as it once did. I hope you get that fixed up
|
|
|
Post by bushmaster on Dec 8, 2023 7:46:41 GMT -5
It's going to be real dead for me. I'm tagged out till next season. Small game and Yotes from here on out. What! You didn't save a tag for your beloved flintlock? I couldn't do it. I tried! LOL I was carrying my 357 revolver while doing drives just in case I saw a yote or something, but this doe held up 30 yards in front of me for an eternity. I figured, well you've never taken one with a revolver so I took the shot. She went 50 yards and balled up.
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 8, 2023 9:00:59 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by moosemike on Dec 8, 2023 9:00:59 GMT -5
The boy just missed a 6 point. He got deflected in the brush
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 10, 2023 12:30:01 GMT -5
Post by ridgecommander on Dec 10, 2023 12:30:01 GMT -5
As they say, you can lead a horse to water but............. The folks I hunt with are strictly rifle hunters and don't hunt all that much. As rifle season has changed, they don't want to change with it and want to continue to hunt the same stands where they can see forever that lack good terrain funneling features. I try to tell them that you have to hunt and set up for natural movement in thicker areas but they want to see hundreds of yards.
Well, the last Saturday I kept trying to get one of the guys to change his spot to a corner of the property with thick bedding on each side of a terrain funneling feature. I have been seeing quite a few bucks during rifle season moving at mid day and early afternoon and saw two good 8 points at that spot. I told him I would walk him right there.. He decided to sit his usual stump. I grabbed my 22/250 and went where I wanted him to go to finish out the season with a cigar and maybe happen into a coyote.
At 2pm, I see antlers first and here comes a 10 point followed by a 8 point past me at 60 yards. No clue I was there.
My rifle season ended with no coyotes seen, which is what I was after. Many does seen, but passed.. 9 sub legal bucks and 6 legal bucks
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 10, 2023 15:04:48 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by moosemike on Dec 10, 2023 15:04:48 GMT -5
I never saw a legal buck all season long
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 10, 2023 19:14:17 GMT -5
Post by stroupy on Dec 10, 2023 19:14:17 GMT -5
I think it was worse with seeing other hunters then ever not sure I saw more then 10 hunters that I wasn't hunting with. Saw 10 buck all of rifle season shot a 5 pointer and saw well over 70 doe the 2 weeks of rifle. No hunting pressure and the numbers are defiantly up. The fog the two Saturdays definitely saved a lot of deer this year in my area. Yesterday it was after 11 before the fog rolled out.
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 11, 2023 7:25:56 GMT -5
Post by ridgecommander on Dec 11, 2023 7:25:56 GMT -5
No hunting pressure and the numbers are defiantly up. The lack of pressure is what the fellows I hunt hunt refuse to adapt to. Those that adapt and adjust their tactics and locations will have much better hunting. They will sit all day in a huge ladder stand in the wide open woods with the propane heaters hoping that the neighbors decide to do drives. Meanwhile, the deer are moving just fine on their own where I have smaller stands setup that they won't sit.
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 12, 2023 12:54:09 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by stroupy on Dec 12, 2023 12:54:09 GMT -5
No hunting pressure and the numbers are defiantly up. The lack of pressure is what the fellows I hunt hunt refuse to adapt to. Those that adapt and adjust their tactics and locations will have much better hunting. They will sit all day in a huge ladder stand in the wide open woods with the propane heaters hoping that the neighbors decide to do drives. Meanwhile, the deer are moving just fine on their own where I have smaller stands setup that they won't sit. We used to get 10 11 guys to go now maybe 5 or 6 most days we figured out if you have one guy walk the patches and put everyone else at the spots they like to breK out that you have better luck shooting deer then yelling and letting them know you are there.
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 12, 2023 13:23:06 GMT -5
Post by ridgecommander on Dec 12, 2023 13:23:06 GMT -5
We used to get 10 11 guys to go now maybe 5 or 6 most days we figured out if you have one guy walk the patches and put everyone else at the spots they like to breK out that you have better luck shooting deer then yelling and letting them know you are there. Yep. The deer figure out the yelling stuff pretty quick. I have seen that too many times. Even some deer will not move even if someone is sneaking by. I watched a 7 point this rifle season while I was doing a push for another guy. I caught the buck bedded down and he stayed that way as I closed the distance. When I got 50 yards from him, I stopped to check him out in the binos. He got nervous when I stopped but did not get up from his bed. I kept going. I came back thorugh there after I finished the push and he was gone. I guess he waited till I was out of sight then left his bed.
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 12, 2023 14:50:14 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Dec 12, 2023 14:50:14 GMT -5
We used to get 10 11 guys to go now maybe 5 or 6 most days we figured out if you have one guy walk the patches and put everyone else at the spots they like to breK out that you have better luck shooting deer then yelling and letting them know you are there. Yep. The deer figure out the yelling stuff pretty quick. I have seen that too many times. Even some deer will not move even if someone is sneaking by. I watched a 7 point this rifle season while I was doing a push for another guy. I caught the buck bedded down and he stayed that way as I closed the distance. When I got 50 yards from him, I stopped to check him out in the binos. He got nervous when I stopped but did not get up from his bed. I kept going. I came back thorugh there after I finished the push and he was gone. I guess he waited till I was out of sight then left his bed. One guy I know now puts standers behind the drive, as the bucks run thru the drivers, but the does go out front.
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 12, 2023 18:09:25 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by stroupy on Dec 12, 2023 18:09:25 GMT -5
We used to get 10 11 guys to go now maybe 5 or 6 most days we figured out if you have one guy walk the patches and put everyone else at the spots they like to breK out that you have better luck shooting deer then yelling and letting them know you are there. Yep. The deer figure out the yelling stuff pretty quick. I have seen that too many times. Even some deer will not move even if someone is sneaking by. I watched a 7 point this rifle season while I was doing a push for another guy. I caught the buck bedded down and he stayed that way as I closed the distance. When I got 50 yards from him, I stopped to check him out in the binos. He got nervous when I stopped but did not get up from his bed. I kept going. I came back thorugh there after I finished the push and he was gone. I guess he waited till I was out of sight then left his bed. Since we started doing one man silent drives we have been getting the bucks to go to the spots our normal standers would be. I'm sure we miss a lot of deer that let us walk by them though. Last year in bear season I watched two doe stand in the laurel watching one of our drivers walk within 60-70yds of the driver and never knew I was there.
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 12, 2023 18:11:24 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by stroupy on Dec 12, 2023 18:11:24 GMT -5
Yep. The deer figure out the yelling stuff pretty quick. I have seen that too many times. Even some deer will not move even if someone is sneaking by. I watched a 7 point this rifle season while I was doing a push for another guy. I caught the buck bedded down and he stayed that way as I closed the distance. When I got 50 yards from him, I stopped to check him out in the binos. He got nervous when I stopped but did not get up from his bed. I kept going. I came back thorugh there after I finished the push and he was gone. I guess he waited till I was out of sight then left his bed. One guy I know now puts standers behind the drive, as the bucks run thru the drivers, but the does go out front. When we did drives where we yelled 99% of the bucks always broke back we don't have enough guys anymore to try this though.
|
|
|
Dead?
Dec 12, 2023 18:56:53 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Dutch on Dec 12, 2023 18:56:53 GMT -5
I think your idea of just having a guy walk around is best.
|
|