[petey]

I take a different approach when looking at harvesting does. First off, I never shoot a doe in archery season, that's bait as far as I'm concerned. That doe could come into heat any day and bring an unsuspecting buck my way.

Second, I never shoot a lone doe in gun season as that could be one that could have been bred already and her mate may have gotten shot.

Third, when there's a group of them I pick out this year's fawn, yup the smallest in the group. I always hear of guys saying they pick out the biggest in the group and shoot it. I shake my head as that one is probably the doe that was bred in November. If it's a ma and a couple little ones, odds are she hasn't been bred this season...and I can darn well gaurentee the small ones have not been bred. I still shoot the small ones.

Every one of us has a different take on hunting and the reason why we do it. For one, it may be just just get away in the woods and enjoy the splenders that God created. For this person, the killing part isn't a bonus. For the next guy, it's about bone collecting. For the third it may be all about putting meat on the table. Maybe that guy doesn't get to get out hunting as much as the next guy, so he will take any opportunity he gets.

Me, I'm a combination of all three. I hunt to get out and just enjoy the woods. Killing doesn't have to occur for me to have a successful day. I also am a bone collector. It starts before archery season, learning patterns of every buck I can find, giving names to them, letting smaller bucks go and only harvesting 3.5 or older bucks. Watching them grow into large antlered critters that keep me up at nights. Then there's the part of me that needs to put the meat on the table. A season hasn't gone by where my freezer isn't full of venison, hoards of bologna and jerkey fill the cupboards.

I hunt multiple units, in EVERY season (with the exception of early muzzleloader lately) with every weapon allowed. I fill my tags, but only do so in areas I know that aren't hurting for deer. I guess I'm fortunate enough to be able to hunt in those "pockets" that really haven't been effected as some others have been. Scorn me for shooting does...but who's to say the vehicle on the highway a half mile away doesn't claim it's life?

Do I agree with everything the PAGC has done over the past 6 yrs...HECK NO...Some things I agree with whole heartedly, but you can't please everyone in the state. Antler restrictions (yes), I've seen it work in the areas I hunt. Now I can be picky about the bucks I shoot. I like that a lot. Early season muzzleloader (no)... ok here's a season that was designed to slaughter doe prior to them being bred and it's worked..plus it mucks up my archery season when I'm after that big buck. Try hunting a buck that's gone totatlly nocturnal b/c of all the movement in the woods during this time frame. Actually, I hunt the first and last week of archery b/c after the past three years the deer disappear during mid to late October. Mentored Youth (yes)...look at my 6 year old. He was able to kill a nice 8 point on the first day of his hunting career b/c of this. He'll have 6 bucks and turkey under his belt before I was ever able to consider hunting. Doe hunting during rifle (no).. Ok it's obvious the doe are hurting in areas, so lets go back to the 3 day season and make the 2 week rifle season buck only. Some areas they got rid of doe during the first week. It's a step in the right direction, they just need to do it statewide.

Hey. I'm not going to be one of these guys who complain about no deer, b/c I'm just not seeing it where I hunt. Herds less than 10 yrs ago? Yes. Buck to doe ratio in order? In my area, yes. I buy tags to line the PAGC pockets and I fill them, but do it smartly over the entire seasons. I hunt to eat, to collect bone and to enjoy the PA Wilds. For that I am fortunate.

To each their own, and I won't mock anyone's morals or reasons for why they do it. If you hunt and want to kill a doe, good on you. If you hunt and don't shoot does, good on you. We all do it for our reasons and have only ourselves to answer to.