See what happens when you take the muzzleloader instead of the bow.

petey · #1 10-16-2006, 07:44 AM

Took this picture over the weekend here in PA. That's what a guy gets for hunting with a muzzleloader when he should be using a bow.

petey · #2 10-16-2006, 08:23 AM

For those of you that didn't know, our early PA muzzleloader season is anterless only, used as a tool to help demolish our herd. Yup, I hunt it too, so you won't hear me complain...or not that much anyhow

Adam Helmer · #3 10-16-2006, 05:18 PM

petey,

Nice buck photo, was he in Tioga County? All the PGC needs to do is take 2 weeks away from the 6 weeks that archers now have in October and give a week of either sex to the muzzleloaders.

It seems llike the pressure could be balanced that way to many folks hereaboputs.

Adam

fabsroman · #4 10-16-2006, 05:24 PM

That is just how hunting goes. It has a lot to do with luck. If you had taken the bow, the only thing you would have seen were does at 75+ yards.

Regardless, it is till nice to see a buck like that. It gives you some motivation when you can actually take antlered deer.

petey · #5 10-17-2006, 06:52 AM

Yeah right!

A buck killed like that with a bow in PA WOULD be ( or close to ) the new state record. Our state only has a handfull in B&C. The Record for typical with a bow is 174+ inches taken in '95 that broke a 15 yr running streak. The largest non-typical also taken in '95 (OVER 10 years ago) was 195". Heck, those are "good" bucks for some of my clients on sponsors in the midwest.

Check out the current records at
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/v...?A=11&Q=156446

Notice, not 1 entered past the year 2000. I'd say our antler restrictions are working great!! Thanks PAGC! Here's another pic I took that day, and probably the one of the only places you'll see bucks of this caliber around "These" parts. From what I've seen, the PAGC has only managed to decimate the herd in the past 4 years.

I actually took the day off Saturday and missed the opener. I took my kids to the deer farm.

We actually think differently about the seasons Adam. You feel us archers get a better deal with our extended season. I believe the only reason there is an extension to our classic 4 weeks is because they threw all these other seasons in there, including the youth hunts for every little critter in the woods/fields. I'm now required to wear 250 square inches of orange, 100 posted while hunting with a bow b/c of this early muzz. season. Heck I just hang the bow up for this wek and go with you, break out the flintlock and have a little early season fun.

I think it should go back to the old days. 3 day does season, 2 week buck, 4 weeks of archery, and 3 weeks of flintlock. I've never had a problem getting my tags filled, even with the "original" seasons. I won't sit and preach to the quire, nor will I fill my legally obtained 5 tags each year and ***** about no deer. Use it or lose it, I guess.

I personally think the PAGC has their heads up their butt. You can't "manage" an area the size of Pennsylvania with one program....you just can't. Talk to any big ranch biologist or deer management pro in Texas (or any other state that has ranches of 100,000 acres to manage) and they'd laugh at what PA is trying to do.

fabsroman · #6 10-17-2006, 11:23 AM

Petey,

In Maryland, which is a much smaller state than PA, we used to have 4 separate management zones. Now, we only have two. The extremely overpopulated zone and the underpopulated zone. Seems as though the overpopulated zone is growing every year, which isn't bad if you are a deer hunter, but not so good for the farmers and those that spend thousands of dollars on landscaping.

kt · #7 10-17-2006, 03:03 PM

that deer is impressive, i am to the point with some of the pgc stuff where i just feel if you cant beat 'em join'em, the flinter doesnt emerge till after xmas, saturday i had the omega and i have the habit of easing my pack back to the ground once in the tree, i look down the trail and here comes one of the better six pts i have ever seen. he walks down the trail right to the tree put his nose to within 2 feet of my pack stiffens up and hauled ass. five minutes later he came back and bedded 20 yds away, should have had the bow, last night my good to 200yds omega smacked a medium doe at ten paces
kt