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Saturday Open.... Wasn't so bad

17K views 191 replies 84 participants last post by  LostAgain 
#1 ·
Well now that the first Saturday opener is in the books for me it wasn't so bad. The pressure locally was a little lighter than normal. I got to hunt dark to dark which I can't do when I hunt at home during the week. I have have to get my kids on and off the bus and from daycare. So even though I wasn't a fan going in I kinda hope they keep it. Now I do like this Sunday off so I hope they use he rifle Sunday on the doe opener weekend to increase opportunity.

So did anyone else's mind change after hunting yesterday?
 
#2 ·
I wasn't really opposed to the saturday opener, but after this weekend I now have a couple reasons to be in favor of it. My grandsons always visit thanksgiving weekend, but they leave for home on sunday. This new saturday opener will allow us to hunt small game for a couple days, then buck hunt saturday, something that might not have been possible before. Hunting is still a few years away, but now at least it seems much more doable than before.

Yesterday we had a couple hunters at our farm that haven't really done much hunting. A father in his 50's and a son in his 30's, they have hunted here before but never able to come on the first day due to work issues. Yesterday both took their first bucks, a great day for that family for sure, memories made that will last a lifetime for both of them. Not saying that couldn't have happened otherwise, but theres no doubt that being able to hunt the first day is a big advantage and it worked out great for them.
 
#6 ·
It's not the Saturday start.



First, consider the trend of declining license sales. Less hunters, period.


Next, consider the trend of land being posted up, leased, or otherwise not accessible to the majority. Lots and lots more of that over the last ten years or so. Deer head to these sanctuaries and stay there until the pressure ends.


Most importantly, consider the rise of archery. I have the deer kill data as far back as the PGC has (or had) it published on their website. The percentage of bucks killed by an arrow in comparison to the overall buck kill has consistently and steadily increased. Better vertical bows, and the intro of the crossbow to anyone was clearly a game changer. When one third (or more, pushing 40%) of the bucks are killed by archers, those hunters are more likely than not to sit out the opener. Most of PA is not concurrent doe and buck.


The numbers of hunters in the woods and shots heard has been in a steady decline for a while now, from my own experiences. Moving it to a Saturday start is a good way to push this in the other direction, for the reasons people have shared.
 
#4 ·
I can't complain too much, the sat opener was good to me. But I would love too see it start on Sunday next year. Just too hectic with thanksgiving, black Friday and rifle opener back to back to back. Maybe if it started next Sat it would be better. Sure feels weird not being in the woods the day after the opener.
 
#7 ·
I was never opposed to it, but after hunting it, I’m a fan. I wasn’t able to hunt dark til dark(close, dark til 3) but it’s rare I can in any season. So an extra day to hunt and now a day to recover. Can’t be beat. In years past, if I’m able to hunt first day, it’s monday only. This year I’m able to hunt both Saturday and Monday!

Thanks PGC for the expanded opportunity!
 
#10 · (Edited)
Pleasantly surprised Less hunters then any Monday opener I've hunted. Since I tagged out in archery I scouted a game land and never saw another hunter. By the time I came out at 10 to go to my property I had seen 10 doe 3 bucks one of which was a slammer and I was still the only car there. With 3 legal buck and 8 buck total and 30+ deer total, might just be my best first day ever.
 
#12 ·
A couple years ago I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase a old farm. We just finished building my wife's dream home. Saturday or Monday doesn't make much difference to me as I hunt on my own property now. It was only a few years back that the opener meant driving 3 hrs to the town my father grew up in. Once there hiked in a mile + climb a pretty steep hill then set up a stand. That's after settling into a rented cabin then hitting the grocery store, gun shop etc. That would be so much more difficult to do with a Saturday opener since I wouldn't be able to make the 3 hr drive until after Thanksgiving festivities - Friday. My brother, my son and my nephew hunt now on my property. We see way more deer than in the big woods. My brother killed his first buck since antler restrictions went into effect the first year I bought the property and he has killed a buck yearly ever since. Times change. I can't bring back my father, grandfather, uncles and other family who have passed on that made the Monday opener the tradition it was. If I could I would in a second. But obviously not possible. I am hoping a new tradition for family has been started on my property. Thursday I stocked 25 pheasants for everyone to hunt. They had a blast. I do feel for those whose Monday opener tradition has been disrupted however. I've read posts where people state something to the effect that "only in PA do hunters complain about adding a extra day to hunt". I don't think that has anything to do with those opposed to the Saturday opener. It's the loss tradition and the time constraint with Thanksgiving and getting to camp. It's a hard fact to swallow for sure and I understand and if wasn't for being blessed with the means to have purchased my own property I would likely be amongst that group. For those of you that are happy with the Saturday opener that's awesome. For those opposed I hear you and understand. My best and peace to all.
 
#13 ·
I wasn't out as only the oldest daughter has a tag and she had to work. Neighbor said that there was a little more shooting around than the last couple of years, but their day stunk as far as seeing buck.
 
#14 ·
I saw about the same amount of hunters on private land and didn't have to take a vacation day. I didn't think it would effect private land as much. I hope Sunday passes for next year
 
#15 ·
I really don't have an opinion on it either way. Just thankful for any opportunity provided. I hunted 3500 acres of public property and never saw another hunter. There was some sporadic shooting the first couple of hours but pretty quiet after that. I believe the Game Commission is going to have to keep adapting and being creative with the seasons and bag limits to reach management goals.
 
#22 ·
It was the lowest hunter turn out for opening day I have ever seen in our area.

It has been declining in recent years, but yesterday was a all time low. I realize there are several contributing factors for declining 1st day hunters. At this point, I am failing to see any advantage to Saturday opener.

With the declining numbers, I expect we will see many changes in the coming years as the PGC adapts to our changing culture.

The Saturday opener did not effect me, so no personal grudge, just a honest observation .
 
#23 ·
The opener was really no different than ones in recent past in the area I was in.My daughter was able to go out this year due to Saturday opener which was nice.Hunting pressure was lower from what I could tell from the amount of vehicles on the drive home.Shooting was pretty much non existent and we had the woods to ourselves which was good and bad.No deer seen while sitting or walking in or out which did not surprises me due to lower numbers than other parts of the state.I just read a article in the Harrisburg paper from the outdoor writer whom travels thru out local mountain game lands and he seemed to observe more hunters he felt in lots he went to,but one was pretty empty.I also talked to a family who was in SGL in 2A and it was dead there also.No shooting to speak of and very few hunters.Just glad I filled my buck tag in Archery season.
 
#24 ·
I hunted in 3C yesterday on brothers land. Did not here one shot within 2 miles of the property. There was no one inthe cabin that adjoins my brothers. One truck on the property next to that. Heard no quads. Could not believe this was the first day of the rifled deer season. I had no issues with it being a Saturday but I would prefer a Monday start. But all I kept hearing about was how many more hunters would be in the woods and where I was it was like a ghost town. The good news is the deer are not spooked from being shot at!
 
#25 ·
Other than the Easterly wind and very little shooting I had a great day. My 11 year old tells the story better but we saw 2 black squirrels chasing each other around, several grey squirrels, a red fox, a red tail hawk, 2 fishers, a couple doe, a button buck, and my trophy hunting boy passed a 4 point up that came by near noon. I stopped the buck 3 times and he was ready to shoot the deer but didn't, then said he wondered what it would be next year, I told him slide the safety forward if you don't want that deer and set the rifle back up. We rolled out of the stand about 2 o'clock and walked back to the house, I didn't have to gut or drag, Mama had the fire going and spaghetti sauce cooking, it was a good day.


I still prefer the Monday opener to Saturday because of the time it affords me to hunt in NY at my camp. I have to split time as it is (I know, what a problem to have) but the Saturdays are also high hunter number days at camp and I have doe tags that likely will not get filled this year because seasons running parallel now and the wife and I mentoring our 3 boys at the moment so I will be here most evenings to hunt, C'est la vie.
 
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#29 · (Edited)
Hunting is changing...fast.

20, 30, 40 years ago, talking about "no hunters" on the first day of buck season would have been a joke. Everyone complained about how crowded it was and would have welcomed less company in the woods.

Now guys are complaining about "not enough hunters" to move the deer? Really? Or they'll play the "no hunters" card to prove the pgc screwed up by moving the opener to saturday.

More time to hunt with less competition, how can that be a bad thing, unless you simply want it to be?

One more thing...

Here in 1A we are over run with deer. BUT, the pgc chose to only allow us only one week of doe hunting, and it's the same in many WSU's. Why? So hunters see more deer. Simply pacifying hunters by manipulating the seasons to make hunters see what they want to see. Geez, we are a spoiled bunch....
 
#68 ·
BINGO, BANGO, BONGO!!!

I am absolutely LOVING the trend in rifle season. Less and less hunters every year and I can actually hunt the deer moving naturally and not running full tilt down the ridge while getting blasted at a few dozen times.

If guys are seriously going to “quit” hunting or not participate “out of spite” then there aren’t really serious about this sport and I’m not shedding a tear over it.
 
#30 ·
I saw plenty of hunters yesterday, all with a rifle in hand. I also saw more deer in one day than I’ve seen in 20 years. I was fortunate enough to harvest a decent buck. I don’t think the Saturday start is going anywhere. All the complaints are reminiscent of when AR started. Everyone will have to accept it I guess. I’m definitely no expert on managing wildlife, but I know more guys that didn’t tag their buck in archery as opposed to the ones that did. I’d say at least in Clinton county, yesterday was a success.
 
#34 ·
I stayed in my climber in the SF from 6:30 am to 5 pm. A fella came in at daybreak and proceeded to set a blind up about 100 yards away. At 11:15, I saw him leave the blind, my guess he was going for lunch. At noon, a really nice 8 point , about 18 “, walked past me and crossed 40 yard from his blind. An hour later, a 6 point trotted within bow range of his set up. I had no buck tag, was looking for doe in DMAP area. He didn’t return until 3:15, stayed till dark. I saw 5 bucks, no does. I don’t think he saw any of them.

I never leave a stand at lunchtime, that’s when I see most deer on public ground.
 
#38 ·
Here in 1A we are over run with deer. BUT, the pgc chose to only allow us only one week of doe hunting, and it's the same in many WSU's. Why? So hunters see more deer. Simply pacifying hunters by manipulating the seasons to make hunters see what they want to see. Geez, we are a spoiled bunch..


The GC. has fallen to the PC crowd period. Very little shooting in 2-D where I was I think hunters forgot it was opening day. The GC was doing fine till the day they let Gary Alt run the dog and pony show and its been going down hill ever since. Fisher reintroduction not a smart move biogically speaking. Thats just 1 bone head move and theres more to come from these people. :turkey_track:
 
#184 ·
................ Fisher reintroduction not a smart move biogically speaking. Thats just 1 bone head move and theres more to come from these people. :turkey_track:

I wish I'd never seen one in my life, I see more of them than I do turkeys. They have worked my chickens over too more than once. I have no use for them here.
 
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