Restrictions are dumb. I see a lot of older inferior deer that only juniors can shoot. I at the very least would like seniors to be able to shoot any buck like juniors

 

I think where my camp is its not doing much other than making it impossible to find a legal deer, combine that with a lot of poaching and we just expect not to get anything, espically since its not a concurrent season any more in 4a, now down home in 5c I think its more beneficial because the potential for some big suckers exist just not in the moutains, personally id like to see a 2 per side for where our camp is and the three up for here in 5c where theres more bigger deer.

 

I think where my camp is its not doing much other than making it impossible to find a legal deer, combine that with a lot of poaching and we just expect not to get anything, espically since its not a concurrent season any more in 4a, now down home in 5c I think its more beneficial because the potential for some big suckers exist just not in the moutains, personally id like to see a 2 per side for where our camp is and the three up for here in 5c where theres more bigger deer.

that's to bad about the poaching, I agree that some areas are different from others

 

Restrictions are dumb. I see a lot of older inferior deer that only juniors can shoot. I at the very least would like seniors to be able to shoot any buck like juniors

it would be a lot nicer if my grandad could get a deer easier and not have as much of a struggle as he does now!

 

like i said in another post its not working in my area either. Very hard to find a legal buck even though i am not a fan of AR and wish it would be gone the only positive i have is the deer i do harvest are alot bigger than previous years.

 

I have seen a huge difference and there is no doubt in my mind guys are killing bigger buck because of it.
Never been a "let them grow " kind of guy but with having over 60% of Pa deer hunters now archery hunting, I think it is imperative that we give the young bucks at least a year or two to survive.
I hear many mention you only get one tag but now that many are taking up archery, their odds are rising.
Sure scouting and woodsmanship kills deer along with a little luck, but the number one factor to me is time spent in the woods.
Guys now have more opportunity, especially with crossbows being legal and archery license sales will keep increasing from here on out.
We need to save the young ones to keep breeding and of course some of the older ones will still survive. Just not as many.
This is much more of a factor on public ground than it is private.

 

I'm all for antler restrictions. I guarantee you guys above have monster bucks up in your mountains. They are just old and smart and you'll never see them. I'm by no means a trophy hunter but wouldn't shoot a spike or 4pt even if legal

 

This is much more of a factor on public ground than it is private. [/quote]

Just knew this was going into that statement....

 

I was dead set against restrictions, but after a few years, I became a big fan of them. We kill a lot of 2.5, 3.5 and a few 4.5 and 5.5 now.

 

I am very much for AR. I haven't seen any negative outcomes to complain about yet. I also agree with charman03. They're there, just they know the "safe areas" and are very smart. After all, if it is a 3.5 year old deer, then he was been through the war and he knows how to survive. If you want bigger deer, then you should be for it not against it.

 

I don't mind them mainly because I don't have any interest in shooting a small buck just to say I got a buck. Then again, I am fortunate enough to be able to put a lot of doe in the freezer so shooting a buck isn't as necessary to me as others who probably just want to get 2 deer for the freezer.

From a age perspective, I've noticed more 3.5+ year old bucks than I had ever seen in PA before. Since AR started, I can only remember seeing 3 bucks that would not meet the current AR and only two that would meet the AR but were not big enough for me to harvest. All others have been good mature bucks with 3 or more points on a side and 16+" wide.

Although AR gets a lot of the credit for the change in antlers that many see, a lot of that could have been accomplished by HR alone. However, AR certainly puts more into the next year classes which generally grow the larger antlers we are seeing now. If we see the population continue to grow, we could very well see the counterproductive aspect of AR.

 

I'm not a fan of AR. I'm a meat hunter. To me the antlers are just a bonus. I consider every buck I get a trophy no matter if it would be a spike to a 10pt

 

This is much more of a factor on public ground than it is private.

Just knew this was going into that statement.... [/quote]

 

I am a meat hunter and am in favor of AR. I use doe tags for meat. Before AR I hardly saw a buck in the mountains. Now we see legal bucks sub legal bucks and some true wall hangers in the mountains. I didn't like the idea at first but it has proven to be very beneficial.

 

AR.have made a big difference in 2a,we have a lot better bucks now,and if I want meat for the freezer just shoot a mature doe

 

I see a lot of older inferior deer that only juniors can shoot.

THIS !!!

AR has NOT panned out like the grandiose lie Gary Alt spun for us. Some of us realized it for what it was then..........some of us still don't.

Kinda like our president..........

Anyways.............. seeing WAY more 3.5+ year garbage racks than EVER.

 

Can you guys that see the mature non-AR legal bucks post some pictures of them? We hear it all the time, but very few have photographic evidence of such despite the half a million trail cams hanging in the woods.

 

ha ha ha, ha ha ha, that right there is one of the funniest things I have read on here in awhile. thanks for the chuckle.

 

I personally love AR

 

ha ha ha, ha ha ha, that right there is one of the funniest things I have read on here in awhile. thanks for the chuckle.

Glad I could help ya out.

 

AR is great in my opinion. I am seeing a lot more quality animals. Not just rack but body size. It is a win:win. Nice racks, more meat in the freezer. You get an easy extra 20lbs of meat out of a 2 1/2 year old buck than a 1 1/2. I see a lot of smaller bucks too. Lots. That's great for the junior hunters. We have to hook them when they are young. Granted I am in 1B so I can't speak for the rest of the state just my area. And where 3 1/2 year olds were a rarity now they are around every year and some older. Some get old and wise now instead of dead at 1 1/2.

 

not a fan

 

Can't honestly say I care one way or the other. I just follow the rules set before me by the PGC. I'm content to put venison in my freezer, whether it had antlers or not makes no difference as long as I killed it legally.

 

I see a lot of older inferior deer that only juniors can shoot.

THIS !!!

AR has NOT panned out like the grandiose lie Gary Alt spun for us. Some of us realized it for what it was then..........some of us still don't.

Kinda like our president..........

Anyways.............. seeing WAY more 3.5+ year garbage racks than EVER.

So misinformed its sad

 

I'm 66 years old (Sr hunter) and thanks, but no thanks to those who think I should be able to shoot anything a Jr hunter can. I've shot plenty of them. I passed on the same AR legal 1-1/2 year old three times this season and am glad I did. When I want meat I shoot a doe.