One week till the Pennsylvania deer opener. It always comes in the Monday after Thanksgiving. The Orange Army will start winding it's way to points across the state shortly after the Thanksgiving dinner dishes are washed and put away. Camps across the state will be opened up. Rifles will crack as guys check their guns in anticipation of Monday morning. By Saturday night, most camps will have enough guys in to run a hand of cards, and drink an Iron City or two.

I won't be back to hunt this year, so you boys are gonna have to carry the flag for me. Wish I was going to be on the mountain up in Clearfield County, but it ain't happening this time around. Dale K, Dube, Battue and others, good luck and drop a line here to let us know how the hunt went.

To the camps that lost a beloved member this year, my deepest sympathies and condolences. Carry on in their honor guys. I'm sure they'd want it that way.

Good luck guys and hunt safe.

Thanks. I'll be out in Sullivan county.

I'll also be Pa. MIA this year.

Good luck boys

I’ll be northbound on 95 either sat or sun come hell or high water!

Good luck fellas👍

Good chance this year of it being "high water", the way things have gone in much of PA since July. Wettest year I can recall and I've been around for a spell. We've gotten two feet of rain above the yearly average so far, where I live. Weather monkeys claim the moisture will continue through winter, so we may be in for more snow? Already have some on the ground from last week's storm, so that's a plus. Been years since we had snow cover here for the rifle opener.

Clearfield will miss ya, gg. Friend of mine with a camp up there north of 80, did well in archery this year. He and his son both scored on decent bucks. He doesn't shoot baldies, but said they'll have several folks up for rifle season that ain't as fussy as he is, so they expect more success.

Good luck to all heading to camps, or hunting out the back door on 11/26.

Sadly, our camp will be empty for the opener this year. My brother and our buddy are going up for second week, but skipping the opener. It's just not that big a deal to them any more. My bro's health isn't real good these days. This may be his last hunt. Lots of back pain. I hate to see the camp sitting empty on the opener. So many of the camps in our area aren't used at all any more. How times have changed. It seems like the days of this being a really big deal are gone. I can remember heading east from Youngstown before 80 went through. Every little town was a huge traffic jam. The bars, grocery stores and gun shops did a booming business. Every motel was booked up months in advance. Just doesn't seem to be like that any more. One of the things I always miss is the annual run to Clearfield on Sunday to hit Grice's. The old guy in the parking lot set up sharpening knives, the crowds in the store, looking at their used gun selection. The other thing I really miss was our annual fish fry. My brother ran a perch boat up on Erie and would bring about 50 lbs. of perch fillets up and do a fish fry for all the neighbors. We'd have 30 or so guys up at the camp for dinner. Great times, sadly fading away. My son will have to carry the torch for our camp from now on. I hope he continues to have the fire and passion for hunting that his grandfather had. I miss the times sitting around the table hearing the stories from our original members, the Olde Guard. I'd sit in wide eyed amazement at Bud and Bert talked about the turkey hunts, bear season, and of course all the deer taken from our camp. Enough reminiscing guys. Have a great hunt, and know that I'll be there with you in spirit, at least.

I can empathize with loses and changes.

Too many changes in the past 30 years for some to bear, but the beat goes on for many of us. All of my old companions like my dad and his brothers that lived in the area camp is in, plus.both of my friends that once came to camp, are gone now. My son hunts sporadically these days, due to work demands.

Lots more deer in places they didn't used to be found, so some choose to hunt closer to home now, rather than drive hours to camps.

HR hurt some in the first few years when deer numbers declined in many areas. Our area has rebounded over the past 10 or 12 years, not a factor in why hunter numbers have dropped there. Plus side of HR/AR, far more nice bucks around these days. I'll hang on for as long as I'm able to get out. This will be my 58th deer season, still an important part of my life.

I'll be out in Westmoreland County on first day, and floating back to Ohio thru the week.

Be safe out there, best of luck to all.

i'm heading to camp on friday for 10 days. weather looks like schit all week though. this is to be expected given this schitty year. but i don't really care. i'll push for my boys and brother on monday and then hunt for myself after they head home. i just have to figure out what gun to use. definitely one of the old pumps will see the woods. maybe its an '06 carbine year. might even take out one of my 100 year old pumps. weather will be a deciding factor. if its schit, then i'll take my ruger frontier 338 fed. or sleep in and drink and eat all day. eithers fine.

I was dead set against Dr. Alt's plan but have come to understand the merits of it's implementation. The herd is much healthier and better balanced now. We used to see 40 deer opening day and would be hard pressed to find a spiker out of all those critters.

Gotta love those old Remington cornshuckers. Got one in 300 Savage?

I'm headed up Friday after work. I'll be hunting in Crawford County chasing some farmlands bucks. Big bucks on cameras have been a bit sparce this year. We'll see a week from tomorrow.

Its funny, this will be my 43rd year hunting deer in PA. I still won't sleep well one week from tonight <G>

I'll be in the woods here in Maryland for our opener on Saturday, then off to join my cousin in camp in Cameron County (Sinnamahoning) for a couple 3-4 day stretches over the course of the season. Those mountains sure do try an old man's heart, but I think I have a a bunch more seasons in me. Listen for "The Spiteful Crack of the .250-3000" and you'll know I put one down.

My old camp in Haneyville petered out. What a shame to miss those dozen or so guys bragging about past exploits, shoving logs into the chunk stove, the smell of wet wool and flatulence, and the cook yelling up the steps that breakfast was ready. Penny-ante card games, a Yuengling or two (never ever to excess), old guys who started out in the 1920's and 30's and still showing up 60 years later to lend support to we young bucks, meals that would make your sainted mother blush, deer hanging on the meat pole, and last but not least the lovely outhouse at 4AM on a 15* morning made for lasting memories. As our good old Saddlering laments- "It just doesn't get any better than deer camp".

Those of you who live in the "big lonesome" corners of the country have some grand country to hunt in, but until you have experienced a traditional Pennsylvania deer camp I submit that your hunting experience is a little unfinished.

Well said Sir!

Amen!

Ill be heading up Friday night. Took off Friday but company made me offer I cant refuse to work that day. Couple buddys were up bear(still up) and said its hard to get around with the snow. None made it back where I hunt. I think I can make it farther than they did and actually get to my area. Without chains. At least im gonna try. In case I cant, I bought a ladder stand yesterday to hunt a spot I been eyein up for almost a decade. Positive I can get one there, no one hunts it. Public ground and never saw a hunter there, dont get it. But ive never saw a mature buck there. Just baskets. But its meat.

Dad will be up, but been a few yrs since hes been serious and I can see it in him that hes not gonna do much. Hey, as long as I get to spend time with him. But that also means ill be on my own. My cousins going up, and he has shown interest in my area so I may have some help. If not ill just take my time. Im pretty excited this year. Worried I wont be able to drag it myself. But ill deal with that when the gun cracks.

Good luck all!!

I'll come home from Thanksgiving at my daughters on Saturday and then head north to DuBois on Sunday. Dad's been putting a trail camera out recently, he caught a couple of decent bucks on it. Also several coyotes. He said the neighbor who rents the farm ground still has corn standing, that could make things tough.

On the bright side, I talked to my buddy Brad, he's bringing the chili.

Dale

This is a good idea how??

Looking forward to this season. Some good bucks hanging around the old "Crick hill." Everyone be safe and shoot straight.

Good luck!

Gonna go sit in the woods. Hope it's better than the perch fishing has been. The woman got one already, so my job is done! She would like to get one with antlers, but I haven't seen a legal buck, while hunting, in 2 years.

I'll be in Waterford, but will probably head on down to gameland 269, in Crossingville. My family used to own 550 acres of it, and I just like to carry the 99 Savage around there, for old times sake.

What a great tribute to the Pa. experience. Those of us that have been lucky enough to experience a few decades worth of Pennsylvania deer camp outings know from whence we speak. Gnoahh, you go out and show them young whippersnappers how it's done, sir. I wish I was back on the hill this year my self.

I remember hopping off I-80 at old exit 17 in Sabula on the Friday before the opener. There'd be a fireman in his gear standing at the bottom of the ramp handing out camp rosters and a reminder about the Sandy Township Fire Department's annual Hunter's Dinner, always on Saturday. We went a few times. Great to sit around with a bunch of other hunters chewin' the fat over a good meal.

There's just something special, something different about the Pa. opener. We keep a book at our camp. Everyone that visits makes an entry. The book is in it's second "Edition" and goes back to the spring of 1950 when our guys bought the lot our cabin has occupied for all these years. I will sink into the old overstuffed easy chair next to the wood burner, with a whiskey on the rocks and crack that book and let the memories flow. I'm not much of a drinker, so the burn bites in a bit as I read these fascinating stories from years past. The big bear that all most ran my dad over one time while on a deer drive, the albino buck that was taken by one of our members, the summer runs up to camp for blueberry picking and trout fishing. It harkens back to a simpler time, and a great place to be.

We go back now, and it seems like things have changed a bit. The whole top of the mountain is laced with gas wells now. There was an old pump station up above our camp on Finlay Hollow. Dad used to spend the morning hunting up there to visit with the old grease money that lived there and maintained the pump. It was a big "one lunger" pump that ran on crude oil. The last time I was up there, everything was long gone. The only remnants of the pump was one piece of pump snaking up the mountain to where the pump had sat.

Different times, different memories. Have a great hunt guys.

We would hire a cook for the first week of the season. He would arrive on Saturday with his station wagon packed to the gills with groceries. The weekend would pass with him baking bread, pies, cakes, and cookies for the upcoming week. He would start providing three meals a day starting with Sunday night dinner- each evening meal was a Thanksgiving dinner in scope, each breakfast was a gut buster (and ready at 4AM). While we all hunted all day he would spend the time mucking out the camp, hauling water (no indoor plumbing), toting firewood, and slaving over a hot stove (wood fired, of course). I swear that even after trudging around those tough mountains all day every day to the point of exhaustion that when I went home at the end of the week I had gained ten pounds instead of losing ten pounds as a result of "Cooky's" ministrations.

My God, I would sell my soul for another helping of his fresh venison liver and onions!

The cook never hunted, but he always bought a license. The protocol was that whoever was the first to shoot a buck had dibs on the cooks license to fill his tag for him. (Shhh, don't tell the game warden.)

Good times for sure... Hunted Pa. for the first 12 years of my hunting life.. Very enjoyable.. Deer camp of course was a special event.. First one in Clinton C. that was lost to of all things a tornado !! Then I moved west at 25 and have been here ever since.. But even before I retired in 99, I managed to head back to Pa. for deer season.. Deer camp again was a big event..
About 3 years ago, the principal owners decided to sell out.. There were only a couple of us left, so the camp was sold.. Living so far away, it was not possible for me to keep the camp up, so it went.. And that was the last of my Pa. hunts.. But the hunts were sure different from those of the late 50's and 60's.. More posters, more stress on big bucks, the fun was not the same.. Still I would not mind another Pa. hunt, but it is not in the cards any more..I keep up with a could old pals who live there and still hunt.. Maybe sometime I will swing another hunt.. Those mountains of north central Pa.. Still beckon me, especially in late evenings and early morning.. Can't say I am sorry I left... Most of the big events in my hunting career would have never happened if I had spent my life living in Pa. But it certainly does have a unique and wonderful flavor not found in any other hunting.. So folks enjoy the hunt and hope you all score on a nice one.. I will miss out on the deer hunt, but have to do a late elk hunt, so I will have some fun in Dec..

Comment about the camp cook cracked me up a bit. One of my parents' neighbors was part of a big camp in Clinton County for many years.

Several families from here at home were camp members and they usually had close to a full roster from the 1950s until the mid 90s. Some of the kids my age cut their deer hunting teeth there, so I got to hear their camp stories for many years..The neighbor more or less quit deer hunting in his mid 70s, as far as going out with the gang, but still got his license every year. He took over the camp cook chores, maybe wandered around near camp a bit and that was the extent of his deer hunting for several years.

One year everyone was out driving the mountain on opening day, he was there by himself mid morning. Went out on the porch to chuck the dish water and there was a buck standing in the lane about 50 yards from the camp, looking the other way. He set the dish pan down, got his rifle, went back out on the porch and killed it. So there was a buck hanging on the meat pole when guys started coming back in.

Neighbor was a character, had a different story of how he got the buck, every time someone came in, saw the buck and asked WTH was going on. That started a new tradition of humor there the following year, as some said they weren't driving with the gang, were just gonna sit out on the porch. Last deer he ever killed, as he passed away a few years after that. Told me once that if he'd known getting a buck was that easy, he wouldn't have spent years tromping around in he woods up there, would've just sat on the porch. ;O)

I started going to the local Grange Hall on the Sunday nights before the deer opener,some years ago. All you can eat for a donation. Much of the local community of farmers and families are there, most of whom I've known for years. Pancakes, home fries, sausage, bacon and eggs. One family makes maple syrup, always provides plenty of it for the pancakes. When I buy a jug from them always tell 'em I don't want that watered down stuff they donate for the supper, want the good stuff. That always draws a salty comment from the old girl that sells it.

Why, we all have a rootin', tootin' good time of course!

Actually, it's kind of a continuation of a tradition for Brad and I. His dad was butcher by trade and a pretty darn good camp cook. He died way to early at age 66 and Brad took over making the chili. But family issues arose and he lost access to the ground where they had their camp near Reynoldsville. So I invited him out to hunt at our place near Luthersburg.

Camp for me used to be the old farmhouse (owned by some relatives) just out the road from our farm. The gang from that camp is pretty much all gone now, just me and Dad hunting around the farm and the neighbors property. We either had chili or a huge pot of vegetable soup for lunch. And the cook (Phil) was also a butcher who worked with Brad's Dad.

So call it a 'merging' or 'evolving' of traditions but chili and Zappia's bread at lunch is a common thread for us and very much a link to our past camps.

Dale

One things for sure. After the last few days I'm tired of trying to work the mountains in deep snow. I'm hoping it's mostly gone by deer season.

Deer camp in PA is a special time. Grandpa won't make the trip this year for the first time as he just had a procedure on his feet.

Dad, uncle's, cousins, friends, the wife and sister will all be there though for Monday. I'll be hunting till Wednesday then back again for Saturday.

Our camp is in Indiana county. Not the mountains like some of y'all hunt. I go to a camp in Clinton county most years for bear and it's a special time too.

Then I'll be there for three days the second week as well. And some for flintlock if I don't get a buck in rifle.

There's something special about deer camp. That's for sure

-Jake

Bump for rain on monday...

Will be hunting new ground this year. The place I leased on is owned by a guy who can get strange. I took the Grandkids up a couple weeks ago to spotlight and let them see some Deer, and he took offense and said he didn't allow spotlighting and doing so was mentioned in the lease agreement. I said I knew that, but it also wasn't mentioned in the lease agreement that I go along and confront two outlaws with him. It wasn't mentioned in the lease agreement that I help him get a Deer out. It wasn't mentioned in the lease agreement when I informed him of a couple places I discovered that were baited and helped him remove it so the place wouldn't be shut down if the GC found out. It wasn't mentioned in the lease that I should find him another two hunters to sign on this year for $2000 total. All of which I thought was worth a pass to take my Daughter and Grandkids on an evening spotlight adventure. He wouldn't get off on reaming me out, so I stuck the key in his hand and told him to kiss off.

Good luck to all and have a safe hunt.

Of the several friends that got into north central PA leases over the past eight or ten years, only two are actually happy with the results.

One guy bought into a large lease up in NY a few years ago, after souring on a Potter lease. First year wasn't too bad as far as deer seen, last year was poor. But he drives three hours to his Potter camp, then it's another hour or so up to that NY lease.

Found out this fall that the one farm that adjoins my camp, is now under lease. Guess I'm not permitted to hunt it any longer, like I have been for the past 30 years since he's owned it, but i'll look into it this coming weekend. Been hunting on it since the 1960s. Previous owner was a relative. Another piece that joins me and was never posted, was leased/posted last year. Oh well, nothing stays the same forever.

Best wishes to all heading out, hope things work out as planned.

It’s a great place and has been so for years. No problem as far as game or results. His place, so he gets to make the rules. But when you do him favors and he can’t do something in return is where the issue starts. Then he isn’t bright enough to look a year or two into the future and realize I would have signed up the Grandkids also. The night was also a test to see their enthusiasm and they passed.

Things change and you have to adapt. There are a couple spots I also hunt that are close by and one actually borders his, so not all that big of a deal.

Again good luck to all.

battue, i am sorry to hear of your experience, that really sucks. I have belonged to two camps that were within a hour drive of my Indiana Co. home and it seems like crap like that happens everywhere. I as well gave up on that lease/camp stuff because of ridiculous people and now drive 2-3 hours up to Potter Co.to hunt with my cousins and there friends on my family's farm where i started hunting in the early 70s.
In my case, im glad that happened, the drive is not conducive to hunting after before or after work, but its awesome once im there until i leave. I hope things workout as well for you.
Happy Thanksgiving, and safe and happy hunting!
Paul

Brad sounds like a good man, Dale. What's the snow like up at the farm? Good luck to you guys and tell your folks I said Happy Thanksgiving and "hi."

Reading these replies is really making me homesick. I haven't bee back to hunt on the mountain in a few years now. The last time I was back, I had EFW and MJBGALT from here on the fire in to join us. EFW took a nice buck first morning, and we got to show them the Pa. deer camp experience. I gotta make a point to get back home next year.

Good luck to all of you this season. I hunt in Sullivan and Lycoming County and it has been a slow fall here for sure. I hunt mostly private land but also hunt several state forest tracts and some game commission ground in the Little Pine Creek watershed. Bears are also in season the first week in several of the areas I hunt, so that adds some possibilities if they have not denned up yet. Going to try for a fall turkey here in the next couple days also. Good luck to everyone!

John

i hope you get back next year gophergunner, and i hope the weather is better than it has been this year when you do. i had rain every time i made the drive to Potter co. in archery season.
i could not get off for bear season, but the rain changed to about 13 inches of snow and walking the mountains has been difficult according to my cousins. I am heading up to the farm near Austin tomorrow and the forecast is calling for rain showers on Monday.So hopefully it is dry and the walking is easier where you are. Paul

Grew up in PA the memories of deer camp are the most cherished, love hunting the west but Deer camp was special.

I'm lost in life without Loyalsock State Forest. When I lived in North Carolina I couldn't get it out of my head. I'm getting to the point I don't want to hunt anywhere else outside of the 'Sock anymore. Though my son has talked me into a Wyoming pronghorn hunt next year.

Good luck all! I wanna see ppenty of pics! I was supposed to be there already, but offered triple time so off to work I go. Be up in the morning. Be safe and enjoy!!

I am packed and heading to LAX to fly back to PA today, been 10 years since I was able to get back home to PA for deer season and I will be enjoying time back in Potter county.

Thought about staying in our camp near Wharton but last time spent more time getting propane,coal and wood cut than hunting, maybe next year I can get there early for the whole experience but this year I will stay at a local bed and breakfast with great owners!

Good luck to ya old_willys, safe travels!

Good luck old-willys !
You must be staying at The First Fork Lodge !

He is a good man, I think you met him that first year we (you, me, and Ron T) got together at the Ft. Worth. He stopped out at the house after we moved our BS session out to the farm that day.

I'm headed north in the AM, it's only a 2 hr. drive. No idea about the snow, we still have some here in Somerset. Will tell Mom and Dad you send your regards.

Dale

Just because I went to the range today to check the zero on a third Deer rifle. Surprisingly there were few there, but....there was a Rem 760 with see thru mounts. All is well in Pa.

Did it have a Tasco 4X on it, or did they splurge on one of those high buck Bushnell blister pack scopes?

Bushnell was the old standby in the days of 760's and see throughs. Tasco's only started invading in the 90's.

My old 760 had a 4X Weaver with the post and crosshair reticle in tipoff mounts.

Looked like an older Redfield.

I will be heading to the In-laws in Juniata to hunt the family farm for the 20th year. It is only a little over an hour drive so I will wait until after the Eagles kick the Giants butt before heading up. Maybe the I81 traffic around Harrisburg will thin out. It will only be 3 of us tomorrow as my wife and daughters decided to go with the Girl Scouts to tour the Pentagon tomorrow. I will have my stand to myself for the 1st time in 6 years.

Pouring down here and a lot of Deer should be thankful for it.

Up here in Erie, too. Stayed home this morning, headed out later. Rain is gonna stop, and a snowstorm front moving in. That should prompt some movement early.

I'm around the Kittanning area. It is starting to let up....

]

Wish i was having breakfast with the 'cardiac kids, hiking up to the Kettle, Old Faithful's Backside, or the Hemlock by the GasLine. Maybe playing poker for matchsticks with PeeWee, Peanut, Ollie and Sweets. Pennsylfannish muter sprooch.The smell of lighting the fire with coal oil, and dead barking spiders. Then there's the first sit on the frosty two holer, don't miss that so much!
You'uns have a great day! I miss it a lot.
Mach's Gut!
Blkfly

Great stories are being made in Penn's Woods as we speak. Sounds like lots of rain this morning. Best of wishes for a great hunt to those who choose to stick it out. The camps and bars will be busy this afternoon as a legion of hunters seek to get out of the rain and dry out a bit. The woods will not be very occupied tomorrow as lots of guys only have Monday off to hunt. 'Wish I was back there with you boys. Our camp sits empty this year on the opener. A couple guys are going up next week, but it's really a shame that the camp is shuttered on the greatest deer opener in the country. Good luck guys, and keep your powder dry.

I'll be flying from Orlando on Tuesday to Baltimore, then ride to our Cameron Co camp near Driftwood with my grandson on Wed.
This will be my 71st season in PA, and the plan is to stay for the remainder of the buck season.
Gave some thought to just staying in Florida fishing for Specks, but as the time got closer changed my mind.
We hunt ridge to ridge, so all I do is sit and glass all day and help where I can. If the weather is bad I stay in camp and load ammo for prairie dog hunts. Too bad the hunter numbers have fallen off so much, the younger ones don't seem to be taking to hunting anymore.

Good luck to you gentlemen. Shoot straight and stay safe.

Lots of rain here too. It’s supposed to start snowing around midnight and continue off and on through Friday.

Finally quit raining here.

Now it's a cold biting wind.

Can't win!

This is the first Pennsylvania Opening day I’ve missed since 1982......have to take a trip to Florida and couldn’t get time
Off from work.

Sounds like between early fog and rain it was a good one to miss. Hopefully there’s some good stories to follow, let’s here them.

Worst weather I've ever experienced for a PA rifle opener.

Please stop with the great Pa hunting tradition. It is history.

Here the rain let up to a drizzle and around 9:45 I started in. Kept it up until about 10:30 then just spit occasionally. Passed two guys on post about 600yards in. Went on back, and around a mile in saw another guy on post that came in on a backside road. Then the wind started to blow good, but it didn't last all that long. Saw 3 Deer back in there. Left and went to another place and it was covered with Deer trails, buuuut it is essentially a 50 or so acre crab apple thickest with a few openings here and there. I had to move some Deer, but never saw any.

The scenery:



Toasty boot pic:



Moved down the road a little bit to finish out the day. Saw one Doe and one hunter. Total for the day 4 Deer and 4 Hunters. The Deer and I were the only thing traveling thru the wood. It is history.

Bud shot what looks to be an older 7 point across the road from the crab apple jungle.




Pretty sure further North they should have snow. Although my Cousin who lives outside of Marienville said he saw very few hunters. Opening day....it is history. Book it Dano.

Far from the worst weather ever experienced on opening day here in NEPA.

Rained then blew cold in NE PA. Little basket 6 only this am. It’s public land and a huge departure from liberal season in NC. Going from 4 mos. 4 bucks and pretty much unlimited does to climbing up and down rocky scraggs during intermittent season is fun but different. Kind of like where I grew up in the ‘Dax but more picturesque. A few good bucks in this area due to limited access to public land. Kid killed a 145” I hadneighborhood pics of last year. Big 10 was here all summer though now only seeing his sign. Will be climbing the opposite wall of the Gorge in the am looking at some new area. Seems rain and wind forecast here. Was excited for snow and colder it lasted only a few days. Good luck all.

Not the worst opening day weather I've experienced but definitely near the the top. Pretty much rained all day and no deer and no hunters until late in the day. Did talk to the neighbors, they saw a couple of bucks but didn't get any.

Tomorrow's another day.

Dale

Turning to snow right now with a nasty wind. Bud texted and said he saw 12 up and feeding just before dark. With the weather change here, the locals may be holed up tomorrow.

Today was my 57th PA deer opening day. If it weren't for the half dozen guys that I was hunting with, you would never know it was opening day.

Of course, I remember when the first day of rabbit and pheasant season attracted a crowd.

Sad to see it falling apart.

donsm70

Perhaps it seems worse than it is now that Deer pretty much populate the entire State. Back then all headed North to above I80. Posted land most certainly hasn’t helped.

The younger crowd is more into bow hunting, so we don’t see many of them come rifle season. The bow season Is longer, the days are longer, the weather nicer, they often can hunt small suburban covers close to home and they get the peak of the rut. Bow hunting in and of itself may be harder, but it certainly is more convenient and easier in the sense that most perch up in a tree like a Turkey on the roost. And most archers don’t make it an all day sit. Run home from work and perch for a couple hours. It is more convenient.

And from a rifle standpoint, it is nice not bumping into another all day long.

We’ve got nine guys in camp this year. We’re short one to college and one to a dying dog. These are the most cherished days of my year.

Yep and yep....

.



Here there was not a single yard track in the snow overnight. If they are up and about the yard would be crisscrossed. Odds are they knew it was coming, fed and then tucked in. And it is still snowing. Wind is still up here also. One may have to bounce them out until the weather breaks. Or hope someone else does and gets them moving.

Im not in any hurry to get out today. The first warming day will be different.

More snow on the way until at least noon. This evening may be a great time to sit and watch. A little afternoon walking around and then late afternoon sit is my plan for the day.

Thursday: Sun is supposed to comeout with rising temps and less wind. I’m looking forward to the weatherman being right for a change.

Thanks for the replies guys. You guys have me thinking about camp and smiling at your stories. Have a great hunt and stay safe.

Oh man! Perfect deer hunting weather. Get out of those stands and walk one up! Wind, blowing snow, they'll never hear ya coming.

Got to my stand at 6am, rain started at 603. Stuck it out all day, did some still hunting in the late morning and early afternoon hours, and went back to my stand for the last few hours of the day. I figured they would be up and moving the last hour or so, as the rain had let up. It paid off when I killed a heavy 9 in the last 6 minutes of legal shooting time. He died in the middle of a what used to be a 10 acre corn field, but is now just a 6” deep mud pit. Made for quite a mess by the time I got him to my truck. Saw 4 deer all day, including the doe this buck was locked down on. Only heard about 6 shots which is about 50 less than normal. Nobody likes the rain I guess. On a side note, if anyone here wants to pm me a phone number, I can send a couple pics to post, as I STILL can’t get it to work for me.

p.s. where is your camp Dale? I grew up about 4 miles from Luthersburg, and still hunt there occasionally.

My buddy[and son] headed home to DuBois Sunday after being down here in VA hunting his families farm.
I don't know how much the deer wander out of Treasure Lake where they live but they had many pics of some fine bucks!
Good luck to all of you guys!

Wood had this look about it today and the snow stayed on the branches all day. Only saw two, but from tracks moved some others. However, a Bud that was a mile down the road saw 18 with 10 in one group.




Stopped to put my neck gaiter on and then looked up and this little guy was looking at me. He was nice and gave me time to get my camera out and take his pic. After about 10minutes or more he wagged his tail and went on to wherever.

Family farm on the Salem-Helvetia Road. Currently 'camp' is actually my parents house. It's a rough place to 'camp' what with showers, flush toilets, heat, electricity, internet, and Mom's cooking

Windy as all get out today but the 2 inches or so of snow made for great visibility. Saw one buck (I think) feeding in corn field at about 6:50 AM. I'm pretty sure he wasn't legal so it got a pass. Saw 2 does later but couldn't get a shot, too much brush. And yes, doe season isn't open but I have a DMAP tag for CWD area #3. So I could have popped one of them.

Dale

I know the area well, traveled it daily for years going back and forth to school, then work. Chances are we know some of the same people. I e got a couple DMAP tags for the area as well, but after killing my buck yesterday I’m back to work until the middle of next week.

Yesterday was the 31st PA opener in a row I have missed. The kind folks I work for have ZERO sense of humor about days off in deer season. Starting last year they even take the first Saturday away and the last day is, thus far, up in the air.

The early years were the best times in my life...…………..out with Dad and brother...…….uncles ………...cousins from the city. Now I have 4 kids of my own. Never got to take any of them out for their FIRST first day. Stuff ya never get back. But, hey...……….. I made the company money on those first days gone by.

That being said...………….. I think I'd have sat a stand at the local eggs & taters joint yesterday morning. My mom raised SMART kids instead of good lookin ones.

Some right nice shots from the field, Mr. Battue !!!

I'd have quit exactly 31 years ago.

Climbed up and scouted a new ridge. Dropped down to grab stand and drop pack then back in. Wind about blew me away. Found better prospects if my knees will let me climb a few more times. Some reason starting this year they give me trouble if I’m really pushing theckimbsZ 100# pack and 2nd trip with 30#s gear and stand 1500 - 2000’ nearly vertical doesn’t feel so good. Had weird feeling in one after getting hit by car 4 years ago because the Dr drilled titanium nail that stabilized leg through the knee cap. Maybe the accident catching up to me finally. Taking on car driving 35-40 mph with your side probably not good for long term.

And don’t care it’s a newish Titan SD or that if it’s ledt after season it might get removed by DNR. I’ll instead it so it doesn’t hurt the trees growth but that stand might live up there forever. Funny out of miles of land the one scraggly tree I found that might work had 50+ year old sqyarehwadlags from I’m guessing old stand. About every foot or so. What are the odds that I’d pick the one tree on top of mountain some old hunter Used?

Yeah...……… Hindsight is always 20/20 or better.


I guess, ultimately, eating and paying the bills trumps deer hunting with your kids and family and silly chit like that. My employer has its folks pants down, over a barrel and they know it.

No, ultimately it doesn’t. Not in this house anyway. I’ve quit jobs for getting hunting time off before. I’ll do it again. But I don’t have to because I don’t work for ass holes.

I hope to God, that I never need one days pay, bad enough to miss the first day of deer season, yet sadder is the fact that you would not put your kids first buck in front of a that days pay.

Sadly, You will one day regret, all of these lost opportunities to spend with your children, for that one days pay.

My dad and the other original members of our camp (all passed on now) used to hunt back in the Treasure Lake area before it was called Treasure Lake. Their property extends up near the area we hunt. Lots of deer back in there for sure.

Dad was a carpenter by trade, and his work usually wound down before deer season. One year he was still working when deer season rolled around, and the boss knew he was a hunter. He told Dad he'd not be getting days off to go hunting. Dad packed his tools and left-never looked back. I couldn't work for an employer who couldn't give me time off for deer opener.

Believe me...……...not my choice. I'd give up the WEEK'S pay to hunt with my kids. It's the "insubordination" thing that gets ya by the nads. Where I work, there is NO vacation and NO personal days granted from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Call off sick on the first day of deer season and you'll come back Tuesday to suspension papers. No question. No kidding.



I do.

OK, let’s let it lie. This is a fine thread and it is obvious Yoder would like things to be different. For whatever reason, or reasons, this is the place he currently finds himself.

Idea for another thread. “What would you do if your employer said....”

Under those circumstances, you should have earned enough money to retire a long time ago.

I did. My ex got half of it.


Anyhoo…………… I'm within a few years of walking in, giving them the finger and walking out retired, so...……… Better days ahead.

Since I didn't get to take my little (not so little anymore) hunter gal out yesterday, I'm taking her to Nebraska this spring to chase Merriam's birds. I AM allowed vacation in May.

I was going to post something similar. But since you said it so well......

I got detention in HS for taking off first 2 days of Pa buck season.

It was worth it.

It's totally your choice. It's also your choice not to work somewhere else. It's about priorities...yours are different than mine and that's OK. I've worked for ass holes twice. I got a new job both times...including this fall. This is the first week in November I've worked this year.

I have an idea for a thread....When is battue going to post his 2018 PA buck kill.

Lay down an "upper decker" in the john before you do that.

And also....ask for deer season off. When they so "no"....give em the double middle fingers and say "here's my retirement notice."

Just getting ready to head out. Now you have put the pressure-maybe curse-on me. Thanks or

I spent 3 hours in my ladderstand. Cold driving rain and lots of wind. I heard one shot all morning. My stand is in a nice honey hole but the deer were bedded fast.
I have been working since, but it looks like saturday is looking a little better with only partial rain predicted. Poor weather leaves more bucks for flintlock season.
I live in premium State forest land, and the camps are emptier every year.
Good luck guys.

You ain't right....... 😁

I like the way you roll !! Carry on, gents.

Best of luck laying in some backstraps to all of yinz !!!!

I hunted sunrise to sunset on Monday. Fortunately, I have a stand with a roof on private property. I saw 6 doe on Monday. Tuesday morning found me back in the stand at 6:00 am. At 6:45 am, I had a small 3 point come out to the field. I watched him for a while. Then the wind laid over a dead ash 60 yards above me. He didn't like that. 20 minutes after that another small buck maybe a 4 point forkhorn crossed above me. My father in law then sent me a text to make sure I was okay because he heard the tree fall. As I was replying to him, I saw another rack above in the brush. I put the phone down and zoomed the scope in on a 2 1/2 year old 8 point. A 140 grain Nosler Etip from my 7 mag ended my hunt. I sat too many days in archery season without seeing a buck to let one pass. I had 8 buck on my trail camera but they never showed while I was in the stand. After tagging and dragging the buck to my truck, I walked to the shanty that my father in law and sister in law were sitting in to see if they wanted me to walk the standing corn near them. The farm still has 40 acres of corn standing and they probably won't get it off until after the ground freezes. I pushed the corn and a golden rod meadow and jumped a doe but no buck. After the push, I went back to them and 20 minutes after getting there a nice 8 point came out of the field I just walked through. Unfortunately, my sister in law couldn't find the buck in the scope and then my father in law missed it at 200 yards. I think the wind pushed the bullet in front of the buck. We did see 14 doe and a forkhorn later but no other shooters.

Congrats whit!!!!

Had a cold and windy mid-morning till dark, but found a new spot that has more than a little promise. Rubs everywhere and no human tracks in the snow. Soooo....

Saw this one taking a walk....




Saw this one taking a rest....




This one showed me her ass....




And a little later a Buck showed me his horns, but unfortunately not for long....


They are using it more than a little....

Sorry bout pic quality, its screenshot from video. I got a 5pt tonight.



Its actually a 6, but the one point was half broke off, a ring could hang on it but im callin it a 5. I saw him earlier with a doe but couldnt see brows. So thick and the damn wind had my eyes screwed up. Bout 2 hours later the doe came back up over the knob. I looked but couldnt see him right away. I saw a tree moving more than the wind was pushing em. Here he was makin a rub! I wasnt sure it was the same buck, even though it was 10 yrds from where they were earlier, so I put my scope on him. Still couldnt see brows. Im tellin ya, my eyes were so screwed from the wind it aint funny. They were only 35 yrds away at this point. He walked up hill about 15 yrds and I could finally see a brow. Put the cross hairs on his shoulder and let her fly. Busted his shoulder low but damn thing ran 30 back down hill. My trucks at the top of the hill!...lol. Aint nothin ever easy. Called my dad and he drove back in the mountain and helped me drag it out.

I tell ya. I owe him a lot. Id still be back there if it wasnt for him. I wont be able to hunt myself much longer, my bodys just had enough. I guess sitting out in the rain all day monday didnt help. I was freakin beat monday night. Stayed in yesterday because my gear wasnt dried out. Gore Tex really sucked ass in that rain! I was soaked through and through. I outta post a pic of my hands. My fingers looked like I been washin dishes for a week...lol. One day ill learn my lesson and wear gloves and a true rain suit. I hope anyhow. I think im more tough than I am. And I pay for it bigtime!

Been a slow year thus far for me. I did see a nice buck opening morning as we were departing a swamp to head to another area. I was 2-steps down a ladder stand when I happened to look over my shoulder to see a nice buck leaving the greenbriar patch where my buddy had been standing. By the time I re-gained two ladder rungs and got the scope on him he was out in the brush and moving quick. I found an opening and shot but missed, then another hunter on a neighboring property shot and missed him as well.

Since then all I’ve seen is doe. Decided to change things up this morning and hunted SGL 13 and 57, more snow than we expected. Hiked about 2 miles in and back but never cut a fresh track.

Wind is supposed to lay down tomorrow and clear a bit, should be a good day. Lots of standing corn in my area which is really making things difficult. All the deer I’ve seen on evening sits have been leaving corn fields. Fields are so wet I’d be supposed if the corn gets cut at all in some areas.

Congrats pahick, I hear ya on the wind and rain...

Thanks! Worse than the wind and rain was the ice. On the way to camp we hit that freezing rain. Some guy in a Subaru tried to go around a car that slid across lanes. He didnt make it. They were sandwiched in the middle of the road. Guess it was a good thing cause it stopped us before it got worse. Sat for over an hour before salt truck came.

Good luck to ya! This weather has been something. Enjoy tomorrow, I hear more waters comin, in one form or another.

Congrats pahick!!!! Keep getting it done.

Appreciate it! Good luck to y'all!

I was lucky enough to see the hay day of Pa. hunting , pheasants , rabbits , grouse , deer. Now , "pheasants are put and take " rabbits if you got dogs , grouse ( in my area ) all but gone !
Deer , and Deer hunters non existent. A [bleep] state run by [bleep] politicians. I hunted Tuesday from sun up till sun down saw one other hunter , 3 deer , and never heard a shot.I would like to know the amount of hunters who quit because of the lack of game in Pa. The game commission manages deer so they can take in more money for timber , not to cater to the hunter. It's about money with the PGC not hunters.

The comments of the POFA are noted and recorded. Perhaps you would prefer Michigan, Minnesotta, and Wisconsin where they introduced Wolves and raised the general license fees more than once within the last 15 years. Grouse and Pheasants are also down considerably in those States.

Now on the brighter side....

We have Squirrels almost everywhere, and the Bear population is still exploding. To keep it light, we should also mention Turkeys now also reside in Oakland which is a part of the city of Pittsburgh.

And this one was taken within 1.5hours of Carnegie....


TaDaaa!!!! (Not me, but I will be close by the same location.)



An acquaintance took this one on Monday. Again around 1.5hours and he saw 28 total. (Make that Tuesday.)




These two are examples of what can grow, if there is not a hunter behind every tree, every day of the season knocking them off. Perhaps these are the good old days????

Out the Door to hunt, I think that is still part of the game.

(I qualify for membership, but please, I prefer to not join. Thanks anyway.)

Monday after I left the woods....



Even had my hands in my pockets half the day. That rain was brutal.

6 Does and one spindly little Buck that was legal that insisted in trying to figure me out on a cornfield edge. Hopefully he will be around next year.

Had left the camera in the 4 Runner and it was a mistake, I looked down and saw what I first thought were Grouse tracks, but were too small. Then I noticed movement and these 5 little Quail scurry thru the tangle right at my feet. Except they didn't have the white cheek patch of a Bobwhite. Definitely not Chuckers that someone had worked their Dog on. They looked like the classic Partridge in a pear tree bird. You could have held one in the palm of your hand. Full grown Quail in size, but didn't have the coloration of a Bobwhite. I don't know.

Addition: Just looked at some pics and I was thinking male Bobwhites. These were all females.

Battue- when it comes to Pa deer hunting we are in the good ole days as far as deer numbers and possibly seeing real mature bucks, no denying it. Things have changed in the negative in the realm of opportunities to hunt. Land is now hard to come by, people jealously guard deer as if they were actual property. Finding room to wander is getting pretty tough, takes away from the adventure. Trail cameras, food plots and too much planning detract from the experience. Small game hunting, now that is a whole nother story, all the same negatives with the added bonus of less critters. I love how our deer herd in Pa has changed, I do not love how the overall experience has changed.

MM

Maybe Coturnix (Pharaoh) quail. Kinda look bobwhites. Not much at all for flying. Some guys use them to train pointers.

Yoder,

I think you have it right in that originally they were not 3 feet from me and didn't fly. They just walked away and worked their way thru the brush. I didn't try to make them fly, because evening was coming on and wanted to give the chance to covey up together. These actually looked a little bigger than Bobwhites.

MM,

I can agree and disagree depending on where one lives. Admittedly I am not all that enthused about the current posting issues here in Western Pa. I just removed myself from an excellent lease because of something previously mentioned. So personally for myself, right now things have changed. Down the road is a 2000 acre game lands which allows more than a little room to wander. There is a decent Deer population and few use it. Pretty steep country in many places. A couple years ago I bounced out a jumbo on it.

Game Lands 95 in Butler County is huge with 9,300 acres and the GC manages it with more than a few food plots, timbering, winter protective cover, etc. Damn them having the nerve to manage a GL for Deer, what were they thinking. We hunt stocked Pheasants there and it is covered with Deer sign. Never been there on opening day, but I've little doubt thru the week you would have most of it to yourself.

In looking recently, I found some landowner signs that said hunting with permission. It is a land program that works in conjunction with the GC. Were they thinking about Deer hunters again? Na not the Pa GC. I couldn't track down the owner, so parked my car and left a landowner note on the windshield that gave my personal info and a request if they come upon my car to give me a call until I can contact the GC and find theirs. Hunted it and took the pics of the Deer I found there. It was loaded with Buck sign.

I don't know what is going on in all of the State, but around me, a little effort will find one a decent place to hunt.


Addition: I grew up with the old days and they are a history probably never to return. We have a choice, quit, biitch about it or find another way.

I think I finally got the picture thing to work. Here’s my opening day 9pt I posted about. Good luck to the rest of you fellows still trying to fill a tag!

That fella has some mass on him, congrats...

I got it done this morning. Walked in to my spot where 3 little creeks converge, sat for a few, then noticed something behind me in the field. It was 4 doe, then a 5th doe came out. All fed back into the woods except one. She kept looking back then he stepped out. Got down prone and led him slightly as he was walking towards her; 150 partition found the boiler room and he did his death run.

Nice bucks guys!

Nice, no doubt. Congrats to all. I'm not much of a morning person, then I can't let the Dog home all day, will be going out shortly.

Congrats Tom! Nice buck!

Battue, get yur butt out there, I wanna see horns!!


Side note, never got bologna made. Usually just cut it up myself. Im still hurting so took mine up to local butcher. Didnt ask cost, just told the mennonite to cut the horns off for me and weigh it. 158lbs. After butcherin how much bologna can I expect? I got half regular half pepper jack.

Crappy video, but my mom liked seeing videos on facebook so I did one when I got mine. Dont laugh...lol. My old mans already callin me Will Primos Freakin butthead I tell ya...lol. I had to say BBD cause it gets to him when he watches huntin videos

Home from the hill. Saw seven, six were Does for sure. Another came out into an overgrown weed field at 4:45 and disappeared. Thought I saw horns thru the binos at around 200 yards, but he never came out of the thick.

Went looking for these guys and found them. I'll let Yodor do an ID....Again they didn't want to fly. Although these look more like males.

AND....Wanted to find the owners of that new piece I found. So tried a 7day free trail of this app. Name and address popped up in literally minutes after I downloaded it....

https://www.onxmaps.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4PX_qrD93gIVmIqzCh0RBQrFEAAYASAAEgIJpfD_BwE

I use OnX as well and fairly handy to find stands, down deer, etc. oh and left my cliff side stand at 3 due to rain and terrible coughing fits and on climb down an 8 pt. was cruising directly below me on cliffs . Decided he’s legal and while I just humped a stand 2k’ over a real nice bedding block full of huge rubs I wasn’t looking a gift horse in the mouth.

😀 congrats

In addition, I have a piece of my Grandparents old farm. OnX saved me thousands in being able to locate the boundary pins without going thru a survey.

20% off with promo code Randy or meateater

Those are Bobs !!!


Possibly juveniles...…….maybe that's why they didn't fly. Most likely escapees from a dog training deal or someone's propagation pen. Nevertheless...………...WAY COOL to see. Good thing you got some pics. Doubtful they'll last long. Death from above will, most assuredly, do 'em in.

Another....This group was all males, the other females. That field is about a mile from my Uncles old farm and a long time ago in a far away land it had Wild Bobs. Never many, but they were there. Like you I think these are domestic escapes. But wouldn't it be cool....

I had to zoom the phone so they could be seen, or the pics would have been better.

It would be WAY cool !!! Just don't get your hopes up too high.

25-30 years ago, when I was raising and training pointing dogs, I kept a return pen of 20 or so Bobs at all times. One hen sneaked off and raised herself a brood in my fields. The covey started out late spring/early summer at around 6 birds. Even though my property and the surrounding properties were PRIMO upland cover, the covey dwindled ……………...one by one...………..and by the following March, was gone.

In the early 50's my uncle Coon (everyone called him Coonie never heard him call Conrad) and a friend had a old camp that had to be relocated when the George B Stevenson Dam was being constructed. My wife's uncle Jim was working at the dam project and "borrowed" a company bulldozer and they took a chainsaw to cut the cabin in half then uncle Jim skidded it up the hill side to it's current resting place.

A lot of great stories were told of that adventure but the very best happened as they were reattaching the two sections.

Working on a hillside they setup temporary piers and beams to rest it on, while old Stan was working under it a pier came loose and the cabin collapsed trapping him underneath. All his friends feared the worst, screaming for Stan's brought no response and frantic digging began. After a while they got to Stan just laying there between the floor joists completely unharmed!

When asked why the "heck" he never answered frantic screams he claimly replys "I figured if you didn't know I was ok you would dig faster!!!

After getting over wanting to throw him back under the cabin they were glad he survived 😀

In the 50's and 60's Potter county had a unbelievable amount of deer, while spotlighting hundreds could be spotted in a single large field, it was 55 years ago when at age 9 I took my first trip to the deer camp. Deer were everywhere and the camp was filled to the brim. It was setup to sleep 10 using several home made double bed bunk beds with extra army cots to be used because up to 16 guys would show up to hunt the first day.

As the crew got older less guys came and then the over harvesting of does began and you could hunts days and see only a handful of deer. This season two friends were the only hunters at camp, a far cry from it's heyday!

My brother, myself and two cousins own it now and after 50 plus years it needs plenty of repairs. Hope to retire next year and I can see needing months spent there getting it back into shape. I plan to leave my share to my brothers two boys they enjoy using it and can hopefully them and their kids can keep it going another 50 years.

While editing hit the delete by mistake..

Quail update: The guy who shot the smaller Deer I posted was raising the Quail for his Bird Dog. Mystery solved.

Almost uneventful day in that only saw two Deer. Around noon or so the rain started and thank you God for rain gear.

However, the one Deer was something my Cousin saw from another hillside and on a hill behind a Sheetz. I went and took a look and this is what I found. The ears almost look too big, but they were attached to the real thing. Tried to get a pic when she stood up, but she didn't give me the chance. This is the second time I've been fortunate enough to see one.



Another:




Had a small Owl fly right past my head and go into a hole in a snag.

I saw a buck this AM but he was better at hiding behind a tree than I was at trying to see around the tree. He finally walked straight away, only giving me a glimpse or two of antlers and his backside before he dropped over the bank and out of sight.

I did see a flock of 30-40 turkeys in the neighbors field. And a couple of more deer on the drive home.

Dale

Dale-they do have a knack for doing that, don't they? Sorry you didn't tag out, buddy. Heading out for ML this weekend. Fresh snow on the ground. Hope it helps.

Are the acorns gone up there?

hunted all week and saw more bucks than does. only one was legal though and was a little 5 or 6. saw a guy dragging a monster out on the 2nd day. i'm talking big big 8 with tines as thick as my ankles. deer was huge too. gave me hope for the rest of the week but the wind was all over the place and it rained on and off. not the worst of weather but not great. my mountain hunting is done for the year. i'll probably do some pushes for my boys behind the house this weekend.

There are zero acorns in the middle of the state. No walnuts either. I guess the rain did them in.
Usually you can't walk in some areas with all the acorns on the ground. No it is very hard to find any, anywhere.

3 Squirrels....

And they were working the acorns....

Anybody see the Realtree video? It was in the local paper tonight, dont think they did a bad job...

Thanks for posting this. They did just fine.

Welcome. I see some locals, Dallastown school and Godfrey Meats just down the road. Wish there'd be more on that magic of opening day in PA.

Nicely done.... could have the video much longer.

+1

Really liked that video. Those who've never experienced a Pa. deer opener have no idea what a big deal this really is.

Great video.

That is a good video.

I have always wanted to try Pennsylvania deer hunting. Someone posted a video a while back of the Allegheny region and that would interest me.

Went for a short walk Fri morning before chores. I decided to sit on a little log pile on the edge of the field. (We're getting a little bit of logging done) I thought everything left the field for the day, but was watching a couple of doe mull around under an apple tree at the other end of the field. Caught a glimpse of his antler but that was it. Ten min later the doe left the field. Figured the buck did as well. After a few minutes, this buck and smaller one run out into the middle of a grass strip. They were fighting and knocking heads. When I had a solid shot, I aimed at the larger one.




Model 70, 30-06 165 hornady, around 325 yards. 3C

Ben congrats and good shooting!!!! Very nice Buck....

4 Does today, but with each one the odds of the next one being a Buck keep going up. I think, it works that way.

Nice buck Ben!

I tagged out yesterday on a nice 8, 17 1/2 inside spread, heavy horns. I do not have a photo hosting sight, so sorry no pics. Interesting thing, saw 6 deer before the one I shot. Two were quite large for does I thought. As they worked closer I saw they were in fact bucks in which the horns had fallen off. Then the buck I shot lost both of his horns before I got him out of the woods! A bit early for this.....

Third deer I have shot with a 243. Like the other 2, about a 50-75 yard run with a very slight blood trail. In each case it was a heart/lung shot. I always autopsy the animal while dessing and skinning. All 100 grain slugs, one Speer Grand Slam, one Federal blue box and this one a Hornady boat tail. Speer and Hornady were my loads. This buck was pretty good size, no scales but surely at least 150 dressed. The other two were smaller, 100-120 dressed. The bullets all exited but odly, I found this one, Hornady, in the rear opposite flank. The exit hole wss very small and the slug was not imbedded very deep in the flank. It still had the core and was nicely expanded.

I like the 243, but sure miss the blood trails that the larger calibers I have used provide. Could make for a tougher tracking job if the deer went farther.

Thanks, it's been an enjoyable season.

Bumped into this guy last week as well.

I can't even come close to the "Killed three Doe" thread, but I did see three.

Great stories guys.. Sure miss the Pa. hunt.. Nothing like it in this country.. Hope to make it back some year soon..

Two does and a skipper... SMFH

The deer and hunter numbers are down. I've seen the same six doe and three spikes almost every day that I've been out.
I haven't seen a legal buck yet. It's a little discouraging but I'll be out all day Friday and Saturday.

Been out for 7 of the current 10 days trying to bag a deer. While some can claim that the deer herd is in good condition, not so much here in the northeast part of the state (WMU 3D).

There is no denying that antler restriction works, as the guys that do manage to bag a buck, end up with a nice rack, but the shear number of deer seen in the woods is dismal. I mean, in 7 days, I've seen three deer. Listening on the opening day, I think I heard, maybe.....3-4 shots. The opening day used to sound like you were at a shooting range. Not any more, Not for the last several years.

The days of walking through the woods, kicking out deer and loosing count of the tails is long gone. Everyone you bump into while hunting says the same thing; no deer seen, no shots heard, etc. At the end of the first week, we put on several drives and no deer were kicked out. This, is a very, very bad sign. The areas we push have always held deer. But after the second drive, our group all looked at each other and thought the same thing; this is going to be a very bad year.

Some areas of the state seem to have a good balance and good herd population. Not so much in other areas.

The hunting is sporadic. You need to be where the deer are, scouting pays huge dividends. And you dont necessarily have to put boots on the ground. A good map, or even google maps, can pay off. I talked to a few gentleman while I was up, they hunt 2 ridges over. None saw deer nor did they hear shots. I saw deer all 3 days I was out and shot the 5pt I posted. I heard a total of 21 shots Monday, Tuesday I didnt go out because my gear was soaked from Monday. Wednesday I heard 6 shots, 3 were mine(I wanted that sob down before it got into the cut!). My cousin was pissed at the rain on Monday and the deep snow cover, went home at lunch. His dad stayed til lunch Wednesday, frustrated because he only saw a few doe. Came home here to southern PA and killed a really nice buck on SGLs.

None of the camps on our hill or out either way for a few miles had deer hanging. Most left camp by 2nd day. Did hear of a camp down the road killing a basket 9 yesterday. Other than that, the only deer taken near us was mine that we saw. Im sure the 21 shots on 1st day got a few, though I know some of those shots(at least 4) were from the same guy, and right after another 3 down the ridge further so that buck might still be running today.

For MY area, I know the deer herd is slightly down. It has rebounded a bunch. But this weather really put a damper on kills.

I haven't seen a legal buck yet either.

Today: 1 Doe, 1 Possum and 1 Squirrel. I'm literally in the middle of more Deer sign than one should be granted. Don't know why I'm not seeing more. Heavy snow started around 4PM, Perhaps they are tucked in.

I've had a legal Buck within 30 yards, but he deserved more growing time.


However, some are not only obviously seeing them but connecting also. Passed this guys processing/fur buying operation this AM. There is another partial row behind this one.




There are more than a few Does in that pile. 7 out of 10? Yearling Bucks? You want more Deer then the answer is obvious. We do it to ourselves, but lets blame the GC. Friend just shot his second Doe today. I don't get it. That pic is just one buyer. It goes on all across the State. One here, two there, 10 over there. Next year you can come back and wonder where the Deer are.

Addition: You want more Deer, then either don't buy or burn the Doe tags until you are seeing enough. Mother rocks the cradle. Most in those piles will be out of that county and he doesn’t get all of them or the ones that are thrown away. Wonder when the complaining will start.

My Cousin was in the fur business and would buy approximately 5,000 hides out of that county. And again he didn’t get them all. At the time the claimed county kill was 3,000. The count was more than a little off and probably remains so today.

There are other piles other than what you see and since most hunt local these days, the total count will come close to the listed kill for that game unit. Does for sure. And again, there are other buyers. Something fishy is going on in the Deer pile.

Got out around lunchtime - 7 deer including 1 buck of unknown size came out from the woods edge by the neighbors kids swingset. they ran up the woods edge, crossed thru the houses and went into a 100 x 75 foot patch of woods in another neighbors backyard and hung out there. No tracks in the big woods,

Well, here the wood and fields were covered with tracks. I left at dark last night and there were none. Didn't get to hunt today until the last 3 hours or so, and when I started out tracks were everywhere, in the fields and in the wood. Followed some up knowing I would bounce them and hoped they would show themselves. All I got was snorts.

Deer won for the season. Saw one Doe today.

However, I will leave you with this and that would be to pay attention. Pay attention not only to your hunting, but what is above you. I was ready to take a short stand beside a tree that would have been close to this. I'm not sure how it was still hanging, but I am sure it will not be hanging long and that one wouldn't want to be under it when it decided to come down. It is a good 30 feet up and perhaps more.

I saw 18 Doe today but I was on Public land and they were on Private and none of them crossed over.

Deer won again. For the second year in a row, the woman got one, and I didnt. I gotta start just shooting the deer I see, instead of setting her up. Probably not worth what I would go through though! After probably 200 or so deer in Maryland, I have yet ti kill one in Pa, and to kill one with a centerfire. Could not use those where I was in Md. Still flintlock, I guess.

Haven't seen a legal buck in 2 years. Had 2 on a game camera, but they bed on private land, off the public land I hunt. Have one guy that makes a habit of walking around a major food plot 15 minutes after sunset. Does wonders for saving deer...I hate public land, too poor for my own.

I'm with you. I hate public land too but I'm also land poor.

Yesterday afternoon while moving to another location I ran into the farmer who owns the ground I'm hunting on. It is within a mile of the lease-gated in and out, but no fence,1200 wooded acres-I was on, and the guys on the lease are seeing many Deer, but not the Bucks we saw in the past.

I mentioned that the Deer on his land were really spooky, and while I saw more than enough rubs, Bucks were hard to come by and that there was more than enough food with his surrounding fields. He matter of factually said the lease becomes a refuge every year. I mentioned I saw only a couple hunters, so I doubt they had reason to refuge-up. He said, "You don't see them because they hunt at night and I live right here and hear the shooting. Most of the nice Bucks are gone before the opener."

Poaching traditions run strong in that area. Most of my relatives were born to it.

Addition: He also said he calls the GC and they take the info over the phone, but he never hears of any follow up. He did mention there was a new GW for the area and he wants to make a name for himself. If there is any truth to all of it, then maybe something good will come of it.

Exactly the case for me as well. The most tracks I've seen all season. Deer, coyote, Fisher, even bear. My b-in-law saw the Bruin at dark Fri . Saw one doe at ten till five Sat. As you say. The deer won the season.

Aside from the two nice bucks I saw early the first Saturday, nothing. Saw a LOT of spikes this year. On properties 25 miles apart. No less than 7.

Killed a six point on opening day last year. "Settled" for a baldy on the last Friday, this year. No shortage of deer in "my" part of 3A and lots of good bucks, but haven't seen one yet when it counts. Upside, got to spend the entire season at camp again this year. First time for that in a few years.

Got cold in week two, still trying to get warm now that I'm back home. Congrats to all the lucky folks. Which to me, is anyone lucky enough to have gotten out. ;O)

I tagged a nice size doe on Saturday morning. We didn't see a lot of deer all season but there is so much sign in some of the woods, it looks like my dad still has cows. Most of the tracks seem to head for posted ground, it appears the deer were coming over to Dad's farm to eat and heading back before daylight.

All season I only saw 8 deer including 2 bucks, I hunted at least part of 7 days. But I saw less than a dozen hunters in that time frame too and all were local. I did hear shooting every time I was out.

I took the deer to a processor outside of Brockway, the tag they gave me for her was #315. No idea if that number is hi or lo for them and also keep in mind the shop is one of the cooperating processors in the CWD area #3. So that may have skewed the numbers of deer they took in.

A coworker has a camp in Lycoming county, I think he said they took 9 deer this year. Another coworker said they drove a a 15 acre woodlot here in Somerset and pushed out 40 does and 6 bucks.

The good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be out in muzzleloader season.

Dale

Time to get the flintlocks tuned up.

Yep, got a doe tag left and kids have been mowing through the I got in Rifle. Gotta get another to make it to Spring 😀

Hoping for snow...

In the treetops.

Any acorns in that oak? Most tree in my area did not produce any, even walnuts were sparse.

another week until archery opens again. I always save a tag in hopes of a doe on a cold archery hunt.