I started hunting in PA in 1947, which made last season my 72 nd.
In 1947 and into the early 50s there were "antler restrictions", requiring at least one antler to have a fork or put another way a Y on at least one side regardless of antler length. It was later changed to the 3" spike length to pacify hunters.
It took at least 8/9 hours assuming good weather/roads to drive the roughly 250 miles from where I lived in lower bucks co. to Cameron co. That because it was all 2 lane roads that took you right thru every town along the way. But the roads were also cluttered with cars containing other hunters, and when you arrived in places like Sinnemahoning, it was booming with hunters.
GET THIS, last fall on opening morning of buck season, there was just one lone hunter having breakfast in the dining room at the Slate Run Hotel, and that was a good friend of mine. Fact is that today, many of the nice old camps don't even open for deer season at all. Also today that same trip I mentioned can take less than 5 hours, and yet very few go.
There are far more bear and nicer bucks than ever, not to even mention the abundant turkey population, but fewer hunters hunting them.
There has never in my long lifetime been a better time for getting a trophy buck than there is today. The only thing lacking is the type hunters it requires to take one. Does it sound as though im touting on the good old days here?
Driving to camp on Friday after work, and driving back home on Sunday afternoon with a deer, especially a buck, really never would work well regardless of which days we might be permitted to hunt, or what day the season opens, or what type rifle you can shoot it with.
What will you be wanting next sonny, home delivery?
As for the PGC, im not a fan of government in any form, but even a semi independently run game department is far better than one controlled by the legislature and a governor completely. There is nothing the DCNR would like better than to be in "complete" control the game commission, same as they are over "our" public land.
