In Wisconsin , I am all for an earlier season and PA. is about the same. Next year , Wisconsin gun opens Nov. 23. This yr it opened Nov. 17. There is a big difference in a season that starts 6 days later. The bucks are all but done rutting . Ya, I know, we still see them chasing but up in the big public land, the does are scarce. The bucks run themselves half to death for a few does. By the time Nov. 23 comes , they are tired. Trail cam pics of daytime bucks are rare, and I mean rare. One or two bucks a year after mid Nov. is rare to see a trail cam pic of any legal buck during shooting hours and this includes areas that are not even hunted so it's not hunter pressure. From Oct. 28 to Nov. 9 is when we get almost all our daytime pics of bucks, and many of those bucks would keep a youngin interested for a few more years and likely forever if they see a decent buck ever few years. Up there, you can go years without seeing a buck, any buck, even a spike is a real treat. The only way is to bait and keep a bait pile active . I refuse to hunt like that . If we outlaw bait , and everyone would stop baiting , the deer would move all day like they used to , at least a lot more than they used to. If we outlaw bait,and everyone stopped , we could hunt the whole month of November and not shoot any more bucks than the 9 day gun with bait. This way we can choose our time easier. You dont NEED to be out there opening morning a 5AM. Also, the second morning of gun season it was just below zero and a good wind. I didn't bother so I took a walk . I just dont have the desire to sit motionless in a tree for long . I likely have a deer from my home town with a bow. If the DNR wants more license , I suggest opening up season a bit earlier. One week would likely be warmer , more " fall ish " weather instead of winter. If y await to hun tlater go with a muzzleloader too if ya like the 10 below. We need to come up with something. Wisconsin lost another 14,000 gun sales tis year . Michigan wad down even more. It can't be much longer and leases will likely drop . No one hunting means less demand, less demand. Less lease demand will not fall off much cause as hunters get older, they say to heck with public and avr. age gun hunter in Wisc. is 54 yrs old. At this time in their lives , they say I will lease, sit in a warm blind on GOOD deer land and see deer. When they give up that ghost lease demand will be reduced. Has to . If license sales continue down , there is just less hunters on public. I have sure seen it in Northern Wisconsin. I have also seen it in S.E. Wisconsin too, but still a lot of hunters, just noticeably less. DNR had a big problem with gun sales. One reason is there are so many crossbow hunters now. Their success rate in Wisconsin is undeniable, and surely one reason gun hunters are tired of lack of deer, after 2 months of bow/crossbow seasons. Up north you get a bait pile going a few weeks and stupid spikes come right in. Put their heads down , stand broadside and shoot a bolt from an X bow with an aluminized scope on a rest. Its not even hunting and no harder than a deer target. To leave gun hunters sucking hind ttiit is not appreciated , although , I bow hunt , I dont bait. Baiting is for those who just want to say they shot a deer, the ones not baiting are out hunting .
We gun hunter suck hind tit here in PA too.
