Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Unsuccessful PA rifle season

I grew up in PA, and moved away in 1995 and currently live in Texas. However my family is still up there. I’ve never missed a PA deer season.

In reading through all the posts, no mention that the firearms season opened on a Saturday (same as 2020) and this was first year they let hunting on Sunday - as opposed to the last 50 years+ of an opening season on Monday. Despite the change, I still saw the same number of hunters. Kicked out and saw about the same number of deer. No shootable bucks this year.

Hunting conditions varied from ok to miserable with respect to weather. It snowed 10” on Monday, and the visibility in the mixed woods I hunt went from few hundred yards to less than 50 yards.

I think that snow, or lack of it has a lot to do with the success I’ve generally had hunting in PA.

I live in Texas now, and the hunting is night and day with PA. There are still 100s of places I can hunt in PA, from small unposted 5-20 acre deer hideouts, to large tracks of public land. Texas is all about expensive leases. Texas hunting is just easy, but gives me nowhere the satisfaction of taking a free range, naturally fed, single PA deer. Plus an out of state license for just over $100 is a bargain.