Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting PA Game Commision- Vote to change opening day.....

Point well taken, every law that is passed takes away a little freedom that one is unlikely to ever get back.

Totally disagree with not requiring blaze orange!

In the days before it was required, one of my friends shot and killed one of my other friends in a deer drive on a rainy day. A deer ran into brush and my friend stepped out the other side, wearing brown canvas. Thankfully I was not present. But i have remained friends with the shooter. We've been freinds since grade school and we are both in our seventies. It still haunts him.

A number of years later, my father in law shot my father in a line of fire accident while we were small game hunting. A woodcock flew between them. My Dad had gotten a little ahead of our line, so wasnt where he was supposed to be, but in heavy cover that happens. I had to carry my Dad a half mile to get to the car and drive nearly 30 minutes to get to the hospital. He survived, but was in intensive care over a week.


Both incidents would have been prevented with blaze orange.
Those incidents occurred in PA.

My friend Lynn died at 15 years old. Not a very long life. A lot to give up.
The rules are not that complicated.

Bfly

So, in short, the people in your examples weren't bright enough to wear it on their own? Not to be harsh, but that's it in a nutshell.

What you're saying is we need more laws to protect people from themselves? I'm sorry people aren't smart enough to figure sheit out, but you can't legislate stupid.

No, you are not correct. None of the participants were stupid and shame on you for suggesting that. There was no blaze orange at that time. Those are the kinds of accidents that happened before blaze orange was available.
I would hope that you are lucky enough never to be involved in an accident, but they happen even to careful, thoughtful people.
I've been sneaked up on in spring turkey season, so I use a tree band or blaze hat, even when not required, because not every person is always focused on safety.
Bfly

Got 2 farms in the family, both in Bradford county. Hunted many season there in the 70's thru the 90's. As we always did some "drives", wearing orange was simply practical. Most of those years, buck and doe seasons were separate, which added another small element of safety.
As I seriously believe that orange makes not difference to deer, I have always worn it, living in NY. I see 1 or more clowns hunting in full camo every year. Don't hunt PA any more due to NY's long season, and generous allottment of tags.
Some years ago, I was hunting grouse behind my dogs. We came into an ancient apple grove and the dogs went on point. Not until birds flushed, and we started shooting, did an archery hunter, in full camo, in a tree stand, make his presence known. Scared the bejesus out of all of us. Made a serious impression.
People that insist they must be in full camo are just foolish, particularly when on public land.

Those were two blatant mistakes that I doubt blaze could have stopped. They were breaking rules of hunter safety that everyone should know. Orange or not.

One of the big reasons hunter numbers are down. Especially with kids. But hey, you are on old retired fart who has his. Screw the future. Congratulations?

MN has the same problem. I've been trying to work with the DNR to get a better, wider spread youth season. They really seem to have no interest. The biggest reason...Old farts. They are the ones putting up the stop signs saying we had to wait until we were 12 and we had to wait until November, so do they. A bunch of Bull [bleep] if you ask me.

As part of my job, i ended up doing a number of joint investigations on poaching rings with the officer who investigated both instances in my previous post. It was close to the end of his career. We spent a fair amount of time sitting, watching, talking and drinking coffee. He believed both accidents would have been avoided with the use of blaze orange. More than once, he would shake his head and say, 'That kid would be here today if we would have had orange back then!'
We all make mistakes, we all get tired, we all get distracted, and we all get excited. We all need to be safe.
Bfly

He left because he was willing to do so at the time. A Pa Game Warden does not need probable cause to venture onto private property. All he has to say is he was looking for any possible game law violation. They also do not need a warrant to search a vehicle if they only think there is the possibility of a game law violation. However, if you push them they will most likely have you remain in place and have one signed off rather quickly. Right or wrong, that is the current law and it is not unique to only Pa.

Reason for entry is the only requirement. His reason was to verify a hunter was complying with legislated game laws.


HARRISBURG - Game wardens may enter posted land to investigate hunting violations, the state Supreme Court ruled in a case that arose during the first day of the 2002 bear-hunting season.Landowners do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy against enforcement of state game law, the court said in a 4-3 decision Tuesday. It endorsed the "open fields doctrine" that most other states have in place."The citizens of this commonwealth throughout our history have shown a keen interest in protecting and preserving as an asset the diverse wildlife that find refuge in the fields and forests within our borders," wrote Justice Ronald D. Castille for the majority. "This interest is so strong that it is enshrined by a separate provision of the Pennsylvania Constitution."The defendant, Joseph Russo Jr., was ordered to pay $3,600 in fines and restitution after game officers discovered he used an 80-square-foot pile of mashed apples to bait a bear near his hunting cabin in Mehoopany Township, Wyoming County.DNA evidence matched blood found at the apple mash pile -- along with bear tracks -- to a bear carcass seized from Russo's home in Pittston. He was found guilty of unlawful taking of game and using an illegal device to hunt.Russo appealed, arguing that the search of property posted with no-trespassing signs violated state constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure.

Your jealousy is shining thru! FTR I do post but have never refused permission to hunt except on the first two days of any season. I post because of atvs, people building treestands, hunters driving on fields, leaving trash, etc. My biggest bitch is not asking permission.
And you are correct I got mine and if you wish to use it play by my rules.

You didn’t mention the qualifiers in your original post. Nor should you flatter yourself in thinking I would be jealous of anything you have, or think it necessary for me to play by any rules you may make. 😀

He left because I reminded him how I allow public hunting on my private land an could easily not do so. I can only assume he realised harassing me for using a leaf blower and rake to clear a path thru the woods would look pretty silly to the magistrate. My big bitch was his thinking he could drive on my tractor path next to my corn field 500 yards to where I was. That SOB was in the habit of driving my 2 track on my property to look for law breakers at any time of day or night. I do not ask permission from him or you for what I do on my property. One do I give a chit what either of you think. IMO a game warden is a low life and a Democrat Game Warden is the lowest form of life.

Since when would I need to justify myself to an online troll?

You don’t, but you did. You BA “old fart trolls” are an absolute hoot. Keep it up, if for nothing more than the humor.

When that wears thin you can school us on the Pa Game code, which should be good for additional laughs.

You PA deer hunters are a serious bunch of bad azzez...One could only imagine what would happen if you had elk to hunt there. 😎

I just read a quote from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pertaining to wealth redistribution. It too mentioned something about too many rich, old, white people and the younger generation not having enough.

Easy to understand. People raising children to believe that marginal effort will still receive awards and admiration.

I’m all in for positive behavioral training, but on a hunting dog, at least until it’s of the age to understand the difference between work and play.

Work meant real birds will be in their mouth...Play was a bumper... Kids, the same thing. Work means prosperity. Play means the pleasure of disposable income from your work...😎

You think she also meant access to Deer hunting, the same as he had when he was young and without land? Then again, it may have originally been long time family land he was born to. Maybe not. However, he said if they asked he was fine with it, so I see little of her implication that applies here.

Addition: How often do you think she thinks about Deer hunting and the equality/access of it? You can do better....

Actually, elk are hunted in PA. Hunters took a total of 99 (cows and bulls) during the 2018 season.