Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting PA game commissioner resigns

From a guy that has hunted NY and PA for many decades, the change from a Sat opener to Saturday is a BIG deal.
NY shifted to a Saturday opener several years ago. The impact was significant, and not positive.
Deer season has never been simply about hunting, there has always been a huge social side.
Historically, "the guys" would start showing up in camp on Friday.
There was time to cook up a big perch fry,
maybe have a couple extra drinks, and have time to recover
stay up a late night, or two, playing cards,
sight in your firearms,
repair whatever need fixing,
visit other camps,
and generally catch up with old friend and relatives.
Much of this disappeared with the Monday opener. Guys work thru Friday and show up late, a fast food dinner, and out hunting at zero dark thirty. It made a real change for the worse at my camp, as well as several others that I visit.
Lastly, one of the states arguments was that the change would sell more licenses, attract more hunters. Just did not happen.
The population of folks that prize the hunt, with the kill being secondary, continues to decline. The breed just gets grayer, and slowly disappears into the sunset.
Pennsylvania's situation is doubly absurd, open on a Sat, but no hunting on Sunday???

The vote was 5 for and 3 against. Have the other two dissenting voters been forced out. As of now he quit.

Second issue:




Also would be interesting to know the particular college Thanksgiving vacation schedule. May be valid depending on when Thanksgiving vacation ended and they had to start ba

(Had to edit upon giving additional consideration.)

He solved the monumental conundrum on how to pick up his venison from the butcher this past year, unraveling this whole thing should be a walk in the park;
beer in one hand, cigarette in the other – "whatever's best for me while I'm still upright" is what I'm banking on.

It's politics, after all. You never know what's going on for certain behind the scenes. Maybe the other two tucked in their balls and fell in line. Who knows.

...... BUT, I will give kudos to PA for not having in increase in in license fees for over 20 years. I'm sure we can all agree that's actually an accomplishment.

While I agree with your comment there relly is no accomplishment to it, they just cut programs and closed farms.
The bird watchers,hikers, etc that "need a day too" is a BS statement by them and the PGC. Who own the State Gamelands? Who bought them? Let them sniff dandelions all they want on State Forests and private property 7 days a week. Just look at their uproar because the PGC closed the hiking trail to Glenenoka Falls (sp) somehow they forget it is GAMELANDS under control of state hunters, supported with funds from hunters what right do they have to ask for the trail to be left open with no vested interest? Kinda like me telling you what church to attend.

Overall I'm quite happy with the PGC as an agency. I think they've done a great job for the most part. The difficult part is that in PA every single deer hunter believes they are a wildlife biologist and you can't tell them anything. Me? I'm just delighted to have an extra Saturday tacked on to Rifle season.

Happy to put more stress on an alreaded depleted herd. Sounds pretty self serving and narrow minded to me...but we live in a me first era next you may want a participation trophy for just being out there in the field.

So... were is the depleted herd; and why is it depleatred?

know what Brainstorm meant. The entire ANF, NC part of the state parts of the NE are as well. Too many doe tags for too long too many greedy slobs bragging about how they and their kids kill a couple does a piece every year and then feed the meat to the dogs or just chuck it.
Last year my son killed a doe and a couple local kids killed one each on my land, but I manage my properties well.

So... were is the depleted herd; and why is it depleatred?

know what Brainstorm meant. The entire ANF, NC part of the state parts of the NE are as well. Too many doe tags for too long too many greedy slobs bragging about how they and their kids kill a couple does a piece every year and then feed the meat to the dogs or just chuck it.
Last year my son killed a doe and a couple local kids killed one each on my land, but I manage my properties well.