Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Pa. flint lock season

And yep I read it wrong too... you are seeing does just not bucks.

We used to have that around here too. But they finally put in an antler restriction and its quadrupled our number of deer finally. Its not perfect but its the best thing that ever happened.

FWIW if the does have fawns you gotta have bucks somewhere.

I've found that quite often you can have areas that does prefer and then areas bucks prefer. Not quite sure why but I guess most of the year they are segregated so it does make some sense.

Buddy of mine used to have a camp over there. They bear hunted that area hard up until the early 2000s when he passed away. They did some deer hunting also. Saw good bucks but never high numbers. Seems the bear hunting was better from what I remember of their stories. His dad passed and last living brother lost the place about 10 years ago.

I have one legal buck in the area, he's been an 8 point for the last 2 years. From what I see, he works around the hunters using the area, pretty well. I see him occasionally, but not in season. Could possibly snooker him in bow season, if I only worked on HIM. My wife would not be happy, if I didn't give her first crack at him though! Basically, I have to work within her physical limitations, and it's pretty tough. That said, I haven't heard any shooting, and I've been out a lot. Very little shooting in rifle season, as well. Nobody is seeing much of anything. The antler restrictions have not resulted in more bucks, at least on this property. I talk to the warden a fair amount. He told me the take was pretty poor the last few years. Coyotes moved into the area this year too. Can't help.

Potter was an area that for years they passed out Doe tags like candy and the hunters thought it would never end and kept pounding them. They still hand out the candy and they still take it.... Nothing will change until something changes....

There are some nice Bucks up there, but it is no longer a shooters location. If one is going to hunt Potter and some of the surrounding counties, you best like to hunt....

Lots of deer here, but seeing any at all on huntable ground gets tough after the first few days of rifle season. Pressure sends them into heavy cover where most hunters simply won't venture, and onto private land where they're not pressured. Not sure hunter sightings is a reliable indicator of deer numbers; actually I'm pretty sure it's not.

It's very common for me to see deer on the short drive to my local WMW, then not a hair once I get there. There's plenty of cover around housing areas, highway right-of-ways, and other spaces that can't be hunted. Farmers report a lot of damage, but just try and get permission to hunt their land.

We have a late traditional season here now too, but with the weather you're lucky to get more than one day out of four that's worth the trip. I'll start seeing more deer later this month and in February when the crop waste is gone and browse becomes the food source. Doesn't appear to be much winter wheat this year.

To the GFY crowd...…...…… GFY !!!

Hunted 4 days on our own private property. Saw deer every time out and LOTS of them. Could have killed on every hunt. Last time out I watched 5 bucks dogging 4 does.

Bowhunting and posted land has changed the dynamics of public land hunting in Pa. The young guys are more into bow hunting and many of the older guys are buying crossbows. They all get a long season and get to hunt the main rut in nicer weather. And they kill more than a few of the good Bucks.

Posted land is more is less the norm which adds to the pressure on public. Combine it with an excessive amount of Doe tags and public land hunting has changed.

Rifle season other than the first day and the Saturdays, I seldom run into others until they come out for an evening sit. That being said, I saw over 100 this year. Some obviously more than once. But, I grew tired of the public land downturn and hassle. 10 of us lease 1200 acres.

Thumbs up, well done....

This year on the saturday that doe came in, was the most shooting I have heard in years. The funny thing was, noone I talked to got a doe. lol!

What county?

Great job! Never got a deer that I didn't consider a trophy. I appreciate it when they give themselves to me.

The one in the bottom pic pretty much served herself up........ Shortest flintlock kill I ever did. About 40 yards. The top pic was more typical at around 90 yards.

We're in WMU 2D

Me too. Between rural valley and dayton.

2D myself

Either my own in land on the edge of Tidel, or before you get into Templeton. Cousin also has land on the edge of 422 close to Kittanning.

Dayton at one time was overrun with Deer and was primo for Grouse. Have an acquaintance who lives close to Dayton. He gets his Deer, but says the Amish get more than their share.

We've got ample deer where I'm at.

Grouse are next to extinct.

I live in Barnards, lots of dutch around here. Most of them hunt around keystone lake anymore. They do have a reputation. My amish neighbors are pretty good folk. They don't trespass or steal things.

I agree the public land dynamic has changed. Most guys aren't willing to go where they need to, to get their deer out. Even less know how to pack one out.

Archery kills are up, less guys in the woods during rifle. I also believe that the bear hunters have the deer on public pressured by the time rifle comes in and they are well into hiding.

My butcher also said archery was pretty good. Rifle was about half of last year.

I was only out with the muzzleloader once this season, didn't see a deer. Plenty of tracks but no deer standing in them. I may go out tomorrow for a while but may not, it's crusty as all hell around here. No way to slip through the woods without sounding like a brass band. Deer here just don't move on their own during the day so if I don't move, they won't either.

I did put a buck and a doe in the freezer during rifle season. Saw 20 during the season. But i was out with the spotlight during Octoboer, saw over 60 in the same area I hunt. Plenty of posted ground around, I think they're hanging out there and rarely move during daylight.

Dale