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Today is the open of rifle for deer in PA. I stood in a tree for four hours and heard few shots. A very nice doe came walking in from behind me, catching me off gaurd. Within just a few yards she was offering a beautiful shot. The tip of my bow tinked a little branch and when she saw the 165lb squirrel in the tree that was that.
When I got back to the car I couldn’t find my glasses, so back to the treestand I go. Found the glasses and walking back down the driveway along the old quarry I heard a snort. I see nothing but heard another. Out comes an absolutely magnificent buck, stopping and snorting. Then it locked eyes on me and tore off toward a swamp. Empty handed, but smiling. Hope you’re all having a great day. Dwc
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So I woke up this morning and checked my email to find a reminder from a friend. The first week in my WMU is Antlered Deer only. Yikes! I forgot about that. Had I been able to shoot that doe yesterday, I would have found myself in an embarrassing situation. It’s bad enough that I forgot, but I’m really glad she caught me and walked away. I usually make it a point to review the rules before the season opens. I did that when I first bought my tags, but truly needed a refresher. Some days unlucky is the best luck to have. best, dwc
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The woods turned orange here last Monday. I had to wear orange too, which made me feel real stupid. That means I’m not going into the WMAs until it is over. Too dangerous. During the archery season, I saw just one other archer, a young guy with a pulley bow that went out of his way to say he didn’t know what he was doing…then asked directions.
I went to Farmer Jim’s yesterday. Saw just one orange while out, and 4 were going in when I left at noon.
What really makes me wonder is that they have done no scouting. I visit either the WMAs, or Jim’s Farm at least twice a week, and I never see anyone else. OK, there are tracks of trail bikes, 4 wheelers, and horses, but only on the cart paths. The deer don’t hang out there. How do they know where to hunt? Are they expecting to just randomly run into deer? Do they think the deer are going to just stand there and look at them while they try to remember how to shoot a shotgun they haven’t shot in a year? I am convinced that the deer they shoot are avoiding other hunters. Thus, it is nothing but a massive drive.
I take that back, we have bird hunters during the archery season, but they stay in the fields, seldom shoot, and always miss. The stocked pheasants feed the foxes, bobcats, and coyotes.
We have turkeys, but I haven’t seen anyone hunting them with gun or bow. Really don’t understand why you can only take 2 a year. The predators really don’t stand a chance. While the turkeys are dumb and can’t smell most flocks are over 12 birds (and I have seen some with twice that number). That is 24 eyes watching, and they roost in the trees. Why do we need such a large population?
What bothers me most is that they only have a few weeks to get a deer, they are out there (with buddies), probably cold, tired, in a foreign environment, frustrated and feeling peer pressure to get a deer. Not surprised they get trigger happy and shoot at noises and movement. Are they out there because they want to be, or just there because some buddy invited them?
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Grumpy, that’s an excellent rant. This morning I watched three doe come over the hill about 60 yards to my left. Man, what a difference between deer today and two weeks ago. These ladies were very wary. I heard two shots a little later from the direction they went. A little while later two doe came down the hill about 60 yards to my right and shortly after there was a shot from the direction they went. After that the landowners dogs came down the hill so I called him and went to help get the dogs back before they ran into some old school hunter. That’s when I called it a season. I’m looking forward to the winter season now. Flintlock and archery only. Cold temps cut out some of the riff-raff. I see less deer in the later season, but it’s a nice time in the woods. Best, dwc
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