Comments on: Reducing Deer Populations For Healthy Forests And People http://pennsylvaniahuntingtoday.com/blog/index.php/2008/06/02/reducing-deer-populations-for-healthy-forests-and-people/ Online Hunting Magazine Sun, 04 Mar 2012 21:19:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nick http://pennsylvaniahuntingtoday.com/blog/index.php/2008/06/02/reducing-deer-populations-for-healthy-forests-and-people/comment-page-1/#comment-69 Nick Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:26:01 +0000 http://pennsylvaniahuntingtoday.com/blog/index.php/2008/06/02/reducing-deer-populations-for-healthy-forests-and-people/#comment-69 I hate to be so judgemental, but this is the craziest article I have read in a long time. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is allowing the over-hunting of whitetail deer in order to regenerate the forests? Since when? The Penna Game Commission is over 100 years old. They have always been responsible for setting seasons and bag limits on game animals in Pennsylvania. For about 95 years, the bag limit on deer was one deer per hunter, per season. But, for some reason (could it be pressure from the automobile insurance companies?) they have decided to allow hunters to harvest more deer. No more one deer per season limit...in some areas, hunters may kill 5 deer. The simple fact is, the forests of Pennsylvania have been doing just fine for the past 100 years, without the wholesale slaughter of does. Pennsylvania enjoys a diversity of forests as well; everything from big hardwood forests (that are home to turkey and black bear and squirrel) to new growth forests which are better suited to ruffed grouse and rabbits. To suggest that we need to kill a substantial number of deer in ALL of Pennsylvania in order to "save our forests" is a pretty lame idea. If there are some areas where deer are over-browsing, then by all means, sell more doe permits. But, I can tell you from first hand experience...the deer population in PA has already shrunk substantially and hunters are waisting both their time and money in buying a hunting license in Pennsylvania. I hate to be so judgemental, but this is the craziest article I have read in a long time.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is allowing the over-hunting of whitetail deer in order to regenerate the forests? Since when? The Penna Game Commission is over 100 years old. They have always been responsible for setting seasons and bag limits on game animals in Pennsylvania. For about 95 years, the bag limit on deer was one deer per hunter, per season. But, for some reason (could it be pressure from the automobile insurance companies?) they have decided to allow hunters to harvest more deer. No more one deer per season limit…in some areas, hunters may kill 5 deer.

The simple fact is, the forests of Pennsylvania have been doing just fine for the past 100 years, without the wholesale slaughter of does. Pennsylvania enjoys a diversity of forests as well; everything from big hardwood forests (that are home to turkey and black bear and squirrel) to new growth forests which are better suited to ruffed grouse and rabbits.

To suggest that we need to kill a substantial number of deer in ALL of Pennsylvania in order to “save our forests” is a pretty lame idea. If there are some areas where deer are over-browsing, then by all means, sell more doe permits. But, I can tell you from first hand experience…the deer population in PA has already shrunk substantially and hunters are waisting both their time and money in buying a hunting license in Pennsylvania.

]]> By: Greg http://pennsylvaniahuntingtoday.com/blog/index.php/2008/06/02/reducing-deer-populations-for-healthy-forests-and-people/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Greg Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:17:07 +0000 http://pennsylvaniahuntingtoday.com/blog/index.php/2008/06/02/reducing-deer-populations-for-healthy-forests-and-people/#comment-28 I must say that's a good article there Tom, and you've hit on a great point that some hunters in PA are just not grasping. The herd has to be taken lower than it's planned level to allow for regeneration to catch up and surpass the deer and other wildlife's appetite, then the herd can be increased. Too many kneejerk reactions have been made by some, sparking speculation and false rumors in order to stir distain for the PGC and the many conservation minded hunters we have. As the one fellow from the gc said and sums it up well, some short term pain for some long term gain. It a shame that so many people need that instant gradification where you want to shoot a deer by 7:30 on opening day or you cry foul. Too many have been spoiled by the overpopulation of deer in the past and now expect to be garuanteed a deer. As for working together, all the major sportsmens organizations have been doing this along with the various non sporting stakeholders of the state, except for one group. And we all know what their solution is.... for the third time. I must say that’s a good article there Tom, and you’ve hit on a great point that some hunters in PA are just not grasping. The herd has to be taken lower than it’s planned level to allow for regeneration to catch up and surpass the deer and other wildlife’s appetite, then the herd can be increased.
Too many kneejerk reactions have been made by some, sparking speculation and false rumors in order to stir distain for the PGC and the many conservation minded hunters we have. As the one fellow from the gc said and sums it up well, some short term pain for some long term gain. It a shame that so many people need that instant gradification where you want to shoot a deer by 7:30 on opening day or you cry foul. Too many have been spoiled by the overpopulation of deer in the past and now expect to be garuanteed a deer.
As for working together, all the major sportsmens organizations have been doing this along with the various non sporting stakeholders of the state, except for one group. And we all know what their solution is…. for the third time.

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