PA No Sunday Hunting

[RMM]

He ruined what deer hunting in PA was always supposed to be imho. Did some does need to be killed? Yes. But he didn’t have to do a mass e exodus on them.

I cringe looking back on what hunters allowed to happen to a once great thing.

What deer hunting was supposed to be? You mean having WAY more deer than carrying capacity on the landscape? I don't understand how that was or ever will be a great thing.

I will gladly take seeing 10-15 deer on the opening day of hunting season and passing young, racked bucks, then getting a hard on for a spike or a forky.

 

[Yoder]

He single handedly annihilated the deer population statewide for 8-10 years with the stroke of a pen.

Turned landowners against each other, and inadvertently sold more yellow posted signs than anyone in the world.

After the deer got wiped out, he went into hiding like a damn coward and it was a huge finger pointing game and everyone posted their freaking land statewide and stopped allowing people to hunt. Basically every landowner who gave a shit about the struggling deer population fully posted their land forever and created sanctuary properties to save what was left of the decimated deer population due to his shitty policies.

You know it’s pretty bad when there are game dinners where you’re unfilled doe tag is your entry pass.

Ya, the guy was very successful in unrooting 2 centuries of tradition in favor of “big” racks.

Personally, I wish the man had stuck with bears.

That’s my take on it as I’m one of the few on this site that actually knows what the he’ll happened in PA from Gary Alts decisions . This is coming from a boots on the ground, live in the country )not in the city) and own more than 400 acres perspective…..we chose not to be a part of the slaughter and burned our doe tags yearly in the fire at camp. Literally dozens of them. Our neighbors slaughtered does by the damn truckloads. It was sickening. Then, everyone FOR YEARS complained about the lack of deer. Lol

He ruined what deer hunting in PA was always supposed to be imho. Did some does need to be killed? Yes. But he didn’t have to do a mass e exodus on them.

I cringe looking back on what hunters allowed to happen to a once great thing.

I don't think deer hunting in PA was supposed to be seeing 25 does for every spike buck like it was when I was a kid. I agree they killed too many does at first. After the second year deer numbers were way down, but even then we still killed deer on public land. You just had to work harder. It looks like they have things straightened out now. I could care less about people posting their land. I don't need it. There's plenty of public land. I don't see how having a balanced deer herd with quality bucks ruined the deer hunting tradition in PA. I guess if the tradition was sitting in the same ladder stand every year and shooting a spike buck and a doe, then it was ruined. Without Gary Alt, we would never have the bucks we do now. The difference in the quality of bucks is pretty amazing. Maybe if we owned a 400 acre farm we would think differently. For the first few years, I totally agreed with you. After seeing the end result, I think Gary Alt did the right thing.

 

[MallardSX2]

What deer hunting was supposed to be? You mean having WAY more deer than carrying capacity on the landscape? I don't understand how that was or ever will be a great thing.

I will gladly take seeing 10-15 deer on the opening day of hunting season and passing young, racked bucks, then getting a hard on for a spike or a forky.

Spare me dude.

 

[MallardSX2]

I don't think deer hunting in PA was supposed to be seeing 25 does for every spike buck like it was when I was a kid. I agree they killed too many does at first. After the second year deer numbers were way down, but even then we still killed deer on public land. You just had to work harder. It looks like they have things straightened out now. I could care less about people posting their land. I don't need it. There's plenty of public land. I don't see how having a balanced deer herd with quality bucks ruined the deer hunting tradition in PA. I guess if the tradition was sitting in the same ladder stand every year and shooting a spike buck and a doe, then it was ruined. Without Gary Alt, we would never have the bucks we do now. The difference in the quality of bucks is pretty amazing. Maybe if we owned a 400 acre farm we would think differently. For the first few years, I totally agreed with you. After seeing the end result, I think Gary Alt did the right thing.

Spare me dude.

 

[Jethro]

I cringe looking back on what hunters allowed to happen to a once great thing.

My experience with Alt's plan is the complete opposite of yours. At least here in 3D/C I don't know how it could have been a bigger success. Yes the days of seeing 25 deer on 1 drive are gone and the first few years deer sightings were few. But it rebounded. Lots of deer, older bucks, bigger racks, healthier forest. 19,20,and 21 were some of the best hunting I've experienced all on public land, and this will be my 40th season. Would have no problem filling every doe and dmap tag in my pocket, although I choose not to based on my needs.

 

[MallardSX2]

My experience with Alt's plan is the complete opposite of yours. At least here in 3D/C I don't know how it could have been a bigger success. Yes the days of seeing 25 deer on 1 drive are gone and the first few years deer sightings were few. But it rebounded. Lots of deer, older bucks, bigger racks, healthier forest. 19,20,and 21 were some of the best hunting I've experienced all on public land, and this will be my 40th season. Would have no problem filling every doe and dmap tag in my pocket, although I choose not to based on my needs.

At the expense of everyone hating their neighbors over deer hunting and every piece of private ground in the state getting posted and nobody being allowed to hunt anywhere unless you are a paying to lease something.

Ya, it was a real success story. lol

Like I said, I watched it all unfold. I just have a different take on the situation than most.

The only good thing to come out of the era of Gary Alt was the antler restrictions and they even managed to screw that up but not doing a statewide 4 points on a side restriction....

 

[RMM]

Spare me dude.

Generally curious, if you could wave a magic wand and put everything back to the way it was, pre-Alt, would you?

 

[MallardSX2]

Yes. I would.

Freelance hunters lost a TON of places to hunt because of the changes that came about. The days of knocking on doors and getting permission to hunt in PA are all but over.

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However, If I could only change one thing, I would only have implemented the antler restrictions and left everything else the way it was. That was the one good idea that came out of it but like I said, they even managed to screw that up.

I'm not saying some extra does didn't need to die. But, what I will say is that they went too far. WAY too far. And before they could realize how far they had gone, it was too late. The damage was done. It took YEARS to recover. Most of those years were my prime hunting years and there wasn't anything to hunt. Unless you live in Pittsburgh and hunt city deer....

And for the record, if you don't think that they went too far then explain to me why they cut the doe tags way back after the completely annihilated the deer. They recognized that they screwed up and in a big way.

The PGC is a complete shit show being led around by their farm bureau leash. Always has been, always will be.

 

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

I've hunted PA my entire life in a traditional PA deer camp.

When they allowed for the select Sunday hunting a few years ago it was a split between the people who wanted it to happen those who didn't. I think by now everyone is of the same opinion that it is a good thing. To drive 3 hours north to hunt one day of the weekend during archery is a tough sell.

It does change the feeling of the hunting camp. Where everyone would wake up Sunday morning and stay around camp and drink coffee and share stories, everyone is now out in the woods. Few stay up late on Saturday night drinking beer and catching up on life because they want to be fresh for the following days hunt. When my boys are old enough to go to camp I would rather they get that cabin life experience with their elders and other good men around a woodstove than a few extra hours sitting in a deer stand.

 

[MallardSX2]

I've hunted PA my entire life in a traditional PA deer camp.

When they allowed for the select Sunday hunting a few years ago it was a split between the people who wanted it to happen those who didn't. I think by now everyone is of the same opinion that it is a good thing. To drive 3 hours north to hunt one day of the weekend during archery is a tough sell.

It does change the feeling of the hunting camp. Where everyone would wake up Sunday morning and stay around camp and drink coffee and share stories, everyone is now out in the woods. Few stay up late on Saturday night drinking beer and catching up on life because they want to be fresh for the following days hunt. When my boys are old enough to go to camp I would rather they get that cabin life experience with their elders and other good men around a woodstove than a few extra hours sitting in a deer stand.

Very well said sir.

 

[RMM]

Yes. I would.

Freelance hunters lost a TON of places to hunt because of the changes that came about. The days of knocking on doors and getting permission to hunt in PA are all but over.

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However, If I could only change one thing, I would only have implemented the antler restrictions and left everything else the way it was. That was the one good idea that came out of it but like I said, they even managed to screw that up.

I'm not saying some extra does didn't need to die. But, what I will say is that they went too far. WAY too far. And before they could realize how far they had gone, it was too late. The damage was done. It took YEARS to recover. Most of those years were my prime hunting years and there wasn't anything to hunt. Unless you live in Pittsburgh and hunt city deer....

And for the record, if you don't think that they went too far then explain to me why they cut the doe tags way back after the completely annihilated the deer. They recognized that they screwed up and in a big way.

The PGC is a complete shit show being led around by their farm bureau leash. Always has been, always will be.

I never said they didn't go too far, but the tag reduction was going to happen regardless. You can't kill that many deer consistently and still have a huntable population.

Willingly going back to the pre-Alt days is wild to me. Even if you implement antler restrictions, there's not enough food to go around for bucks to grow. So instead of killing spikes, you would be killing 2 year old 85" 8 points. The herd reduction needed to happen. Period.

 

[MallardSX2]

I never said they didn't go too far, but the tag reduction was going to happen regardless. You can't kill that many deer consistently and still have a huntable population.

Willingly going back to the pre-Alt days is wild to me. Even if you implement antler restrictions, there's not enough food to go around for bucks to grow. So instead of killing spikes, you would be killing 2 year old 85" 8 points. The herd reduction needed to happen. Period.

I don't disagree with you. Some does needed to die.

But like I said, I felt the effects of the changes HARD in my area. Thats why I feel so strongly about it. It ruined my style of hunting in a bad way. There was a TON of unintended consequences brought about by the changes that were made.

I would rather be able to knock on a door and get permission and shoot 85" 8 points than have to pay someone to hunt their land or have a door slammed in my face.

There is no putting the genie back in the bottle now.


To all of you PA guys I wish you the best of luck this hunting season.

 

[RMM]

I don't disagree with you. Some does needed to die.

But like I said, I felt the effects of the changes HARD in my area. Thats why I feel so strongly about it. It ruined my style of hunting in a bad way. There was a TON of unintended consequences brought about by the changes that were made.

I would rather be able to knock on a door and get permission and shoot 85" 8 points than have to pay someone to hunt their land or have a door slammed in my face.

There is no putting the genie back in the bottle now.

I think the whole knock on someone's door for permission would have gone away eventually anyway with the influx of youtubers and insta-hunters. The decisions the PGC made just expedited the process. But like you said, can't put the genie back in the bottle so we'll never know how it would have played out.

 

[ThisIsMyHandle]

You can thank all the democrats for keeping blue laws and no Sunday hunting.


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[Subliminal1]

I don't disagree with you. Some does needed to die.

But like I said, I felt the effects of the changes HARD in my area. Thats why I feel so strongly about it. It ruined my style of hunting in a bad way. There was a TON of unintended consequences brought about by the changes that were made.

I would rather be able to knock on a door and get permission and shoot 85" 8 points than have to pay someone to hunt their land or have a door slammed in my face.

There is no putting the genie back in the bottle now.


To all of you PA guys I wish you the best of luck this hunting season.

Curious, whats different from knocking on someone's door and getting permission to hunt now vs prior to Alt? Or how did that change by what Alt did? Again I moved here in the past 4-5 years so just trying to understand.

Where I live in NEPA most neighbors, farms, land owners I talk to are ok with "sharing access"

 

[MallardSX2]

When Alt signed the agenda and torpedoed the deer population, within 2 years, 95% of landowners posted and shut down their land to hunting across the entire state. Most landowners were trying to save the deer. Some simply got the tags and shot the deer and then blamed others. Feuds broke out between neighbors for some slaughtering the deer and others wanting to save the deer. It was a huge freaking mess statewide. Everything changed after that.

You arrived when the dust had settled for several years. People's wounds have healed a little, but the posted land has pretty much remained the norm.

The deer population has come back a lot in the past 10 years.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Fwiw they changed the doe tag regime this year. In addition to putting it online (previously in person or snail mail checks to county commisioners) you can now get more than one doe tag state wide ( most places). It should Help thin the doe levels a bit in target areas.

 

[Subliminal1]

When Alt signed the agenda and torpedoed the deer population, within 2 years, 95% of landowners posted and shut down their land to hunting across the entire state. Most landowners were trying to save the deer. Some simply got the tags and shot the deer and then blamed others. Feuds broke out between neighbors for some slaughtering the deer and others wanting to save the deer. It was a huge freaking mess statewide. Everything changed after that.

You arrived when the dust had settled for several years. People's wounds have healed a little, but the posted land has pretty much remained the norm.

The deer population has come back a lot in the past 10 years.

Gotcha thanks for clarifying that for me.

 

[txjustin]

You can thank all the democrats for keeping blue laws and no Sunday hunting.


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Explain Texas then please


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[CJ19]

You can thank all the democrats for keeping blue laws and no Sunday hunting.


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You can thank (d)s for a lot of other things going to crap in this country but sunday hunting in pa isnt really a D/R thing. Neither side really has a need or desire to touch the issue too much bc like a lot of posters have said its kind of 50/50 split even with some groups of mostly older Rs. Elected officials on both sides have more to lose than gain in their eyes by kicking the hornets nest. Until is becomes something they have to address they are just going to let it go as is.