# PA deer (road hunting) season



## mike385 (Oct 25, 2007)

hello,
I have given up hunting deer in PA because: last year I drove 130 miles to go back to the hunting ground I was in but saw more four wheelers and road hunters than deer. I got in the woods around 4:00am and left at 12:00pm. Donkeys with trucks and quads.


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## wood4heat (Oct 25, 2007)

mike385 said:


> hello,
> I have given up hunting deer in PA because: last year I drove 130 miles to go back to the hunting ground I was in but saw more four wheelers and road hunters than deer. I got in the woods around 4:00am and left at 12:00pm. Donkeys with trucks and quads.



It can be frustrating. I was elk hunting a couple years ago, left camp at 5:00am and hiked up into a clearing I had found the day before. Was there in time for sunrise, what I didn't realize was that there was a road running through it. I was there maybe 20min enjoying the peace and solitude when I heard the sound of four wheelers. Three or four minutes later they came motoring into view, they stopped about 30 yds into the clearing for their coffee and to have a look. :angry2: Fortunately with one day to go in the hunt I got a rally nice cow, I bet the two fools on quads never even saw anything.


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## PA Plumber (Oct 25, 2007)

mike385 said:


> hello,
> I have given up hunting deer in PA because: last year I drove 130 miles to go back to the hunting ground I was in but saw more four wheelers and road hunters than deer. I got in the woods around 4:00am and left at 12:00pm. Donkeys with trucks and quads.



Mike385,
We have some beautiful hunting in Clark's Valley, just outside of Dauphin. Would be about a 45 minute drive from Newville. 

Took a 27 lb tom out of there last fall. I have taken a couple of decent buck and have seen some really nice ones up there. Over 40,000 acres of state game lands. If you're willing to hike a little, there is a lot of opportunity up there.


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## mike385 (Oct 25, 2007)

Thanks PA plumber,

i am new to there parts and haven't hunted a whole lot here. I have found a nice game commission range thoug right aroung carlisle springs


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## TDunk (Oct 25, 2007)

Up in my part of PA there aren't many at all. I haven't even seen that many along side the road either. At least up here there is some kind of parasite getting on the deer and killing them. It's not harmful to a human if you eat a deer with the parasite, but they say a good frost is suppose to kill the it. Between that and the out-of-staters with the "shoot anything that moves" theory, the deer are getting pretty scarce up here. I've also heard that the deer aren't coming out of the woods because there's alot of food there, so peoples' back yard apple trees aren't seeing any action. But what do i know.


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## RaisedByWolves (Oct 26, 2007)

mike385 said:


> hello,
> I have given up hunting deer in PA because: last year I drove 130 miles to go back to the hunting ground I was in but saw more four wheelers and road hunters than deer. I got in the woods around 4:00am and left at 12:00pm. Donkeys with trucks and quads.






Mike, why not just hit them with a car like most people do?


Works for me.



.


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## 2000ssm6 (Oct 26, 2007)

RaisedByWolves said:


> Mike, why not just hit them with a car like most people do?
> 
> 
> Works for me.
> ...



LOL, that takes all the fun out of the hunt. It usually "costs" when that happens too


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## Wood Hick (Oct 26, 2007)

Don't give up, just get off the path quite a way! Seriously, PA has approx. 2 million acres of game lands and state forests open to hunting and NO four wheelers are allowed. I am fortunate to own private property, but we will always have trespassing. We barricade our outer roads in deer season once all farming is done, otherwise the four wheelers come right in always with the same excuse, " I don't know where I am ". Avoid any spot with easy public access, thats where most of the parasites will be!


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## PB (Oct 27, 2007)

mike385 said:


> hello,
> I have given up hunting deer in PA because: last year I drove 130 miles to go back to the hunting ground I was in but saw more four wheelers and road hunters than deer. I got in the woods around 4:00am and left at 12:00pm. Donkeys with trucks and quads.



Yeah, I quit hunting deer in PA because it was not a sport anymore. I might as well drive up to a pasture and pick out the biggest cow. There are more deer now in PA then when Columbus landed in the America's. A lot of my friends complain about the lack of deer, but they buy their licenses and try to kill more every year, counter intuitive to me. Take up turkey hunting, more challenging and less people trying to shoot you. If you want deer meat, do what RBW said and hit one. Your not a true Pennsylvanian until you hit a deer with your car/truck.


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## PA Plumber (Oct 27, 2007)

PlantBiologist said:


> Yeah, I quit hunting deer in PA because it was not a sport anymore. I might as well drive up to a pasture and pick out the biggest cow. There are more deer now in PA then when Columbus landed in the America's. A lot of my friends complain about the lack of deer, but they buy their licenses and try to kill more every year, counter intuitive to me. Take up turkey hunting, more challenging and less people trying to shoot you. If you want deer meat, do what RBW said and hit one. Your not a true Pennsylvanian until you hit a deer with your car/truck.



I have tried hard NOT to hit a deer. Man, we have had some very close calls. A couple of times, I don't now how it didn't happen.


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## RCR 3 EVER (Oct 29, 2007)

mike385 said:


> hello,
> I have given up hunting deer in PA because: last year I drove 130 miles to go back to the hunting ground I was in but saw more four wheelers and road hunters than deer. I got in the woods around 4:00am and left at 12:00pm. Donkeys with trucks and quads.



A few weeks ago wife and I went Turkey hunting on property located in MI 250 miles away and did not see anything much. It took approx. 40 min of careful quiet walking to get to blind prior to dawn. With my bad back though the sitting took its toll after sitting motionless for 3 hours. It took 1.5 very painful hours hobbling with a cane to get back.

The rest of the week I drove our small tractor close to blind about 150 yds away and it was easier and much less painful.  It was noisier but I still saw a few turkeys 75 yds away.

If only I could drive the tractor for deer season it would be great but deer are more sensitive than turkeys.

Once last week on a trip back from cutting some wood and driving back with the tractor without the gun of course I came over a crest of a hill and there were 8 turkeys staring at me from 20 ft. away :jawdrop: but naturally I had no gun. A deer would never let that happen.

Bottom line, Some people NEED the transportation just to get in the woods to hunt as I do but not the noisy tractor for deer hunting. After everyone in family leaves our woods for lunch maybe someone will have to pick me up with a tractor as I will not be able to walk after sitting from dawn to noon.

Note: I do not like the ATV or snowmobiles as irresponsible people tear through our posted property and damage stuff regularly!


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## mike385 (Oct 30, 2007)

I used to hunt up in potter, clinton, cameron counties as well and there are def. not alot of people willing to hike up and down those mountains. But since my dad died two years ago I really dont like it up there and truly I have become addicted to long range targert shooting. So the money I save on a license is going toward more and more equipment. 
I have hit my fair share of deer, four in one month actually, that was a few years back. I havent hit any now for like 3 yrs but down here around carlisle and shippensburg, there really don't seem to be many deer in the farmland. I think it might be the amish or menonites but hey what do I know....lol. Now bicycles on the other hand, really got to watch for the dutchies.


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## GreenManEnvy (Nov 13, 2007)

TDunk said:


> Up in my part of PA there aren't many at all... ...the deer are getting pretty scarce up here. I've also heard that the deer aren't coming out of the woods because there's alot of food there, so peoples' back yard apple trees aren't seeing any action. But what do i know.



Don't know about western PA, but my guess is all those deer missing from out west are hanging around my yard here in NEPA. 

We've seen quite a few *herds* of 10 or more wandering through our yard this past year... and about 10 times more bucks than usual (about 10 of 'em, instead of 1 or none).


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## rahtreelimbs (Nov 13, 2007)

I have lived Pa. all my life (except for 18 mos. in Jersey when I was a toddler). I have never had a problem huting here. The deer hunting has always been good!!!


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## PB (Nov 13, 2007)

Do schools close for the first day of deer season around you all? It was/is like a state holiday, schools close, forget about getting saw parts, and you're lucky to find a local business open. I told that to some people up here, and couldn't believe it. This was in NW PA.


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## rahtreelimbs (Nov 13, 2007)

PlantBiologist said:


> Do schools close for the first day of deer season around you all? It was/is like a state holiday, schools close, forget about getting saw parts, and you're lucky to find a local business open. I told that to some people up here, and couldn't believe it. This was in NW PA.




They have closed school for as long as I have hunted..........30 yrs. or so!!!


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## wampum (Nov 16, 2007)

Theres alot of deer over here in Western Pa.I believe that there are more deer in the southwest counties of greene washington and armstrong then most of the more traditional counties of say potter clearfield elk and so on.I believe the game com. says it has to do with habitate. The big woods have less so the deer are getting fewer in those areas.I live in lawrence on 35 acres fronting on 2500 feet of game lands.It seems like every year we shoot more deer and you believe they shot them all and the next year they get more.Those 4 wheelers are a pain.Its just like everything else most people are good but there are always a few bad apples.I'll never forget the year 6 of them went thru the wifes strawberry patch.Their mighty lucky she didn't have a gun,I think she might have used it.I can't even begin to discribe the look on her face.Seems like turkeys are everywere 15 years ago there weren't many turkeys,now there are a lot.About 3 years ago in the spring I was pulling nails out of boards in an old barn I tore down and a tom started to answer the noise of the nails coming out.I got a kick out of that one.I love to hunt but can understand your frustration with the 4x4s and 4 wheelers.Where I hunt I can hear them off in the distance sometimes but they can't get where I am.Hope you find a nice quiet spot Goodluck.


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