The Sportsman's Corner

This Saturday, October 3, is the opening day for Pennsylvania's archery deer-hunting season. If you believe last year's Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) deer harvest figures, archers accounted for 45% of the total deer harvest in Pennsylvania. I know PGC figures are triple the numbers of the reported kill, and I have trouble wrapping my mind around the figure of more than 75,000 bucks being harvested by archers. Even 25,000, which is the approximate number reported by archers, seems excessive. No matter which number you believe, it is obvious that the deer kill during archery season is significant.

The PGC's harvest statistics reflect that 65% of the deer tagged during archery season last fall were killed by crossbow hunters; bow hunters accounted for the other 35%. It has been about 10 years now since crossbows were legalized statewide for archery season; and after that Pandora's box was opened, archery season took on a new look. Many more hunters than previously took to the woods during the archery season. This pretty much negated any need for a general license fee increase for the PGC as the increased numbers of crossbow and bow hunters filled the PGC's coffers with the money from their licenses. Interestingly, I have never seen PGC spokesmen acknowledge this.

Hunters often say that the PGC ignores their needs. Not archers: the PGC listens to them. Whenever archers lobby for something, they usually get what they want. For instance, archers lobbied to hunt longer into the rut (breeding season) during November, so this year the PGC lengthened the archery deer season by an extra week, giving archers a seven-week autumn season. The last week occurs during the height of the rut, a time when the largest bucks often throw caution to the wind in their attempts to consort with does. Archers hope this makes bucks even more vulnerable than usual to their hunting strategies.

Many archers place trail cameras in the woods as a way to scout for deer. Recently several have shared with me some photos of trophy bucks that have strolled past their cameras. Bruce Houck, my brother-in-law, hopes to tag a buck even larger than the 137-inch monster he downed last season. He may just accomplish it.

Deer hunting has changed dramatically during the 58 years I have been a licensed hunter. This year may become the first one that the PGC tells us the harvest of deer during archery season exceeds that which occurs during the traditional rifle season.

Best wishes to all law-abiding crossbow and bow hunters.