The Guns of Autumn

Older hunters remember the notorious CBS hit job on hunting, “The Guns of Autumn,” that was broadcast in 1975.

The program’s obvious goal of silencing the guns of autumn has begun, at least in Pennsylvania. You can often hunt all day without hearing a shot. The broadcast had little to do with it. Land practices, Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) policies, and young people’s indifference to the outdoors in favor of social media have dramatically quieted the guns of autumn, except for a burst of activity on the rifle deer season opening day and a few shots during other autumn days.

Land practic...