View Full Version : Pennsylvania deer hunting advisory!
Pennsylvania's regular firearms deer season begins Monday, December 1 and runs through Saturday, December 13. I have suggested before the 1st 2 days and at least the 1st Saturday of the regular firearms deer season are good times to hike elsewhere or find something else to do.
At least a fluorescent orange (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=28523) hat is a legal requirement (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showpost.php?p=728981&postcount=20) for everyone on Pennsylvania State Game Lands through December 15 except Sundays when hunting is prohibited.
DEER, (Antlered & Antlerless) Regular Firearms WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2E, 2F, 3A, 3B, 3D, 4A, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A, 5B, 5C & 5D: Dec. 1-13.
DEER, (Antlered Only) Regular Firearms: WMUs 2D, 2G, 3C & 4B: Dec. 1-5.
DEER, (Antlered & Antlerless) Regular Firearms: WMUs 2D, 2G, 3C & 4B: Dec. 6-13.
Deer hunting will occur in the proximity The A.T. east of Susquehanna River (WMUs 3D and 4C) during the entire period save for Sunday, December 7.
Click on whitetail deer (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/browse.asp?a=465&bc=0&c=70124) and WMU maps (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/lib/pgc/digestpdfs/2008/19_wildlifemgmtunit.pdf) for additional information provided by Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC).
The Mechanical Man
11-30-2008, 03:13
I love this time of year in PA., it's when hikers and Hunters use public lands, both at the same time.
There are always a few unfortunate souls every year that are taken out by friendly fire, don't let it be you this year.
Here in PA, deer season is a big deal, Schools shut down, the Pocono's roads are overrun with out of state license plates, and even though the woods are almost empty due to foul weather, all the local shopping malls, hotels, eating establishments, and Cabelas parking lots are full to the brim. http://www.cabelas.com/retail-2/retailStores_hamburg--hamburg_h.shtml
Lots of hunters here in PA, and nervous AT hikers aplenty, wear blaze orange if it makes you feel better!
Good Luck to All :welcome
Do they stay at your hostile?
Mrs Baggins
11-30-2008, 07:48
We were going to do the 10 mile circuit of Massanuten Mt trail to Signal Knob yesterday (Saturday the 29th). About 2/10ths of a mile into it we ran into two hunters with rifles who told us it was the last day for hunting deer with rifles in VA and they were very anxious to get something. We realized we weren't wearing any bright clothing so we turned around, went back to the car and drove to SNP to hike there - no hunting allowed. It might have been just fine on the first trail but why take the chance.
Pickleodeon
11-30-2008, 09:14
aw, man! I was planning to hike tomorrow. No school= no substitute teaching for me. Thanks for the heads up, I would''ve forgotten. Looks like I'll be dehydrating food tomorrow instead.
Toolshed
11-30-2008, 12:47
We were going to do the 10 mile circuit of Massanuten Mt trail to Signal Knob yesterday (Saturday the 29th). About 2/10ths of a mile into it we ran into two hunters with rifles who told us it was the last day for hunting deer with rifles in VA and they were very anxious to get something. We realized we weren't wearing any bright clothing so we turned around, went back to the car and drove to SNP to hike there - no hunting allowed. It might have been just fine on the first trail but why take the chance.
:confused: Hunters not mistake you for slender deer. Deer don't have gnarly muscly calfs :confused:
and drove to SNP to hike there - no hunting allowed. It might have been just fine on the first trail but why take the chance.
No legal hunting allowed.
Thanks for the heads up, I would've forgotten.
It's traditionally opened the Monday following Thanksgiving and run about 2 weeks. Monday, Tuesday and the first Saturday are when the most hunters will be afield.
This thread should have a wake-up on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.
My best advice is to stay off the trail completely for the first 2 weeks of December. Besides not being completely safe its also crowed with hunters. You would not have any sense of solitude.
let the hunters have their 2 weeks.
Panzer
If you don't have to go -DON'T!
One year I forgot it was deer season. I went out late hiked south to the Darlington Shelter north of Harrisburg, pa. In the early morning I hiked north to grab different equipment out of my car then go north to the Cove Mtn. shelter. The shooting began at sun up and it sounded like a war being fought. It was 2+miles across farmland & valley to get back onto the ridge.
2 miles of being a target is not worth it.:eek:
saimyoji
11-30-2008, 16:15
whack 'em and stack 'em
Pennsylvania's regular firearms deer season opened at 0638 local time.
I really, really don't see any reason to panic over hunting season. Make a blaze orange hat part of your fall and winter hiking apparel and you're good to go.
Lone Wolf
12-01-2008, 09:32
I really, really don't see any reason to panic over hunting season. Make a blaze orange hat part of your fall and winter hiking apparel and you're good to go.
yeah really. much ado over nothing
Seriously, I passed a slew of car wrecks on the way home from the mountains last night. I would have been much safer staying in the woods...
Johnny Swank
12-01-2008, 10:27
I really, really don't see any reason to panic over hunting season. Make a blaze orange hat part of your fall and winter hiking apparel and you're good to go.
I hear ya. Throw some blaze orange on and keep hiking. I strapped a cheap blaze orange vest on my pack for about 500 miles during my SOBO. No big deal.
The Solemates
12-01-2008, 10:36
I really, really don't see any reason to panic over hunting season. Make a blaze orange hat part of your fall and winter hiking apparel and you're good to go.
I agree. I wouldnt let it stop me from hiking. But have you hiked during deer season in PA? You'll see a hunter every 100 yds your entire trip even if you do a 100 mile section and that is no exaggeration. I dont think the AT is as bad though.
It was bow season when I hiked through PA. I helped one guy push-start his Jeep.
For choosing a section, I would factor hunting season in just like any other crowd attractant, like 4th of July. I would consider parking space at the trailheads, etc.
Johnny Swank
12-01-2008, 10:58
I hit PA during bow and muzzle-loading season. No big deal, other than the noise in the background.
The Solemates
12-01-2008, 12:15
It was bow season when I hiked through PA. I helped one guy push-start his Jeep.
For choosing a section, I would factor hunting season in just like any other crowd attractant, like 4th of July. I would consider parking space at the trailheads, etc.
bow season and rifle season are completely different
bow season and rifle season are completely different
Well, yeah, but I hiked through VA during rifle season. There are plenty of hunters in VA, too. One guy shot a deer just below Saunders Shelter while I was there.
Johnny Swank
12-01-2008, 12:39
^ what Marta said. Rifle season in VA. Bear season in NC/TN... SOBO's hike at least 1/2 their hikes during major hunting seasons every year. Just throw on the blaze orange and keep on truckin'
Rather than quote every post since my last and respond to each, I'll simply point out what should be obvious to an observant reader: no one who's posted has been here on opening day of the regular firearms season for deer.
There are few if any SOBO through hikers on the Pennsylvania A.T. at this time in the sense the term is ordinarily used here. What we're discussing here relates to timing and location of A.T. section-hikes and day-hikes.
Being here during archery, muzzle-loader, doe or any of the other deer seasons is an entirely different matter. The number of hunters in the woods doesn't compare as The Solemates point out. Nearly all of them will be carrying rifles with muzzle velocities that approach or even exceed 2000 feet per second with a corresponding increase in range.
On Blue Mountain east of the Susquehanna River, a substantial amount of activity will be focused on a single, narrow ridge. While there is public access from SGL parking areas both north and south of the ridge, there will be plenty of hunters on the top of the ridge where the A.T. runs.
The majority of hunters are responsible, law-abiding men and women, but Don't Know and his brother-in-law Don't Care will be out there too. Many hunters will not know where they are relative to the A.T. until they happen upon it.
The Solemates
12-01-2008, 15:34
Rather than quote every post since my last and respond to each, I'll simply point out what should be obvious to an observant reader: none have been here on opening day of the regular firearms season for deer.
we have. several times. its crazy.
its crazy.
That's why I'm suggesting finding something else to do unless someone wants to participate in the opening day's hunt. I suggest the same for at least tomorrow and Saturday too.
NICKTHEGREEK
12-01-2008, 19:41
Channel 4 news in DC reported tonight that a horse was shot in Maryland by a hunter who "saw something brown move, and fired". Dumb is everywhere.
taildragger
12-01-2008, 19:50
Channel 4 news in DC reported tonight that a horse was shot in Maryland by a hunter who "saw something brown move, and fired". Dumb is everywhere.
Nah, I think dumb is out east. Over here, the horse own would track down the shooter and shoot him. Don't want him to reproduce anymore.
NICKTHEGREEK
12-01-2008, 20:34
Nah, I think dumb is out east. Over here, the horse own would track down the shooter and shoot him. Don't want him to reproduce anymore.
You shot your own argument in the foot
taildragger
12-01-2008, 21:05
You shot your own argument in the foot
Sorry, forgot to put one of these guys in :banana
That should help my argument :D
shelterbuilder
12-01-2008, 21:12
The rain and FOG may have kept a lot of the hunters off of the Blue Mountain today. I was up at our club's cabin near Rt. 501 for most of the day, and I heard very few shots - and most of those were well down the mountainside approaching the valley floor.
The weather threw everything at 'em today - rain, sleet, wind, even thunder-snow! I was glad for the roof overhead and the fire in the woodstove.:)
All the more reason to stay home tomorrow. Today they were probably all at Cabela's buying ammo!
shelterbuilder
12-01-2008, 21:25
All the more reason to stay home tomorrow. Today they were probably all at Cabela's buying ammo!
Lots of nice trophy bucks at Cabela's - at least they can say that they saw a few!:D
Not as cold there either!:D
taildragger
12-01-2008, 21:33
The rain and FOG may have kept a lot of the hunters off of the Blue Mountain today. I was up at our club's cabin near Rt. 501 for most of the day, and I heard very few shots - and most of those were well down the mountainside approaching the valley floor.
The weather threw everything at 'em today - rain, sleet, wind, even thunder-snow! I was glad for the roof overhead and the fire in the woodstove.:)
Theres also very little deer movement in that weather. I've hunted in some nasty stuff before, just hoping to see a deer pass by in the thick woods on its way to a sheltered spot that I was watching over. I saw two deer that day, and I froze to my seat, and my beard froze to my coveralls. It was a good day:sun
shelterbuilder
12-01-2008, 21:39
Theres also very little deer movement in that weather. I've hunted in some nasty stuff before, just hoping to see a deer pass by in the thick woods on its way to a sheltered spot that I was watching over. I saw two deer that day, and I froze to my seat, and my beard froze to my coveralls. It was a good day:sun
Yeah, in weather like that, the deer just hunker down and let the weather happen...much smarter than some people I know!:eek:
The Mechanical Man
12-02-2008, 02:43
Do they stay at your hostile?
What hostile?
I've been out on the first day both hiking and hunting(I opted for hunting this year). I agree with Marta, put some orange on and get on with your life.
This deer fought back (unsuccessfully)
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/02/wounded-deer-attacks-hunter-who-shot-him/
DuctTape
12-03-2008, 02:34
Gotta agree that rifle season is a big deal in PA, and that hikers best stay out of the woods unless they have serious, serious symptoms of trail withdrawl. Also like somebody else mentioned, it defeats the whole purpose of that quiet winter solitude.
taildragger
12-03-2008, 03:02
This deer fought back (unsuccessfully)
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/02/wounded-deer-attacks-hunter-who-shot-him/
Should have checked the deer better...
Nearly Normal
12-03-2008, 12:56
That's a very short deer season.
That's a very short deer season.
It may seem a short season until you consider the number of hunters out there. PA does an excellent job (even more so in recent years) of managing its deer population. If need be, the season would be longer to necessitate more culling.
My preference is to wait until Sundays to hike during hunting season. It only takes one anxious or inexperienced hunter to ruin a nice walk.
minnesotasmith
12-03-2008, 14:18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNGGbozilko&NR=1
DuctTape
12-03-2008, 17:08
It's estimated that there were 900,000 people in the woods with guns on Monday. Let's go hiking! :banana
taildragger
12-03-2008, 17:28
Sheeple complain about hiking and hunting.
The rest just put on some orange
I hadn't noticed anyone complaining about hunters or hikers. Sometimes it seems some can't stand a thread without tension or people taking sides.
Threads can be useful when they simply serve to inform and maybe prompt hikers to put on their thinking caps. Some hikers find it prudent to assess risks and realize they are greater on some days than others.
Surely all but a few hikers who own vehicles registered in Pennsylvania see hunting as desirable, but some of them realize when the amount of outdoor enthusiasts on the A.T. rises their hiking experience changes in some ways. Thinking hikers who desire a particular kind of experience consider how user levels and concurrent activities that can be anticipated will impact upon their experience and plan accordingly.
taildragger
12-03-2008, 20:42
Shades, I was referring to the fear that these threads start to spread about being in the woods during hunting (and there is some of it here on this thread). Don't walk at first light, or at the end of the day. Make camp in well established campgrounds, do not stealth camp. Use some blaze orange to mark your site etc...
To me it seems blown out of proportion, and I believe the proper thing to do is dress appropriately (blaze orange, no brown, no red, no blue, or no white).
BTW, my posts was not meant to be hikers vs hunters.
FWIW, I'll be hunting this weekend instead of hiking, mainly because I cannot find partners right now.
Ciao.
I'm not interpreting what I see as you seem to be interpreting it. Maybe what we've read only looks different because of our own objectives and perspectives which I suspect aren't much different. My intent was only to raise awareness by providing factual information pertaining to something I believed hikers would desire to know as well as to provide links to additional information at PGC's website.
During the regular firearms season, many hikers from Pennsylvania find other things to do and hike on Sundays. Hunters and hikers interacting and understanding one another is desireable and should not be discouraged since both are drawn to the woods for many of the same reasons.
May you have a safe and successful hunt this weekend!
SOG
Lone Wolf
12-03-2008, 22:08
I'm not interpreting what I see as you seem to be interpreting it. Maybe what we've read only looks different because of our own objectives and perspectives which I suspect aren't much different. My intent was only to raise awareness by providing factual information pertaining to something I believed hikers would desire to know as well as to provide links to additional information at PGC's website.
During the regular firearms season, many hikers from Pennsylvania find other things to do and hike on Sundays. Hunters and hikers interacting and understanding one another is desireable and should not be discouraged since both are drawn to the woods for many of the same reasons.
May you have a safe and successful hunt this weekend!
SOG
dude, give it a break. walking in your beloved PA ain't that dangerous during huntin season. cut the dramatics :rolleyes:
Jason of the Woods
12-03-2008, 22:11
I just hiked all the through PA without but I shoot back!
This thread has been devoid of drama for the most part and it was about far more than risk. Feel free to have the last word.
taildragger
12-03-2008, 22:23
This thread has been devoid of drama for the most part and it was about far more than risk. Feel free to have the last word.
Word :welcome
shelterbuilder
12-03-2008, 22:24
dude, give it a break. walking in your beloved PA ain't that dangerous during huntin season. cut the dramatics :rolleyes:
While it varies from place to place and from year to year, there are times when certain places present a greater hazard than some folks are willing to expose themselves to. While every hunter must pass a hunter safety course before they can buy a license, there are always idiots in the group who will disregard their training the moment they set foot in the woods. Thankfully, their numbers are small, BUT you never know where they are going to pop up. We've found bullet holes in some of our privies after hunting season, and if anyone had been in the privy when the shots were fired, it would not have been pleasant.:(
DuctTape
12-04-2008, 00:52
We've found bullet holes in some of our privies
Were the shelters wearing blaze orange?
I second everything stated by Shades of Gray. His posts on this thread make too much sense.
The Mechanical Man
12-04-2008, 03:11
I shot a 10 pointer Monday morning at 7:50 am, 150 yards behind our house, on State Game Lands. :banana
You see deer, I see Bologna, ............ya can't eat the antlers.
Nice buck! Thanks for your post.
sheepdog
12-04-2008, 10:44
Here is the traditional song of Michigan deer hunters.
The second week of deer camp, by Da Yoopers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb9yhhflmvY
Plodderman
12-04-2008, 11:31
Room for deer hunters and hikers , maybe not at the same time, but there is room.
I am a hunter and hiker but very rarely do I shoot at hikers and if i do, i gut them, why waste good meat.
Room for deer hunters and hikers , maybe not at the same time, but there is room.
Well said.
take-a-knee
12-05-2008, 08:30
Room for deer hunters and hikers , maybe not at the same time, but there is room.
Yeah, hiking season is 52 weeks. If gunfire bothers you stay home for two weeks, you likely have something at home that needs to be done anyway.
Click on Hunters Sharing the Harvest (http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=116379) to read an article from The Reading Eagle about this organization which distributes venison to Pennsylvania food banks.