[22hornet]

I'm leaving for Pennsylvania Tuesday for Thanksgiving with the family, and the first week of buck season. How is the deer forecast this year? I don't mind getting frozen and soaked if the deer are there. Anybody know?

 

[CalvinMD]

I don't know about the woods,...but guardrails are full of them..usually fresh off of the grill (or bumper)

 

[Michael Jobe]

Would depend what part of the state you're heading to I guess. This fall I've seen more bucks than I can remember, but I don't think any of them met NW PA's 4 points on one side requirement. I don't expect to get a buck, but I have two doe tags, and expect to fill them both.

~Michael

 

[Barrelbulge(Fl)]

Like Calvin said all over the road. Southwest Pa. Mike

 

[22hornet]

I'm going to Huntingdon County, in the south central part of the state. My brother says he is not seeing lots of deer, but he has seen some good bucks when he was turkey hunting. It will just be good to be home and hunting with my family. A deer would just be a bonus.

 

[22hornet]

Good luck on 12/1, BROWNST100. No, I'm not too far. Good luck to all of the rest of you Pennsylvania deer hunters, too.

 

[CalvinMD]

Above all...all be safe out there and good luck

 

[William681]

Brownst100: You of course realize that all feeding of deer in PA had to be discontinued 30 days prior to the start of deer seasons. Please post the address of your camp so I may send my friend the warden out to visit you.
Fair chase always. Bill Boston

 

[AveragEd]

Hornet, you might enjoy this story.

In 1989, one of my technicians invited me to join him and several of his friends at his dad's A-frame home near Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County. My son, who was nine at the time, went along for his first hunting trip with Dad. I got bronchitis on Thanksgiving day and did not sleep at all Sunday night at Raystown, so I packed the guys lunches, wished them luck and went back to bed instead of out to hunt on Monday morning.

Jason woke up at 8:30, realized it was light outside and woke me up from the first sleep I'd had all night. Grudingly, I agreed to go out and we walked no farther than 100 yards from the parking lot when I saw two tree stumps perhaps 75 yards back in the woods. "Looks like a good spot," I told Jason and we sat down at 9:25. I was gagging and coughing so I figured a smoke couldn't hurt anything (I smoked cigarettes back then) and lit one up. Ten minutes later, a five-point ran by chasing two does. One neck-shot later, we had what Jason still refers to as "the ten-minute deer."

I hope you enjoy equally good fortune (without the bronchitis, of course). By the way, I was the only one of the bunch to get a deer.

Ed

 

[Jawhawker]

What is to be considered a good size buck in PA?

 

[22hornet]

Ed, I grew up on Raystown(both the old lake and the new, bigger one). When the new dam was under construction, some high school buddies and some good old boys that lived in the ridge country around the area decided to conduct a deer drive on the south side of the lake. We started near Entriken(now inundated) and drove towards the Snyders Run area. It took dang near all day, and it was some of the steepest, brushiest country I've ever seen. We set up the headers and flankers all wrong, and most of the deer ran back over the ridge between the drivers. I've never been in on a circus like that since. Now, it's a nice ground blind on a good crossing. When I have had enough, I head to the cabin for some hot coffee and a nap. Ah, it's nice to shed the folly of youth!

 

[22hornet]

Ed, here is another story. My dad was terminally ill in 1990, and it was to be his last deer season. The poor guy could barely get dressed(damn cigarettes!), and he was winded. He finally got up to go outside the cabin to pee, and there stood a big eight point. He managed to get his rifle, and shot the buck from the back porch. We boys were happy to gut, drag and skin his buck. The old man was very happy. The buck(mounted at the cabin) looks on at the nightly poker games during season. Dad loved deer season, and the nightly poker games, with an occasional snort of Old Crow to ward off the chill!

 

[William681]

Brownst100
I owe you a public appology. I read more into your post than was there. When I return from my trip I will PM you and explain. Bill Boston