DEER ARCHERY SEASON KICKS OFF STATE'S BIG GAME HUNTING SEASONS

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania's longest, uninterrupted big game season begins before daybreak Sept. 30, as bowhunters head into the hills, woodlots of suburbia and even up trees in pursuit of white-tailed deer, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission officials.

Thousands of archers will shoot a deer on the opening day, always the season's most productive hunting day. But most of the state's 300,000 bowhunters - roughly one in three of all hunters is a bowhunter - won't. It's a feeling most archers are accustomed to; they know the action often can be slow in the six-week opportunity - Sept. 30 to Nov. 11 - that is Pennsylvania's early archery deer season.

"Hunting with a bow-and-arrow is challenging and requires a tremendous commitment from a hunter if he or she wants to be successful," explained Calvin W. DuBrock, Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Management Bureau director. "Bowhunters must be exceptional woodsmen just to get themselves within 20 yards of a deer. Then they have to make a move on that incredibly perceptive animal that concludes with making the shot. Pulling it off is exhilarating, an exceptional accomplishment.

"Field officers are reporting that whitetails are available in fair to good numbers throughout most of the state, and that deer populations near our urban centers are still larger than they should be. Many Wildlife Conservation Officers (WCOs) reported that although buck numbers are not what they were prior to antler restrictions, there are more older-aged bucks in their districts than many have seen during their entire careers with the agency. Hunting in Pennsylvania will be exciting this fall."

"Pennsylvania deer hunters are the primary managers to keep deer populations at levels where we have healthy deer and healthy habitat, while minimizing deer-human conflicts," added Dr. Chris Rosenberry, Game Commission Deer Management Section supervisor. "Bowhunters are the start of this process, and an integral part of the Pennsylvania deer hunting heritage."

The Game Commission encourages bowhunters - in fact, all hunters - to spend more time afield this fall prior to hunting seasons to pattern deer movements and identify areas where fall foods are abundant. Even as the season unfolds, hunters can increase their chances of success afield by doing in-season scouting, and keeping an eye on areas adjacent to their hunting locations while on stand.  Patterning daily movements in relation to feeding areas and noting the prevailing wind direction are critical components to scouting and hunting.

It seems unlikely that hunting will be less demanding or easier in Pennsylvania's upcoming seasons. That means hunters must put in more time and work harder to find and take whitetails. Receiving permission to access private property, particularly in urban/suburban areas, can provide distinct advantages over hunting public lands. So can morning hunts on weekdays before work when fewer hunters are afield. The more time a hunter spends afield seeking fresh sign, the greater his or her chances will be. Hunting from a tree-stand can improve a hunter's odds, as will hunting in multiple locations, and as undetectable as possible.

Jeannine Tardiff, Game Commission deer biologist, said hunters who live in the greater Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas could help Pennsylvania's deer management program and residents immensely by staying close to home to hunt.

"There's no shortage of deer in these areas and hunters are sorely needed to reduce the conflicts posed by urban/suburban deer populations," Tardiff explained. "Deer populations can quickly exceed landowner tolerances in suburbia on landscapes that simply cannot accommodate their impacts. They become a constant threat to motorists and a landscaper's nightmare. The stumbling block, of course, is hunter access. But more and more landowners - even municipalities - are looking for assistance.

"If seeing lots of deer is what you crave as a hunter, then bowhunting in the suburbs may be for you. You'll see more deer, but you'll have to knock on doors and possibly talk to municipal officials to find some places to go. Make no mistake, the opportunities are there, just waiting for hunters to make the contacts to secure permission."

The Game Commission expects many hunters to find satisfying hunting opportunities afield this fall, but that doesn't mean hunters should expect to find deer populations unchanged, or at pre-antler restrictions levels. Nor will they necessarily find deer where they have found them in past years.  Deer numbers vary from one Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) to the next, even from township to township or within a township. There are areas with sizeable deer numbers and areas with limited numbers. Deer, however, can be found everywhere; they're just not as abundant or as visible in some areas as residents have become accustomed to seeing them over the past 10 years.

Antler restrictions, implemented in 2002, have led to an increasingly higher percentage of 2.5-year and older bucks being available to hunters each year. Last year, about 50 percent of bucks taken were 2.5 years old, or older.  Typically, about 80 percent of the state's overall buck harvest is taken in the concurrent rifle season. But archers still manage to take their share.  Older bucks offer a more challenging hunt, since many bucks also have another year of experience to draw upon. 

"Over the past five years, the deer management program has succeeded in reducing deer numbers across much of the state," Dr. Rosenberry said.  "Although hunters may see fewer deer, opportunities to see and possibly harvest a 2.5-year-old and older buck are better as a result of antler restrictions."

The best hunting days of the 2005 early archery season were the first day, followed by the last Saturday, the sixth Saturday and the fifth Saturday. That pattern was duplicated in the firearms deer season, when hunters did their best on the first day of season, followed by the first Saturday and the last Saturday of season. Increased hunter participation likely influences hunter success on these openers and Saturdays.

The Game Commission urges bowhunters to take only responsible shots at deer to ensure a quick, clean kill. For most, that's a shot 20 yards or less at a deer broadside or quartering away. Bowhunters should shoot at only deer that are in their maximum effective shooting range - the furthest distance from which a hunter can consistently place arrows into a pie pan-sized target.

Archers also are reminded of regulatory changes in equipment requirements that took effect in 2002.

All bows must have a peak draw weight of at least 35 pounds, and broadheads must have at least a 7/8th-inch outside diameter and no less than two cutting edges. Cutting edges must be in the same plane throughout the length of the cutting surface.

Bowhunters may use deer calls, attractant and cover scents, mechanical broadheads, lighted sight pins (as long as they don't cast a beam) and mechanical releases. However, it is illegal to use baits, salt blocks, liquid mineral mixes and transmitter-tracking arrows. DuBrock noted that the Board of Game Commissioners is set to take final action on a proposal to permit baiting for deer hunting in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties at its meeting on Oct. 3.  However, if approved, the measure still will not take effect until after the early archery season is closed.

Bowhunters may not possess a firearm at any time while hunting, nor may they possess a sporting arm while tracking a deer after hunting hours.

Tree-stands and climbing devices that cause damage to trees are unlawful to use or occupy unless the user has written permission from the landowner. Tree-stands - or tree steps - penetrating a tree's cambium layer cause damage. It is unlawful to construct or occupy constructed tree-stands on State Game Lands, state forests or state parks.

Other safety tips bowhunters should consider before heading afield and while hunting include:

- Make sure someone knows where you're hunting and when you expect to return home. Leave a note or topographic map with your family or a friend. Pack a cellular telephone for emergencies.

- Always use a fall-restraint device - preferably a full-body harness - when hunting from a tree-stand. Wear the device from the moment you leave the ground until you return. Don't climb dead, wet or icy trees. Stay on the ground on blustery days.

- Get in good physical condition before the season starts. Fatigue can impact judgment, coordination and reaction time, as well as accuracy. Staying physically fit makes a difference.

- Always carry a whistle to signal passersby in the event you become immobile. A compass and matches or lighter and tinder also are essential survival gear items to have along. An extra flashlight bulb also can be helpful.

- Use a hoist rope to lift your bow and backpack to your tree-stand. Trying to climb with either will place you at unnecessary risk.

- Don't sleep in a tree-stand! If you can't stay awake, return to the ground.

- Always carry broadhead-tipped arrows in a protective quiver.

- If you use a mechanical release, always keep your index finger away from the trigger when drawing.

- Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for all equipment and check your equipment before each use.

- Practice climbing with your tree-stand before dawn on the opening day of the season. Consider placing non-slip material on the deck of your tree-stand if it's not already there.

Created in 1895 as an independent state agency, the Game Commission is responsible for conserving and managing all wild birds and mammals in the Commonwealth, establishing hunting seasons and bag limits, enforcing hunting and trapping laws, and managing habitat on the 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands it has purchased over the years with hunting and furtaking license dollars to safeguard wildlife habitat.  The agency also conducts numerous wildlife conservation programs for schools, civic organizations and sportsmen's clubs. 

The Game Commission does not receive any general state taxpayer dollars for its annual operating budget.  The agency is funded by license sales revenues; the state's share of the federal Pittman-Robertson program, which is an excise tax collected through the sale of sporting arms and ammunition; and monies from the sale of oil, gas, coal, timber and minerals derived from State Game Lands.

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