| Bookmark Site Tell a Friend |
| Go to the Hunting Forum Discuss the issues surrounding hunting in Potter County |
| Related Articles Outdoor Recreation Hunting |
| Sponsored Links Deer Feeders Deer Hunting Games Deer Antlers |
| Looking for a place to hunt? Do you take in hunters? Want to buy some gear? Want to sell some gear? Visit Free Classifieds |
| Only Quality Hunting Gear At Competetive Prices. |
Pennsylvania Game Commission 2005-06 Deer Harvest Estimates
2005-2006 Deer Harvest for Pennsylvania is down almost 14% from the 2004-2005 deer hunting season.
Pennsylvania Game Commission officials released the total whitetail deer harvest estimate for 2005-06 seasons is 354,390, down from the previous year's harvest estimate of 409,320. While the antlered harvest was similar to the previous year, the reduction in the antlerless deer harvest followed changes in antlerless license allocations, which were decreased in response to declining deer population trends in most Wildlife Management Units (WMUs).
"Going into the year, we expected WMU antlerless deer harvests to drop in most WMUs because the Board of Game Commissioners approved an overall antlerless deer license allocation that was down 15 percent from the previous year," said Carl Roe, Game Commission executive director. "For example, in WMU 2G, a 44 percent reduction in the unit's antlerless deer license allocation resulted in a 42 percent drop in the antlerless deer harvest. Most of the changes in the antlerless harvest can be accounted for by the change in antlerless allocations, and demonstrates the strong relationship between antlerless license allocations and harvests.
"Also, as general hunting license sales are down by five percent this year, it is unreasonable to expect the overall deer harvest would have increased." The Game Commission's 2005-06 antlerless deer license allocations were intended to hold deer population trends steady until the agency's Deer Management Section completed development of a new system of measures to gauge the impact of deer on themselves, the habitat and people. That work, which should provide a solid foundation to manage deer more knowledgeably and progressively, is nearing completion.
The 2005-06 antlerless harvest was 233,890 compared to 284,910 for the 2004-05 seasons. From 2004-05 to 2005-06, antlerless harvests varied from a drop of 42 percent in WMU 2G to an increase of 6 percent in WMU 2A, where the allocation remained the same from the previous year. The statewide antlerless deer harvest was comprised of 23 percent button bucks, which is about average.
The 2005-06 antlered deer harvest was 120,500 compared to 124,410 for the 2004-05 seasons. Between 2004-05 and 2005-06, antlered harvests varied from a decline of 27 percent in WMU 4B to an increase of 24 percent in WMU 2B. As a direct result of the three-point and four-point antler restrictions, almost 50 percent of harvested antlered deer were 2.5 years old or older this past season, compared to only 20 percent being that old prior to antler restrictions.
Bowhunters took 60,940 deer (31,730 antlered deer and 29,210 antlerless deer), compared to 62,460 deer (28,070 antlered deer and 34,390 antlerless deer) in 2004-05. Muzzleloader hunters harvested 25,240 deer (1,200 antlered deer and 24,040 antlerless deer) last year, compared to 31,270 deer (1,090 antlered deer and 30,180 antlerless deer) in 2004-05.
Total deer harvest figures for Wildlife Management Units that include Potter County are:
WMU 2G (The area south of Route 6 in Potter County and McKean County) archery, 520 antlered, 380 antlerless; muzzleloader, 60 antlered, 800 antlerless; total, 5,000 antlered, 6,200 antlerless.
WMU 3A (the area north of Route 6 in Potter County, McKean County, Tioga County and Bradford County), archery, 620 antlered, 720 antlerless; muzzleloader, 30 antlered, 1,060 antlerless; total, 4,000 antlered, 8,700 antlerless.
On April 18, 2006 the Board of Game Commissioners is scheduled to take official action to finalize the 2006-07 hunting and furtaking seasons and bag limits. The Board also will set antlerless license allocations by WMUs on April 18.
For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website.