What's the hunting like out here?

[D-FENS]

I am coming back home to go hunting over the next week. I am just curious what the status is of the deer population in your opinions? I'll be in Woodward for the most part.

[ithinkimamedic]

I've heard good things but I am not a hunter SOoooo... take it for what it's worth. I have a couple of friends who live down in spring mills/ reebersburg/ milheim/ woodward area. I'll check with them friday at work and get back to you if no one else speaks up.

Cheers,
Josh

[ironhorse]

private lands , I f you can find someone who'll let you hunt aren't bad.. Public lands the populations have been desimated..........Where I hunt, south central pa, when we went spotting, before we would see up to 70 deer and as many as 20 bucks. Now we saw 2 does. Private land owners who do not know you, or who not known you long enough, are afraid to let people on their land due to property damage , legal issues or just plan shooting their livestock. We did get lucky and shoot one doe the 1st day out of the muzzleloader season. My coworkers wife said that one committed suicide . Because it ran up on us and stopped and gazed at us. At about 35 yards. Wasn't a tough decision to make to take it or not.

[dtree25]

like has been said above, try to find private land : knock on doors, be polite, and keep trying I am one of the lucy ones, born and raised to a farm family in north central pa. ie; upper Norhumberland & lower Lycoming counties. Have friends who own property I hunt on [problem is it is right next to one of the newest Pa. game lands in the state) so I do know what hunting pressure can do. But overall if you can find private land to hunt on and spend the time actually hunting,altho the deer population is down, there is some very good hunting out there!

[D-FENS]

I have permission to hunt on a recently posted ~500 acres behind my folks place. Wasn't easy though. The mother and father have let us use their land for 20 years but recently hit poor health and the kids have taken over and Posted the property an my step-father just about had to beg them for permission, despite a good professional relationship...

Glad we can hunt, regrettable that we can't be trusted after 20 years.

Thanks for the info guys, wish me luck!

[dtree25]

one thing I did"nt say when you go knocking on doors, dress in an appropiate manner,don't go in a knock out business suit or covered head to foot in camo and face paint! Always be polite no matter what the property says, if no thank them for their time and leave. If they do let you hunt remember, you are their guest and treat their property with respect! And also remember, If you get lucky,share the harvest with the property owner!!The best way to insure hunting access to private propery is to present a repectable front. I say this from experiance from both sides, as property owners & asking others to hunt on their propery.There still are good hunting opportunities out there, It's just getting harder, you have to work harder at it. Good luck!

[dtree25]

hey De-Fense ,glad to see you made out okay!!! good luck!! I can understand how how you feel about that land. The property next to my family land, 2300 acres that I grew up hunting on with the farmers permission . So now the grandchildren have the say over it and have posted it. Really sucks, I can stand on my porch and look out at the place but can't hunt it. But It's like the Mellancamp song,{the're just memories for you now] I guess time goes on (sigh)