Wednesday, November 29th, 2023

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1967

Wednesday, November 29th, 2023

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1967

Ron Steffe

No Pennsylvania hunting season draws a crowd like the traditional gun season for deer

Because archery hunting season remains open in the area where I live, I’ve hunted a couple of days in this extra length of opportunity to harvest a whitetail. 
As the rut has generally passed, deer movement has become restrained, their dusk to dawn activity seemingly once again becoming their favored timeframe for feeding and strolling about. This has meant those hours I’ve been sitting and watching for a deer to move close to my stand have passed slowly at best. 

To confront a rutting buck, it still comes down to being at the right place at the right time

Over the past three weeks I’ve done a lot of archery hunting for whitetails, especially the past two weeks, which was that special period of time when love-worn bucks would be seeking females to spread their genetic makeup.  
I hunt with a companion who takes a week’s vacation from his job to pursue male deer during this heightened timeframe of encountering a roaming buck at any daylight hour.

Now it begins: The rut is just getting started

Just about all deer experts, both hunters and the science-based research variety, agree that the breeding between female and male whitetails can be broken down into three separate phases.  
First is the “pre rut,” which is called by some as the chasing phase. This is not when bucks are following does that are close to their 24–36-hour estrous period, but rather a timeframe when days shorten, and bucks are first feeling the oncoming urge to secure the passing of their genetic makeup. This phase includes heavy rubbing, scape making, locking antlers with other bucks and chasing both younger deer and older females for short distances. These signs and actions may be noticed at any time now when afield.

Pennsylvania nears its perfect period of archery hunting

The first week of archery deer hunting has passed in Pennsylvania. It was a warm week, not unusual for early periods of bow season in years past . 
Times are changing, though. Rainstorms moved through the state this past weekend. They’ll be followed by strong clearing winds that will bring much cooler temperatures, conditions that will affect most dedicated archery hunters who desire to be a serious part of the world of deer.

Concern setting in for getting Pennsylvania deer hunting license

As I sit and type the following, it is Friday, Sept. 8. The hunting license I purchased over the internet from my account with Hunt Fish—Pa on the first day I was able to apply, June 26, has yet to arrive at my home.   
I also applied for a Wildlife Management Unit 2G antlerless deer tag on that same date. I was successful in obtaining my 2G tag. At this writing, I have also failed to receive that tag.

Oley Valley Hunting Club in Pennsylvania celebrates 100 years

A hunting camp in Centre County, belonging to a club comprised almost entirely of Berks County residents, recently celebrated its 100th year as an organization. 
The Oley Valley Hunting Club, established in 1923 with 23 original members, selected a mid-August Saturday to gather some members to honor the club’s century of existence. Located just west of the R.B. Winter State Park office, the camp building sits a few yards from Route 192 (formally Brush Valley Road), and within Bald Eagle State Forest. Ray Rohrbach, of Oley, an 83-year-old member who joined the camp in 1972, recalls some of the history passed down to him from two of his half-brothers. 

Deer not only culprits raiding farmers’ crops

During three months last summer and early fall, I had placed a trail camera along the edge of a corn field at one of my hunting spots. The camera was fastened to a mid-sized beech tree, which was at the edge of heavy woods and thick brush adjacent to the corn field. 
As with the placement of trail cams by most other hunters, I wanted to get some idea of the deer numbers — and possible mature bucks — that were living in this area. In the overall collection of photos, I was surprised at all the different forms of wildlife that were raiding the corn crop growing there.  

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