Jan 20, 2018 4 min read

Rumor has it that the Game Commission is considering the sale of a permit to take a second buck. It is said that such a sale will replace some of the monies that a license increase would have given them.

While I can think of a better way to increase revenues, I agree they need to come up with something. I also remember that I was told by a high-ranking official of the Game Commission that the reason for antler restrictions had nothing to do with antler improvement. In light of that statement, I do tend to believe this to be true. I was told we were harvesting too many breeding bucks and that the numbers needed to be lowered. This situation was supposedly brought about by a high number of hunters and that Pennsylvania hunters aren’t satisfied with anything but bagging a buck, any buck.

From what I understand, from a biological point of view, this statement rings true and there are very few ways to cut the number of bucks being removed from the herd. In other words, I think that is and was a valid reason to put in place antler restrictions. I know I believe that seniors should be excluded but that is another and separate problem.

The idea of a second buck tag just to raise money seems to work in exactly the opposite direction. The majority of such a tag would be purchased by hunters who are successful almost every year. There are such hunters and they will put pressure back on the bucks just where it is not needed.

Better yet, why not just add a $5 increase in the price of an antlerless tag? When one considers inflation, $12 doesn’t seem all that much for a license and I doubt if it would cut that much into sales.

• Perhaps the greatest challenge of all of Pennsylvania’s animals is the coyote. If you question, that statement just ask someone from a western state where these canines have been shot at, trapped and even poisoned for many years. Despite all of that, they still thrive and in all probability will continue to survive. Long seasons and some of the top hunters and trappers have declared war on this secretive animal and still they go on like nothing has happened.

I have talked to some of the states’ best coyote hunters and find them using various methods to draw the animal into shooting range. I must mention some of the conditions that work against the hunter. First, most coyote hunting is done during the winter months. That means cold weather, sitting and waiting for an animal to show up in 10-degree weather is hardly my idea of fun. Why winter? For one thing, the hunter can see much better without the growth on the trees and bushes and the snow itself makes visibility so much better. This little wolf might sneak by when the brush has leaves to offer concealment but it is easily seen when snow is the backdrop. This is even more so when the moon is full. Needless to say, ordinary camouflage clothing is not up to snuff and any cam worn needs to be white.

The successful hunters I have talked to use two methods of hunting. It seems to be equally divided in method choices and some use the bait method. They create a bait pile in a likely location where the approaching animal can be seen and they are downwind and hidden. Any fresh or slightly ripe meat will work as bait and more than one road-kill deer has magically appeared as coyote bait.

The other method, and the one used by the purist, is to use a call. I remember sitting and watching a field in Ohio when coyotes were yipping all around me. One hit with a call and all went silent. The silence was actually kind of eerie but soon we started to see pairs of eyes all around the perimeter of the field. We couldn’t identify those eyes so no shots were fired but deep inside we knew what they belonged to.

Try as we did, they wouldn’t step out into the field but stayed in cover along the edge. Why? We decided it was because of a porch light at the house we were staying in. This light was something unusual to this very smart animal.

That sums up coyote hunting. It doesn’t take much to alert this animal.