High deer populations offer ample targets for local hunters
While hunters in Southwestern Pennsylvania might not bag the buck they’d hope for, it’s likely not for lack of opportunity.
“I would anticipate it being a very good year for deer hunting,” said Andy Harvey, an information and education supervisor with the Game Commission’s Southwest Region Office. “If people are willing to go out and spend a little bit of time and do the scouting, I wouldn’t see any issue why they wouldn’t have any success. There’s plenty of deer out there.”
Harvey said the population has been high all around the area.
Archery seasons ended on Nov. 21. Eight days later, regular firearm season – the most popular – kicked off.
During that season, restrictions on antlered deer require at least three points on one side. Harvey said there have already been “a lot of nice bucks” taken this year.
“And I think that’s something where we’ve gotten to the point where we just kind of expect that every year. We’re seeing the long-term effects of that antler restriction being put in place, and just throughout the state, seeing a lot bigger deer out there for people,” he said.
Statewide, the antlerless deer license allocation is at 1,312,000, up more than 10% from last year.
Wildlife Management Unit 2A includes
Greene County and portions of Washington and Fayette, are in the state’s same wildlife management area. It’s one of only three out of the state’s 22 management areas where the goal is to stabilize, rather than reduce, the deer population for this year.
The allocation for this season was dropped from 46,000 to 44,000. Because of hunters’ increased success in the area, the state Game Commission determined fewer permits were needed to meet the goal of stopping the upward population trend, according to the state’s deer population report.
Last year in Greene County, hunters killed 8,800 antlered deer, and another 13,800 antlerless, said Brandon Bonin, game warden for the county.
“We’re having a lot of crop damage with farmers in the area,” especially the northeast part of the county, Bonin said. “So an increased doe harvest would really help that.”
Unit 2B, which includes the northeast portion of Washington County, saw antlerless allocations rise from 53,000 to 59,000 this year. The goal is to reduce a rising population and to reduce the possible spread of chronic wasting disease in an area where it’s been detected within 10 miles.
The disease had been found in unit 2C, which includes the eastern part of Fayette County. Its allocation remained flat at 93,000. There, the goal is to reduce population, due to chronic wasting disease found within the unit, as well as forest impacts.
In Fayette County, the most popular hunting areas are in game lands toward the Chalk Hill and Ohiopyle area, and off of Skyline Drive, said Adam Mucha, the district warden for the southern part of Fayette County.
“In the evenings, on the weekends, if you’re driving around, you see a lot of vehicles parked and along field edges that are consistent with people hunting that property,” he said.
While hunters are seeing increased success, the number of people hunting has plateaued in recent years after a long-term decline, Harvey said.
The state has looked at how to get former hunters interested again and recruit younger ones.
As part of the state’s mentored hunt program, inexperienced youth and hunters 12 and up are introduced to the sport in a controlled environment. After classroom sessions on hunting basics and regulations, kids go out on a two-day hunt with mentors. As of last year, a single mentor can now take out up to three kids, up from one previously.
For the first time this year, the program expanded to include an archery hunt in the Waynesburg area. A group of 10 hunters participated, harvesting three deer.
The Waynesburg hunt came about through a partnership with Iron Senergy. The Game Commission had worked with them to host three-day trapping camps on their land, said Courtney Braunns, hunting and trapping recruitment, retention and reactivation specialist for the Game Commission.
One of those deer went to Penn-Trafford High School freshman Colton Dransard, who called the experience “exciting and unique.”
“I definitely would like to go again,” he said. “I will be signing up for the other hunts they offer to learn more about hunting. I was able to have my Pap with me on Friday so he got to experience my first doe.”