'Silver lining' of PGC's deer management: bigger bucks

Hunters will find fewer deer in the forests and fields of Potter, Cameron and surrounding counties, but there are many big bucks among the scaled-down herd.

That's the word from the Pa. Game Commission (PGC), confirmed by local bowhunters and others who monitor the deer herd, as the firearms deer season kicks off next Monday.

"Deer may be difficult to find in some areas, but there are a good number of heavy-antlered bucks," said Cal DuBrock, who heads the PGC's Wildlife Management Bureau. The seasons runs through Saturday, Dec. 9.

Denise Mitcheltree, PGC Wildlife Conservation Officer who patrols southern Potter County, summarizes deer numbers in her region as "fair."

"The herd is much reduced from what hunters have experienced in the past," Mitcheltree said. "Although the reduction is beneficial to the habitat, hunters will have to hunt longer hours and cover more ground."

She added that the buck/doe ratio is higher and many of the bucks are sporting impressive racks. "Hunters who take the time to get off the beaten path and travel further away from the dirt roads should have some satisfying opportunities," Mitcheltree forecasted. "Mast crops appear adequate this year, so a willingness to hunt in areas where deer are concentrated will yield better harvests."

The situation is improving in the northern part of Potter County, according to WCO Bill Ragosta: "This year's fawn crop was exceptional. I've seen several sets of triplets this summer and everyone is seeing lots of sets of twin fawns. Our harvest was down somewhat last year, in large part due to the horrible weather during the first two days of rifle season so many large buck should be available."

WCO Mark Fair, whose district includes Potter County's northeast quadrant, said deer numbers are fair, but are excellent in terms of trophy potential.

"Large bucks have been

observed in all townships," Fair added. "Scout for available acorns and beechnuts to increase your odds."

Over the past few years, increased antlerless license allocations have helped decrease the size of deer populations in many areas. The Game Commission has recently reduced antlerless allocations to maintain stable deer numbers in many wildlife management units.

"Our reduced deer population is not bad for Pennsylvania," DuBrock said. "It's better for deer health, better for our forested areas, and better for landowners whose properties are damaged by deer populations. We're working to restore a balance between deer and their habitat and reduce conflicts in the process . . . if measures of deer health and habitat improve, could actually allow deer numbers to increase in future years."

The Game Commission said the herd is stable in most areas, with antlered deer kills consisting of about a 50-50 mix of yearlings and older deer. As recently as five years ago, more than 80 percent of the antlered buck harvest was yearlings.

The buck harvest historically has been a barometer for Pennsylvania's deer population trends. During the 2005-06 license year, hunters took 354,390 deer, including 120,500 antlered bucks. In 2004-05, the buck harvest was 124,410.