Mixed results for deer hunters

Pennsylvania's firearms deer season was only about an hour old when Charles Axline of Burkittsville, Md., spotted this hefty eight-pointer near his group's camp at Rich Valley in Cameron County. Nine other hunters never saw a deer. "My shot was the only shot we took, and the only shot we heard, all day long," Axline said. Endeavor News photo

The Rich Valley Camp gang's experiences over the first couple days of deer season seemed to be typical of many hunters who tried their luck in the northcentral Pa. mountains.

One of them, Charles Axline, was wearing a smile a he discussed what he expects to be "the trophy buck of a lifetime." The other nine hunters in his party went home empty-handed.

"I was lucky," said Axline, of Burkittsville, Md. "It was a case of right place, right time, Nobody else even saw a deer -- buck or doe."

He'll have his hefty eightpointer, with a 20-inch antler spread, mounted. But Axline suspects some members of his hunting party will abandon Rich Valley and look elsewhere next deer season.

The Pa. Game Commission's forecast of fewer deer, but a bigger proportion of largerracked animals, appeared to hold true in the firearms deer season's first week.

A lot of buck have been taken by sportsmen hunting out the Ol Swell Fellas camp, but few have equaled this 11- point shot by Jeff McKnight near Sizerville State Park. The Saltsburg man got the buck opening day.

While hunters enjoyed warmer temperatures that allowed them to stay afield for longer periods of time, the lack of snow cover made it hard to see the camouflaged animals and difficult to track their movements.

Mary Hosmer, a forester at the Allegheny National Forest station at Lewis Run, confirmd that many trophy-sized bucks passed through that area on hunters' vehicles, but overall deer kill was down. The size of the bucks that have been taken are no consolation for those who came up empty-handed, she said.

An informal survey of businesses in Potter and Cameron counties found that hunter numbers were about on par with the past few years, but well below the numbers that came to the region as recently as the mid-1990s. They said reduced deer numbers, a broader distribution of whitetails across the state and economics -- including higher gas prices -- have all contributed to the decline.

State police reported three hunting-related incidents.

A Rossiter man was killed by a stray bullet early Tuesday evening. The victim, David R. Matthews, 27, was hunting alone in Gaskill Township near Punxsutawney at about 5:15. He was found by his sister later in the evening and taken to Punxsutawney Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:00.

Kane-based state police reported that 56-year-old Robert Karpeal of West Elizabeth suffered a fatal heart attack while hunting Monday morning in a wooded area near the Kane Drive-In Theater.

Ridgway-based state police reported that John Katcher, 59, of Baden, was accidentally shot by his own gun at 3:30 p.m. in the Owls Nest area in Highland Township, Elk County. Police said his hunting rifle accidentally discharged, with the bullet striking his right foot. permanently embedded in the wood grain and sealed behind glass doors. Service members from the Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War and today's War on Terror will eventually be added.

"No one can predict the future, but the Honor Roll is designed in a way that will allow new panels to be added in the years ahead," Caldwell said. "We've asked the Sons of the American Legion to take responsibility for maintenance and upkeep. The Arboretum Committee and the borough have also been involved right from the start for this community project."

Inclusion on the Coudersport Armed Forces Honor Roll is not limited to war veterans. Space will also be allotted to those who served their nation in peacetime.

Depending on availability of funds, Post 192 would like to erect a bronze eagle at the entrance to the Honor Roll, as well as poles bearing separate flags for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and the Prisoner of War/ Missing in Action banner.

Also on the drawing board is a special recognition -- possibly in the form of memorial benches -- for Coudersport's two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, Corp. Thomas Cullen (Civil War) and Navy Lt. James McDonald (peacetime submarine crew rescue in 1939).

Caldwell's interest in the project can be traced to his own family's military service. At the entrance of his business, Rocky's Pool Hall, on East Second Street in Coudersport, are two large American flags bearing the names of known victims from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists' attack.

Donations to help defray initial expenses and ongoing maintenance should be made to: Memorial Fund, c/o Legion Post 192, 2 Buffalo St., Coudersport PA 16915. Relatives or friends who want to make sure service members' names are included should mail a note to the same address, listing name, branch, dates of service and contact information.