'Best, worst of times'

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

Charles Dickens' famous line describes the contrasting outlooks of Pennsylvania deer hunters. After several years of antler restrictions, there are more large bucks running around our woods than at any time in recent history.

In some areas, even with a lower deer population, the buck numbers are up. Tree seedlings are regenerating in some areas that were previously having problems.

Overall, the deer herd is more in balance with the available habitat. There is also a much more natural age class structure of bucks, with antler restrictions ensuring that plenty of yearling bucks will survive.

These conditions coupled with several years of good acorn crops in certain areas have produced good hunting for this fall. Bucks sporting a 15-inch spread or higher are in abundance with a few real monsters lurking in the woods. That has many hunters excited.

Conversely, just as many hunters are frustrated with the current deer populations entering the season. Many hunters long for the good old days when the north woods were full of whitetails.

Lower deer numbers have resulted in fewer hunters coming, sending economic ripples throughout the region. Nothing is more frustrating than hunting hard all day and not seeing a deer.

I can certainly relate to both sides of the deer debate. In the last few years I have gone two days of hunting hard, dawn to dusk on public land, without seeing a whitetail. That is really frustrating. At the same time, I am quite excited about the health of our deer herd and the presence of many older bucks in our forests.

I also come from a biology background and recognize the need for having a deer herd that is in balance with the habitat. On the public land where I hunt, I have never seen as many buck signs in one area as this year. The last week of archery season, I hunted four times in the area and saw eight bucks. Three were shooters, and one was enormous.

The area has very heavy mountain laurel cover. On the deer season opener, this area will be seemingly vacant of hunters. I will have to hunt hard to see deer and will probably have "deerless" days.

Nevertheless, I know that if I stick with it, I can have success. Where one day I will be skunked, in the same spot I will see a dozen deer on another day. I will likely run into some tremendous bucks. Getting a shot at them in the thick laurel is another story, though . . .

The $7.35 million Norfolk Southern sodium hydroxide spill settlement should make local sportsmen happy. The money will be split evenly between the Department of Environmental Protection and the Fish and Boat Commission.

Each agency will use some of the money to cover the costs incurred during the response, cleanup, and investigation of the train wreck and chemical spill. After that, approximately $6.76 million will be redirected back to fund watershed projects in the region affected by the spill.

The Fish Commission's portion will go to projects in Cameron, Elk, McKean, and Potter counties with the initial focus being on the Sinnemahoning Creek watershed upstream of the confluence with First Fork. The DEP portion will be directed solely to the Sinnemahoning Creek watershed above the confluence with First Fork.

Although the Bennett Branch will be eligible for project funding, the Driftwood Branch will receive priority. Fine money will be placed in interest-bearing accounts and be made available for projects on an annual basis.

This will create a perpetual source of funding for within the watershed. It will go a long way toward cleaning up acid mine drainage, improving fish habitat, improving fishing and boating access, and cleaning up pollution within our local streams.