Ohio vs PA deer

[Ohiosam]

Interesting discussion on Huntingpa.com about the differences in bucks between the 2 states.

http://www.huntingpa.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1956729&fpart=1

 

[huntn2]

Interesting that no one has commented the fact that you get 1 antlered deer per season in OH regardless of weapon. I could be wrong, but I believe in PA you can take a buck with your bow and then another one with your rifle.

 

[CJR123080]

Interesting that no one has commented the fact that you get 1 antlered deer per season in OH regardless of weapon. I could be wrong, but I believe in PA you can take a buck with your bow and then another one with your rifle.

You can only take one buck in PA, regardless of weapon.

 

[rrr]

I think the NY / OH debate is clearer and shows the differences between PA/OH - but that's all generalizations.

 

[RedCloud]

I only seen Osam and one other person mention that OH deer are transplants from other states just like PA deer are lol.

OH still has road hunters with rifles,shotguns using spotlights just ask Gern or anybody that hunts on a regular basis here.

The biggest reason we have bigger deer is due to the fact our gun season is much shorter. I grantee you lengthen gun season here and add in rifles like PA you will soon see the 110 - 120" "Trophy" bucks that PA and MI do.

 

[formerbowhunter1023]

I'd base on management or lack thereof IMO...

 

[hickslawns]

I read the first page and found it interesting. Not enough to keep reading though. I am with Jesse on the fact it is the whole management structure. Genetics I believe are in small pockets. Age is huge. Pressure is also a huge reason. Never hunted in PA but my understanding is there is tremendous pressure. I think the mentality of the hunter comes into play as well. I believe hunters everywhere are starting to see you need to pass on the smaller ones if you want to see big boys. Doe/buck ratio education across the country has also helped people believe it is okay to shoot a doe. I still have uncles in KY that will shoot a basket 6pt just to say "I got my buck!" Some of it is simply the mindset.

 

[RedCloud]

I could see this being debated in so many direction it isn't funny.

Are you guys saying Management by the hunters or the DNR ?

As Hicks said, People are starting to get in their heads they need to let younger smaller bucks walk and that doesn't stop just because it's PA. I'm sure they have more then a few that are in that mind set.

IMO this is what they should do as a starting point.

1) Stop selling BUCK only tags and go back to an either sex tag.
2) They need to go with shotgun only state wide instead of only a few counties that are shotgun and the rest being rifle.
3) Shorten their firearms season if they don't do option #2

Option #2 would do a couple of things.

2a. It would put some deer out of effective range allowing them to live longer
2b. It would take away some of the pressure on the deer. PA is a great place for people such as myself that don't get to head out west and hunt rifles so we just move next door and NY does the same thing. Go to a shotgun only and alot of the NR's will have no reason to go there.

I bet if you ask the NR's past and present that you will find out that about 90% of them only hunt PA because of the rifle season. Surely they aren't hunting it for the quality bucks they have there. They just want a chance to blast a deer (any deer) with a high power rifle just the same as I want to .

 

[Ohiosam]

I'm guessin the average PA and Ohio hunters have a similar "if it's brown it's down" attitude. But I bet Ohio would have a higher percent that let small bucks walk, except that PA's AR require it.

I'm guessin that the percent of deer killed in PA past 150 yards is pretty low, but in Ohio it's even lower.

I'm guessin that there are probably more hunters per square mile in PA during their gun season than in Ohio. I also think the tighter access to private ground helps Ohio bucks.

Lots of guessin I'll admit. I would like to know what percent of each state's bucks are killed at 1.5 years and 2.5 years. That would shed light on if the combination of seasons lengths, weapons, antler restrictions and the numbers of hunters makes much difference in reality.

From what I know most of Ohio has better food for the deer. I do think that feeding and minerals might help a little in Ohio but not as much as a certain skinner of coons would have us believe. I also think PA went way too many years without sufficient doe harvests.

 

[CJR123080]

I'm guessin the average PA and Ohio hunters have a similar "if it's brown it's down" attitude. But I bet Ohio would have a higher percent that let small bucks walk, except that PA's AR require it.

I'm guessin that the percent of deer killed in PA past 150 yards is pretty low, but in Ohio it's even lower.

I'm guessin that there are probably more hunters per square mile in PA during their gun season than in Ohio. I also think the tighter access to private ground helps Ohio bucks.

Lots of guessin I'll admit. I would like to know what percent of each state's bucks are killed at 1.5 years and 2.5 years. That would shed light on if the combination of seasons lengths, weapons, antler restrictions and the numbers of hunters makes much difference in reality.

From what I know most of Ohio has better food for the deer. I do think that feeding and minerals might help a little in Ohio but not as much as a certain skinner of coons would have us believe. I also think PA went way too many years without sufficient doe harvests.

Sam....your guesses are pretty accurate. PA has approximately 900,000 deer hunters...Almost double than Ohio and the two states are similar in size. That alone immediately sets PA back a good ways.

I've killed 8 or 9 bucks with a rifle in PA...None were further than 40 yards away.

I haven't seen recent statistics, but prior to AR restrictions, over 80% of the buck harvest were 1.5 year old bucks...That's A LOT...I imagine that the number has decreased, but perhaps not as much as one might think. Much of the states restriction requires 3 points on a side, which we all know a buck can achieve on his first set of antlers...

Those responsible for managing the deer herd in PA are likely doing the best they can..The problem is managing all the hunters..Everyone wants "their buck" and will do whatever it takes to get one.

Not to mention PA doesn't have the rich soil, food sources, genetics, or quality of public land that OH offers. A lot of PA is mountainous terrain. My family's cabin is in the mountains of SW PA and we've hunted the area for 30+ years and have only taken four bucks scoring 120 or better. All were very old deer. This was all on private ground, which we no longer have permission to hunt. There are better parts of PA such as Washington or Greene County, but generally speaking, Ohio offers much more quality statewide.

They are VERY different states when it comes to deer hunting.