Penn’s Outdoors

I thought it would be interesting to calculate what it would cost to get back into archery.  For this experiment, I assumed that the person has very little to get started and will need to buy everything.  I used Bass Pro Shops prices. This says nothing about whether you should go to a store like Bass […]

I found this YouTube video collage of deer taken at a Clarion County deer camp.  It includes a big Pope & Young PA buck.

I have been trying to avoid the debate over the proposed Pennsylvania hunting license increase.  But I have been asked by a couple of people about my thoughts.  So, I’ve reluctantly decided to share my opinion.  Before I give you my thoughts, here are the 3 predominant views that I am hearing from PA hunters.

Pennsylvania […]

Jim Collins gets it.  He understands that the arguments around deer management are not about how how many deer we see on a day in the woods but about the future of hunting in Pennsylvania.
While he states a number of reasons for the decreasing number of hunters in PA a part from anything that the Game Commission […]

To get you psyched up for the Spring Gobbler season, here is a video from Outdoor Insights.  Guy Hostutuler takes an early morning turkey on this hunt in Penn’s Woods.

I was looking through some of the services on my resource pages and visited the Braggin’ Board of Mactown Outfitters.  Looking through their pics, I came across a buck that looked like no other I’ve ever seen. 
This buck has an antler coming out of the side of its face.  Yes, coming out of the side of […]

I have a great deal of appreciation for the struggles of farmers.  I grew up in farm country, which is now development country.  I have spent time on farms and know their importance to our economy, way of life and heritage here in Pennsylvania.
That said, their response to new deer regulations is not surprising.  There […]

Here are the highlights for deer hunters from the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Winter Meetings. Quotes are from the PGC press releases.
1. Deer Season changes have been proposed for next year but there is no major change in deer management strategy for Pennsylvania.
The only substantial change for the deer hunting seasons is a proposal to have a […]

I probably could’ve written the article prior to the meeting, and I would’ve been right on.  Hunters would show up in mass saying that there are not enough deer and the timber industry would say there are too many.  And that is exactly what has happened.
As you know, I fall into the camp that says hunting is at […]

Jim Collins has been running an interesting series of articles on hunting license sales in Pennsylvania in The Sunday Review.  In yesterday’s article, he shares something from a fellow outdoor writer that I didn’t realize. 
First of all, everyone knows about the drastic reduction of hunting license sales in PA as well as elsewhere in the […]

This is an incredible PA buck.  A 16 pointer with great mass was harvested by this PA hunter. 

A lot of people are questioning whether the audit will be truly independent.  I am trying to stay optimistic about things.  I am as cynical about government as anyone but I believe some of our representatives in Harrisburg are starting to pay attention to their hunting constituents’ concerns and maybe more so the economics of deer management.  […]

Here’s shocking news for you [Insert Sarcasm Here].  The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is reporting that some changes to deer hunting regulations may be motivated by a desire to increase license fees for more revenue.
Ok, let me back up and provide some context to this story.  Next week, the Commissioners will meet.  On their agenda is the […]

Pennsylvania Game and Fish just released an online article on geese hot spots for the State. They write about the opportunity for geese in PA:
With 300,000 resident geese calling Pennsylvania home, and more than 1.5 million migrants winging through the state each fall and winter, it’s easy to see why waterfowlers here enjoy such good success.

Check […]

North Penn Life reports that consultants have determined that the deer population in Montgomery County must be reduced.  The good news is that they are recommending that deer hunters be given greater access to parks and private property. 
The real interesting part, to me, is how the whitetail deer has seemingly become public enemy #1.  Maybe […]

The nice thing about blogging about PA hunting right now is that there isn’t any shortage of material.  Pennsylvania is doing an independent audit of the deer management program.  An article at PennLive.com states:
This issue goes well beyond a hunter’s odds of killing a deer. It affects tourism, hunting’s economic benefits, forest regeneration, other […]