PA Deer Season

PA's season started off with strange weather and seemed like harvest was low.

11/29 & 11/30 - 4" of snow on the ridge that slowly melted over the weekend. This was a good thing and allowed some last minute scouting and I shifted my stand 40 yards over to watch some heavy traffic along a gully.

12/1 - All of the snow was gone. High temp was 57 by 10:00am with rain showers and a 5-10mph wind from the SE. Temps dropped to 35 after lunch and then we had sleet off and on for the last 3 hours of the hunt. Everything was so wet all hunting was visual only.

I saw a decent buck in the twilight hours but I couldn't count points or get a clear shot into the laurels if I wanted too. 6 doe seem to have been bedded in the middle of the laurels and left around 7:30am. 2 more doe came through the laurels at 7:40am and a spike buck around 8:15am. I didn't see anything for the rest of the day. Total count for the day- 8 doe and 2 buck. Most of the deer headed to the SE to bed down. I don't think I heard 30 shots all day.

I talked to some of the other people hunting in the area and the first day was pretty bad. 2 people saw nothing, 1 saw 1 deer, 1 saw 3 deer and one saw 8 deer. No buck we taken between 7 people hunting 100 acres

12/2 - 29F in the morning. High temp was 32F. Sporadic 5-10mph wind from the NW. Snow started around 9am and had 2" by noon when it tapered off. Then sleet moved in around 3:30-5:30pm and then changed to freezing drizzle.

Things dried out a bit overnight and you could hear things walking again. I heard a bunch of crashing around and sticks breaking during twilight. But all I saw was a pair of fox squirrels being a PITA and wrote it off as that. But around 7:15 I heard deer walking in the leaves and brush. 5 doe came out of the thicket and moved 90 yards to my right and disappeared into the gully and into the other flat. 7:20 I could hear more deer walking in the thicket and caught a glimpse of a decent rack on the first deer and I couldn't see the seconds head. The buck was following the trail the 5 doe took with his nose to the ground tracking them. I dropped the buck in a small clearing 90 yards away with the 270. Total count for the day - 6 doe and a 8pt buck. All deer movement was towards the NW to bed down on the top of the ridge. I don't think I heard 12 shots all day and most of them were by 10am.

I talked to the other people hunting in the area and the second day wasn't much better. 1 person saw 2 deer, 1 saw 3 and 1 saw 5. We harvested 2 8pt buck and both were shot before 8am. No deer movement after the snow started around 9am.

12/3 - Showers, dense fog on the ridges and 33F this morning. We headed home. I only saw 2 harvested deer on the way home. One was a nice 8pt and the other was a 3pt. I assume the 3 point was a junior hunters since it was a 1x2 and you need 3 on a side to be legal.

The neighbor at the cabin said the local butcher usually sees 110-130 deer on the first day. When he stopped in Monday night they only had 44.

Any deer in the freezer is a nice deer, but that one's a nice deer any way you look at it. ;)

Less Aqua Velva and more showers with scent free soap!

Nice deer! The hunting season has been strange around here too.

Where is your camp?

BB

BB,

Outside of Huntingdon, PA. About 25 minutes east of Raystown Dam.

Going to head out there next Thursday night and hunt doe the last 2 days. Have 2 tags but I will only try to fill the 1. If I get a buck, I won't shoot 2 doe.

They announced that "775,000 hunters to hit the woods" on the radio early Monday morning. I remember when they used to say "Close to 1million hunters to hit the woods this morning". I guess our hunter numbers are taking a hit in PA.

I've been down in that area quite often in my youth. Spruce Creek to be exact.

BB

Spruce Creek is rather popular. I like that area of the state. I am trying to find more land. My current camp is a lease and we are down to 3 members without the ability to add more. Either I need to kiss some butt or move on.

Hey it has been years since anyone kissed my butt.

Where are you thinking of going, and do you cast any 38 bullets?

I am going flintlock hunting and I am letting it up to someone else to kiss your butt and give you 38 bullets :mrgreen:

My season is over. A doe lost the battle vs a flintlock on Saturday morning. I had a hang fire and missed a doe a bit after 7, then I had a misfire but I got lucky resetting everything and hit the doe on the second try. I saw 22 doe until 9:30 and 2 doe putting a drive on for the neighbors in the afternoon.

Cool! What's up with the misfires? Wet powder? Bad flint? Piece of crap gun? Short behind the trigger?

BB

Not 100% sure. Loose nut behind the trigger... [smilie=p:

I use a nipple pick religiously to cut down on ignition issues.

The hang fire might have been my fault. I was playing with a duplex load. I threw a bit of 4f in first so it would take off faster. Might not have been a good idea since it was damp in the morning.

The misfire was due to me not wiping the flint off after the early shot. I usually run my glove across the flint to get any fouling off it.

The flint is one I had on for awhile for target shooting. I usually switch out to the "hunting" flint but I didn't bother. My hunting flint is a typical hawken flint that I knapped into a W. That SOB sparks like mad but its bad for the frizzen. So I only use it for hunting.

I shot the load out this morning at home and it took off instantly with 3 day old powder...

I like the flash holes that are shaped like hour glasses. Have found then to be much more reliable. Have you ever tried a duplex load with pyrodex? I seen a can of ff pyro for 17 bucks at walmart and bought it knowing that it was a really good deal. I've never used it. A buddy uses pyro only in his flintlock and swears by it. Just wondering if anyone else has had success with it.

BB

I could do some work on the flash hole. I was reading up on that a few weeks ago.

Never tried it in a flintlock. It is harder to ignite so it is mostly used for inlines.

That's what I've always thought too! I'm going to have to try it in my flinders just to use the stuff. Don't have an inline.

BB

You might be able to get away with some flash powder under the pyrodex.

I gave up pyrodex and switched to 777 in my inlines about 6 years ago. Pyrodex seemed to easily draw moisture and give you bunny fart loads. The one day I shot a 2 day load out, the primer pushed the 2 pellets/sabot out of the barrel and a few feet downrange.

Interesting you say this... On the pyrodex can it says you can load 5gr of black powder followed by a 5gr reduced load of pyrodex in a flintlock. I think this will be a good way to use it up.

BB

Hey Hellrazor I did not mention GIVING me bullets. I have some ww ingots I would like to trade for 38 bullets. My ass does not need any help either.

Ill be hunting hwy 20, 65, 70, and maybe get in some 49 if I get the time to head over there.

seriously though...my hunting is going to be in Idaho this november. It should be fun though, its rife season for deer and muzzleloader for elk.

http://www.sus.co.ua
Derpioli

Its pretty dead on this site 15 days into the annual deer season. So whats everyone seeing and/or shooting? Ive seen more deer this year starting out than Ive seen in a few years now.

Urban Archery came in here on Sept. 7th this year! I call it "Does with Bows" since female deer only with stringed tackle.
Been out once and saw lots of turkey but no fur. I'll head out again Saturday morning.

No Luck. Drats!

Now I'm in recovery from hernia surgery until opening of rifle.
Still gonna need assistance on carcass extraction