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HARRISBURG -- Pennsylvania will start its first statewide flintlock muzzleloader season for antlerless deer Saturday, Oct. 21. The three-day season, which will conclude at sunset, Tuesday, Oct. 24, may draw as many as 160,000 muzzleloader hunters.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission scheduled a statewide fall flintlock season because hunters have sought one for some time.
"The Board of Game Commissioners wanted to provide muzzleloaders a chance to pursue their sport at a time when it^s more comfortable to be outdoors and when there are more deer afield," said Vern Ross, PGC executive irector. "It^s a wonderful opportunity for the state^s muzzleloader hunters."
But the benefits from this new season are more than social, according to Dr. Gary Alt, Deer Management Section supervisor.
"Ecologically, it makes good sense to harvest does prior to the November rut," Alt said. "In Pennsylvania, we harvest a greater proportion of our antlered bucks than perhaps any other state in the country - in some areas, over 90 percent annually.
"Antlerless populations have largely been underharvested, resulting in many more does than bucks. This distorted ratio of bucks to does can cause problems in the breeding ecology, including some does not being bred; does breeding late, which results in lower fawn survival; and low competition for mating, which can result in weaker, younger bucks doing the breeding."
The Game Commission conducted a pilot fall flintlock season in special regulation area counties in 1999. Hunters took about 400 deer in the three-day season. The season went off without any problem, paving the way for a statewide season.
In recent years, the after-Christmas muzzleloader season has drawn 90,000 to 100,000 licensed participants. An annual season since 1974, the late muzzleloader season has provided an average annual harvest of 10,800 deer over the past three seasons. Only about seven percent of those deer were antlered, because there were few antlered bucks remaining after the rifle season.
Hunters are reminded to look very carefully for antlers before shooting in this fall^s first October muzzleloader season. Unlike the after-Christmas season, bucks will be much more common to see and special care should be taken to avoid shooting small bucks.
Archers for the first time ever, will be sharing the woods with other deer hunters in October. During the three-day early muzzleloader season, archers will be limited to hunting antlerless deer. Antlered deer hunting with a bow will close at sunset Oct. 20 and resume at sunrise on Oct. 25. All hunters are restricted to taking antlerless deer in only those counties for which they have antlerless licenses.
"We expect the woods to be occupied by as many as 200,000 to 400,000 hunters over this three-day period," noted Keith Snyder, PGC Hunter-Trapper Education chief. "At best, that equates to half the number of hunters afield for the opening day of buck season. That means there should be plenty of room for everyone. There^s no need to crowd other hunters, or to knowingly intrude on hunters already in position waiting for deer to arrive. Be respectful and courteous. Be a good sport."
During the concurrent muzzleloader/archery seasons, muzzleloader hunters are required to wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange clothing at all times. Archers must wear 250 square inches of orange clothing while moving. The orange may be removed when an archer is in a tree or ground stand, but bowhunters must display a 100-square inch orange band within 15 feet of their hunting location.
Muzzleloader hunters are encouraged to discharge their sporting arms into soft earth before leaving the field or traveling to another hunting location.
"It^s the best way to ensure your personal safety and to eliminate an accidental discharge," Snyder said.
Muzzleloader hunters are required by law to use flintlock-ignition, single barrel guns, 44 caliber or larger. Iron, open "V" or notched sights must be used; fiber optic inserts are permitted. Ammunition is limited to round lead ball with a cloth patch, maxi-ball or mini-ball.
All muzzleloader hunters participating in the early season must possess a general hunting license, muzzleloader license and antlerless deer license; a junior resident or non-resident combination license and an antlerless license; or a senior resident combination license and antlerless deer license.
Hunters are restricted to hunting deer in only those counties for which they have an antlerless deer license. Hunters possessing an antlerless deer license and a private lands antlerless deer license may harvest two antlerless deer during the three-day season.
"Attempting to maintain more deer than the habitat will sustain, has been the greatest mistake in the history of wildlife management in Pennsylvania," Alt said. "Habitats have deteriorated from overbrowsing, thereby reducing its ability to sustain healthy wildlife populations. This is not in the best interest of hunters, deer and the entire forest ecosystem.
"Increasing the deer harvest in October is one way to make progress. The new muzzleloader season will not only help improve the deer population^s ability to reproduce on its biological schedule - which should improve fawn survivorship and recruitment - but it should also conserve biomass or winter foods for the deer and other wildlife after the hunting seasons."
Uploaded: 10/6/2000
Uploaded: 10/6/2000