I still don't understand all that's going down for ya'll..on the hunting front.

I read a little about that Biosphere stuff (hemmy) , and about the Elk Project (like, an elk viewing area). Are they really going to do that, or is it just an "idea floating around"?

From what I was reading...it just sounds like it would be BAD news for Pa's hunting. (How would they replace the money generated from hunting...and the possible decline of hunter?. << I just figure, would put a damper on the # of hunters. Would the biospheres even generate money...I know they would cost money.

I seen that it would affect some state game land, because they want to turn some of the state land into them.


(This article helped me understand it all better: http://www2.theclarionnews.com/Opinions/31194.shtml cause he told it lke "gossip" )

Is this really gonna happen there for you guys in PA? (I had no idea. I mean, I know what biospheres are and all..but, didnt know you guys were having that issue come up there like you were.)

Did I get it right? Pretty much like any other biospehere...you can't set foot on it? Only, it would be some of your hunter's grounds, yes?

You got it right hands.But biospheres go beyond PA.They are accross the US and world wide.Some folks don't believe this but it's for real.We're seeing the beginning in what our states call the "PA WILDS"A new program to support tourism to replace the lost revenue from hunting.We have close to 1 million hunters so that is a chunck of change to the economy in PA.
You know how tourists are.They have no problem staying on the road in the car with signs that say"no tresspassing"for the excuse of disturbing wildlife.There's already an area near chatty kinda like that.99% of the year you can look but don't enter.And our game commission owns this land!

I had no idea it was like that there. (I mean..if it was , like California, I'd say..."well, duh!!" )

I read a little about the PA WILDS.

Being from the outside looking in...and reading all this about the troubles you guys are having with management issues, and the massive restrictions you guys now have...now this...
it just sounds a little like hunting itself is wanted to dwindle down.

I agree about the tourists....
course, we don't get much here ..lol...but, I wouldn't like living in an area tailored for them. (unless I was a business owner..LOL ) But, especially not for anything like that. I just think it a little unfair that the citizens of the area are on the back burner. (although I understand they , tourists, put in money for the economy, of course.)

I just don't understand why the game commission is going along with it. (?) I mean, I could see if it was in addition , on lands not used for hunting (like, a reserve).

It's just pretty complicated, for me being an outsider. lol..I'm gonna read up on it a little more though.

Well the game commission was threatened with lawsuits by audubon,our state forest service,farmers,and other groups.The state forestry denies the fact but their goal is to take over the game commission so they can snatch up the game lands.It's kinda a no win situation for the game commission.We have an anti gun governor who appointed extreme liberals in charge of the forestry.It doesn't take a brain surgeon to see that our forestry is being backed by the anti hunting groups.Matter of fact that's proven document.

It certainly does look that way hemmy.

I happen to know a person "somewhat in the know" here in VA, who laughed his ass of a few weeks back when I told him ... "I sure as hell ain't leaving any of my PA property to the PA Game Comission" !!


99er

Just give them the bats.They're blood suckers anyway so they might enjoy them.

Nice post Hands, but topics like this is why i don't post in Hunting Pa and such, because there are too many bullheaded people that never wanna believe this crap, all the signs point to this direction (heard reduction, statements from our DCNR, enclosures ect....)


And I'll tell ya, the place that is near me that fences you out, Hemmy ain't lying, the place near me is Middle Creek, and alot of it you can't step foot in, also there is a red area there will you'll all but be shot because the sign says "Nest Area"!!!



How the Saab Driving Al Gore sticker people come there and Love it I'll never know!!!

I just think it looks wrong sometimes...all the things going on now and in the recent past. Plus the old stuff like reintroducing predators (or, I read anyhow...). Kinda like they want to make money off of the forests...but not by hunters.

Hands,

This article is quite typical of a lot of PA so called "writers" ...

http://www.yorkdispatch.com/sports/ci_3588552

IMO it's not that "Sometimes hunters and fishermen are the biggest crybabies", but rather PA has some blooming idiots running their show !!

I'll give good old VA one thing, they admit they have an Acid rain problem here that has affected the Native Brook Trout, and have been liming trout streams for well over 4 or more years !!


99er

Here in PA they would blame that on the deer for peeing in the creeks.

I thought that was rather ballsy.
But, I'll agree with his angling statement: Fishing is far more than beinging home a big catch.

It's also a good way to have fresh, unchemicalized, natural food for your plate. I thought it rather wrong that he grouped all opposers into the category of "selfish fishermen wanting to catch their limits". Some may just feel...and rightly so, that 2 fish provide more than one. Hemade it seem as if opposers were on an ego trip. That is just ridiculous.

Here's the Pa part:
Unfortunately, it is not just anglers getting a bad name. Pennsylvania's hunters are becoming notorious across the country for their selfish ways. When the Game Commission enacted regulations allowing hunters to harvest more deer, hunters eagerly obliged and killed a record amount of deer. Now that the deer herd is drastically thinner and hunters see far fewer deer each year, the Game Commission gets the blame. Of course, hunters don't take any credit for killing the deer. The Game Commission may have provided the rope, but it was hunters that ultimately hung themselves.



Whoa.
LoL..I don;t know what to say....harsh. But to me...it's always the commission running the show.
When they allowed more deer....were there a lot of deer?

I keep hearing/rading that Pa tried to make itself a "record book trophy" state (??)

At least where I'm at Hands, it had the oppisite affect as far as trophy's go.


A few get big here and there!!

I blame it mostly on the commission hands.
But then again hunters did get greedy.We didn't partake in the overharvesting of does so they can't pin that one on us.

Maybe things'll get better. New blood's gotta get elected sometime, yanno?!!

Deer hunting sure is not like it use to be. You have to hunt the small farms. Sometimes it hard to get permission to hunt private land. ringneck and quail are gone. use to be a high for me to flush a covey of quail. Maybe one of these days I will be able to travel down south and hunt bobwhite quail.

They are going to allow people to harvest an additional (Gobbler) turkey if you buy an extra stamp. Two turkeys should be enough for any Pennsylvanian. One in the fall and a Gobbler in the Spring.

Thank God for fox and coyote hunting and mushrooming.

Cool to hear about the turkeys. I wish we could get them in fall. (Well, we can in north bama, but I'm central)

I agree uncle buck.