Deer season finally ends ... for now
Pennsylvania’s deer season is finally over ... at least for now. Here in our neck of Penn’s Woods (Wildlife Management Units 5C and 5D) hunters started chasing whitetails way back on Sept. 15 with an archery season that ran clear through Nov. 24 along with a weeklong antlerless only season for black powder fans from Oct. 13 through 20 and a special firearms season for antlerless only from Oct. 18 through 20. This was all topped off by the state’s regular firearms season that kicked off on Nov. 26 (traditional Monday after Thanksgiving opener) and ended on Saturday, Dec. 8.
This means the Commonwealth’s whitetail deer population finally gets a respite from running and hiding from hunters. But the reprieve will be brief. A host of late deer seasons (archery, flintlock, extended firearms)opens on Dec. 26 running for a long month through Jan. 26 here in WMUs 5C and 5D. You would think that with so many opportunities to put venison in the freezer, it would be nearly impossible not to fill your tag, but some of us have failed to do so. Full disclosure: I’ve yet to launch an arrow or pull the trigger on either a buck or doe despite having significant chances to do so. On the other hand, I’ve snapped quite a few photos of plenty of incautious cervids.
Last year my season ended early when I dispatched a nice eight-pointer on Oct. 25. But I had no sooner arrowed that deer when a trailing buck unexpectedly appeared, one of the biggest bruisers I’ve ever seen in Chester County. The buck I tagged was a dandy, but I know that if I had glimpsed his grandpa first, I would have passed him up. Knowing that a huge trophy like that is out there lurking in our deer woods might help explain why I passed on dozens of chances to collect very average bucks this year during both archery and shotgun seasons here. This included five different small but legal bucks I shot (but only with a camera) on the final day of our firearms season.
The wall of my loft boasts dozens of racks smaller than the headgear worn by many of the bucks I let walk this season. In my formative hunting years, my philosophy, like so many young hunters, was to harvest the first legal buck that crossed my path. But as I got older, I became more discriminating, passing up those 18 month old youngsters and limiting my efforts to more mature bucks. As a result, I put in far more hours afield this year. You might say I got more bang for my hunting license buck without a buck. But truth be told, I’m a bowhunter at heart and now I can hang up my shotgun and re-sharpen my archery skills in anticipation of the late bowhunting season.
As some of you may know, I’m also an archery/bowhunting columnist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s monthly magazine, Game News, and more time afield with archery gear in tow provides more fodder for that column, “Straight from the Bowstring.” For the upcoming late season I’ll be wielding either my compound bow or my crossbow, depending on the circumstances. I’ll keep you posted on how that all works out. I suspect my standards may drop as that late season wears on.
In the meantime, if you’ve already collected your buck (and/or doe) congratulations. If not, don’t despair. For bowhunters and flintlockers, a promising winter season awaits, so keep warm, shoot straight, and good luck!
The Pennsylvania Game Commission reported that during the final day of Pennsylvania’s statewide bear season hunters harvested 365 bears, raising the 2018 statewide season harvest to 1,993 – a 10 percent increase compared to the 1,796 taken during the four days of the statewide season in 2017. Hunters took more bears on the season’s last day than on the third day – 211. On the season’s second day, hunters took 381 bears.
Archery and other earlybear season harvest data were not included in this report. Comprehensive bear harvest totals that include bears taken during the early and extended seasons will be released in the coming months.
During the statewide season, bears were harvested in 55 counties. The top 10 bears processed at check stations were either estimated or confirmed to have live weights of 600 pounds or more. The largest bear harvested was a 780-pound male taken with a rifle Nov. 19 by Michael J. Rubeo, of Mercer, in Howe Township, Forest County.
The overall 2017 bear harvest was 3,438, the ninth-largest in state history. In 2016, hunters took a total of 3,529 bears – the fifth-largest harvest all time. The largest harvest – 4,350 bears – happened in 2011, when preliminary statewide season totals numbered 3,154.
The top bear-hunting county in the statewide season was Clinton County with 128 bears. It was followed by Lycoming County, which almost annually challenges Clinton County for the state’s top county bear harvest. The county breakdown of the bear harvest data here in our southeast region of the state (where hunters bagged a total of 60 bruins) was as follows: Dauphin, 26; Schuylkill, 20; Lebanon, 7; Lehigh, 3; Northampton, 3; and Berks, 1.
Two York County men have been charged in the felony assault of a State Game Warden in Norwegian Township, Schuylkill County. Wade Michael Winemiller, 57, of Wrightsville, and Thomas E. Kelly Jr., 57, of Glen Rock, have been charged in the assault of State Deputy Game Warden David P. Fidler.
The incident occurred Dec. 1 when Fidler was investigating a complaint of deer possibly being shot from ATVs on Peach Mountain within a Hunter Access Program property that is patrolled by Game Commission officers. Fidler encountered two men illegally riding ATVs on the property and an altercation ensued in which Fidler sustained injuries requiring medical attention. He was treated and released at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Pottsville.
Fidler has been a Deputy State Game Warden for 18 years and was selected as Deputy of the Year in 2013. Game Commission Wardens, as well as Pennsylvania State Police troopers, the Minersville Police Department and other local police departments responded to the scene to assist. Descriptions of the assailants were released to news media.
Winemiller was arrested at his home by Pennsylvania State Police and State Game Wardens. He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker in Shenandoah, placed on a $150,000 straight cash bail and committed to Schuylkill County Prison, where he remained this morning. Kelly surrendered at Magisterial District Judge David Plachko’s office in Port Carbon, where he was arraigned and posted 10 percent of $100,000 bail to gain his release.
Winemiller and Kelly both face charges that include: aggravated assault, disarming a law-enforcement officer, robbery, simple assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, harassment, and control of property violations.
“I want to thank our Wardens, the Pennsylvania State Police and all responding agencies for the swift and thorough investigation that resulted in the quick identification and apprehension of the suspects,” said Game Commission Southeast Regional Director Bruce Metz.