Whitetail Hunting in Pennsylvania
Hunting Odocoileus virginianus, or whitetail deer, has been managed in Pennsylvania since the early 1700s. Adopted as the state animal in 1959, the whitetail is found around the state and draws hunters from all corners of the United States to hunt in the hardwood forests. The Keystone state was one of the first states to implement quality deer management with a focus on maintaining a healthy herd with balanced numbers of bucks and does.
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History
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From buck only seasons to antlerless only seasons to antler point restrictions, deer hunting in Pennsylvania has a long history. The first established hunting season was held in 1721 when the provincial governor set a season running from July 1 to January 1. Sunday hunting and hunting with dogs were banned in 1873. Does were declared off limits in 1907, but an antlerless only season was held in 1923. The first antler point restrictions was put in place in 1953.
Characteristics
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Whitetail deer can be identified in several ways. The tail is the feature of a deer that hunters see most often. The underside is covered with white hair and the tail is held erect when a deer is running, giving hunters a good view of the reason they're called whitetail deer. Deer stand 32 to 34 inches at the shoulder with white hair on the belly, throat, around the eyes, inside the ears and under the tail. Summer coats are a reddish brown and turn to a grayish brown in the winter.
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Habitat
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Whitetail deer can be found where there is concealment from predators and a food source. Deer will eat buds on trees, stems and leaves from young trees and shrubs, nuts, fruits and crops. New growth on plants is the preferred food source in spring and summer, while fruits, such as apples, pears and acorns are preferred later in the year. Winter food sources consist of anything available, including evergreen needles and dry leaves.
Regulations
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Seasons are set based on weapon choice and Wildlife Management Units. Hunters are limited to one antlered deer per year. Firearms seasons are limited to manually operated rifles, shotguns and handguns, muzzleloading rifles and archery tackle. Recurve, long and compound bows as well as crossbows are allowed during archery-only seasons. Flintlock muzzleloader seasons are restricted to single barrel long guns .44-caliber or larger and handguns .50-caliber or larger. There are antlered and antlerless seasons for all three methods of take with the earliest seasons beginning in mid-September and the latest seasons ending in late January.
Licensing
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All hunters must purchase a Pennsylvania hunting license to harvest a deer in the state. The statewide limit is one deer per year unless you buy an antlerless or unsold antlerless license. Hunters can apply for one antlerless tag each year and for as many as two unsold antlerless tags. A regular statewide flintlock muzzleloader license is the only license that can be used to harvest a deer of either sex. All other licenses are restricted to either antlered or antlerless deer.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit whitetail buck image by Bruce MacQueen from Fotolia.com
