Don't mess with PA! (1 Viewer)

[theBaron]

Here in Pennsylvania, today is the first day of rifle season for deer. We have 750,000 men under arms in the field. That puts us at 18 in the list of armed forces of the world by sheer numbers, ahead of Israel and just behind Thailand.

Many of our school districts are closed today, too, because so many kids are out with their dads, looking for their deer. Good luck, guys!

Prost!
Brad

 

[lancer]

Here in Pennsylvania, today is the first day of rifle season for deer. We have 750,000 men under arms in the field. That puts us at 18 in the list of armed forces of the world by sheer numbers, ahead of Israel and just behind Thailand.

Many of our school districts are closed today, too, because so many kids are out with their dads, looking for their deer. Good luck, guys!

Prost!
Brad

Wear day-glo and don't go for a stroll in the woods!:wink2:^&grin That's a lot of rifles looking for targets, but deer bologna is worth the effort. ^&cool -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

That's a little scary, if you want my opinion. Had deer season been in effect back in July 1863, Robert E. Lee and company might have thought twice about mosying up to Pa ^&grin

 

[sammy719]

I always remember the 1st day of deer season, my late Aunt ran a small country store in Virginia and it was also the local game tagging station as well, never forget the first time the local hunt club pulled up with thier kill loaded in the back of a truck to get them checked in, blood pouring from the tail gate, deer stacked up like cords of wood{eek3} Rudolph was never the same after that...Sammy

 

[Harper (aka Spitfrnd)]

Here in Pennsylvania, today is the first day of rifle season for deer. We have 750,000 men under arms in the field. That puts us at 18 in the list of armed forces of the world by sheer numbers, ahead of Israel and just behind Thailand.

Many of our school districts are closed today, too, because so many kids are out with their dads, looking for their deer. Good luck, guys!

Prost!
Brad

I am not so sure that it is fair to say this puts PA ahead of Israel given the relative quality of the men under arms in question. I am also not so sure that this says anything about the relative merits of the marksmanship of any state for that matter. Deer season, year round, was in effect in 1863 and I wonder how many of those 750,000 would be able to bring down anything with a musket or even without a scope.

 

[larso]

Are there enough deer to go around?

 

[theBaron]

I am not so sure that it is fair to say this puts PA ahead of Israel given the relative quality of the men under arms in question. I am also not so sure that this says anything about the relative merits of the marksmanship of any state for that matter. Deer season, year round, was in effect in 1863 and I wonder how many of those 750,000 would be able to bring down anything with a musket or even without a scope.

You're analyzing it too much, this is really more of a facetious topic

 

[Scott]

Locally I've seen deer hiding in my backyard during the season.

 

[jazzeum]

Are there enough deer to go around?

Locally I've seen deer hiding in my backyard during the season.

That's one thing we have a glut of in Northwestern New Jersey and Pennsylvania: the bloody deer.

At any time in our backyard, we might have eleven or so deer gazing. They are no longer scared of us and they eat everything. Unless we enclose a space, my wife won't plant there anymore. If you remember in 2011 one fell into our pool and ruined the liner. We now have a proper fence around the pool. We had one before but made it higher so they couldn't jump in.

They are a menace and if you are not careful when driving they can wreck your car. In our town (about 10 years ago), one charged out into traffic and was responsible for the death of two people.

 

[theBaron]

Good point, Brad, and a similar story here, too, lots of road kill. Deer are very adaptible animals and both cultivated fields and suburban areas are just buffet lines for them. Even here in town, I see deer following the creeks that feed into the Lehigh, to move quickly between neighborhoods. And they end up on the roads.

If you hit a deer, you can claim the carcass, you just can't keep the rack, if it happened to be a buck.

A lot of hunters also donate meat to shelters, too, they're that plentiful.

Prost!
Brad

 

[lancer]

The deer population is a problem down here in Montgomery County, as well. Every year there is talk about deliberate thinning of the population which causes much angst and knashing of teeth amongst the animal rights people, but occasionally it has to be done, for the many reasons already mentioned. The crop and garden damage are bad but it's the car accidents that are the real danger down here. This area has dozens of accidents every year. I have had 2 near misses and my wife and son have had misses as well. There is just no getting away from them after dark. Daylight sightings aren't an everyday thing but the deer are there and one can't drive after dark without being aware of the danger. -- Al

 

[mikemiller1955]

UNREAL...

a car hits a deer every 26 seconds in America...

that means by the time you read this post...two automobile accidents involving deer have occured...


What do New Jersey and Nebraska have in common? If you said "absolutely nothing," you'd be right – on any other day but today. Turns out that the Garden State and the Cornhusker State share a very curious stat. Both have seen a 54% increase in deer-related automobile accidents over the last two years. That 54% increase is the largest in the nation, which shows that the problem of deer-related car crashes isn't confined to just one location, but rather a national problem.

According to a new State Farm study, the number of cars on the road has grown by 7% over the last five years, but the number of deer-related accidents has swelled 18% in that same time period. No reason why is given in the article, but we'd wager it's a combination of 1) more deer and 2) more and more humans living closer to deer populations. The study does, however, provide some pretty eye-opening statistics.

For examples, State Farm estimates that between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2009 there were 2.4 million accidents in the United States involving venison deer. In other words, that's one deer-car mashup every 26 seconds. The worst state for smashing into a deer is and remains West Virginia, where your odds of making contact with a Bambi-like creature are 1 in 39. Michigan remains second most deer-dangerous, though is twice as safe as West Virginia (odds are 1 in 78 that you'll make contact with a deer). And Montana has moved up three places in the rankings, from eighth to fifth. The safest state? Hawaii, where your odds shrink to about 1 in 10,000. Full press release with all the stats after the jump.



http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/29/oh-buck-study-says-deer-automobile-accident-rate-up-by-18-ove/

 

[Scott]

Deer are "cute". If they were ugly there might not be the concern from Animal Rights folks. I don't think the number of hunters constitute a "well regulated militia" but a certainly a well regulated collection of citizens in a popular sport.

 

[mikemiller1955]

Deer are "cute". If they were ugly there might not be the concern from Animal Rights folks.

There is some truth in that...I have had girlfriends balk at eating venison...where they have no qualms or reservations with beef...pork...fish or fowl...

aren't cows kind of cute...and lets not get started on rabbits...

 

[theBaron]

The deer population is a problem down here in Montgomery County, as well. Every year there is talk about deliberate thinning of the population which causes much angst and knashing of teeth amongst the animal rights people, but occasionally it has to be done, for the many reasons already mentioned. The crop and garden damage are bad but it's the car accidents that are the real danger down here. This area has dozens of accidents every year. I have had 2 near misses and my wife and son have had misses as well. There is just no getting away from them after dark. Daylight sightings aren't an everyday thing but the deer are there and one can't drive after dark without being aware of the danger. -- Al

That's where I grew up, Al, Harleysville and Franconia Township. Back in '90, I think it was, the biggest buck shot that year was taken in a field off Ridge Road, upper end of Franconia. Again, lots of cornfields and lots of backyard gardens, just laying out a feast for the whitetails.

I don't hunt, myself, because my dad didn't, but I have friends who do and who are kind enough to share their kill. I may take it up, because venison is excellent. Marinated like a Sauerbraten, then roasted, served with red cabbage and Spaetzle, noodles or potatoes, and a good dark beer--mmm-mmmmmmm!

Prost!
Brad

 

[Go for Broke]

Deer in Hawaii. Notice the lava terrain, it'll eat your boots up. M1 Garand (WWII era) rifle.

 

[mikemiller1955]

looks like a nice clean shot from the spray pattern...

 

[lancer]

That's where I grew up, Al, Harleysville and Franconia Township. Back in '90, I think it was, the biggest buck shot that year was taken in a field off Ridge Road, upper end of Franconia. Again, lots of cornfields and lots of backyard gardens, just laying out a feast for the whitetails.

I don't hunt, myself, because my dad didn't, but I have friends who do and who are kind enough to share their kill. I may take it up, because venison is excellent. Marinated like a Sauerbraten, then roasted, served with red cabbage and Spaetzle, noodles or potatoes, and a good dark beer--mmm-mmmmmmm!

Prost!
Brad

Hi Brad. A little confusion here. I should have remembered there is a MoCo, Pa. I live in MoCo, Md. But by coincidence, there is a Ridge Rd. about 3 or so miles from me that also used to be farmland not too long ago. I agree about the possibilities of deer meat. Have had good deer roast that I couldn't tell from good roast beef. Drat, now I'm hungry.:wink2: -- Al

 

[Go for Broke]

Mike, I hope you're responding to my pic. You have a good eye. Shot in the neck. Deer was running at 30-40 yards.

 

[mikemiller1955]

Mike, I hope you're responding to my pic. You have a good eye. Shot in the neck. Deer was running at 30-40 yards.

I was...my father was adamant about a "good clean kill"...there was no want for suffering and we ate what we killed...

I became especially fond of quail...