Hunters' opinions on lottery proposal show 50-50 split

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Two weeks ago, I suggested on this page that Pennsylvania improve its potential to grow trophy bucks by limiting the number of buck tags issued each year and distributing those tags via lottery drawing.

I asked readers to write in stating if they like that idea or not, and I promised to publish as many of those responses as possible.

A total of 14 people responded, and, surprisingly, their opinions were split right down the middle, with seven supporting my proposal and seven opposing it.

Following are 10 of those responses. They have been edited softly to conserve space.

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If all you want are trophy racks ,you lost all meaning of what it is to be a hunter. …

There are many hunters, be it a young first-time hunter to an older one, that have hunted for decades that truly believe that any deer brought to the table is a trophy.

And in a time when we need to bring in a new generation of hunters, we do not need to limit them as you would like. …

Yes I like to harvest a nice buck with big antlers as much as anyone but there is so much more to hunting than antlers, and if people don't or won't see it they are missing what truly makes hunting one of life's great pleasures.

 Mike Edwards, New Holland

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I definitely agree with the idea of limiting the amount of buck tags issued each year. …

I live in New Holland and would say that most guys I know would be in favor of limiting buck tags.

Also, I don't think its fair to blame the Game Commission for all the doe being killed. That's like blaming McDonald's for obesity. It's called self control.

Ralph Hess, New Holland

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To complain about not killing trophies and suggesting we deny even more hunters the satisfaction of a freezer full of venison so that you can kill more "trophies" sounds selfish, and quite frankly brutal to me. …

So I say forget the lotteries and all the gimmicks to try to produce more trophy bucks in Pennsylvania — that would only make it harder for more people to harvest a deer. After all, it is the extreme rarity of those large racks that makes them exciting to see. …

By the way, a number of our local landowners have expressed an interest in working together to manage the deer herd in our area.

The only problem is that we can never get all of them to agree on a strategy or a limit to the amount of hunting.

And limiting our kills to 8 points or better would do nothing to improve the overall average size of our deer — it just wipes out all the 8-points that needed at least another year to reach "trophy" size. …

I think the rules should change to one deer per hunter each year.

Dan Becker, Mount Joy

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I enjoyed your article and concur that something should be done in Pennsylvania to promote the growth of big antlered deer.

Though not opposed to a lottery for buck tags … I think there is something that must also be done to increase the number of antlered deer in the state —eliminate the shooting of does during rifle season.

Countless numbers of button-bucks are killed during this time and it must stop.

In a perfect world Pennsylvania would:

• Eliminate rifles and switch to slugs.

• Shorten the firearms season by 7 days.

• Shorten the antlerless season to 2-3 days only.

• Promote state-sanctioned farming on public grounds.

Tom Shields, Lititz

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Sorry to say this but your Woods and Waters article of 12/30/08 is the … dumbest thing I've heard yet. …

We're told the number of hunters is declining. In my view this would just be another reason to quit.

Do you really think 900,000 people are going to spend 20-plus dollars for a 1-in-5 chance at a buck tag? How do you recruit new hunters? How do you keep them excited?

I don't care if my name ever appears in the Boone & Crockett book, and I don't think I know anybody else who cares about their name being listed.

We care about going to deer camp every year. Sometime the deer gods are kind and sometimes they're not and that's OK.

Let's not penalize the vast majority of deer hunters because a minority want to "trophy" hunt. …

Mike Templeton, Manheim Township

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While I have not hunted in Illinois, Iowa or Ohio, I do tend to do 80 percent of my hunting on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

About 7 years ago my family and I sat down with surrounding private landowners and initiated a management system. The system we have decided to use is to shoot nothing less than a 2.5 year-old buck. …

The problem I see with Pennsylvania's current system of buck management is that all it is doing is allowing a majority of their "good" 1.5 year-old bucks to be shot. …

Yes it might be a 5-, 6-, 7- or even maybe an 8-point buck, but this does not make it a mature deer.

I believe in order to see more "trophy" class bucks, Pennsylvania does need to limit the total number of buck harvested as well as find some way to mandate the the age of the bucks that are being harvested. …

Frederick Heim, Lancaster

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It seems to me that shooting one of the few trophy bucks in Pennsylvania is a greater accomplishment than shooting one of the many trophy bucks in Illinois. …

A lottery tag licensing system that enables even unaccomplished hunters to shoot trophy bucks is like giving every kid on the team a participation trophy.

If you're a real old-fashioned deer hunter, with only two days to hunt on unmanaged land without food plots or deer trail maps, then shooting any antlered deer on a consistent basis deserves a trophy for just being a real good deer hunter.

Leo Rosenberger, Manheim Township

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I for one would love to see a state lottery. …

As for the antler restrictions, they are working. I have been a full-time taxidermist for over 25 years. Since antler restrictions, I am seeing more 140-plus deer from Pennsylvania. …

I feel one of the main reasons the Midwest has older, bigger deer is the limitations those states put on their hunters — short seasons and slugs only. …

If Pennsylvania wants to see more bucks becoming mature deer we have to stop killing button bucks, which would be easy to do. If you shoot a (button buck) you put your buck tag on it.

I have been hunting Illinois for years and I agree with you on the Midwest — the quality of the average deer you see there is unreal. …

You want to see a Boone & Crockett deer, you head to the Midwest.

Bill Gouba Jr., Mount Joy

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The lottery system could easily represent an insurmountable hurdle in the path of introducing young people to hunting. What teenager wants to participate in an activity that has a likely span of literally years between opportunities to participate?

Secondly, your assumption is that the primary motivation for hunting whitetail deer is for the trophy. Informal surveys that I have read on Internet hunting Web sites indicate that the majority of Pennsylvania hunters are seeking the enjoyment of the hunt and quality game in the freezer more that just trophy racks. …

Third, the likely decline in whitetail hunters in Pennsylvania would require the already financially strapped PGC to increase significantly the cost of a general hunting license. … I would not like to see hunting become the province of the wealthy. …

I have nothing against going for the trophy, but your suggestion would require everyone else to sacrifice their interests to further yours. … Your proposals would give up more than we would gain.

Dave Lundquist, Manheim Township

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Your reasoning is right on the money. I'm in favor of some restrictions.

I've hunted other states with restrictions and had very good hunts.

I'm a Quality Deer Management member. For QDM to work first requires a mindset change in most Pa. hunters.

Charles E. Brubaker, Manheim

E-mail: preilly@lnpnews.com