Wildlife Conservation Officers were occupied with illegal kills
as the two-week antlered/antlerless deer season got under way
Monday.

WCO Len Groshek said charges are pending in two incidents of
deer killed before the season started – one Saturday and one
Sunday.

“We have been busy with illegal kills,” Groshek noted. “We
appreciate the calls we are getting from the public about poaching
violations.”

Groshek said the overall harvest was “down.”

“I saw some nice buck,” he said, referring to an eight-point. “I
heard quite a bit of shooting in the Cyclone area. That area seemed
to be as busy or busier than normal.”

Groshek also pointed out there were not too many antlerless deer
harvested.

“The harvest is lower because we do have less deer,” Groshek
admitted. “Deer were removed in October during the early doe season
and muzzleloader season.

“Those hunters who got their deer in the muzzleloader season are
not out in the woods. There are less people pushing the deer
around.”

As for the rest of the week, Groshek said, “Once the camps empty
out the woods will be quiet. There will be less people pushing the
deer around.”

However, Groshek said, oak areas still have quite a few acorns
on the ground.

“Deer hunters should keep that in mind,” Groshek remarked.

WCO Tom Sabolcik said he saw some “nice-sized deer.”

“Nothing spectacular – some eight- and nine-pointers,” Sabolcik
said.

Sabolcik said hunter behavior was “pretty good. We had some
usual violations (illegal deer, loaded guns on vehicles).”

“As many expected, it was a slow day and a light harvest in many
areas of McKean County,” John Dzemyan, land management group
supervisor for Elk and McKean counties, said.

“Most of the factors have been discussed before about less deer,
less hunters and thicker brushy cover which make it more difficult
to see and harvest deer in recent years.

“Add to that heavy fog and mist Monday through most of the
morning and visibility was reduced to less than 50 yards in many
areas.

“In the afternoon when the fog left things picked up a little in
some places, but it was not the best day to see deer. By the
afternoon most of the snow was gone and the wind picked up a good
bit.

“Many hunters reported seeing just a few deer all day, and quite
a few reported they saw no deer at all today. With Tuesday’s
forecast of rain and possible thunderstorms it does not look like
the hunting will get any easier.

“Some hunters who had been out Saturday and Sunday in the snow
reported they found numerous deer and tracks while scouting.

“One hunter told me he had seen over 40 deer Sunday and figured
the opening day he would be in the right spot. However, in that
same place on Monday in the fog and mist he never saw a deer all
day. Three others in his group did harvest one each, and I checked
two nice eight-points and some more antlerless deer in that same
area. This was on lands open to public hunting in McKean County
with timber companies and State Game Lands.

“Most of the hunters expressed that they knew the deer
population was at a low point, and many of them understood the
numerous reasons why there are less deer than they had been
accustomed to.

“The deer I checked today were in good shape, and some were
really nice eight-points compared to what I used to check around
here.

“Overall, hunters were safe and courteous and I am unaware of
any accidents involving hunters in this area today.”

Dzemyan added there were “only three or four mistake kills” in
McKean County that he was aware of.