PA Deer Season Underway

ALTOONA, BLAIR COUNTY - The two week long Pennsylvania rifle deer season got off to a fast start on Monday morning.  Thousands of area hunters took to the woods is search of a trophy buck or large doe in hunting areas where both seasons are underway.

The season opened at daybreak.  The Pennsylvania game commission estimated that 750-thousand hunters will take part in this year's deer season. Antler restrictions are about the same as last year. But starting this year, hunters are no longer required to have their license tagged on the outside of their clothes.  But the hunter still needs to have the license with them.
    
 While there are concerns about the health and size of the deer population in Pennsylvania, the annual deer hunting season appears to be off to a great start.    More than 930,000   general hunting licenses have been issued in Pennsylvania, this year.
      
Despite the number of hunters in the woods,   there were plenty of reports of early success.  Some local hunters said their early season success was due to being in the right place at the right time.  Because hunters in some regions in this part of the state can shoot doe as well as buck on this opening day, the number of people reporting a success hunt appeared to be up.

 A couple of people in the business of processing the deer say the season appears off to a good start.  Some people traveling around on opening day say there appear to be a significant number of deer out there.

While the deer harvest numbers appear to be pretty good on this opening day, rifle season does last for two weeks.   Only after December 8 will the official numbers be available to determine how this year's deer season compares with others.