​The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) has released the 2024-25 deer harvest estimates and they show an eleven percent increase over the previous year. 

According to the PGC, hunters harvested an estimated 476,880 deer of which 175,280 were antlered deer and 301,600 were antlerless. This is in comparison to the 2023-24 season when 430,010 deer were taken. 

The 2024-25 buck harvest was up two percent over the year before and over the most recent three-year average. 

Th 2024-25 antlerless harvest increased 17 percent over the year before and 21 percent over the three-year average. 

David Stainbrook, PGC Deer and Elk Section Supervisor said,” harvest estimates can fluctuate from year to year due to a number of factors, so we caution reading too much into annual variations in harvest. The trends are a truer picture of what’s going on as we manage deer over six-year population trends,” he explained.  

In case you’re wondering how the PGC deer estimates are calculated, they use antlered and antlerless harvest reports submitted by hunters in combination with data from deer checked by crews at processors across the state. Steinbrook added, “Last season hunters reported 147,000 deer online while PGC personnel checked more than 27,000 deer at processors around the state. And across the state, about 28 percent of hunters took antlered deer which is the highest rate since at least the late 1980s. That has become the norm since the implementation of antler point restrictions and most of those bucks were older ones. In addition, two of every three were at least 2.5 years old. That’s a huge change from decades ago when most of the harvest was made up of 1.5-year-old deer,” he cited.   

As for antlerless deer, hunters turned about 26 percent of their tags into a harvested deer which is consistent with past seasons and about 69 percent of those were adult females. 

Looking at harvests per season, the PGC reported firearm seasons resulted in the largest harvests. It accounted for an estimated 283,760 deer taken that consisted of 86,000 antlered and 197,230 antlerless deer. 

Archers took an estimated 87,540 antlered and 90,600 antlerless while muzzleloader hunters got an estimated 1,210 antlered and 13,770 antlerless deer. 

Here are the estimated harvest numbers by local Wildlife Management Units for 2024-25 with last year’s numbers in parentheses, plus popular Potter County (WMU 4A), and with antlered deer noted as (Ant) and antlerless as Atl): 

*WMU 3D: 56,000 Ant (6,200), and 7,700 Atl (7,300)
*WMU 4A: 4,000 Ant (5,700), and 9,200 Atl (9,300)
*WMU 4C: Ant 8000 (8200), and 12,000 Atl (6700)
* WMU 5C: 7,700 Ant (9,100), and 17,000 Atl (13,000)
*WMU 5D: 2,300 Ant (2,900), and 7,700 Atl (6,700)

Other WMU numbers can be found on PGC’s website at www.pgc.pa.gov.







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Since most big game seasons are over and turkey season is on the horizon, there’s still another season and it’s called shed hunting. And by doing so, there’s a lot to be learned about antler sheds and the deer that dropped them. 

Here are some tips from the pro’s at Realtree Camouflage to make the shed hunt more interesting and enjoyable. 

*Finding a shed is a strong sign that a particular buck survived the gauntlet of hunters in his neighborhood. 

*You can learn the health of the buck by studying the base of its antlers. Healthy bucks will have basses that are rounded and convex. Injured or nutritionally stressed bucks often have bases that are irregular, oblong and or concave.

*You can learn a little more about a buck’s health by assessing the relative weight of the antlers. In general, healthy bucks have antlers that are well mineralized and dense. These antlers feel relatively heavy for their size as compared to nutritionally stressed bucks whose antlers often are more porous and thus feel light for their size. There’s not a particular weight an antler should reach, rather it’s clear if you’ve held many antlers and one feels unusually light or heavy. 

*The timing of shed antler drops in the North where mature bucks cast their antlers are earlier than normal compared to young bucks. In the South, bucks cast them later than young bucks. Bucks that drop their antlers much earlier than normal are likely suffering from an injury or nutritional stress. A buck that holds them longer is likely exhibiting a sign of good health, and they’re dropped in April or May. Bucks dropping them in December or early January is nearly always a sign of trouble. 

*One thing that can’t be learned from a shed antler is a buck’s age. 

With no forecasts for snow, spring is a good time to go afield and look for sheds. 

SHAD 

According to posts on the Delaware River Shad Fishing Reports site, shad are in the Delaware River and a few hardy anglers are hooking up with them. One recent post said shad were hitting at the Belvedere boat launch area while another angler reported he went two for three while bank fishing. Another angler fished the Lambertville stretch by boat were the water temp was 46-48, but he struck out while another nearby boat angler had several hook-ups.  

As of last Saturday, river conditions were clear and with last weekend’s warm-up, more catches could be reported.  

Saturday, March 29, marks Pennsylvania’s Mentored Youth Trout Day when youths under 16 can fish for trout with a licensed adult mentor. And they may do so with either a Voluntary License or Mentored Youth Permit that allows youths to catch and keep two trout ahead of the April 6 statewide trout opener that’s always jammed with anglers.  

The Voluntary Youth Fishing License costs $2.97 while the Mentored Youth Fishing Permit is free. Both can be obtained at licensing agency, at a tackle shop that sells licenses, or online at www.HuntFishPa.gov.

Local streams have been stocked with trout and last Friday,Leaser Lake was stocked. Hopefully, the giant muskies there won’t devour the tasty trout before Youth Day or the statewide opener. And if fishing there, the dock at the middle parking lot may be a good place to take youths as it’s over a bit deeper water. 

And if you are taking a Mentored Youth and plan on fishing the upper Jordan Creek or Leaser Lake and are looking for a convenient and local bait and tackle shop, Bob’s Taxidermy on Kernsville Road, has opened for the fishing season. Bob offers redworms, night crawlers, baby night crawlers, fathead minnows, shiners, PowerBait and basic tackle. Shop hours are Monday-Wednesday, 9-7, Thursday-Friday 9-5, and for weekends, call the shop at 610-398-7609.

As for the April 6 statewide trout opener, a total of 700 streams and 120 lakes will have been stocked with trout. Of the 3.2 million trout to be planted, 2.01 million were rainbow trout, 641,000 were brown trout and 535,000 were brookies. The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission says they also included about 8,000 trophy golden trout (aka Palomino trout) that weigh an average of 1.5 pounds and measure at least 14 inches long. Added to this, PFBC cooperative nurseries, like our own Lil Lehigh Trout Nursery, will stock another one million in local waters after the opener. 

Trout anglers should not overlook the Lehigh River that customarily gets stocked by Lehigh River Stocking Association a week or so after the statewide trout opener by the Lehigh River Stocking Association.The association often stocks spots between Northampton through Walnutport up to Jim Thorpe. Avid trout anglers should consider joining this group as they stock sizable trout and more member money means more trout to stock.

Handicapped anglers are reminded that there’s a handicap dock on Coplay Creek at the Whitehall Parkway section and by the maintenance barn off Chestnut Street, a short distance off MacArthur Road and across from the Sheetz service station. There’s also a special section on the upper Jordan Creek in the Trexler Zoo (formerly Trexler Game Preserve) that is set-aside for kids and handicap. 

As a reminder, for seniors who purchased a Senior Lifetime license after Jan. 1, 2015, you must also have a trout/salmon ($14.07) stamp to fish for trout. It wasn’t needed for those who bought theirs prior to that date. Regular adult licenses are $27.97 plus the trout/salmon stamp. 

If you missed the inseason stocking schedule we ran two weeks ago, go to the Pennsylvania Fish Commission’s website and click on the county or counties you wish to fish and the dates and streams are listed. 
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They’re here. Did you see them? They’re known as the harbingers of spring and I spotted several  small flocks of them.   

Yes, the American Robin has returned to the Lehigh Valley, although some do stay in the area year-round. If  seen in winter, they may be a bird that wintered only a few miles away.  

It’s been said robins return from their overwintering spots in Mexico and southern areas when daytime temperatures average around 37 degrees. And March is their prime migration time. They customarily migrate in flocks, often by day. 

With rains, warmer temperatures and the ground softening, earth worms are closer to the surface and make it easier for robins to find them. And they are one of robins’ favorite food items although they also consume fruits, chokeberries, hawthorn, dogwood, sumac and juniper berries. 

When looking for worms, they can be seen staring at the ground momentarily then cocking their heads to one side, then running a few steps to another spot on the grass and repeat the stare. It’s been long debated as to whether robins hear worms when they cock their heads, or see them in the grass. 

Robins customarily sing in the morning hours and in the evening, well beyond other birds. Their robust songs take on the cadence of “Cher-up, Cheer-up, cheerily.” 

The “Redbreast,” as it’s sometimes called because of its reddish-orange breast on the male, arrive here to mate and have their young, although they breed only rarely in the Deep South according to the Audubon Society. 

It’s been written that robin courtship often takes on the look of their wings shaking, tail fully spread and its throat inflated, the latter is a trait of other birds even gamebirds like Pennsylvania’s own ruffed grouse. And lots of singing. 

Nest building begins shortly after arrival and consists of pressing dead grasses and twigs into a cup shape using one wing. Inside the nest is usually paper, string, feathers or moss. The female forms the nest by turning around to shape it to her contour, then pushes her chest down to make it solid. She’ll reinforce it with soft mud and mud from worm castings to further fortify the nest. She then lines the nest with finer grass for a softer interior. 

Nests are commonly made on the limbs of trees or in the crotches between the branches. But they’re also made on window ledges, hanging flower pots, on rain pipes, gutters, especially under eaves atop outdoors light fixtures, on beams beneath wooden decks and sometimes if available, and if the hole is large enough, in backyard nest boxes. 

Female robins customarily lay from 3-5 eggs, have 1-3 broods with an incubation period of 12-14 days. The eggs are sky blue or blue-green in color and their empty shells can often be found on the ground beneath the nest as the robin cleans it and makes room for the hatchlings. 

Enjoy them now and over the summer months as they’ll be gone en masse around before you know it around September. Much too soon for us robin lovers. 
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For Pennsylvania sportsmen who crave more hunting time afield, especially for those who work a six-day week, legislation has been reintroduced that would repeal the state’s prohibition on Sunday hunting. If approved, it would allow the Game Commission to include Sunday hunting when establishing hunting seasons annually. This would be more than is currently offered. 

Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, reintroduced Senate Bill 67 that would end the Sunday prohibition. The bill picked up momentum when it passed the Senate and gained preliminary approval in the House of Representatives before time ran out in the legislative session.

Now that the bill has a new start, and a larger base of support including many sportsmen’s groups as well as the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, the PGC said it looks forward to working with this coalition to get the bill passed. “This would be an outcome that benefits hunters and helps ensure the future of wildlife management, said PGC Executive Director Steve Smith. He expressed the agency’s support for the proposal saying “Hunting takes time and a lack of time is one of the biggest reasons cited by hunters who stopped hunting.”

He went on to say, “Repealing the Sunday hunting ban and allowing the PGC to fully regulate Sunday hunting is an opportunity to provide hunter more time afield, which will help keep the engaged and carrying out their vital role in managing key wildlife populations."

ICE FISHING REPORT    

According to Northeast Pennsylvania Ice Fishing social media site, the general consensus is that the season is over, especially with the warm-up forecasted for this week. 

Mike at Mike’s Bait and Tackle in Nazareth said the ice is gone on Lake Minsi. He did hear of some walleye catches in the Delaware River. 

Chris at Chris’s Bait and Tackle in Mertztown, said he fished Lake Wallenpaupack last week and there was still 12-20 inches at places. He also heard good ice remained at the Upper Pond at Promised Land but with this week’s weather forecast, it appears ice fishing is over for the year. 
Other reports say there is good ice on northernmost lakes and pond in the Pocono’s, but some are having open water around the edges while the middle’s remain fishable. But be careful and wear a life jacket or vest if deciding to wade out. 
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Since we listed the pre-season and one in-season  trout stockings in our last column, the Lehigh, Northampton and Berks County waters, now appear in this column.

In a conversation with a trout stocking volunteer about last week’s stream conditions, the volunteer admitted it was a cold one, but they managed to stock over 4,000 trout in Lehigh County streams. The volunteer did say that some of the streams had edge ice making it difficult to stock at a few spots. The ice was so thick at a couple places, they couldn’t break it open with a sledge hammer. 

In preparation for the April 6, trout opener, the following Northampton County waters have been or will be stocked with a combination of brook, brown, rainbow and a few golden trout. But not all streams received this combination. 

3-1: Hokendauqua Creek, Indian Creek; 3-4: Minsi Lake; 3-6: Monocacy Creek; 3-14: Lehigh Canal; 3-15: Bushkill Creek; 3-26: Lehigh Canal; 3-27: Jacoby Creek, Martins Creek; 4-10: Hokendauqua Creek, Indian Creek; 4-14: Lehigh Canal; 4-15; Jacoby Creek, Martins Creek; 4-23: Monocacy Creek, Saucon Creek; 4-24: Bushkill Creek, Little Bushkill Creek; 5-1: Minsi Lake. 

In Lehigh County, the following inseason stockings will take place:

4-8: Lehigh Canal; 4-11: Upper Little Lehigh, Swabia Creek; 4-12: Upper Jordan Creek; 4-14: Cedar Creek; Little Lehigh; 4-15: Coplay Creek, Upper Jordan Creek; 4-16: Upper Jordan Creek, Switzer Creek; 4-18: Lower Jordan Creek; 4-22: Ontelaunee Creek; 4-23: Cedar Creek, Little Lehigh, Monocacy Creek, Swabia Creek; 4-29: Lower Jordan Creek; 4-30: Coplay Creek, Trout Creek; 5-1: Upper Jordan Creek. 

For those anglers who drift down to Berks County to fish, their pre and inseason schedule is as follows:

3-4: Mill Creek; 3-5: Tulpehocken Creek; 3-7: Little Lehigh Creek (Berks County section), Swabia Creek (Berks Co. Section); 3-10: Saucony Creek; 3-11: Manatawny Creek, Scotts Run Lake; 3-12: Furnace Creek, Kaercher Creek Dam, Wyomissing Creek; 3-19: Hay Creek, West Branch Conestoga River; 3-27: Antietam Creek; 4-17: Little Swatara Creek; 4-22: Ontelaunee Creek, Tulpehocken Creek; 4-23: Swabia Creek (Berks Co. section); 4-24: Maiden Creek, Perkiomen Creek, Pine Creek; Antietam Creek, Antietam Reservoir, Hay Creek, Scotts Run Lake, Willow Creek; 4-30: Manatawny Creek; week of 4-21: Maiden Creek, Perkiomen Creek, Pine Creek; 5-1: Furnace Creek, Hay Creek, Saucony Creek, Tulpehocken Creek, West Branch Conestoga River; 5-5: Antietam Creek, Antietam Reservoir, Mill Creek: 5-6: Mill Creek; 5-8: Manatawny Creek; 5-15: Spring Creek, Tulpehocken Creek. 
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Since April 6 will be here before you know it, it’s a good time to check your fishing gear such as spooling fresh line onto your reel(s), checking line guides for looseness, looking for cracks in hip boots and other gear that’s used for the trout opener. Better do it now rather than at streamside. 

It’s billed as the World’s Largest Outdoor Show, and it is.

Kicking off Feb. 1-9, the Great American Outdoor Show returns again to the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. Known locally as the “Harrisburg Show” among local sportsmen, this huge show comprises everything from the latest in firearms, fishing gear, hunting equipment, archery gear, new trucks, boats, ATVs, snowmobiles, campers and more for showgoers to see. It takes an entire day, or two, to see everything on display from outfitters, taxidermists, free seminars and the annual Great Country Concert featuring Riley Green, an award-winning country singer. 

This year’s show will have over a thousand exhibitors showing their latest firearms and gear plus over three-hundred outfitters displaying a gamut of outdoor gear and equipment. That plus, over 200 seminars with a chance to win firearms from NRA’s Wall of Guns display. 

Dog lovers will enjoy watching the DockDogs Competition, where sportsmen bring their hunting dogs to propel off a dock and into a swimming pool in attempt to retrieve a decoy. Whatever dog has the best time to retrieve the decoy gets an award. 

There will be several competitions such as 3D Bowhunting Challenger shoots, Elk Calling Championships, a kids casting contest. 

For avid bass anglers, bass fishing pros will give proven fishing techniques and demonstrations by the trailer-long Hawg Tank that contains live bass.

Kids aren’t left out as the show has a Kids Trout pond that allows kids to fish for a trout within a pool. There’s also the Eddie Eagle Kids Zone with games, face painting and lots more. For teens, there’s the Rock-Climbing Wall to try. 

For bowhunters considering a new bow, an onsite archery shooting range at the Archery Pavilion will allow you to try before you buy. There will be the latest tree stands and hunting blinds to check out.  

Woman aren’t left out as there will be daily Wild game Cooking classes and demonstrations. Offered for all is an Airsoft Shooting Experience to try. 

In the Big Arena, a PA Lumberjack Competition takes place where contestants will compete in several categories. It’s a show for all as these men chop, cut and climb for top lumberjack. 

Available is a free mobile app for the shows’ floorplan, seminar schedules, dates/times, with the capability to select a specific exhibitor section to visit.  

To avoid standing in line to enter the show, merely go to the The Great American Outdoor site where tickets can be purchased online. Ticket prices are Adults ($15); 2 Day, ($25); children 6-12 ($9); Seniors 65 plus ($13); Groups 10 minimum ($13) and children under five are free with a paid adult. 

Show hours are as follows:

Saturday, Feb, 1, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, Feb 2, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Monday, Feb. 3, through Friday, Feb. 7, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 8, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 2, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Farm Show Complex is located at Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110.

​The best advice for showgoers, wear comfortable walking shoes. There’s a lot to see and do.