Now in its eighth year, the HSH program, which is supported by the Game Commission, expects hunters to donate upwards of 80,000 pounds of venison in the upcoming hunting seasons. All but one field officer rated hunting prospects as good to excellent. Mercer County WCO Don Chaybin also recommended hunting wetlands, and heavy cover adjacent to agricultural areas. The region continued its dominance in deer harvest in 1997, posting its fifth straight first-place finish in buck harvest with 36,168. Buck harvests increased in all counties, and the region experienced a 13 percent increase over its 1996 buck kill.
All field officers rate hunting prospects as good to excellent.
All but two officers rated deer hunting prospects as less than good to excellent. Hunters who are willing to cover some ground will see plenty of deer. Everything is adding up to a great year for deer hunters. It was the region's second best buck harvest ever. Huntingdon County led the region with a buck harvest of 4,954, its largest ever.