The first frost has passed. Buck season is just around the corner. Pennsylvania's two-week buck season, which begins the Monday after Thanksgiving, has been drawing a million or so hunters for a long time. This year should be no different. In excess of a million deer are scattered across the state's vast mountainous forests and checkered woodlots.
Some places have overflowing populations.
Others, only a few. But most areas will be visited by hunters. The statewide deer population was estimated to number slightly less than 1.2 million prior to the start of archery season, making it similar in size to last year's. That's down from the 172,000 they projected in 1997. But the antlered deer population is still estimated to be about 200,000.