It was dark outside and those of us who hunted a short distance from camp had returned. Except for one. It wasn’t unexpected. After all, Joe always squeezed in the last minutes of the legal hunting hour of the day. And that’s ok.
By now the kitchen was our gathering place as supper was being developed into a feast for those who hunted hard all day while braving the cooler temperatures that had set in.
It wasn’t long until the headlights of Joe’s truck passed in front of the windows. Moments later the kitchen door swung open. The broad smile on one happy hunter’s face was one we had experienced many times before.
Recognizing something special had occurred, the question we asked in unison was, “WELL?” The response from Joe was, “You’ll never believe what happened to me today.” In part what occurred was the result of an opportunity.
Decades ago hunting seasons were just that, a season with little to no overlap. However that has changed. Right now is when those who hunt in PA have an amazing window of opportunity before them.
In 1993, archery season for deer was lengthened to six weeks. The use of crossbows were legalized in 2009. All of which swelled the ranks of those who hunt with archery gear to over 300,000 strong.
While hunting during archery season has grown, it just may be the overlap of hunting for various types of game that may have brought many more archers into the fold.
The statewide fall turkey season opened on the 27th of October with season length dependent of Wildlife Management Units. The special archery black bear season runs from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3. The statewide archery season opened on the 29th of September and continues through Nov. 12. The overlap of seasons provides for an amazing opportunity for archers to hunt. And this timeframe provides archers the opportunity to take PA’s Triple Trophy: a turkey, deer, and bear in a single season.
Simply put, it takes a whole lot of hunting to take the three species of game, let alone while only using archery gear. And that was, in part, why Joe walked into the kitchen with such a broad grin on his face.
Like so many other hunters, especially those within our group, we recognized the tremendous hunting challenge of what we call the “overlap” season offers.
By mid-October Joe’s scouting provided him with enough information as to where he would place his portable tree stand. And his site selection paid off.
The stand provided an excellent vantage point on sloping terrain with moderate ground cover.
From one sitting to the next Joe observed game.
On one occasion a small flock of turkeys passed by, just out of bow range. The same occurred with a number of deer. But it was the black bear that stole the show one afternoon.
Joe was still beaming as he described in detail when he first saw the bear.
“It was a sight I’ll never forget. The bear’s solid black colored body stood out in sharp contrast to the drab colored leaves,” Joe said.
Joe went on to say, “He was moving straight toward my stand. At that point it was hard to imagine that I could really have a chance at taking a bear with my bow. I was making ready to take the shot. Then he began moving away from me. At that point it was cell phone time. The video may be a bit shaky, but I got him just the same.”
While Joe was not able to take a shot that day, he did succeed. Just seeing turkeys, deer and a bear from a single stand on a given day is an accomplishment in itself. And the day was a success without taking a shot.
According to harvest figures for 2017, archers harvested 492 black bears out of a season total of 3,431. Archers also harvested an estimated 118,110 whitetails statewide.
The odds for those who choose to use archery gear to hunt a black bear have the least chance for success. But it’s not so much the reduced chance to take a black bear with a bow that keeps archers coming back to hunt in the “overlap” season. But it more about the excitement and opportunity to take any of the three within this narrow window of time.
If you are an archer and you’re not hunting, remember the clock is ticking on this window of opportunity.
Charlie Burchfield is an active member and past president of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, an active member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association, Outdoor Writers Assoc. of America and the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers. Gateway Outdoors e-mail is GWOutdoors@comcast.net
