Some background info: In terms of PA’s management of deer population, it has undergone major changes since the 90’s. Generally speaking in most parts of the state in the 90’s, there were so many doe and not nearly as many big antlered buck. Changes such as managing geographic boundaries of the state vs. political boundaries (counties), to issuing more doe tags, and changing the rifle doe season from a Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday after a two week antlered only season TO a concurrent rifle season (both sexes could be shot during the entire approximately 2 week season). When we got into early mid 2000’s, they were way less deer in the state. It was to the point that many quit hunting. Most people were not happy because there weren’t many deer in most places and there were not as many larger antlered buck as today. However along the way they implemented antler restrictions, issued less doe tags, and changed, in some wildlife management units during some years, to concurrent only during the second season.
So, the herd has come back up but also the major damage/issues well described by Iron Duke is not happening on a mass scale anymore. But, you could also still go to most (some exceptions) state gamelands, state forests, etc., and finding hunting that is not that difficult to shoot a doe, and there are better opportunities to harvest large antlered deer. Last year I shot a 10 point on public land. I’m not saying that will happen for me every year, but had you told me in the early 90’s that I would shoot a 10 point buck on public in my future, I’d probably laugh. Now, I’m not saying 120+” deer are extremely easy to get every year, but they aren’t unicorns, either.
This is one of those things where they’ll never please everyone. In terms of red tags, my opinion is that this won’t have a heavy impact on many areas. But, I can understand the concern for certain properties and areas. Certainly more doe will be harvested in some areas, particularly because there is less work for the farmer (e.g., landowners no longer have to enroll in the Hunter Access program , landowners don’t have to report harvests).
My guess is that it won’t have a profound negative impact on the deer herd in many areas of the state (not all) UNLESS it’s an area that already has heavy red tag users etc… Perhaps that is the case for the original poster, and I could understand their concern. In many parts of the state, red tags are not a common thing. IMHO, many hunters don’t even realize the red tag program exists or are interested in it.
What I don’t see detailed information on is the paperwork end of establishing a red tag property as such. It says that landowners no longer need to be sign up for the Hunter Access Program (which is something separate from Red Tag, and both were needed before). I’m hoping a property still needs to meet some qualification for and be registered as a red tag property. But, if there is no longer registration process at all for establishing a property as red tag and if many non-farms end up using it, perhaps there will be more of an unintended impact in some locations.