Average weight way up in big doe contest”The doe contest went really well. We had about 160 to 175 people in it. I don’t know the exact number, but we had approximately 20 to 25 deer brought in.”
That’s how Kevin Polish described this year’s “Big Doe” contest which is held annually on opening day of the archery deer season at Kevin’s Archery in Carmichaels. “The weight on the deer this year was way above what our average weight has been,” Polish said. “The winner was a 123-pound deer from Westmoreland County taken by Ron Slacosky.”
For second and third place, there was an Allegheny County and a Washington County deer that tied.
Jon Yenny bagged a 119-pounder in Washington County, and Jim Lamont took a 120-pounder in Allegheny County to share honors.
Forth place was also a tie between 110- and 111-pound deer. Earl Ehrenberger bagged the 111-pounder in Washington County, and Chris Hartley took the 110-pounder in Fayette County.
“That is unheard of,” Polish said when commenting on the weight of this year’s does. The biggest doe I’ve ever had turned in was 126 pounds.
“While the winner wasn’t the biggest ever, overall, we had over 10 deer that weighed over 100 pounds. That is phenomenal.”
Polish noted that the three top deer from Greene County weighed 99, 98 and 97 pounds. Chad Bergman who works at Kevin’s Archery shot a 97-pound doe behind the shop. Polish said, “That is a healthy doe. For Greene County two years ago, the winner was a 96-pound deer.
“All-in-all it was exciting. It kind of got interrupted a little because of the big deer showing up in the evening.
“Everyone was happy, and there were a lot of prizes given away.”
Polish said that people have been asking why are the deer so heavy?
“I just think it has a lot to do with what has transpired in Pennsylvania in the last five years,” Polish said. “When there is not as many deer, there is more feed.”
He then went on to explain that a lot of hunters are feeding deer during the off season to help their hunting chances in the fall.
“At the bow show this year, I sold more deer feed than ever. I sold more deer feed, minerals and salt blocks than I ever did,” Polish said.
“Feeding deer has become popular. People understand that feeding deer and having the deer come to a certain area has improved hunting chances.
“A lot of people are doing what I do regularly in feeding deer right here behind the shop so the family can watch them out here in the snow in the winter.
“What that is telling me is that a lot of people are concerned about the deer numbers and that everybody is trying to take care of their little deer family.”
When asked about the reports from the field, Polish said, “Most of the hunters were seeing deer, but there still were some hunters who haven’t seen a deer.
“Saturday morning we couldn’t have asked for a better first day. That was the best first day morning that we have had in five years, no rain, no nothing and cool. I came out of the house at 7 a.m. I was blowing steam out in the air, but by 1 o’clock it was 75 degrees and hunting stunk in the afternoon.
“That really kept a lot of people who were excited about the first day at home. It has been that way all week.
“I always say hunt the morning in the early part of the season. You have a better chance of a deer getting up at 8:30 in the morning and going to feed on acorns. If you go to your stand tonight (Thursday evening) the deer are not going to move until 6:45 or seven o’clock. They’re going to move late. You’re wasting your time.”
Polish said that three or four nice bucks were brought in, along with a couple of first-time kills.
Two youngsters who checked in their first archery kills were Cody Redman who bagged a five-pointer, and Joey Monica III who took a dandy 8-pointer with a 15-inch spread.
Among adult hunters, Mike Effinger bagged a beautiful 8-pointer with a 14 3/4-inch spread.
“There again, everybody is seeing big deer. Everybody is seeing 150-inch deer. The average antler spread in Pennsylvania has gone from 12 to 17 inches.
“The law has been effective in making a little bit mature deer because it has lived longer, but it has also crushed the deer herd in some areas.
“I think its going to take five years to recover. They (the Game Commission) have to go back to the old law, and I know they are going to go back. They have to.
“They only guys who like the new law are the ones who have all the time in the world to hunt.”
Polish said that the number of bucks that were killed the first week was just about average.
“I’ve had more hunters say that they have seen small bucks than have seen does. But overall, people are seeing deer.”
What happened when Dave O’Hara showed up with his monster buck Saturday evening?
“When Dave O’Hara came in, we had the doe contest going on. I’ve had the doe contest for nine years.
“Dave O’Hara brought his buck into the parking lot around 7 p.m.
“It took everything I worked for, all of the hoopla, out of the doe contest and focused right to the back of his pickup truck. There were so many people coming in as late as 9:30 and 10 o’clock that night, not to see who won the doe contest, but they wanted to know ‘where’s the big buck?’
“It has caused such a stir in the store in the last five or six days, it is remarkable.
“I’ve never seen anything that big in my life, never. It’s an honor to see someone kill a deer like that and to be affiliated with it by helping them set up the bow and that. That makes it even more rewarding.”
Polish noted that a Boone and Crockett scorer scored O’Hara’s buck at 193 3/8.
“I think it will score in the low to mid 180s Pope and Young and has the potential to be in top five ever killed in Pennsylvania with a bow.”
Polish said it’s a Boone and Crockett rack and will score well there also.
What has the average bowhunter been saying so far?
“Guys are really amazed that there is so much feed in the woods and the deer are not coming in. There are acorns everywhere.
“A lot of guys are hunting in the oak stands with many acorns, and the deer are not coming to them. I’m a firm believer that the deer are feeding mostly in the cool mornings between 8 and 10 o’clock.
“There are acorns everywhere. They area spread out, and so are the deer.
“This is even going to make the rut hard to hunt. In other years the deer were concentrated around food and water, but they will be well distributed this year.”
Polish suggested that hunters should concentrate on getting to the stand at daylight and staying a little longer, not getting down at 9 o’clock. In other words, get to your stand early and hunt from 7:30 to 11 o’clock.
He closed by noting that we don’t have a moon issue this year, and that we do have a cold front coming in, which should activate the deer.
Rod Schoener is the Herald-Standard outdoors editor.