MIKE BRAUN Ohio, Pa. hunters ready for deer

Close to a million hunters in Ohio and Pennsylvania will be trying their luck at harvesting a white-tailed deer when the 2003 gun season opens in both states Monday morning.
Ohio hunters have a week to get their deer under relatively uncomplicated state wildlife rules (see accompanying chart for specific hours, bag limits and related Ohio and Pennsylvania rules).
A different story
Pennsylvania, however, is a different story.
In the Keystone State, hunters will be going afield through Dec. 13 under what is being termed as some significant changes in antler restriction regulations that they should become familiar with before going out.
There has been a change in the way antler points are to be counted and it's related to a change regarding brow tines. State regulations stipulate that a legal antler point must be at least one inch in length from the base to tip in all cases.
Additionally, the main beam tip shall be counted a point regardless of length, and the brow tine, which is found near the antler base, also must be a full inch in length to be counted. In the 2002 season, the brow tine counted as a point regardless of length.
Another change deals with antler restriction areas that are now defined by Wildlife Management Units, not counties, with a change in the size and boundaries of the four-point and three-point areas. A glance at page 55 of the 2003-04 Pennsylvania Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations, given each license buyer, shows the changes.
According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the four-point area now comprises WMU 1A, WMU 1B, WMU 2A, WMU 2B, and WMU 2D, and the rest of the state is part of the three-point area. Special regulation area counties are no longer exempt from antler restrictions.
While senior hunting license holders are required to follow the new antler restriction criteria, junior license holders, disabled hunters with a permit to use a vehicle, and Pennsylvania residents on active-duty in the armed forces may continue to harvest bucks that have at least one three-inch spike or an antler with two or more points, according to PGC information.
Official statement
Dr. Gary Alt, who heads the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Deer Management Section, issued the following statement about the changes:
"The change requiring brow tines to be at least one inch was made to standardize antler restrictions, but it also will save more bucks. I believe hunters will have little, if any, trouble making adjustments for this minor, but important, change in antler restrictions."
Despite Alt's comments, there has been some grumbling by Pennsylvania sportsmen that the changes will make deer hunting in that state too difficult and could, in fact, cause some to give up hunting altogether.
In Pennsylvania last year, hunters harvested a total of 517,529 deer -- including 352,113 antlerless deer. The PGC said 130,661 of those 165,416 antlered bucks were taken during the firearms deer season. A similar number is expected this year.
Meanwhile, in Ohio, Mike Tonkovich, a forest wildlife biologist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, reported that the white-tailed deer population is estimated at about 681,000. "We anticipate a harvest of 120,000 to 125,000 during this time period," he said.
Staying safe
Above everything else, hunters planning to go in either state should have safety at the forefront of their thoughts. Wearing the required amount of hunter orange clothing, making sure of your target before shooting, not overexerting yourself for the weather and making sure someone knows where you are and how long you plan to be out are just a few rules that will help ensure your safety this deer season.
Area hunters who harvest an exceptional deer -- or who have an interesting deer hunting tale to tell -- can e-mail me their information at the address at the end of this column.
Good luck.
braun@vindy.com