Photo by Ralph Hensley.

Opening day of the 2006 firearms deer season was shaping up to be a winner. During archery season, I had seen several bucks and a good number of does in the western Chester County woodlot where my two buddies and I intended to set up for the day.

Legal hunting time was only a few minutes old when the first shot of the day rang out. My buddy, Ed, called on the radio and reported he’d just bagged a fine 6-pointer.

About two hours later, I spied a herd of two bucks and seven does sneaking through the woods behind me. I picked out the buck with the larger body, slowly squeezed the trigger on my 12-gauge slug gun, and dropped the deer in its tracks.

As it turned out, it had only one antler with 4 points on it.

Shortly before 10 a.m., a 6-point and a doe entered the woodlot from a large field in front of me and ran past my position, heading toward J.R., the third member of our group. Sure enough, I heard J.R.’s shotgun report. He quickly called on the radio and said the buck was down.

Three for three on opening day in the Southeast Region’s Special Regulations Area: That’s good hunting anywhere!

Opportunities for Special Regulations Area deer hunters are expected to abound this fall. Nowhere in the state will hunters have more days or take more deer than in the Special Regulations Areas. And nowhere in the state are there more deer roaming the suburban countryside.

The observations offered by John Papson, the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s wildlife conservation officer (WCO) for part of Montgomery County, mirror those offered by WCOs in all the Special Regulations Areas.

“There are excellent deer populations in all areas,” Papson said.

Before we examine the public hunting opportunities available in the Special Regulations Areas, it’s important to understand what that designation means and where it’s applied.

When it comes to wildlife management in Pennsylvania, the state is divided into 22 wildlife management units (WMUs). The designation of Special Regulations Area is currently given on a county-by-county basis. Those counties that fall under this classification are Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia.

In these counties, centerfire rifles and handguns may not be used to hunt deer. Firearms deer hunters here may only use shotguns and muzzleloading rifles. In Philadelphia, only archery equipment -- including crossbows -- may be used.

Also, while crossbows may only be used elsewhere in the state during the firearms deer seasons, they may be used during any deer season -- including archery season -- in all of Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware and Philadelphia counties, as well as in those parts of Chester County that fall in WMUs 5C and 5D, and in that part of Allegheny County that falls within WMU 2B. Chester County also has some holdings in WMU 5B, and part of Allegheny County is in WMU 2A.

Last year, the Pennsylvania Game Commission approved the use of bait to hunt deer in all Special Regulations Areas except in Allegheny County. Baiting is allowed only on private property in the five Southeast Region counties, and bait accumulation in any one location may not exceed five gallons. For the 2007-08 seasons, bait may be placed two weeks before the start of the archery deer season and may be left out until all deer seasons have closed.

While the firearms and baiting restrictions for the Special Regulations Areas follow county lines, the deer seasons are set according to the WMU lines. Be sure to check the digest of hunting regulations to know where you’re hunting, when you’re allowed to hunt and what weapons you’re allowed to use.