The most recent deer harvests have been 13,700 total deer from WMU 4A, which was a 19 percent increase, 11,600 for WMU 4A (a 14 percent increase) and 7,400 total deer in WMU 5A (a 4 percent increase).

An antlerless license allocation of 23,000 for WMU 4B -- a drop of 8,000 licenses -- is intended to slightly increase the population trend.

For several years, Pennsylvania's best deer hunting has been in the Southwest Region. But hunting pressure is often heavy due to the human population in and around Pittsburgh.

The goal is to stabilize the population through keeping allocations the same at 29,000 for WMU 4A and increasing licenses for WMU 5A by 3,000, to 22,000.

Hunting in the South-Central Region is a game of its own. Judging solely from the number of deer taken each year, this region doesn't stack up well against other areas of the state. But there is an approach to hunting that can greatly improve the likelihood of success.

One tip for deer hunters in the South-Central Region, said Rob Crisewell, the PGC's regional Information and Education supervisor, is to focus on mountaintop game lands because parts of them are difficult to access.

SOUTHEAST REGION
Urban-suburban deer problems continue to trouble deer managers in the Southeast Region, where the most limiting factor on deer management is property access.

Recently, there have been new regulations and proposals designed to deal with the situation.

Last year, the harvest in WMU 5D was 5,400 deer, a 5 percent increase from the 2005-06 hunting seasons; 23,800 total deer in WMU 5C, a 6 percent decrease; 18,400 total deer in WMU 5B, a 4-percent decrease; and 15,000 total deer in WMU 4C, also a 4-percent decrease.

Antlerless allocations this year are 20,000 in WMU 5D, the same as last year; 84,000 in WMU 5C, an increase of 5,000 tags intended to decrease the population trend; 53,000 for WMU 5B, the same as the year before; and 39,000 at WMU 4C -- the same as the previous year.

Deer hunters in the Southeast Region are advised to head north for more public lands.

NORTHEAST REGION
"If hunters are not willing to change and keep up with adapting wildlife, they're not going to be as successful as they could be because the numbers of deer just aren't there any more," said Tim Conway, the PGC's Northeast Region Information and Education supervisor.

The situation for hunters in the Northeast Region is essentially the same as elsewhere in the Commonwealth.

Conway said that most people in the region are in favor of the new deer management plan. Or at least they far outnumber the ones who come up to him at sports shows and complain.

"I'd have to say the majority of people are in favor of this," he concluded.

The harvests last year were 12,400 total deer in WMU 3D, an 11 percent increase from the previous season; 15,900 total deer in WMU 3C, a 6 percent decrease; 17,100 total deer in WMU 3B, a 1-percent increase; and 13,100 total deer in WMU 4E, a 4 percent decrease.

Antlerless license allocations are 38,000 for WMU 3D, 27,000 for WMU 3C, 43,000 for WMU 3B and 38,000 for WMU 4E. All are the same as the year before, designed to stabilize present population trends.

For more information about deer hunting in Pennsylvania -- including guidelines for acquiring antlerless deer and Deer Management Assistance Program licenses -- contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission at 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797.

You can also call (717) 787-4250, or check the PGC's Web site at www.pgc.state.pa.us.