Mike Bleech Outdoors Columnist

None of the deer hunters I spoke with this fall said anything about noticing more deer this year. Very few complained, and none loudly. What a relief. But there were more deer this year in the areas I frequent than there have been in some years.

The problem facing hunters is that not enough hunters get into the more remote areas on the Allegheny National Forest to keep deer moving. This is largely a result of hunting demographics. As a group we deer hunters are aging. When I started writing this column I was in my early 30s. I went as far as I wanted with no reason to limit any potential deer dragging distance. Now I am 70 years old. Aging. I would not care to drag a deer up a steep hill or very far. Why would I get far from a road if not trying to move deer for someone else?

Deer hunters have not forgotten the spirit of adventure. Take those guys at ‘the Tent’ who have camped every year since the late 1940s along Hearts Content Road. Not the same guys, of course, but they are the same evolving group from a common heritage of family and friends. They come from several states around the East and Midwest. Some come to hunt only a day or two just to be part of the tradition. Some do not even hunt, although the Saturday opener encouraged more to hunt, and Sunday hunting would encourage more to hunt. This group certainly is in favor of the Saturday opening day and of Sunday hunting.

Tent hunting like this is more common in other parts of the Allegheny National Forest, notably on the KQDC.

A larger percentage of deer hunters in this area are out-of-state residents. Although the change in deer management was highly contentious, fewer but larger deer are highly favored by hunters who travel to multiple states. This is great for the local economy whether they camp or stay at indoor lodging. There are not nearly as many occupied hunting camps as there were 50 years ago, but more rental camps may be available. Some have been built within the past 5 years.

Many more ways for the local economy to take advantage of tourist dollars are awaiting local entrepreneurs. An interesting thing about the tourism business is that various businesses tend to build upon one another, so long as not too many are in direct competition. Each business adds something to the area’s attraction.

It makes me very happy to see more ladies hunting, even on their own. Every bit as serious about it as any male hunter. Just 40 years ago it was almost shocking to see a lady hunting with a man. Back then, wife Jeri was the first lady I knew who hunted alone.

It is heartwarming to see more grouse in the local forest. Thunder chickens are a rich part of my hunting tradition. They were much more abundant in the 1960s. I preferred to hunt them in overgrown farm habitat, though plenty was in timber cuts.

We have been seeing grouse just about anywhere the habitat is right. Many large broods were intact in archery season. Not many hunters are seriously pursuing grouse these days. It has been a while since encountering a grouse hunter with a good grouse dog. This late-season should be a fine time for grouse hunting if the weather is right.

I only hope my no longer stout legs are up to it. Grouse dinner really does sound good.

Also, even though doing less driving through the ANF than usual, we saw numerous flocks of wild turkeys. The trail cameras got some nice turkey photos.

Probably the increased upland bird numbers were a result of a good nesting season. But judging by the difficulty in trapping raccoons this fall, the coyotes might have put a big dent in the nest robber populations. It would seem that raccoon and opossum are easy meals for a coyote if they do not get up a tree in time.

Another thing that might be affecting upland game populations is an apparent decline in area hawk populations. We still see a sharp-shinned hawk gliding over the yard most summer days, and a red-tailed hawk circles over the neighborhood most days. But I have not seen a northern goshawk for a few years, and not a Cooper’s hawk for a couple of years. The local skies were not as filled with migrating hawks this fall.

Is climate change behind any of this?