By: Bryce Coleson    

     As the fall season is setting in, so hunting season. With this Pennsylvania favorite being right around the corner, The Squire will provide you with all the information needed for a successful hunting season. 

     As the season rapidly approaches, make sure to get a hunting license, which you can get at Walmart, the county treasurer’s office, or Dunham’s Sporting Goods. If you can’t get to the store to get a license, you can get one online by visiting HuntFishpa.gov.  

     In Pennsylvania, archery season starts on October 5 and ends on the 22 of November. Following archery season, rifle season begins on November 30 and concludes on December 14. To get more information about the hunting season, The Squire interviewed Alexander Russell, a student at Eisenhower who is also an avid hunter. The Squire asked Russell what his favorite part about hunting season is, and he stated, “The pursuit of the animal.”  

     The pursuit of an animal is finding where an animal lives and finding its daily habits. When Russell was asked about how he engages in the pursuit for a deer, he explained that he puts up trail cameras to see what deer he wants to pursue in that season. From what he has seen on trail cameras, he has plans to get in the woods and find scents of deer, and put up tree stands or ground blinds based on what he learns. 

      Another important part of a successful hunting season is the preparation, including making sure to put your hunting stands and ground blinds up a couple of months before to give yourself the best chance to harvest an animal. Also, in preparation, make sure you sight your bow or rifle to give yourself the best chance of making an accurate shot. 

      Another way to increase your chances of harvesting a deer is to lure deer in. You can do this by planting food plots, which will have to be done in the early summer or in the late spring. An easier alternative is to put down corn or a salt block, but these items cannot be used during hunting season and must be collected from the spot which you are using them a month before hunting season to stay in line with Pennsylvania state law regulations.  

      You also need to make sure that the animal cannot smell you or see you while in the woods. To keep your scent hidden, you should wash your hunting attire in Scent-A-Way soap that kills the scent from your clothes. In addition, there is a Scent-A-Way spray that can kill any remaining scent on your clothing. To not be seen in your tree stand or ground blind you must wear camo clothing. Make sure the camo that you are wearing fits your surroundings and areas of in which you are hunting. 

     Have a great hunting season and make sure you get out in the woods and kill a deer with the tips and tricks you have learned from this article.