What does it cost for a license to hunt deer here in the northeast? In many states the cost of a license (whatever permit, tag, etc. you need to kill at least one deer) is higher than a meal in an average eatery. That's right. You can easily drop $25 per person to eat at Ruby Tuesday or Olive Garden (including drinks and tip). That's more than you'd spend on a license to hunt a whole season in Pennsylvania or its neighbor to the north, New York.
My July 1 column in the Jamestown Gazette points out that the best values for deer hunting from Maine to Virginia (the 12 New England and Mid-Atlantic states) are New York and Pennsylvania. We have the lowest resident license prices, but it's not just that. We also have strong odds of harvesting a deer, plenty of public land to do it on, and a few other factors I explain in "Deer Hunting’s Best Values in the Northeast." Check it out.
To read other blog posts from MISSION: HUNTER, CLICK HERE to go to www.EverydayHunter.com.
Photos by Steve Sorensen: New York and Pennsylvania are producing nicer bucks than ever before. The bucks in the top photo were taken in western New York by Pete Hofert and his son Brad. The buck in the bottom photo was killed by Jim Riggle in the Tionesta area three years after antler restrictions began.