I agree with Craig to some extent but that was when the antler restrictions were enacted many years ago. Yes I did hear back then of fellas accidentally dropping a buck, seeing it didn't meet the restriction, and walking away. OLD DATA. I haven't heard of that happening in many years, and while I'm sure that's occasional even nowadays, it's far from the norm and even when it does happen, the shooter will often do the right thing, drag out the buck and process it anyway. It's not like the woods and fields are crawling with Game Commission officers.
Besides, many modern PA deer “hunters” are now sitting in elevated/heated blinds and coops, with high magnification scopes on their rifles, and have time to look over unsuspecting bucks before shooting a hapless dink by accident.
Better to let em go and watch em grow. Nowadays it's largely about the sport and very few of us are deer hunting for subsistence or to cull small bucks and does just because of liberal bag limits or to test out new guns and loads. And in net it's cheaper to buy meat at the store.
In my mind there is truth that the PA Game Commission favors certain species and does lip service to others. Ruffed grouse for example. But that's another subject.
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