Have you noticed the deer-draped cars and trucks around town? That's when you know it's the start of deer-hunting season in Pennsylvania. In my 25 years in the Erie Times-News sports department, we've crossed paths with quite a few interesting deer hunters.

One hunter was so proud of the albino deer he shot that he lugged it all the way into the sports department. That was in the days when the front door was open 24 hours a day. As the euphoric hunter tried to explain to a crusty old sportswriters how rare albino deer were, the scribe kept nodding absentmindedly. Finally, as the hunter ran out of breath, the sportswriters asked, "If an albino deer is such a rarity, why in the world did you shoot it?"

For several years, when local animal rights groups were well organized, they would call me a couple weeks before the opening day of deer season, and we'd sit down to iron out the ground rules. The animal rights groups objected to photos in the paper that showed excessive blood and gore. I could hardly blame them on that count. They also requested that we refrain from using photos that showed a deer's protruding tongue. We also found agreement on that one.

I'm not a hunter myself, but I've been to deer camp on several occasions and have always enjoyed the card-playing and fraternization. I've also come to respect true outdoorspeople -- hunters who respect the laws of nature and man-made laws. These are not folks who go out in spite of a hangover that would, pardon the expression, kill a moose.

Trophy-sized deer always make good newspaper photos, as long as they're in good taste. Even many of us who don't hunt can appreciate the tradition and ritual of the hunt. It's a part of what many of us in Pennsylvania are.

-- Kevin Cuneo