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76
PA Game Commision News / RIVER OTTER ATTACK PROMPTS WARNING FROM PA GAME COMMISSION
« on: September 12, 2012, 12:41:52 PM »
RIVER OTTER ATTACK PROMPTS WARNING FROM PA GAME COMMISSION
 FRANKLIN, Venango County – A Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer (WCO) is investigating the case of a river otter attacking an angler around 2 p.m. on Sept. 11, at the junction of French Creek and the Allegheny River, just off Ninth Street, adjacent to the Riverfront Park in Franklin, Venango County.


Game Commission WCO Ronda Bimber is urging the public to notify her through the agency’s Northwest Region Office with any information about the situation. Calls can be placed to the Northwest Region office at 814-432-3187.


“This area is frequently used by the public, so we are encouraging park users to look out for any suspicious activity by river otters,” said WCO Bimber, who will be checking the area today. “At this point, it is not clear what initiated the attack.”


According to WCO Bimber, a 27-year-old Franklin man was wet wading and observed a river otter on the bike trail side of the river. 


“The individual fishes the area often and said he didn’t find the presence of a river otter to be unusual,” WCO Bimber said. “He heard the otter enter the water and watched it swim at a diagonal to his position.  The otter then turned and swam directly toward him.  He made noise and slapped the water with his fishing rod unsuccessfully.  The otter dove and proceeded to bite and scratch the victim.


“The angler sustained five bites to the leg and one on his big toe, along with numerous scratches to his legs. The incident ended when he was able to kick the otter in the head.”


Following the attack, the angler got out of the water to seek medical attention. As he left the water, he lost sight of the otter.  He sought medical attention. 

77
Elk / PA GAME COMMISSION TO HOLD DRAWING FOR ELK LICENSES
« on: September 10, 2012, 09:29:39 AM »
PA GAME COMMISSION TO HOLD DRAWING FOR ELK LICENSES

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe said the agency’s public drawing for the 2012 elk hunting licenses will be webcast beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 14. To view the drawing, a “Live Elk Drawing” icon will be posted on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) for individuals to click on and watch the drawing.


“Each year, tens of thousands of individuals apply for an elk license,” Roe said.  “Unfortunately, not all of them can make it to the public drawings. And, due to financial limitations, we are only able to send notification letters to those who were selected to receive an elk license. By webcasting the public drawings, more people can view this drawing without having to travel to the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters.”


Beginning at 10 a.m., the agency will conduct the public drawing to award 65 elk licenses. Roe also noted that those who have submitted applications can check to see if they were selected, by Sept. 21, thanks to the Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS). 


Presently, the status for all individual applications for elk licenses is listed as “Pending.”  Once the database is updated, which is expected no later than Sept. 21, those who were selected for an elk license will see the status changed to “Awarded,” as well as the designation of the Elk Hunt Zone and whether they were awarded an antlered or antlerless elk license.  Those not selected will see the status changed to “Unsuccessful.”


To access the information, go to the Game Commission website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), and click on the blue box in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage.  Click on the “Purchase License Permit and or Application/Replace License and or Permit” option, which includes the ability to “Check on the status of any Lottery Application,” scroll down and click on the “Start Here” button at the bottom of the page.  At this page, choose one of the identification options below to check your records, fill in the necessary information and click on the “Continue” button. Click on the appropriate residency status, which will display your current personal information.  At the bottom of the page, choose the “Check on the status of any Lottery Application” button, and then hit “Continue.”


“While this may seem like a lot of clicking and box checking to get to the information, the system is designed to protect an individual’s personal information, while at the same time enabling that person to check on the status of his or her applications, as well as their antlerless deer license applications,” Roe said. “Prior to PALS, the only way to know for sure that you were awarded an elk license was to attend the public drawings, wait for a letter in the mail or to call the Game Commission.


“This year, thanks to PALS, we will be able to update the data files for each individual awarded a license shortly after the public drawing is completed so that they will be able to see for themselves if they were drawn for one of the licenses.”

 

 

ELK GUIDE PERMIT APPLICATION DEADLINE APPROACHES

Anyone interested in applying to be an elk guide for the upcoming season should submit a completed application to the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Bureau of Wildlife Protection by Friday, Sept. 28.  Guide permits cost $25 for residents and $50 for nonresidents.


Applicants must possess a valid hunting license or qualify for license and fee exemptions under Title 34, Section 2706. Also, any application received from an individual convicted of a violation of the Game and Wildlife Code or Game Commission regulations within the last 10 years will be rejected. 


Guides may provide assistance in locating or tracking elk, and calling for elk, but they may not harvest an elk.  Permit applications may be obtained from the Game Commission’s Harrisburg headquarters by calling 717-783-8164, or by contacting any of the Game Commission’s six region offices.


The Board of Game Commissioners created the elk guide permit to allow experienced individuals, especially those who are familiar with or live in the elk range, to serve as guides for those who receive an elk license.  However, an elk license recipient is not required to hire a guide.


Guide permits are not required for those who only plan to accompany an elk license recipient, or those who plan to aid a successful elk hunter to remove an elk from the field.


Those seeking elk guide permits also should consult with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources concerning special guiding permits and requirements on state forest or state park lands. 


78
PA Game Commision News / PA GAME COMMISSION SEEKS INFORMATION REGARDING HUNTING-RELATED SHOOTING INCIDENT
« on: September 10, 2012, 09:28:38 AM »
GAME COMMISSION SEEKS INFORMATION REGARDING HUNTING-RELATED SHOOTING INCIDENT

 

HUNTINGDON – Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer Tim Wenrich, of Cumberland County, is seeking information regarding a hunting-related shooting incident that occurred at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6, on State Game Land 170, near the Idle Road parking area in Rye Township, Perry County.


The 26-year-old victim, from Marysville, Perry County, was seated along a footpath not far from the parking area, and had his back to a tree and facing a stream. Just as he felt something hit his left foot, he heard a gunshot fired from behind him. When he turned to look, he saw a dark haired, young male, about 75 to 100 yards away, running east toward the parking lot.  He then heard a vehicle drive out of the parking lot. 


The victim drove himself to the Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill and was treated for a single, small caliber gunshot to the base of his fourth toe on his left foot.


“Anyone with information about the person or persons responsible is urged to contact me through the Game Commission’s Southcentral Region Office, at 814-643-1831,” WCO Wenrich said.

 

79
Waterfowl / 2012-13 PA MIGRATORY GAME BIRD SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS SELECTED
« on: August 29, 2012, 12:57:11 AM »
2012-13 PA MIGRATORY GAME BIRD SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS SELECTED

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today announced that the agency has made its selections for the 2012-13 migratory game bird hunting seasons and bag limits.


Annual waterfowl seasons are selected by states from a framework established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Game Commission selections were made after reviewing last year’s season results, waterfowl survey data, and input gathered from waterfowl hunters and the public.  Final approval from the USFWS is expected by late September.


Roe also noted that the Game Commission will post the annual waterfowl and migratory bird season brochure and zone maps on its website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) the week of Aug. 20. 


“Many hunters already have purchased their hunting licenses and federal waterfowl stamps in anticipation of the season,” Roe said.  “For their convenience, hunters will be able to obtain this important information from the Game Commission’s website. However, to improve efficiency and reduce printing and postage costs, the Game Commission is not mass producing the brochure and mailing copies to U.S. Post Offices.”


Game Commission waterfowl biologist Kevin Jacobs said the outlook is mixed for waterfowl populations important to Pennsylvania.


“Banding studies indicate most of Pennsylvania’s mallard, wood duck, and Canada goose harvests are derived from birds breeding in Pennsylvania and surrounding states,” Jacobs said. These populations are monitored through the Atlantic Flyway Breeding Waterfowl Survey. This year, because of the mild winter and early spring, the Pennsylvania portion of this multi-state survey was advanced a week earlier than normal for the first time.


“At the state level, the estimated number of indicated mallard breeding pairs (60,500) was 35 percent below the 1993-2011 long-term average of 93,000 pairs. Southeastern Pennsylvania had the highest density of breeding mallards, followed by northeastern Pennsylvania. The 68,000 wood duck breeding pairs estimated in 2012 was 31 percent above the long-term average of 52,000 pairs.”


Jacobs noted that this estimate could be the result of larger than average numbers of migrating wood ducks being in Pennsylvania at the time of the earlier survey.


“Trends in wood duck abundance have indicated stable to slightly increasing populations across all years of the survey,” Jacobs said. “Wood duck densities were highest in northwestern, southwestern and northeastern Pennsylvania.  American black ducks were not observed in Pennsylvania’s 2012 survey. Black ducks have been observed at very low and declining densities since the survey was initiated in 1989. However, black duck populations in eastern Canada remain healthy, allowing this species to continue to account for about five percent of Pennsylvania’s total duck harvest.”


The Pennsylvania estimates of total blue-winged teal (3,000) were slightly below average, while green-winged teal numbers (7,500) were above average in 2012. Teal abundance in this survey can vary dramatically from year to year, due to weather-related impacts on teal migration. Teal migration appeared average in 2012.


“We don’t believe these estimates are indicative of true breeding populations of teal in Pennsylvania as many migrating teal are encountered during the survey period,” Jacobs said. “Estimates of total hooded mergansers (5,700) and common mergansers (24,000) were above average. The trends for both breeding merganser species have increased since 1993.”


Jacobs noted that Pennsylvania’s spring 2012 Canada goose population was estimated at 220,000 birds.


“The resident goose population appears to have declined over the past nine years following highly significant population expansion from 1990 to 2004, but it remains well above the Resident Population management plan goal of 150,000 spring birds,” Jacobs said. “We continue efforts to achieve the management plan goal through reduced densities in Southeastern and Southwestern Pennsylvania, while maintaining populations in other portions of the Commonwealth.


“Observations during June banding indicated 37 percent below average juvenile recruitment statewide. Hunters should expect a below average fall flight with fewer juveniles, but resident geese will remain plentiful overall. Populations of Arctic-nesting Canada geese and snow geese are generally similar to recent averages.”


Jacobs noted that spring population estimates and fall flight forecasts are obtained at large geographic scales, and therefore are not reliable predictors of waterfowl numbers that can be expected during hunting seasons.


“At the local or regional level, hunting pressure, habitat and weather variables most often dictate waterfowl movements, staging and wintering numbers through the hunting seasons.”


In the Atlantic Population Goose Zone, the regular snow goose season will be Oct. 27-Jan. 26, with a snow goose conservation season to run from Jan. 28-April 26.  In the Southern James Bay Population Goose Zone, the regular snow goose season will be Oct. 27-Jan. 18, with a snow goose conservation season to run from Jan. 19-April 26.  The Resident Population Goose Zone regular snow goose season will run Oct. 27-Feb. 28, and the snow goose conservation season will run March 1-April 26.


Young Pennsylvania hunters will have two special days of waterfowl hunting, on Saturday, Sept. 15, and Saturday, Sept. 22.  The Junior Waterfowl Days will be open to those 12 to 15 years old who hold a junior hunting license. To participate, a youngster must be accompanied by an adult, who may assist the juniors in calling, duck identification and other aspects of the hunt.  During these two special hunts, juniors can harvest Canada geese, ducks, mergansers, coots and moorhens.  The daily bag limit for juniors participating in the Junior Waterfowl Days is the same as for the regular season daily limit in the area being hunted. The only exception is when September Canada goose daily bag limits exceed the regular season limit for the area being hunted; juniors then can take the September daily limit.


However, waterfowl hunters should be aware that a new restriction on hunting hours will impact the junior waterfowl hunting days. On Sept. 15 and 22, hunting hours for all waterfowl species will close at sunset. For the remainder of the September 1-25 Canada goose season, hunting hours close at one-half hour after sunset.


“Federal frameworks specify that for most migratory game bird seasons, hunting hours must close at sunset,” Jacobs said. “Exceptions currently are in place to allow states to extend hunting hours to one-half hour after sunset for the September Canada goose season and the snow goose conservation season, in an effort to increase harvest pressure on overabundant waterfowl populations. One of the conditions for use of extended hunting hours is that while they are in effect, no other waterfowl seasons may be open.


“By previously allowing extended hunting hours for Canada geese throughout the September season, and also holding our junior waterfowl days within this period, Pennsylvania had inadvertently been in conflict with this provision of federal regulations.”


Jacobs noted that the need to resolve this issue was brought to our attention by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service following its review of the Game Commission’s 2012-13 early migratory game bird season selections.


“Rather than reschedule the previously announced junior days, limit junior hunters to geese only on those two days, or restrict hunting hours for the entire September goose season, we have chosen to close hunting hours for all waterfowl species and all waterfowl hunters at sunset on the two junior waterfowl days, Sept. 15 and Sept. 22,” Jacobs said. “While we recognize this change adds some complexity to regulations, it places our season selections in compliance with federal regulations while minimizing effects on the hunter recruitment and population management goals of the junior waterfowl days and the September goose season.”


The Game Commission again will hold a special junior-only waterfowl hunting day at the controlled hunting blinds at both Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area and Pymatuning Wildlife Management Area. The junior day for Middle Creek is Nov. 17; for Pymatuning, Nov. 24.  A special drawing of applications submitted by junior license holders will be held immediately before the regular drawing for goose blinds.  Interested juniors should use the same application on page 28 of the 2012-13 Digest.  Only one application will be accepted per junior hunter.


Additionally, Game Commission officials, in partnership with the state chapters of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), are encouraging hunters to help veterans discover or rediscover the thrills and joys of hunting in Pennsylvania, including the many migratory game bird seasons that will be open, especially on Veterans Day, which will be observed on Monday, Nov. 12.


To recognize those who step up to serve as volunteer guides for a veteran, the Game Commission will conduct a drawing to present six framed fine-art wildlife prints. To be eligible for one of the prints, a participating hunter must submit a brief e-mail that outlines the name and address of the veteran taken afield, type of hunting taken part in, and county where the shared hunt took place. American Legion or VFW members who take another veteran hunting also should include their member number.


All participating hunters, including those not affiliated with the American Legion or VFW must send an e-mail to either dsandman@vfwpahq.org or hq@pa-legion.com.  A drawing will be held to select the six winners from all e-mails received by Dec. 31, 2012.


In addition to a regular Pennsylvania hunting license, persons 16 and older must have a Federal Migratory Bird and Conservation Stamp, commonly referred to as a “Duck Stamp,” signed in ink across its face. All waterfowl hunters, regardless of age, must have a Pennsylvania Migratory Game Bird License to hunt waterfowl and other migratory birds, including doves, woodcock, coots, moorhens, rails and snipe. All migratory game bird hunters in the United States are required to complete a Harvest Information Program survey when they purchase a state migratory game bird license. The survey information is then forwarded to the USFWS.


“By answering the questions on the survey card, hunters will improve survey efficiency and the quality of information used to track the harvest of migratory birds for management purposes,” Jacobs said.


Also, to participate in the snow goose conservation hunts, hunters will need to obtain a free conservation hunt permit, in addition to their other required licenses, and file a mandatory report of harvest/participation.  In late 2012, the Snow Goose Conservation Hunt website will be available on the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) so that hunters can apply for and print out the free conservation permit.


Hunters must use non-toxic shot while hunting ducks, geese or coots in Pennsylvania. The use of decoys powered or operated by batteries or any other source of electricity is unlawful in Pennsylvania, except during the snow goose conservation seasons. Also, the use of any sort of artificial substance or product as bait or an attractant is prohibited.


For complete early Canada goose season information, as well as webless migratory game bird seasons, please see News Release #081-12, which the agency issued on July 26.

     

 

FEDERAL REGULATIONS POSTED ON GAME COMMISSION WEBSITE

In addition to posting the annual waterfowl and migratory game bird brochure on its website, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has posted a synopsis of federal regulations that govern migratory game bird and waterfowl seasons to assist hunters in finding answers to questions.


To review the information, go to the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), put your cursor on “Hunt/Trap” in the menu bar at the top of the page, click on “Hunting,” scroll down and click on “Waterfowl Hunting and Conservation,” and then scroll down and click on “Federal Waterfowl Hunting Regulations Synopsis” in the “Waterfowl Hunting Regulations” section.


Additional information can be found on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website (www.fws.gov/hunting/whatres.html), where a complete version of the federal regulations (50 CFR Part 20) is posted. When state law differs from the federal law, hunters must comply with the more restrictive law.

 

 

HUNTERS ENCOURAGED TO REPORT BANDED BIRDS

Waterfowl hunters are encouraged to report banded ducks, geese and doves they harvest online at www.reportband.gov, or by using the toll-free number (1-800-327-BAND). Hunters will be requested to provide information on where, when and what species of migratory birds were taken, in addition to the band number. This information is crucial to the successful management of migratory birds. 


Kevin Jacobs, Game Commission waterfowl biologist, also stressed that reporting leg-bands helps the Game Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service learn more about waterfowl movements, and survival and harvest rates, which are critical to population management and setting of hunting regulations. Each year, nearly 380,000 ducks and geese and 30,000 mourning doves are banded across the United States and Canada.


“Information provided by hunters is essential in our efforts to properly manage our migratory game bird populations and harvest opportunities,” Jacobs said. “By reporting the recovery of a leg-band, hunters not only assist in managing the resource, but also have an opportunity to learn interesting facts about the bird they harvested.”


Jacobs noted that the online and toll-free reporting systems have produced big dividends. Under the old reporting system, utilized until the late 1990s, about one-third of recovered banded birds were reported by hunters. Now, with the option of using online or toll-free methods, band reporting rates are estimated to have stabilized around 70 percent. This allows more information to be obtained from the program and can reduce costs associated with banding ducks, geese and doves.

 

 

WATERFOWL HUNTERS CAUTIONED ABOUT EATING MERGANSERS

To minimize potential health impacts, Pennsylvania Game Commission officials recommend hunters do not eat merganser ducks, especially those harvested in the Lake Erie and Northwestern Pennsylvania hunting zones.


“Studies conducted two decades ago on Pennsylvania and New York mergansers, especially common and red-breasted mergansers in the Lake Erie region, concluded they may have varying levels of contaminants, including PCBs,” said Dr. Walter Cottrell, Game Commission wildlife veterinarian. “Mergansers consume fish and other aquatic organisms that may cause a concentration of contaminants in body tissue. As such, health officials have issued similar consumption advisories for certain species of fish found in these same waters.


“For this reason, hunters are cautioned to not consume any mergansers. Other waterfowl should be skinned and the fat removed before cooking. Stuffing should be discarded after cooking and should not be consumed.”


The Game Commission is in its final year of a research project to obtain additional information on contaminant levels in Lake Erie waterfowl, and the potential threats of those contaminants on wildlife and human health. Individuals willing to allow Game Commission personnel to collect tissue samples from waterfowl harvested at Lake Erie or Presque Isle during the 2012-seasons are encouraged to contact the Bureau of Wildlife Management at 717-787-5529 for details.

 

 

GOOSE BLIND DEADLINES FOR CONTROLLED HUNTING AREAS

Application deadlines are fast approaching for waterfowl hunters interested in being selected for the limited number of goose blinds at the controlled hunting areas at the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Pymatuning or Middle Creek wildlife management areas during the regular Canada goose season. A goose blind application must be submitted using the form found on page 28 of the 2012-13 Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping Digest.


Hunters may apply to only one area per year and may submit only one application, which must include the individual’s nine-digit Customer Identification (CID) Number.


The Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area will accept applications through the mail until Sept. 11, at: PGC Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, P.O. Box 110, Kleinfeltersville, PA 17039-0110. A public drawing will be held at 10 a.m., Sept. 12.


Applications for the Pymatuning Wildlife Management Area will be accepted through the mail until Sept. 8, at: PGC Pymatuning Wildlife Management Area, 9552 Hartstown Rd., Hartstown, PA 16131. A public drawing will be held at 10 a.m., Sept. 15.


Blinds at Middle Creek and Pymatuning will not be operational during the September season. During the regular season, shooting days at Middle Creek are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, one-half hour before sunrise to 1:30 p.m. Shooting days at Pymatuning are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, one-half hour before sunrise to 12:30 p.m.


A separate drawing is held for blinds that accommodate hunters with disabilities. Applicants must submit a current copy of their Disabled Person Permit (to hunt from a vehicle) issued by the Game Commission.


Also, the Game Commission again will hold a special junior-only waterfowl hunting days at the controlled goose hunting areas at both Middle Creek (Nov. 17) and Pymatuning (Nov. 24) wildlife management areas. The junior-only restriction applies to the controlled goose hunting areas only; public hunting areas at Middle Creek and Pymatuning, and the Controlled Duck Hunting Areas at Pymatuning, remain open to everyone, including adults, on these dates.


Juniors must hold a junior license and be accompanied by an adult, who may participate in the hunt by calling only. A special drawing of applications submitted by junior license holders will be held immediately before the regular drawing for goose blinds. Interested juniors should use the same application on page 28 of the 2012-13 Digest. Only one application will be accepted per junior hunter.


Successful applicants will be mailed a hunting reservation entitling them to be accompanied by up to three guests. On hunting days, hunters also may apply, in person, for a chance at any blinds unclaimed by a reservation holder.


Persons who have previously hunted a controlled goose hunting area at the Game Commission’s Pymatuning or Middle Creek wildlife management areas may apply for unclaimed blinds on the morning of the designated shooting day, but only when there exists an absence of applications for the unclaimed blinds from persons who have not previously hunted a controlled goose hunting area.

 

 

SPECIAL WATERFOWL HUNTING SAFETY REMINDERS

Waterfowl hunters – whether hunting from shore or from a boat – are urged to keep safety first and foremost in mind, said Keith Snyder, Pennsylvania Game Commission Hunter-Trapper Education Division chief.


“Basic firearm and hunting safety are critical,” Snyder said. “Treat every firearm as if it is loaded and make sure that the muzzle is always pointed in a safe direction.  Never place your finger on the trigger until you are ready to fire. Be aware of any companions’ locations at all times and maintain a safe zone-of-fire.  Waterfowl action can be exciting, but never swing your barrel toward another hunter.


“Make sure firearms are unloaded prior to reaching your hunting location and immediately after you are done hunting. Also, if you are using a boat, remember state law requires all firearms be unloaded in any boat propelled by motor or sail, and should be cased with actions open.”


Snyder also noted that, in Pennsylvania, all those using a boat are required to have a properly-fitted personal flotation device (PFD) readily accessible and, new regulations require a PFD to be worn during the cold weather months from November 1st through April 30th while underway or at anchor on boats less than 16 feet in length or any canoe or kayak.  For more information on boating laws and regulations, as well as safety tips, please visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s website (www.fish.state.pa.us).  Better yet, take an approved boater’s safety course.


Additionally, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, every year several hunters die from drowning and hypothermia.


“When you have a crew of hunters, with decoys and equipment, and dogs, a boat can easily become unbalanced, especially if the wind comes up,” Snyder said, “Not only is it unsafe to overload a boat, exceeding the limits posted on the capacity plate is also illegal.


“Sudden immersion into cold water is one of the leading causes of boating fatalities in the Commonwealth. It places a severe strain on bodily systems that can lead to hypothermia or, worse, cardiac arrest. Survivors of cold-water accidents have reported their breath driven from them on contact with the water.”


Anyone falling into cold water should immediately ensure that their and any companions’ PFDs are intact, and work to find a way to exit the water or right the watercraft.  Cover your mouth and nose – if possible – to prevent inhaling water.


If you can’t get out of the water immediately and the shore is too far, raise your knees and wrap your arms across your chest to help reduce heat loss through the body’s core. Don’t leave your watercraft and attempt to swim to shore.  It’s probably further than you think.  Experts recommend you stay with your boat until help arrives.  If possible, try to climb back into your boat or on top of it.


“Most important,” Snyder suggests, “get into the routine of making the life jacket part of your hunting equipment, and wear it.”

     

 

2012-13 WATERFOWL SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS

DUCKS:

North Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 6-20, and Nov. 13-Jan. 5. 

South Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 13-20, and Nov. 15-Jan. 15.

Northwest Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 6-Dec. 14. 

Lake Erie Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 22-Dec. 29.

 

Total Duck Bag Limits: 6 daily, 12 in possession of any species, except for the following restrictions: daily limit may not include more than 4 mallards including 2 hen mallards, 4 scaup, 1 black duck, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 1 canvasback, 2 pintails, 1 mottled duck, 1 fulvous whistling duck and 4 scoters.  Possession limits are double the daily limits.

 

Mergansers: 5 daily, 10 in possession (not more than 2 hooded mergansers daily, 4 hooded in possession).

 

Coots: 15 daily, 30 in possession.

 

REGULAR CANADA GOOSE SEASON & BAG LIMITS (including WHITE-FRONTED GEESE): All of Pennsylvania will have a regular Canada goose season, however, season lengths and bag limits will vary by area as follows:

 

Resident Population Goose Zone (RP)

All of Pennsylvania except for the Southern James Bay Population and the Atlantic Population zone. The season is Oct. 27-Nov. 24, Dec. 11-Jan. 15, and Feb. 1-28, with a five goose daily bag limit.

 

Southern James Bay Population Zone (SJBP)

The area north of I-80 and west of I-79 including in the city of Erie west of Bay Front Parkway to and including the Lake Erie Duck zone (Lake Erie, Presque Isle and the area within 150 yards of Lake Erie Shoreline). The season is Oct. 6-Nov. 24, Dec. 10-Jan. 18, with a three goose daily limit.

 

Atlantic Population Zone (AP)

The area east of route SR 97 from Maryland State Line to the intersection of SR 194, east of SR 194 to intersection of US Route 30, south of US Route 30 to SR 441, east of SR 441 to SR 743, east of SR 743 to intersection of I-81, east of I-81 to intersection of I-80, south of I-80 to New Jersey state line. The season is Nov. 13-24 and Dec. 13-Jan. 26, with a three goose daily limit.

Exception: The controlled hunting areas at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lebanon-Lancaster counties, as well as all of State Game Land 46 (Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area), has a daily bag limit of one, and possession limit of two during the regular Canada goose season. 

 

BRANT (All Zones): Oct. 6-Dec. 3, 2 daily, 4 in possession.

 

LIGHT GEESE (Snow Geese and Ross’ Geese):

      Atlantic Population Zone:

      Regular: Oct. 27-Jan. 26, 25; daily, no possession limit.

      Snow Goose Conservation Hunt: Jan. 28 – April 26; 25 daily, no possession limit.

                       

      Southern James Bay Population Zone:

      Regular: Oct. 27-Jan. 18; 25 daily, no possession limit.

      Snow Goose Conservation Hunt: Jan. 19 – April 26; 25 daily, no possession limit.

     

      Resident Population Zone:

      Regular: Oct. 27-Feb. 28; 25 daily, no possession limit.

      Snow Goose Conservation Hunt: March 1 – April 26; 25 daily, no possession limit.

 

HARLEQUIN DUCKS, and TUNDRA and TRUMPETER SWANS: No open season.

 

Pymatuning Wildlife Management Area: Shooting days at Pymatuning are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, one-half hour before sunrise to 12:30 p.m. Ducks: Oct. 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24 (junior-only day), 26, 27, 29, and 31; Nov. 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, and 30; and Dec. 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 14. Geese: Oct. 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, and 31; Nov. 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 24 (junior-only day); Dec. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, and 31; and Jan. 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, and 18.

 

Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area: shooting days at Middle Creek are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to 1:30 p.m. Geese only: Nov. 13; and Jan. 17, 19, 22, 24, and 26. Geese and ducks: Nov. 15, 17 (junior-only day), 20, 22, and 24; Dec. 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 27, and 29; and Jan. 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, and 15.

 

JUNIOR WATERFOWL HUNTING DAYS (Statewide): Saturday, Sept. 15 and 22. Open to licensed junior hunters ages 12-15, when properly accompanied, for ducks, mergansers, moorhens and coots, and Canada goose as permitted. Same daily bag limits as regular season.  Hunting hours to close at sunset.

 

JUNIOR-ONLY DAY AT CONTROLLED HUNTING AREAS:  Middle Creek is Nov. 17, and Pymatuning is Nov. 24.

80
Whitetail Deer / PA GAME COMMISSION LOOKING INTO DEER DEATHS IN SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
« on: August 27, 2012, 09:28:27 AM »
PA GAME COMMISSION LOOKING INTO DEER DEATHS IN SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA

 
HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officers are investigating the cause of death for more than 35 white-tailed deer in Beaver and Cambria counties. Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is suspected.


Game Commission biologists recently submitted three samples for testing from deer found in Greene Township and Ohioville Borough in Beaver County (one male and one female), and Summerhill Township in Cambria County (one female) to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia. The agency will continue to gather samples from other dead deer being found in other municipalities.  Due to decomposition, samples must be collected within 24 hours of the animal’s death for the samples to be viable.  Once the results are available, the Game Commission plans to release the findings to the public.


“While we must wait for test results to confirm just what caused these deer to die, at this time, we are suspecting that the deer died of EHD, based on field signs that we are seeing,” said Dr. Walter Cottrell, Game Commission wildlife veterinarian.  He noted that, earlier this month, EHD was confirmed in Oklahoma and Nebraska.


EHD is one of the most common diseases among white-tailed deer in the United States, and is contracted by the bite of insects called “biting midges.”  EHD usually kills the animal within five to 10 days, and is not spread from deer to deer.  While EHD is not infectious to humans, deer displaying severe symptoms of EHD may not be suitable for consumption.


Cottrell stressed that even though some EHD symptoms are similar to those of chronic wasting disease (CWD) – such as excessive drooling, unconsciousness and a loss of fear of humans – there is no relationship between EHD and CWD.


Cottrell also pointed out that EHD should be curtailed with the first hard frost, which will kill the insects that are spreading the disease.  He noted that EHD, unlike CWD, is a seasonal disease and the affected local deer herd can rebound quickly. 


“The good news from this situation is that the public is reporting these sightings to the Game Commission,” Cottrell said.  “Should the state’s deer herd be infected with more serious diseases, the Game Commission will need to rely on the continued vigilance of the public so that we can respond in a timely manner.”


Game Commission Southwest Region Director Pat Anderson is urging residents to report sightings of sickly-looking deer, particularly those found near water, by calling the Region Office at 724-238-9523.  The Southwest Region serves Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland counties.  Residents in other counties are encouraged to contact their respective regions.


In 2011, EHD was confirmed in Northampton and Erie counties.  EHD was confirmed in southwestern Pennsylvania in 2007 and 2002, and was suspected to be the cause of death in nearly 25 deer in Adams County in 1996.  However, tests conducted at that time were inconclusive.


For more information on EHD, go to the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), put your cursor on “Wildlife” in the menu bar at the top of the homepage, put your cursor on “Wildlife Diseases” in the drop-down menu listing, then choose “Wildlife Disease Reference Library” from the second drop-down menu and look for “Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease.”

81
Bird Hunting / PA GAME COMMISSION ANNOUNCES STOCKING PLANS FOR 200,000 PHEASANTS
« on: August 14, 2012, 08:26:21 PM »
PA GAME COMMISSION ANNOUNCES STOCKING PLANS FOR 200,000 PHEASANTS

Thanks to Marcellus Shale revenues, agency returns to pre-2005 pheasant stocking level

 

HARRISBURG – Thanks to a series of Marcellus Shale leases approved by the Board of Game Commissioners in 2011, Pennsylvania Game Commission officials today announced that hunters will see the agency’s pheasant stocking efforts increase to 200,000 birds for the upcoming small game seasons for the first time since 2004.


The 110,090 males and 89,910 female pheasants to be stocked this year includes 15,000 birds for the junior-only season (Oct. 6-13) and 1,500 pheasants allocated for those clubs sponsoring mentored pheasant hunts for juniors on Oct. 6.


“Back in the 2004-05 fiscal year, the Game Commission was forced to make many difficult financial decisions as license revenues failed to keep pace with the increasing costs of doing business,” Roe said. “While the agency’s last license fee increase took effect in the 1999-2000 license year, many operational line-items, such as the price of gasoline and other habitat improvement materials, increased at a faster pace.  The pheasant propagation program was one budget item we were forced to cut, resulting in the closure of one game farm and a 50 percent reduction in the pheasant production level from 200,000 to 100,000.


“During the intervening years, we said that it would take another license fee increase for us to be able to restore the cuts in pheasant production, as well as the other cuts that were made, since reducing the pheasant program was saving the agency more than $500,000 annually.  However, thanks to monies from recent Marcellus Shale-related gas leases on State Game Lands, we have been able to return to the 200,000-bird level this year, which is consistent with the Game Commission’s Strategic Plan and Pheasant Management Plan.”


Going back to full production is a significant accomplishment, according to Robert C. Boyd, Bureau of Wildlife Management Wildlife Services Division chief, who oversees the pheasant propagation program.


“There were some very focused and concerted efforts that went into getting the repairs and upgrades made to the game farm facilities, particularly the two game farms in Lycoming County,” Boyd said. “The dedication and perseverance was above and beyond commendable from the staff of the game farms, the Bureau of Wildlife Habitat Management’s Engineering Division and the Northcentral Region’s local land managers.”


Roe noted that the pheasant stocking efforts will begin Oct. 5, when the agency will release 15,000 birds (7,580 males and 7,700 females) for the junior pheasant hunt scheduled for Oct. 6-13.  A listing of stocking locations for the youth hunt can be found on pages 25-27 of the 2012-13 Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping Digest, which is provided to each license buyer.   


Opening day of the general pheasant hunting season is Oct. 20, and closes on Nov. 24.  Pre-season stocking of pheasants will take place in each region prior to Oct. 20, followed by four in-season stockings, as well as a late season stocking. 


Only male pheasants are legal game in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2A, 2C, 4C, 4E, 5A and 5B.  Male and female pheasants are legal game in all other WMUs.


During the regular fall season, the agency focuses pheasant stocking on State Game Lands and select state parks and federal lands.  Birds also are stocked on properties enrolled in the Game Commission’s Hunter Access Program.


The Game Commission has an updated publication titled “Pheasant Management Program,” which identifies State Game Lands, and those state parks and federal lands with suitable habitat that receive pheasant stockings.  This publication can be found on the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), and can be viewed by putting your cursor over “Hunt/Trap” in the menu bar at the top of the page, clicking on “Hunting,” clicking on “Pheasant” in the “Small Game” listing and then choosing “Pheasant Management Program” in the “Programs” listing.


As part of the agency’s Ring-necked Pheasant Management Plan, the Game Commission is taking steps to restore self-sustaining and huntable populations of wild pheasants in suitable habitats called “Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas” (WPRAs). For the 2012-13 seasons, WPRAs are defined as the Somerset, Central Susquehanna, Hegins-Gratz Valley and Franklin County WPRAs.   


To give these wild pheasants the best opportunity to establish naturally reproducing populations, the Board has banned the release of any artificially propagated pheasants, including Game Commission-raised pheasants, in these areas, and pheasant hunting is closed in these WPRAs.  Also, to limit disturbances to nesting hen pheasants, dog training of any manner and small game hunting, except for groundhog, crows and waterfowl, will be prohibited in these WPRAs from the first Sunday in February through July 31 each year.


“Working with major partners, such as Pheasants Forever, the University of California and local landowners, we already have a jump start on creating WPRAs,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director.  “These groups have invested in creating pheasant habitat in four areas of the state. To make the best use of the agency’s resources, and with the support of these partners, we have established these areas as the first WPRAs in the state.”


A regional breakdown for the junior, regular and late season stockings are as follows:  Northwest Region, 13,050 males and 25,380 females; Southwest Region, 29,010 males and 15,470 females; Northcentral Region, 6,980 males and 14,090 females; Southcentral Region, 19,020 and 9,920 females; Northeast Region, 14,770 males and 16,910 females; and Southeast Region 27,260 males and 8,140 females.  Regional allocations are based on the amount of suitable pheasant habitat open to public hunting and pheasant hunting pressure.


To offer hunters better information about the stocking schedule, the Game Commission has posted on its website charts for each of its six regions outlining the number of birds to be stocked in each county, the public properties slated to be stocked and a two- to three-day window in which stockings will take place within the counties.  To view the charts, go to the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), put your cursor over “Hunt/Trap” in the menu bar at the top of the page, click on “Hunting,” click on “Pheasant” in the “Small Game” listing and then choose “Pheasant Allocation” and click on the map for the county or region of interest.


Roe reminded hunters that, several years ago, the agency enacted a regulation aimed at improving safety for agency employees and vehicles involved in pheasant stocking. 


“Each year, when Game Commission personnel are releasing pheasants from the stocking trucks, employees and trucks are shot at by unsuspecting hunters in the field.  To prevent this, the agency approved a regulation that prohibits hunters from discharging a firearm within 150 yards of a Game Commission vehicle releasing pheasants.  As we provide better information about when and where stockings will be conducted, we remind hunters that they have an obligation to ensure that no stocking trucks or personnel are in the vicinity.”


This year, the late season is scheduled for Dec. 10-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 2, for Wildlife Management Units 1A, 1B, 2B, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4D, 5C and 5D.  During the late season, male and female pheasants are legal game in these WMUs.  All other WMUs are closed during these dates. 


For details on the pheasant seasons, please see pages 21-27 of the 2012-13 Digest.  For more information about the clubs that sponsor junior pheasant hunts, go to the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), put your cursor over “Hunt/Trap” in the menu bar at the top of the page, click on “Hunting,” click on “Pheasant” in the “Small Game” listing and then look under the “Junior Youth Pheasant Hunt” category.


To augment the Game Commission’s pheasant stocking program, Roe noted that each January sportsmen’s clubs are invited to enroll in the agency’s “Pheasant Chick Program.” As part of the program, clubs are required to erect appropriate facilities, purchase feed and cover other expenses, and then they can receive, at no charge, pheasant chicks to raise and release for hunting and dog training purposes on lands open to public hunting in their local community. 


“This is a wonderful opportunity for sportsmen to get kids involved in raising pheasants and to learn more about wildlife and habitat requirements,” Roe said.  “Kids can be involved in raising the birds, assist in developing habitat in their community, and help release the pheasants into the wild.  Our game farm superintendents can assist sportsmen’s clubs by providing technical advice and training to get a facility started.


“So, even as the Game Commission increases its stocking efforts back to 200,000 and looks for ways to grow the program to 250,000 birds, sportsmen’s clubs can be part of the solution by raising pheasants, too.”


Also, Richard Palmer, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Protection director, reminded hunters that an executive order remains in effect that bans dog training on State Game Lands from the Monday prior to the start of the youth pheasant season until the close of the youth pheasant season, which, for this coming season, translates to Oct. 1-13. The order does not, in any manner, prohibit dog handlers from using dogs as part of a junior-only pheasant hunt activity or for dog training activities on any lands other than State Game Lands.  He also noted that this order does not impact dog training activities statewide during the remainder of the year, including general small game seasons.


82
PA Game Commision News / PA GAME COMMISSION TO CONDUCT GAME FARM TOURS
« on: August 08, 2012, 11:02:38 AM »
PA GAME COMMISSION TO CONDUCT GAME FARM TOURS

 HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Game Commission will offer public tours of its four game farms on Sunday, Sept. 30.  Guided tours are scheduled to begin at noon and conclude by 3 p.m., rain or shine, at the game farms in Armstrong, Crawford and Lycoming (two farms) counties.


“The tours are designed to provide the public an opportunity to learn more about the Game Commission’s game farms and our pheasant propagation program,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “While pheasants are not a native species to Pennsylvania, or the United States for that matter, the Game Commission’s pheasant-stocking program continues to be a service in high demand, provides a tangible product for the license buyer, and adds diversity to today’s hunting experience at a time when wild pheasant populations are low.


“Also, as we continue to work to recruit and retain hunters, pheasant hunting seems to be one thing that our senior license holders enjoy, as it reminds them of their youth, and our newer junior license holders enjoy, as it provides them with an exciting hunt.”


Tour stops will include hatcheries, brooder houses, and rearing, “grow-out” and over-wintering pens.  Workshop discussions will focus on objectives in propagation management, including sportsmen’s organizations participating in raising day-old chicks provided by the farms to increase local hunting opportunities and surplus day-old hen chicks that are sold to the public.  Also, after registration and before taking the tour, visitors may view a brief DVD highlighting farm operations throughout the year. 


When visitors arrive on tour dates, they will be asked to register before game farm personnel take them on a guided tour.  In order to maintain biosecurity and minimize human contact with the birds, visitors will be asked to remain with tour groups.


Since budget cuts in 2005, the agency reduced the production of ring-necked pheasants from 200,000 birds to 100,000 birds annually at the Game Commission’s game farms, and the agency temporarily closed one of the game farms.


“Thanks to recent revenues from Marcellus Shale-related gas leases on State Game Lands, the agency has increased its production level to distribute 200,000 birds for the 2012-13 hunting seasons, and we reopened the fourth game farm in 2010 to reach that production level,” Roe said. “Also, in recent years, the Game Commission has invested in many long overdue game farm infrastructure improvements.”


With the increase to 200,000 pheasants being stocked for the 2012-13 seasons, Roe said he hopes hunters have an even better pheasant hunting experience in the upcoming seasons.


“We’re expecting hunters will see more pheasants in the field, because the Game Commission will be stocking pheasants during the first four weeks of the seasons, which is two weeks more than in recent years,” Roe said. “Because of these improvements and expanded production, we encourage pheasant hunters, as well as other interested individuals, to participate in our public tours of the four game farms.”


Goals for the pheasant propagation program are found in the agency’s pheasant management plan, which can be viewed on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) by putting your cursor over “Hunt/Trap” in the menu bar at the top of the page, then clicking on “Hunting” and then choosing “Pheasant” from the “Small Game” listing.


Directions to the game farms are as follows:

 

Loyalsock Game Farm: Lycoming County, 136 Game Farm Rd., Montoursville, PA 17754. The game farm is five miles north of Montoursville on Route 87, but the Route 973 bridge over the Loyalsock Creek still is out due to last year’s flood.  The game farm is 1.5 miles east of Warrensville on Route 973. Follow Warrensville Road 5.7 miles north to Warrensville from the Warrensville Road exit (Exit 23) of Interstate 80.  Tour starts at the hatchery.

 

Northcentral Game Farm: Lycoming County, 1609 Proctor Rd., Williamsport, PA  17701. The game farm is 18 miles north of Montoursville off of Route 87. Tour starts at the hatchery of the Proctor (northern) farm.

 

Western Game Farm: Crawford County, 25761 Highway 408, Cambridge Springs, PA 16403.  The game farm is 3.5 miles east of Cambridge Springs on Route 408. Tour starts at the office/hatchery.

 

Southwest Game Farm: Armstrong County, 217 Pheasant Farm Rd., New Bethlehem, PA 16242.  The game farm is two miles south of New Bethlehem off Routes 66/28. Tour starts at the office/hatchery.

 

Roe noted that information regarding pheasant stocking plans will be announced in September.


To Connect with Wildlife, visit the Game Commission at the following:

 

Website: www.pgc.state.pa.us


83
PA Game Commision News / WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP CELEBRATES 75 YEARS
« on: August 07, 2012, 07:20:38 AM »
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP CELEBRATES 75 YEARS

Pennsylvania has been a prime beneficiary of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act 

 

By Joe Kosack

Wildlife Conservation Education Specialist

Pennsylvania Game Commission

 

It’s hard to imagine how wild Pennsylvania – in fact, America – would be today without the annual funds provided by 1937’s Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act.


“This landmark legislation, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, redirected the use of a federal excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition to help restore America’s wildlife,” explained Carl G. Roe, Pennsylvania Game Commission executive director. “Now known as the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, it is recognized as one of the most important and lasting commitments America has made to wildlife and its conservation.” 


The maneuvering in Washington, D.C., to redirect this excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition – 10 percent on most taxable items – came as the Great Depression was winding down and before the United States plunged into World War II. Sandwiched between these two defining periods in American history, the new Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (P-R Act) had time to get off the ground and running. In fact, had the P-R Act – and subsequent state companion legislation – been introduced five years earlier or later, this extraordinary wildlife partnership would not have had a chance, given the country’s pressing needs.


The P-R Act is named after U.S. Rep. A. Willis Robertson, of Virginia, and U.S. Senator Key Pittman, of Nevada, who were instrumental in securing the bill’s passage in their respective chambers. The bill itself was written by Carl D. Shoemaker, who was a special investigator for the Special Committee on Conservation of Wildlife Resources in the U.S. Senate. 


The bill was adopted by Congress and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who wasn’t quite as “bully” for wildlife as his distant “rough-riding” cousin, President Teddy Roosevelt, who was the country’s 26th president and incredibly instrumental in forging America’s then budding conservation movement. At that time, the Pennsylvania Game Commission was living off the revenues – $1.3 million in 1937 – obtained from a $2 resident hunting license and a $15 nonresident license. It wasn’t enough to adequately manage the more than 450 species of wild birds and mammals the agency was mandated to conserve. That’s why the new P-R funding immediately became so important to the agency. It didn’t hurt that the Commonwealth benefitted greatly from the formula the U.S. Biological Survey – became the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1940 – used annually to disburse P-R funds.


The hefty P-R allocations Pennsylvania receives annually have been and continue to be influenced mostly by the state’s large number of hunters. The USFWS’s formula uses a state’s geographic size – Pennsylvania ranks 33rd – and hunting license sales – Pennsylvania is usually one of the top three states – to establish each state’s funding level.


During the 1940s, hunter numbers dropped as Pennsylvanians enlisted for and fought in World War II. It would have been harder for the Game Commission to fulfill its duties had it not been for P-R funding. Those annual allocations helped keep the agency’s programs on course. Then, after the war, the state’s hunter numbers grew every decade – particularly after the baby-boomers became of hunting age – until they plateaued in the early 1980s.


“Pennsylvania continues to sell 900,000 to one million hunting licenses annually, and that keeps the Game Commission in an enviable position for P-R funding,” explained Roe. “Pennsylvania is grateful for all the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Program has done for the Commonwealth. Wildlife conservation in this state wouldn’t be the same without it.”


Pennsylvania currently is surpassed only by Texas in hunter numbers, based on the a statistical analysis of all states conducted by the USFWS in the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation, the latest report from which statistical information can be obtained. There wasn’t a close third place among the remaining 48 states.   


“What makes the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act so remarkable is the lasting ecological good it has fostered across America,” said Roe. “Since P-R began giving grant money to states in 1939, it has provided an amazing $7 billion – including more than $275 million to Pennsylvania – for wildlife conservation. P-R money has helped the Game Commission buy more than 185,000 acres of State Game Lands, fund important wildlife surveys and research and improve habitat on State Game Lands. It also helps finance hunter education and was instrumental in the reintroduction of bald eagles.”


The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act also has helped ensure that every dollar raised through state hunting license sales is spent on wildlife management. This came about through a late adjustment in the bill’s development crafted by Rep. Robertson. His amendment created a mandate requiring all participating states to enact laws prohibiting the use of hunting license revenues for any purpose other than operating their state wildlife management agency. Compliance among the states came quickly, but not necessarily enthusiastically.


In the first two years of P-R funding, 48 states split $2.29 million. Two of our now 50 states didn’t receive federal aid, Alaska and Hawaii. Although Alaska began receiving P-R funding in 1942 and Hawaii in 1946, they received their aid because they were United States territories. Neither became states until 1959.


When the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act became law, the country had about 6.8 million hunters and Pennsylvania had about 606,600 licensed hunters. That meant 8.9 percent of America’s hunters resided in the Commonwealth. Today, Pennsylvania’s one million hunters comprise 8.3 percent of the national total, according to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation.


“Our hunter numbers over time reflect a strong hunting heritage that can be traced back to our forefathers,” Roe explained. “Hunting has always been important to many Pennsylvanians, and P-R funding has helped strengthen our state’s and nation’s commitment to hunters, the people who silently have financed wildlife management in this state for nearly a century.”

 

Pennsylvania hunters began purchasing hunting licenses in 1913 to pay for the management of the state’s wildlife. The first year, the Commonwealth sold 305,028 resident licenses at a cost of $1 each. It would take the state until 1967 to sell one million general hunting licenses. Today, hunters continue to finance the management of wild birds and mammals in the Commonwealth. It is a legacy they honor and a responsibility they shoulder with pride.


The USFWS’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program’s vision is to provide “healthy, diverse, and accessible fish and wildlife populations that offer recreation, economic activity and other societal benefits, in addition to sustainable ecological functions.” P-R funding – coupled with state contributions – helps to support this far-reaching and balanced course in natural resource management. It’s a direction that is green, clear and reasonable. Just the way conservationists prefer natural resources be managed.


“The Service is proud to join our partners in recognizing more than seven decades of wildlife conservation and quality outdoor recreational opportunities,” said Dan Ashe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service director. “With our nation’s support and our partnership’s renewed commitment, WSFR will help more Americans enjoy wildlife and our great outdoors for many years to come.”


For more information on the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, visit USFWS’s P-R 75th Anniversary website – www.wsfr75.com – and watch in the September issue of Pennsylvania Game News magazine for an article on Pittman-Robertson’s 75th anniversary by Gary Camus, Federal Aid Coordinator with the Game Commission’s Bureau of Wildlife Habitat Management.


84
PA Game Commision News / 2012 BIG GAME SCORING PROGRAM BOOK AVAILABLE
« on: August 06, 2012, 08:52:58 PM »
2012 BIG GAME SCORING PROGRAM BOOK AVAILABLE

 

HARRISBURG – Copies of the 2012 Pennsylvania Big Game Records are available from the Pennsylvania Game Commission online at The Outdoor Shop, www.pgc.state.pa.us, or call 1-888-888-3459, or mail your remittance to: PA Game Commission, Dept. MS, 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797. Over the counter sales cost $5, which includes sales tax; mailed copies are $6.25, which includes shipping and handling costs. For additional information, contact Pennsylvania Big Game Records Program Coordinator Bob D’Angelo at the Game Commission Harrisburg headquarters (rdangelo@pa.gov).


“Hunters who follow Pennsylvania’s Big Game Scoring Program will find it interesting that about 150 entries in all trophy categories were added to the listings in the 2012 Big Game Record Book,” said D’Angelo, “Among those new entries are the new number ones in the black bear and non-typical elk taken with firearms categories, and black bear archery category. In fact the new record bear with a firearm is not just the largest bear ever taken in Pennsylvania, it’s the world’s largest black bear taken by a hunter.


“The 2012 book also includes the photos of the Harris sisters, whose Northumberland County trophy deer rank sixth and 24th in the non-typical white-tailed deer firearms category.”


For years, the Game Commission has been posting the most recent Big Game Records Scoring Program “record book” on the agency’s website, and will continue to do so. But, in response to public requests, it is put into a bound booklet with annual updates.


Pennsylvania’s Big Game Scoring Program is based on the Boone & Crockett Club’s scoring program that was copyrighted by that organization in 1950.  Established in 1887, by Theodore Roosevelt, the B&C Club was initially organized for the conservation of wildlife and natural resources on a national basis.


The Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writer’s Association started Pennsylvania’s Big Game Measuring Program in 1965 (although score sheets and listings in the record book go back as far as the early 1900s), to showcase the outstanding big game hunting opportunities available in this state.


Scoring and maintaining records of exceptional big game animals is important because it provides a means to compare the extraordinary whitetails, black bears and elk being taken in Pennsylvania and a starting point to sort out why an animal attained its exceptional size.  Often these animals are the product of outstanding habitat and wildlife management practices. The Big Game Scoring Program also stresses hunter and conservation ethics, and is another tool that promotes recreational hunting and supports Pennsylvania’s strong hunting heritage.


Pennsylvania Big Game Records contains a wealth of information, including the minimum scores required for each big game category, some Boone & Crockett Club and Pope & Young Club information, a few photos, but most importantly, the listings. In each big game category the entry is ranked, the hunter is listed, and the county, year taken and the score are listed. The record book is not only interesting, but it can be used as a tool to identify where the “big ones” are being taken.


85
PA Game Commision News / NEW YEAR UNDERWAY FOR MENTORED YOUTH HUNTING PROGRAM
« on: August 06, 2012, 08:49:28 PM »
NEW YEAR UNDERWAY FOR MENTORED YOUTH HUNTING PROGRAM
Fall turkey hunting added to list of eligible species for youth participants

 

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe said the popular Mentored Youth Hunting Program (MYHP) has been expanded for 2012-13 to include fall turkey hunting thanks to a recent change in law and regulations.


“Since 2006, Pennsylvania’s hunters have been taking advantage of a remarkable opportunity to introduce those under the age of 12 to hunting through the Mentored Youth Hunting Program, and we have seen a steady increase in the number of MYHP permits issued,” Roe said.  “Hunting is deeply woven into the cultural fabric that defines Pennsylvania, and it is important that we recruit new hunters to carry on this tradition.”


Roe noted that the logic behind the Mentored Youth Hunting Program is simple and clear: create expanded youth hunting opportunities without compromising safety afield. In 2009, the first year a permit was required to participate in the MYHP, the agency issued 28,542 permits.  In 2010, the agency issued 30,790; and, in 2011, the number of permits issued increased to 33,514.


“This program paves the way for youngsters to nurture their interest in hunting early and allows them to take a more active role in actual hunting while afield with mentoring adults,” Roe said. “The program accommodates hands-on use of sporting arms and can promote a better understanding and interest in hunting and wildlife conservation that will help to assure hunting’s future, as well as reinforce the principles of hunting safely through the close supervision provided by dedicated mentors.”


Under the program, a mentor is defined as a properly licensed individual at least 21 years of age, who will serve as a guide to a youth while engaged in hunting or related activities, such as scouting, learning firearms or hunter safety and wildlife identification.  A mentored youth is identified as an unlicensed individual less than 12 years of age who is accompanied by a mentor while engaged in hunting or related activities.


Mentored youth can participate during any established season for woodchucks (groundhogs), squirrels, fall turkey, spring gobbler, coyotes and antlered and antlerless deer. In addition to being able to participate during the general seasons for the listed species, mentored youth also may hunt during the junior-only squirrel season (Oct. 6-12) and junior-only spring gobbler day (April 20).


For antlered deer, the mentored youth must use legal sporting arms for that season; for example, a bow or crossbow must be used during archery antlered deer season.  Also, those youths participating in the MYHP are permitted to follow the same antler restrictions as a junior license holder, which is one antler of three or more inches in length or one antler with at least two points. 


In order to harvest an antlerless deer, an adult mentor must be willing to transfer a valid antlerless license issued to him or her to an eligible mentored youth upon the harvest of an antlerless deer, and a mentored youth may only receive one antlerless deer license each license year. The antlerless deer license transferred to the mentored youth must be for the Wildlife Management Unit in which the adult mentor and youth are hunting. The harvest of the antlerless deer is to be reported by the adult mentor within 10 days of harvest, and a box is to be checked “taken by mentored youth.”


In order to harvest a fall turkey, an adult mentor must be willing to transfer a valid fall turkey tag that is issued as part of the adult’s general hunting license to an eligible mentored youth upon the harvest of a fall turkey. A mentored youth may only receive one fall turkey tag each license year. The harvest of the fall turkey is to be reported by the adult mentor within 10 days of harvest, and a box is to be checked “taken by mentored youth.”


The regulations require that the mentor-to-mentored youth ratio be one-to-one, and that the pair possess only one sporting arm when hunting.  While moving, the sporting arm must be carried by the mentor.  When the pair reaches a stationary hunting location, the mentor may turn over possession of the sporting arm to the youth, but must keep the youth within arm’s length at all times while the youth is in possession of the sporting arm.


The program also requires that both the mentor and the youth must abide by fluorescent orange regulations for the season they are participating in, and that the mentored youth must tag and report any deer or turkey taken.  As part of the MYHP permit, youth will be provided the necessary harvest tags for antlered deer and spring gobbler, but must use the adult mentor’s antlerless deer and/or fall turkey harvest tags. 


MYHP participants who harvest an antlered deer or a spring gobbler must report their harvest within 10 days. Harvests can be reported using the agency’s online harvest reporting system, the toll-free telephone reporting system (1-855-724-8681) or they can submit a harvest report card, which is available as inserts in the 2012-13 Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping Digest.


Harvest report cards also can be printed from the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) by putting your cursor over the “Self-Help” button in the menu bar at the top of the page, then clicking on “Download Forms and Brochures” in the drop-down menu listing and then clicking on “Big Game Harvest Report Card.”


All youth participating in the MYHP must obtain a permit through the Game Commission’s Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS), which costs $2.70.  Of that fee, one dollar goes to the Game Commission, one dollar goes to the issuing agent who processes the permit application, and 70 cents goes to the company managing PALS.


“When we first started the MYHP, we didn’t require a permit because there was no method available to issue a permit without creating an enormous obstacle for participants,” Roe said.  “PALS provides an easy method for parents to obtain a MYHP permit without too many difficulties.”


For more information on the program, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and put your cursor over the “Hunt/Trap” button in the menu bar at the top of the page, click on “Hunting” and then click on “Mentored Youth Hunting Program FAQs” in the “Related Links” section.  Information also is included on page 15 of the 2012-13 Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping Digest. 


To continue hunting once a youth reaches the age of 12, they will need to and pass a basic Hunter-Trapper Education course and purchase either a junior hunting license or a junior combination license.  For a listing of HTE courses, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and put your cursor over “Education” in the menu bar at the top of the page, then put your cursor over “Hunter Education” in the drop-down menu listing and click on “Hunter Education Class Calendar.”


86
PA Game Commision News / GAME COMMISSION PARTNERS WITH VETERANS GROUPS TO PROMOTE “HUNT WITH A VETERAN”
« on: August 06, 2012, 08:48:44 PM »
GAME COMMISSION PARTNERS WITH VETERANS GROUPS TO PROMOTE “HUNT WITH A VETERAN”

Drawing to honor six individuals who serve as volunteer guides for veterans

 
HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission officials, in partnership with the state chapters of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), are encouraging hunters to help veterans discover or rediscover the thrills and joys of hunting in Pennsylvania.


“This is an opportunity to do something special for the fine men and women who have served or continue to serve in America’s armed forces,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “Our armed forces have defended our country and the rights we enjoy for more than two centuries.”


In 2012, Veterans Day will be observed on Monday, Nov. 12, rather than the traditional Nov. 11, which falls on a Sunday this year. In recognition of this situation, the Board of Game Commissioners moved to extend this year’s archery deer season to include the Monday holiday, for which many Pennsylvanians will have the day off of work.


“Since that action was taken by our Board, the Game Commission is encouraging licensed hunters to serve as a volunteer guide for a veteran not only as part of the archery deer season, but for any of the lawful species that may be hunted on Veterans Day or throughout the 2012-13 seasons.”


Hunting seasons that are open on Nov. 12 include: archery deer; archery bear; fall turkey (in some Wildlife Management Units); squirrel; ruffed grouse; rabbit; pheasant; and various migratory game birds and furbearers.


The Game Commission offers several classifications of free or reduced fee licenses for resident active duty military, as well as former prisoners of war or disabled veterans.  For more information, go to the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), put your cursor over “HUNT/TRAP” in the menu bar under the banner at the top of the page, then put your cursor over “Licensing & Permits” in the drop-down menu listing and then click on “License Types.”


To recognize those who step up to serve as volunteer guides for a veteran, the Game Commission will conduct a drawing to present six framed fine-art wildlife prints. To be eligible for one of the prints, a participating hunter must submit a brief e-mail that outlines the name and address of the veteran taken afield, type of hunting taken part in, and county where the shared hunt took place. American Legion or VFW members who take another veteran hunting also should include their member number.


All participating hunters, including those not affiliated with the American Legion or VFW must send an e-mail to either dsandman@vfwpahq.org or hq@pa-legion.com.  A drawing will be held to select the six winners from all e-mails received by Dec. 31, 2012.


Hunters and veterans must meet licensing requirements and follow the laws and regulations that govern hunting in Pennsylvania.


87
Elk / PA ELK APPLICATION DEADLINE APPROACHES
« on: July 27, 2012, 01:11:08 PM »
PA ELK APPLICATION DEADLINE APPROACHES

Webcast planned for public drawing of elk licenses

 HARRISBURG – Hunters looking to participate in this year’s Pennsylvania elk season have until Aug. 26 to submit an application through the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS).  This can be done at any issuing agent or through the “Enter Elk Drawing” icon in the center of the agency’s homepage (www.pgc.state.pa.us).


Applicants must pay a $10.70 non-refundable application fee to be included in the drawing.  Details on the elk season and drawing are available on pages 86-88 of the 2012-13 Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping Digest, which is provided to license buyers and may be viewed on the agency’s website.


On Friday, Sept. 14, at 10 a.m., the Game Commission will hold a public, computerized drawing in the auditorium of its Harrisburg headquarters.  At that time, the agency will award the 65 elk licenses, the first 19 drawn will receive an antlered license and the next 46 drawn will receive an antlerless license.


By law, only one application is permitted per person per year, and PALS will prohibit an individual from submitting more than one application.


Individuals are not required to purchase a resident or nonresident general hunting license to apply for the drawing.  However, if they are drawn for one of the elk licenses, hunters then will be required to purchase the appropriate resident or nonresident general hunting license and view the elk hunt orientation video produced by the Game Commission before being permitted to purchase the elk license.  The elk license fees are $25 for residents and $250 for nonresidents.


There is no cap, or limit, for the number of licenses that may be awarded to nonresidents. Individuals who applied in each year from 2003 through 2011 but were not awarded an elk license have nine preference points heading into this year’s drawing if they submit an application this year, and will have their name entered into the drawing 10 times (nine preference points plus the point for this year’s application).


As part of the preference point system established by the agency in 2003, consecutive applications are not required to maintain previously earned preference points, but those points can be activated only in years that a hunter submits an application.  For instance, if a hunter has nine preference points, but does not enter the 2012 drawing, he/she will not have any chances in the upcoming drawing.  However, their preference points will remain on hold until they apply in a future drawing.  Once a hunter is awarded an elk license – either an antlered or antlerless elk license – the hunter’s preference points will revert to zero.


Additionally, hunters who want to earn a preference point for this year, but know that they would not be able to participate in the elk hunting season if drawn, have the option of simply purchasing a preference point for $10.70.  While they will not be included in the drawing for the 2012 elk licenses, they will continue to build their preference points.


Those applying for an elk license can choose either an antlered or antlerless elk license, or they may select either sex on their application.  For those who select “antlered only,” if they are drawn after the antlered licenses are allocated, they will not receive an elk license.  For those who do receive an antlered elk license, they will not be permitted to re-apply for future elk hunting opportunities for five years.  However, those who received an antlerless elk license in any of the previous hunts may submit an application this year.


Applicants also have the opportunity to identify their elk hunt zone preference, or they may select “NP” (no preference).  If drawn and their preferred hunt zone is filled, applicants will be assigned a specific zone by the Game Commission.


The public drawing of applications to be awarded licenses will be webcast on Sept. 14.  To view the drawing, a special icon will be posted online the morning of the public drawing for individuals to click on and watch the drawing.


“Each year, tens of thousands of individuals apply for an elk license,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director.  “Unfortunately, not all of them can make it to the public drawings and we are unable to send everyone who applied a letter to let them know whether they were drawn. By webcasting the drawings, we make it convenient for more people to view these events without having to travel.”


Roe also noted that those who have submitted applications can check the status of their applications for the elk drawing, as well as their antlerless deer license applications, thanks to the Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS).


To access this information, go to the Game Commission website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), and click on the blue box in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage.  Click on the “Purchase License Permit and or Application/Replace License and or Permit” option, which includes the ability to “Check on the status of any Lottery Application,” scroll down and click on the “Start Here” button at the bottom of the page.  At this page, choose one of the identification options below to check your records, fill in the necessary information and click on the “Continue” button. Click on the appropriate residency status, which will display your current personal information.  At the bottom of the page, choose the “Check on the status of any Lottery Application” button, and then hit “Continue.”


“While this may seem like a lot of clicking and box checking to get to the information, the system is designed to protect an individual’s personal information, while at the same time enabling that person to check on the status of his or her applications,” Roe said. “In the past, the only way to know for sure that you were awarded an elk license was to attend the public drawings, wait for a letter in the mail or to call the Game Commission.


“Thanks to PALS, we will be able to update the data files shortly after the elk drawing is completed so that license buyers will be able to see for themselves if they were drawn for one of the limited number of Pennsylvania elk hunting licenses.”

88
Whitetail Deer / CWD NOT FOUND IN PENNSYLVANIA HUNTER-KILLED DEER SAMPLES
« on: July 13, 2012, 11:06:40 AM »
CWD NOT FOUND IN PENNSYLVANIA HUNTER-KILLED DEER SAMPLES

 
HARRISBURG – Chronic wasting disease (CWD) was not found in samples taken from hunter-killed deer during the state’s 2011 hunting season, according to Dr. Walt Cottrell, Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife veterinarian.


In 2011, 3,766 samples from hunter-killed deer were tested, and CWD was not detected.  This marked the tenth year for testing hunter-killed deer.  In total, nearly 35,000 deer and elk have been tested.  CWD was not detected in any samples from previous years.

 

Results showing that the CWD tests of hunter-killed elk from 2011 were all negative were announced on Feb. 14.


“We are pleased to report that Pennsylvania continues to have no confirmed or suspected cases of CWD in wild deer or elk,” Cottrell said.  “By conducting these tests from hunter-killed deer and on all hunter-killed elk, we continue our efforts to find the disease in wild deer and elk in the state.”


The CWD tests on deer and elk samples were conducted by the New Bolton Center, which is the University of Pennsylvania’s veterinary diagnostic laboratory, and the state Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Laboratory in Harrisburg.  Under a contract with Penn State University, the elk samples also were tested for brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis and found to be free of those diseases.


Heads from hunter-killed deer were collected from deer processors by deer aging teams during the two-week rifle deer season.  Specific tissues were collected from these heads at Game Commission region offices by agency personnel and Pennsylvania and U.S. departments of agriculture animal health officials.


“The test results are good news,” Cottrell said.  “Although CWD has not been found in Pennsylvania, we must continue to be vigilant in our CWD surveillance efforts.  The surveillance work we are doing is important for the early detection of CWD.  Let’s not forget that CWD has been found just over 10 miles away from our border in Maryland, which is likely to be part of the spread of the disease from West Virginia.  There is no reason to expect that it will not eventually come into Pennsylvania.


“We already are planning to continue testing hunter-killed deer and elk during the 2012-13 seasons, and we are pleased that the Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture will continue to play an important role in this disease surveillance program. However, we will also be increasing our surveillance by sampling road-killed deer adjacent to Maryland and investigating every clinically suspect deer that our time and budget allows.”


For more information on CWD and the state’s CWD-prevention plan, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), click on “Wildlife” in the menu bar in the banner at the top of the page, then click on “Wildlife Diseases Home,” and choose “Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).” The agency also has information on CWD in the “Wildlife Disease Reference Library” on the same page.


Information also can be found on the CWD Alliance’s website (www.cwd-info.org).

89
General Discussion / Upcoming Outdoor Event for Women
« on: July 02, 2012, 12:48:27 PM »
Upcoming Outdoor Event for Women

     The Reading Ridge Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will host a Women in the Outdoors event on July 21 &22nd, 2012  at Pheasant Valley Farm in Robesonia, PA.  This is a “Pitch A Tent” event.  Bring your tents and camp out with us.  Classes being offered are Dog Training, Shotgun, Archery and more!  Enjoy the outdoors and meet ladies that have the same interests!

 

     Pre-registration is required for this event. Registration can be done by going to www.womenintheoutdoors.org, and then clicking on “PA WITO Event Manager Calendar” and then searching the calendar.

 

    A beneficial partnership between the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Pennsylvania Game Commission helps provide outdoor opportunities such as this to women in the Keystone State.  The Pennsylvania Game Commission recognizes a high interest level in the outdoors among women in the state and wants to provide more opportunities to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle.

 

    Since 1998, the NWTF’s Women in the Outdoors program has organized events designed especially for women. By providing expert instruction and hands-on education, the NWTF helps members develop outdoor skills and emphasizes the importance of wildlife management and the role of hunters in conservation.

 

    “Our program is about encouraging women to try new outdoor activities in a safe environment that makes them feel at ease,” said Brenda Valentine, NWTF Spokeswoman, First Lady of Hunting™ and host of the NWTF’s “Turkey Call” TV show airing on Pursuit Channel, and Bass Pro Shops’ “Real Hunting” TV show. “This event is also an opportunity for women of all walks of life – singles, moms, daughters, young and old – to spend a day outdoors, away from home, having fun and making new friends.”

 

    The combination of sponsorship, such as the Game Commission and local chapter support, allows the NWTF to offer these programs at a low cost to participants. The cost of attending each event includes a subscription to Turkey Country, the NWTF’s full-color publication. Turkey County includes stories about the Women in the Outdoors, JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship), Wheelin’ Sportsmen, NWTF outreach programs, conservation issues, turkey calling and hunting, education programs and much more.

 

    “The Women in the Outdoors program allows the NWTF to reach an entirely new audience, one that has the potential to benefit conservation efforts,” Valentine said. “It’s an opportunity for women to find great satisfaction and enjoyment in the outdoors.”

 

     For more information, contact Leslie Smith at 484-634-0069 or lsmith@nwtf.net, call (800) THE-NWTF or visit www.womenintheoutdoors.org.   For more information about the NWTF visit www.nwtf.org or call (800) THE-NWTF.

 

    About the NWTF:  The National Wild Turkey Federation is a nonprofit conservation organization that works daily to further its mission of conserving the wild turkey and preserving our hunting heritage.

   Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its members have helped restore wild turkey populations across the country, spending more than $331 million to conserve 15.9 million acres of habitat for all types of wildlife.

   The NWTF works to increase interest in the outdoors by bringing new hunters and conservationists into the fold through outdoor education events and its outreach programs – Women in the Outdoors, Wheelin’ Sportsmen, JAKES and Xtreme JAKES.

    The NWTF was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Edgefield, S.C. According to many state and federal agencies, the restoration of the wild turkey is arguably the greatest conservation success story in North America’s wildlife history.  To learn more, visit www.nwtf.org or call (800) THE-NWTF.

90
General Discussion / JULY 9 BEGINS 2012-13 PA DOE LICENSE PROCESS
« on: July 02, 2012, 12:43:44 PM »
JULY 9 BEGINS 2012-13 DOE LICENSE PROCESS

HARRISBURG – With general hunting license sales underway, Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe reminded hunters that county treasurers will begin accepting antlerless deer license applications from resident hunters starting Monday, July 9; and from nonresidents beginning Monday, July 30.


For the 2012-13 license year, antlerless deer license fees are the same as they have been since 1999, except for the 70-cent transaction fee attached to the purchase of each license and permit, which is paid directly to Active Outdoors, the Nashville-based company that runs Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS).  This transaction fee means that residents will need to write checks made payable to “County Treasurer” for $6.70, and nonresidents for $26.70.


By state law, antlerless deer licenses will continue to be sold only by county treasurers, so hunters will need to prepare and mail separate applications for antlerless deer licenses. A list of the mailing addresses for the 65 county treasurers that issue antlerless deer licenses is included in the 2012-13 Digest, which is provided to each license buyer.


A listing of antlerless licenses allocated by WMU, as well as the remaining allocation, can be viewed on the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), by clicking on “Doe License Update” in the “Quick Clicks” box in the right-hand column of the homepage.


Roe noted that hunters must use the official pink envelopes, which are provided to each license buyer by the issuing agents. For those who order licenses via the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), a new digest and two pink envelopes will be included in the package, along with the licenses, which will arrive in seven to 10 business days from the date of their transaction.


“As county treasurers are set up with PALS, hunters will be able to submit an application to any county treasurer,” Roe said. “Additionally, hunters have the option of listing up to three choices, in order of preference, for a specific Wildlife Management Unit antlerless deer license. If an applicant’s first choice of WMU has exhausted its allocation of antlerless deer licenses, the PALS system will move to the second preference – and third, if necessary.


“This process will nearly eliminate the chance that a hunter will not be able to receive at least one antlerless deer license during the processing of regular antlerless deer licenses. However, hunters are not required to list more than one choice of WMU.”


Also, Roe said that the early start to the antlerless deer license application process will help ensure that county treasurers will be able to mail antlerless deer licenses back to hunters prior to the opening of the archery season.  The first such season opens with the antlerless archery season in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D on Sept. 15.  The opening date of the general statewide archery deer season is Sept. 29.


Under the 2012 timeline, residents will apply for regular antlerless deer licenses on July 9; nonresidents will apply for regular antlerless deer licenses on July 30.  After this, residents and nonresidents will apply for the first round of unsold antlerless deer licenses on Aug. 6, and residents and nonresidents will apply for the second round of unsold antlerless deer licenses on Aug. 20.


County treasurers will have to mail regular and first round of unsold antlerless deer licenses no later than Sept. 10, and second round of unsold antlerless deer licenses no later than Sept. 24.


Beginning Aug. 6, for WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D only, there is no limit to the number of unsold antlerless deer license applications an individual can submit until the allocations are exhausted.  This must be done by mail only, and there is a limit of three applications per pink envelope.


Beginning Aug. 27, county treasurers will begin accepting applications over-the-counter for WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, and may immediately issue antlerless deer licenses.  Hunters may apply over-the-counter to county treasurers for any other WMU with antlerless license allocations on Oct. 1.


Roe noted that hunters may file harvest reports online for antlered and antlerless deer, as well as fall turkey, spring gobbler, bobcat, fisher and Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) permits through the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us).


Additionally, hunters can call the agency’s toll-free telephone reporting system to file a harvest report.  The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) harvest reporting system telephone number is 1-855-PAHUNT1 (1-855-724-8681).


“Online and telephone harvest reporting are examples of the Game Commission doing its part to make it easier for license buyers to report their required harvests and help the agency better manage wildlife,” Roe said. “We have found that harvest reporting rates have been declining for years, and we’re hoping hunters and trappers take advantage of the online and telephone reporting systems to become more active in wildlife management.”


Pre-paid postage report cards still are available in the digest, but the agency is encouraging hunters to report either online or through the telephone system to improve accuracy of data entry, and to save on the cost of postage and data entry.


Elk and bear hunters still will be required to present their harvest to check stations.

 

 

HUNTERS CAN PURCHASE DMAP PERMITS

As hunters prepare for the upcoming antlerless deer license application period, Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today reminded hunters that Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) antlerless deer permits are available through the Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS).


DMAP is the Game Commission’s program designed to help landowners manage deer numbers on their properties. Eligible landowners include those owning: public lands; private lands where no fee is charged for hunting; and hunting clubs established prior to Jan. 1, 2000, that are owned in fee title and have provided a club charter and list of current members to the agency.   


Hunters may obtain up to two DMAP antlerless deer permits per property, and DMAP permits do not impact a hunter’s eligibility to apply for and receive antlerless deer licenses issued for Wildlife Management Units (WMUs).


DMAP permit fees are $10.70 for resident hunters; and $35.70 for nonresident hunters.  The permit can be used to harvest one antlerless deer on the specific DMAP area.  Maps for the properties are to be provided to hunters by the landowners. Landowners may not charge or accept any contribution from a hunter for a DMAP permits or coupons.


Hunters may not use DMAP permits to harvest an antlered deer.  Hunters may use DMAP permits to harvest an antlerless deer anytime antlerless deer are legal, including during the entire statewide two-week firearms deer season (Nov. 26-Dec. 8).  However, WMU-specific antlerless deer licenses may only be used only during the last seven days of the season, Dec. 1-8 in Wildlife Management Units 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E.


All DMAP permits will be available through PALS. For DMAP unit numbers, the Game Commission has posted a listing of all public landowners and those private landowners who did not request DMAP coupons.


Those private landowners who requested DMAP coupons to present to hunters to redeem for DMAP permits will not appear on the website. However, these landowners generally have a limited number of coupons available and already have identified a sufficient number of hunters to receive their allotted coupons.


The website provides an alphabetical listing of DMAP properties for each county in which DMAP properties are located. Each listing will provide the following information: DMAP property number; contact information, including name, address, telephone number and e-mail address (when available); total number of acres for the property; and total number of coupons issued for the property.


To Connect with Wildlife, visit the Game Commission at the following:

 

Website: www.pgc.state.pa.us

Twitter: www.twitter.com/PAGameComm

YouTube: www.youtube.com/pagamecommission

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaGameCommission

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