More than 874,000 acres of state forest and parkland have been enrolled by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in the Game Commission’s Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP).

The DMAP program, offering landowners the chance to request additional antlerless deer permits to be made available to hunters, enables DCNR and others to more effectively manage white-tailed deer and curb damage to crops and forestland.

This year, DCNR is requesting the Game Commission issue 17,642 coupons to hunters to pursue deer on 63 state forest sites and 12 separate state park sites. In 2005, 21,561 coupons were sought to hunt in 58 state forests.

In one notable change this year, Tuscarora State Forest will not participate in the DMAP program. Managers of the district encompassing sections of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry and Cumberland counties were satisfied with a recent surge of forest regeneration measured on their tracts, and no longer believe additional doe harvests through the DMAP program are needed.

Other areas of state forests were removed, including DMAP Area No. 44, the “Pennsylvania Grand Canyon” region of Tioga State Forest in Tioga County.

Other tracts were added to the program as a result of vegetation and browsing impact analyses. Susquehannock State Forest, in Potter, Clinton and McKean counties, added several tracts south of Coudersport and Denton Hill State Park in Potter County.

State Forester Dr. James W. Grace noted the DMAP changes follow the recent completion of “the most intensive survey of forest regeneration and browsing impact ever done in Pennsylvania.”

On August 7, the Bureau of Forestry will begin accepting applications by mail only. Beginning August 21, the bureau will accept applications from walk-ins, and by mail, telephone, and its online application page.

To obtain applications for state forest or parkland on or after August 1, hunters can visit DCNR’s DMAP webpage.

For more DMAP details contact Merlin Benner, wildlife specialist, Bureau of Forestry at 570-724-8140 or send email to: jobenner@state.pa.us .

7/28/2006