The Board of Game Commissioners this week gave final approval to hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2007-08, including increased antlerless deer seasons in the state's three most developed Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2B, 5C and 5D and also set antlerless deer license allocations for all 22 WMUs.

The action this week kept in place the Commission’s three-prong approach to deer management – healthy forests, healthy deer herds and reducing deer-human conflicts.

At a public hearing prior to the decision, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau urged the Game Commission to continue concurrent seasons for buck and doe at existing levels and maintain the lengths of deer hunting season. PFB also asked the Commission to continue to rely on science as the basis for its decision-making for seasons and bag limits.

“We believe that deer seasons and bag limits need to be a constant for Game Commission staff to be able to accurately measure the full impact of the deer management plan on wildlife resources. It is important that no dramatic changes to seasons and bag limits occur, especially where deer management is concerned,” said PFB Wildlife Specialist Jeff Grove.

At the same hearing, Timothy Schaeffer, PhD, Executive Director of Audubon Pennsylvania, the state office of the national Audubon Society, said, “Audubon Pennsylvania applauds Mr. Roe and the Commission for maintaining the focus on measuring and improving the habitats that deer and other wildlife need to survive, maintaining the health of the deer themselves, and reducing deer-human conflicts.”

Dr. Schaeffer pointed to a recent study by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources that showed fewer than 25 percent of 41,650 study plots in DCNR’s state forests showed desirable regeneration and almost 45 percent of plots with no woody regeneration because of deer over-browsing.

“Audubon Pennsylvania believes a transparent, science-based system for managing Pennsylvania’s white-tailed deer is the best way to serve the long-term interests of the people and wildlife of Pennsylvania.”

Chad Forcey, Director of Governmental Affairs for the PA Landscape and Nursery Association also provided comments to the Commission saying a new survey of damage caused by deer showed that 87 percent of their members thought the deer problem was worse or the same.

The survey also showed that 50 percent of their surveyed members had product losses from between $10,000 and $20,000 and another 10 percent had losses between $100,000 and $200,000 or more a year.

“Agriculture as a whole is losing $90 million per year due to deer overpopulation, plus an estimated $73 million per year in damages to our forests,” said Forcey. “Such losses to the Commonwealth’s number one industry cannot continue in perpetuity.”

Forcey also recommended passage of House Bill 550 (Hershey-R-Chester, Caltagirone-D-Berks) that would give farmers new tools to deal with deer damaging agricultural commodities.

In an effort to balance differing public views on the direction of the state's deer management program, the Board of Game Commissioners gave final approval to a slate of 2007-08 deer seasons.

Antler restrictions will continue unchanged for the 2007-08 seasons. Specifically:

· In WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B and 2D, hunters will be required to abide by the four points on one side antler restriction;

· In all other WMUs, hunters will be required to abide by a three points on one side antler restriction; and

· Statewide, all junior license holders, disabled hunters with a permit to use a vehicle, mentored youth hunters and active duty U.S. Armed Services personnel may abide by the old antler restrictions of one antler of three or more inches in length or one antler with at least two points.

The most significant changes proposed by the Board for the 2007-08 deer seasons focus on implementing portions of the agency's Plan to Reduce Deer-Human Conflicts in Developed Areas, which was developed with public input and adopted by the agency last year. These changes are designed to increase hunter harvest in the state's three most highly developed WMUs - WMU 2B, 5C and 5D - in the state's southwestern and southeastern corners.

Among the changes given approval for WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D are:

· Archery seasons for antlerless deer will be held September 15-28, and November 12-24, in addition to the statewide season dates;

· Archery deer season for antlerless deer in WMU 2B will be December 10-22;

· Antlerless deer hunting with any legal sporting arm in WMU 2B will be December 26-January 26; and

· Antlerless deer hunting with any legal sporting arm in WMUs 5C and 5D will be December 10-22 and December 26-January 26.

Following is an overview of the remaining deer seasons that were approved by the Board:

· A concurrent antlered/antlerless rifle deer season from November 26-December 8. To harvest an antlerless deer during the concurrent seasons, hunters must possess a valid, WMU-specific antlerless deer license for the unit in which they are hunting or a DMAP permit.

· A firearms antlerless deer season from October 18-20, for junior and senior license holders, Disabled Person Permit (to use a vehicle) holders, or Pennsylvania residents serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Services, who possess the appropriate WMU-specific antlerless deer license or DMAP permit. Also included are persons who have reached or will reach age 65 in the year of the application for a license and hold a valid adult license, or qualify for license and fee exemptions under section 2706 of the Game and Wildlife Code.

· A muzzleloader season for antlerless deer from October13-20. The flintlock muzzleloader season, which is set for December 26-January 12, continues to be an antlered or antlerless season for hunters with primitive flintlock ignition firearms, provided the hunter possesses the appropriate license(s).

In other action, the Board adopted a measure to extend shooting hours for most hunting seasons, including all deer seasons, to one-half hour after sunset.

As part of the 2007-08 deer season frameworks, hunters will continue to be permitted to use crossbows statewide for hunting bear and elk and during any of the firearms deer seasons - including the regular two-week concurrent deer season, the early muzzleloader season and the late flintlock season - and in all deer seasons in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, which are the most urbanized areas in the state.

Statewide, hunters using crossbows during the early muzzleloader season or late flintlock season must have a muzzleloader stamp in addition to their general hunting license and appropriate WMU antlerless deer license. Late-season hunters with a muzzleloader stamp, but using a crossbow, are permitted to take an antlered deer or an antlerless deer anywhere in the state with their unused antlered deer tag, just like other late-season flintlock hunters.

In WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, hunters planning to use a crossbow during the archery seasons must purchase an archery stamp in addition to their general hunting license and appropriate WMU antlerless deer license.

Disabled hunters must obtain a permanent or temporary disabled hunter permit to use a crossbow during the statewide early archery season outside of WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D.

The Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) that addresses landowner deer management objectives within Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) remains in place.

"DMAP provides a tool to harvest antlerless deer on specific properties to lessen deer impacts for landowners and the habitat," said Calvin W. DuBrock, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management director.

In other action, the Board adopted increasing the fees for DMAP permits from $6 for residents and $26 for nonresidents to $10 for residents and $35 for nonresidents.

More details about the allocations approved by the Game Commission are available on the Deer Management Program webpage.

NewsClips: Board Shoots Down Attempts to Alter Deer Policy

Hunting Seasons Won’t Change

No Changes as Deer Seasons, Bag Limits OK’d

PA Won't Reduce Deer Kill Numbers

Notebook: Deer Debate

Liability Protection Needed for Deer Hunting

Links: No to More Deer – PA Lanscape & Nursery Association

Managing White-Tailed Deer – Audubon PA

Session Schedule

The Senate and House return to voting session April 23. The House will be in session 2 of the 3 weeks prior to the May 15 Primary, but the Senate will be in all three weeks before taking a break for the election.

PA Environment Digest Video Blog

Online Training

· New EPA Tool to Accelerate Watershed Planning, Webcast May 2

On the Hill

· On the Senate/House Agenda/ Bills Introduced

· House Environmental Committee Moves Brownfield Covenants Bill

· Senate Committee Moves on Energy Assistance, Rulemaking Petitions, More

· Other Senate/House Bills Moving

· House Environmental Committee To Consider Mine Safety, Reactor Fees Bills

Other News

· Earth Day Activities, Find One Near You!

· Finalists for Philadelphia Sustainability Awards Announced

· Two Philadelphia Schools Honored With Environmental Community Service Award

· EPA Recognizes North Area Environmental Council in Allegheny County

· Innovative Municipalities, Individuals Recognized with Governor's Awards

· Pittsburgh’s Bayer Corp Honored by Rachel Carson Homestead Association

· Wanted – Green Business Award Nominess in Chester County

· Parks & Recreation Foundation Awards Dinner Set for April 24

· Presque Isle Bay Gets Environmental Boost as EPA Lifts Water Quality Impairment

· Chesapeake Bay Report Shows Degraded Waters, But Restoration Advances

· DEP Publishes Notice of Completed TMDL for Berks County Watershed

· EPA, PennVEST Recognize Mine Cleanup Work, Bristol Drinking Water Facility

· April 26 Town Meeting Set on Helping Farmers Install Conservation BMPs

· Property Management for Cleaner Streams Workshop April 25

· May 3-4 Volunteer Monitoring Summit Cancelled By DEP

· Dirt and Gravel Road Program Celebrates 10th Anniversary

· EPA, State, Environmental Groups Promote "Green Infrastructure" Solutions

· Game Commission Finalizes Wind Energy Cooperative Agreement

· Free Energy Harvest, PEDA Grant Writing Workshop April 27 in Norristown

· May 3 Workshop in Williamsport on Energy Harvest, PEDA Grant Writing

· Only Two More Communities Can Qualify for Free Solar Energy System

· Giant Eagle Store Uses 20 Percent Less Energy Than Traditional Supermarket

· 100th Annual Conference of the Air & Waste Management Association In Pittsburgh

· Wildlife for Everyone Foundation, Game Commission Announce Land Purchases

· Game Commission Awards Funding for Priority Wildlife Projects

· May 19 Native Plant Sale in York, Take a Walk on the Wildside

· DCNR Explores Innovative Soil Solutions to Boost Survival of Urban Trees

· Pennsylvania First State to Preserve 350,000 Acres of Farmland

· Earth Day Celebration Brings Agriculture to Urban Philadelphia Students

· High School Students Compete in 22nd Annual Westmoreland Envirothon

· EPA Staff Served As Teachers for Students at Upper Darby Middle School

· Help Wanted: PA Organization for Watersheds and Rivers Seeks Executive Director

Go To: PA Environment Digest Calendar Page

4/20/2007