To more effectively manage Pennsylvania’s white-tailed deer population and reduce crop and forestland damage, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has added more than 941,000 acres to Game Commission’s Deer Management Assistance Program, or DMAP.

Eighty-three state forest and park areas are now a part of the management program, which means managers will now have the chance to request more, or fewer, antlerless deer permits for hunters.

“There are changes in state forest and park participation in our deer management program this year that reflect the condition of woodland habitat seen by our forest and park managers,” said DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis.

The number of participating state parks will increase from 12 to 16 this year, and 80,312 coupons, or permits, will be sought for hunters across the state. While more state forest acreage is enrolled in the program, fewer hunters will have the chance to hunt on state forest land because the department is asking for fewer permits.

“Our fine-tuning means hunters will be able to better help Pennsylvania maintain the deer population and curtail deer browsing and habitat damage,” DiBerardinis said. “In three state forest districts where foresters noted adequate regeneration, DMAP designations are not being sought for the 2007-08 hunting seasons.”

DCNR is requesting that the Game Commission issue 17,541 permits for hunting on 67 state forest sites spanning 861,415 acres, and 1,595 permits in 16 state park sites covering 80,312 acres. In 2006, DCNR sought 17,642 permits for hunting in 63 state forest DMAP tracts totaling 802,346 acres.

The Buchanan and Cornplanter state forest districts in southern and northwest Pennsylvania, respectively, will not enroll land in the DMAP program and Tuscarora, just west of Harrisburg, is not enrolling for the second consecutive year. Managers of these three districts said there is no need for DMAP participation because of factors like reduced pressure from deer browsing and improved forest regeneration.

“Where the general state forest conditions appear to be improving, but specific problem areas remain, statewide browse-study results helped shape our approach,” said Bureau of Forestry Wildlife Biologist Merlin Benner. “Use of DMAP still is expanding among state parks, where browsing survey data now is being collected in a more uniform and widespread manner.”

DCNR first used DMAP in 2003 within its state forest system only, enrolling 38 tracts and 446,821 acres in 11 of its 20 state forest districts.

Some of the Bureau of State Parks’ 16 sites are surrounded by state forestland. Enrolled state park areas include: Bald Eagle, Canoe Creek, Codorus, Cook Forest, Hickory Run, Kings Gap, Moraine, Nescopeck, Ohiopyle, Oil Creek, Presque Isle, Prince Gallitzin, Ricketts Glen, Ryerson Station, Shawnee and Tobyhanna.

On August 20 DCNR will begin accepting applications from walk-ins, as well as by mail, telephone and online.

Applications, maps and others details are available at DCNR’s DMAP webpage.

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

8/17/2007