HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe offered his praise to the 23 sportsmen’s clubs throughout Pennsylvania who signed up to host junior pheasant hunts. The clubs will share in about 1,800 pheasants the agency is providing for junior pheasant hunts.
“While the agency’s financial situation remains a concern, providing pheasants to clubs sponsoring junior pheasant hunts is a wise investment,” Roe said. “The only two stipulations for clubs to be eligible to receive Game Commission birds are that these hunts must have registration open to the public and must be held on public lands or private lands enrolled in one of the Game Commission’s Cooperative Public Access Programs.
“The state’s long-standing two-pheasant daily bag limit will apply to junior hunters participating in the season. In addition, depending on the area they are hunting, juniors will be required to comply with restrictions on hunting male or female pheasants.”
Eligible juniors must be between 12 and 16 years of age, and have successfully completed a basic Hunter-Trapper Education course. There is no requirement that participating juniors purchase a license, but they must wear the necessary orange and be accompanied as required by law.
Roe noted that the junior pheasant hunt is not part of the Mentored Youth Hunting Program for those hunters under the age of 12, and includes groundhog, squirrel, coyotes, spring gobbler and antlered deer. (For more information on the Mentored Youth Hunting Program, please see page 13 of the 2009-10 Digest or News Release #084-09.)
Following is a county-by-county listing of the clubs hosting junior pheasant hunts, as well as contact information to enroll junior hunters:
Allegheny County:
Bull Creek Rod & Gun Club will host its annual junior pheasant hunt at the club in Tarentum for 30 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 9. Contact Ray Zbikowski at 724-224-4523 or iko96@yahoo.com.
Armstrong County:
The Apollo-Spring Church Sportsman’s Club will host its annual junior pheasant hunt at the club near Apollo for 30 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 15. Contact Daniel Shaffer at 724-681-2834 or Kurt George at 724-478-1237.
Pine Creek Sportsmen’s Club will host its junior pheasant hunt at Bassinger Farm near Templeton, for 20 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 15. Contact William Bassinger, Jr. at 724-548-7746 or billphyl176@windstream.net.
Bedford County:
Bedford County Sportsman Club will host a junior pheasant hunt for 40 juniors in Centerville. The registration deadline is Sept. 8. To register contact Chad Kendall at 814-847-2558, or at ckkendall@EmbarqMail.com.
Bedford-Fulton Pheasants Forever will host its junior pheasant hunt on SGL 97 near Everett for 40 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 15. Contact Jeff Green at 814-977-5458 or jeff@green-ranch.com, or Wanda Greet at 814-652-6796 or wanda@green-ranch.com.
Centre County:
The Three-Point Sportsmen Club will host its annual junior pheasant hunt at the club in Clarence for 50 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 15. Contact Steven Demyan at 814-387-6779 or smdguide@yahoo.com or Richard Biggans 814-387-4248.
Clearfield County:
Pennsylvania Wildlife Habitat Unlimited will host a junior pheasant hunt at the All-Season Trap & Skeet Club near Luthersburg for 25 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 15. Contact Laura Johnson at 814-371-4856 or lauraj@zitomedia.net.
Columbia County:
Central Susquehanna Pheasants Forever will host its annual junior pheasant hunt on SGL 226 in Madison Township for 50 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 15. Contact Jack Kile at 570-443-7618 or jgkile@pa.metrocast.net.
Elk County:
Pheasants Forever Chapter 630 Elk County will host its annual junior pheasant hunt at SGL 44, Brandy Camp Tract, for 40 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 15. Contact Leon Blashock to register at 814-885-8950 or tobrits@windstream.net.
Greene County:
Roscoe Sportsman’s Association, Tri-County Quality Deer Management Association, Covered Bridge Chapter Ruffed Grouse Society, 5 Town Chapter Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Stringtown Sportsman’s Club will host a junior pheasant hunt for 50 juniors at the McCann Farm in Carmichaels. There is a $5 fee. The registration deadline is Sept. 15. Contact Kathy Davis at 724-263-9719 or KDavis4537@aol.com or Denny McCann at 724-998-2809.
Lancaster County:
Lititz Sportsman’s Association will host its junior pheasant hunt at Speedwell Forge Lake near Lititz for up to 26 juniors. The registration deadline Sept. 15. Contact Phil McCloud at 717-626-5884.
Luzerne County:
Northeast PA Pheasants Forever will host its annual junior pheasant hunt on SGL 119 near Bear Creek Township for 40 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 8. Contact Game Commissioner Jay Delaney at 570-825-4424.
Schuylkill County:
The Valley View Gun Club will host its junior pheasant hunt in Sacramento for 50 juniors. There is a $5 fee. The registration deadline is Sept. 13. Contact Kenneth Wetzel at 570-682-3971 or Rick Herring at 570-682-9541.
Gordon Game & Fish Protective Association will host its junior pheasant hunt at “The Barn”, two miles east of Gordon for 25 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 15. Contact John Towey at 570-205-2682 or at nucleartechjpt@yahoo.com.
Warren County:
Kalbfus Rod & Gun Club will host its annual junior pheasant hunt in Lander for 20 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 12. Contact Chuck Travis at 814-726-1913 or travis39@atlanticbb.net, or Mark Zaffino at 814-757-5010 or 814-723-1150.
Washington County:
McDonald Sportsmen’s Association will hold their junior pheasant hunt in McDonald for up to 40 juniors. The deadline to register is Sept. 15. Contact Bernard Dhans at 724-288-5092.
Westmoreland:
Kingston Veterans & Sportsmen’s Club and the Laurel Highlands Chapter of Pheasants Forever will host their annual junior pheasant hunt for 50 juniors on their grounds near Latrobe. The registration deadline is Sept. 10. Contact Kevin Adams at 724-423-8445 or adamsk@wpa.net.
The Little Sewickley Sportsman Association will host its annual junior pheasant hunt at the Old Hunt Farm, Lycipus, for 50 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 12. Contact Jay Bossart at 724-423-6714.
Law Enforcement Officers of Westmoreland County will host its annual junior pheasant hunt at Mammoth Park, Mt. Pleasant, for 50 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 5. Contact Jerry Trainer at 724-493-9686 or toms@outdrs.net.
The National Wild Turkey Federation will host a junior pheasant hunt at the Boytin property, Bush Creek Road, Mt. Pleasant, for 20 juniors. There is a $5 fee. The registration deadline is Sept. 15. Contact Rod Ansell at 724-244-1120 or ransell@state.pa.us or Sam Troxel at 724-244-7905.
Rostraver Sportsmen & Conservation Association will host its junior pheasant hunt at the club for 30 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 14. Contact Gary Osilka at 724-872-5783 or RSCA1973@yahoo.com.
Youngwood Sportsman’s will host its junior pheasant hunt at the Youngwood Sportsmen Club and Young World for 25 juniors. The registration deadline is Sept. 15. Contact Carl Rossman at 724-309-3275 or rossman48@verizon.net.
York County:
Starview Sportsman’s Association will host its junior pheasant hunt at SGL 243, Bentzel tract in Franklintown, for 10 juniors. The registration deadline is Aug. 31. Contact Michael Heindel at 717-266-0783.