As the leaves continue to fall from the trees and the air gets colder, some people’s thoughts turn to the holidays. Many men, women and youth aren’t gearing up for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukah … they’re readying for hunting season!
GantDaily has pooled area resources to find all of the information you need before you head out into the woods in search of a trophy white-tail, a scale-tipping bear or other types of game.
Below you’ll find all you need to know hunting and trapping seasons, regulations and information on where to go to “bag the big one.”
Also, check out special information from the Pennsylvania Game Commission on how to make sure your hunting or trapping trip is a safe one.
LOCAL DEER, BEAR, TURKEY INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONLINE
Interested in learning more about what’s going on with whitetails, bears or turkeys in your county?
Visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s “Field Officer Game Forecasts” found on the agency’s Web site.
Developed to share field officer perspectives and observations on game and furbearer trends in their respective districts and to help hunters and trappers get closer to the action afield, the new addition to the website has received many positive comments from hunters and trappers.
“Our field officers spend a tremendous amount of time afield, often in the areas hunters and trappers are most interested in learning more about,” said Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe. “Their observations have value to hunters and trappers so we decided to set up a cyber-clearinghouse where anyone who enjoys hunting and trapping in Pennsylvania — resident or nonresident — can access from their home or office game and furbearer forecasts from every county of the state. The localized forecasts have been warmly received.”
To check out the deer forecasts from field officers, go to the agency’s Web site, then click on the box titled “Field Officer Game Forecasts” directly below “The Outdoor Shop” in the center of the homepage.
PENNSYLVANIA’S FIREARMS DEER SEASON PROVIDES SUSPENSE
Anticipation is building and excitement will be in the air for the Monday following Thanksgiving, the opening day of the upcoming deer firearms season — Nov. 27 through Dec. 9. The Pennsylvania Game Commission reported deer may be plentiful in some areas and difficult to find in other areas, but added there are a good number of heavy-antlered bucks afield.
“When you reduce deer populations as we have in recent years in Pennsylvania, deer hunting is tougher,” said Cal DuBrock, game commission Bureau of Wildlife Management director. “Deer are harder to see and harder to find. Pre-season scouting and remaining alert on stand are more important than ever in the approaching season.
“Although hunters may not see a lot of deer in drives or on stand in many areas, the potential to shoot a large-bodied, rack buck is better than it has been for some time in Pennsylvania,” DuBrock said. “But that doesn’t mean you will, or that you’ll even see one. It just means those bucks, which tend to be craftier than yearlings, are out there somewhere. They represent a considerable challenge and taking one is quite an accomplishment.”
The buck harvest historically has been a barometer for Pennsylvania’s deer population trends. During the 2005-06 license year, hunters took 354,390 deer – including 120,500 antlered bucks. In 2004-05, the buck harvest was 124,410. The similarities in the buck harvest over the past two years are indicative of a stable deer population, because the season structure for hunting bucks didn’t change and hunter effort for bucks is relatively consistent through the seasons.
“Antlerless deer license allocations over the past two years have been designed to keep deer populations in most WMUs stable as we evaluate the effect of recent deer population reductions on deer health, habitat health, and deer-human conflicts,” explained Dr. Christopher Rosenberry, agency Deer Management Section supervisor. “Over the past year, we have implemented deer management measures with which we can evaluate and manage each WMU individually.
“Our objective is to manage a healthy and productive deer herd that provides recreational opportunities and acceptable ecological impacts and human conflicts. Of course, that’s no easy task, and surely one that will always be influenced by Pennsylvania’s changing landscape. But we strive to do the best job possible with the resources we have. We are committed to providing sound deer management recommendations.”
Hunters shouldn’t expect to see a dramatic change in deer numbers when they head afield, largely because whitetail populations aren’t prone to big annual population swings, either from hunting pressure or as a result of increased recruitment. The deer populations many hunters are seeing afield are the result of successive years of increased antlerless allocations and antlerless harvests. Over the past two years, allocations were designed to stabilize deer numbers in most WMUs, excepting those with Special Regulations Areas, where efforts to increase the harvest remain strong.
“Our reduced deer population is not bad for Pennsylvania,” emphasized DuBrock. “It’s better for deer health, better for our forested areas and better for landowners whose properties are damaged by deer populations. But please understand that the Game Commission is working to restore a balance between deer and their habitat and reduce conflicts in the process. We are not trying to drop deer populations any further than they are in most WMUs, and if measures of deer health and habitat improve, could actually allow them to increase in future years.”
IMPORTANT REGULATION INFORMATION FOR DEER HUNTERS
Hunters are reminded they must wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back combined at all times while afield. They also are advised that it’s illegal to hunt, chase or disturb deer with a firearm within 150 yards of any occupied building without the occupant’s permission.
All hunters who take a deer must fill out their harvest tag and attach it to the deer’s ear before moving the carcass. The tag can be secured to the base of the ear with a string drawn very tightly, if the hunter plans to have the deer mounted. Cutting a slit in the ear to attach the tag will require additional work by a taxidermist.
The harvest report card — provided with every license sold — must be mailed to the Game Commission within 10 days after taking the deer. Hunters who lose or misplace a deer harvest report card are urged to use or copy the big game harvest report card found on Page 33 of the 2006-2007 Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping Digest, which also is provided to all license-buyers.
It is illegal to use a vehicle to locate game; to have more than 25 people in a hunting party; or to use portable two-way radios to alert hunters about the presence or approach of game.
GAME COMMISSION ISSUES REMINDER TO HUNT SAFELY
In 2005-06 deer hunting seasons, 18 people were involved in hunting-related shooting incidents, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission statistics. Two incidents resulted in fatalities; 6 were self-inflicted.
“Two people heading out to enjoy time afield and the excitement of deer hunting died last year,” noted Keith Snyder, Game Commission Hunter-Trapper Education Division chief. “Sixteen others wrestled with the trauma of being shot, and a dozen others for shooting someone. These unfortunate and tragic situations always result from poor gun handling, or hunters making poor shooting decisions.
“We encourage all deer hunters to hunt responsibly and to positively identify their quarry as legal game before squeezing the trigger. If you’re not sure, please don’t shoot. Be safe and demand that others who hunt with you hunt safely, too.”
Hunters who participate in organized drives are asked to be especially careful when afield and to plan drives that won’t place members at risk. Drivers, standers and flankers all need to know when they may shoot and in which direction it is safe to shoot. Hunt plans should define predetermined zones of fire. All hunters must wear at least 250 square inches of fluorescent orange clothing; it’s the law and it improves the ability of other hunters to see them.
Hunters who are heading afield alone are reminded to let a family member or friend know where they’ll be hunting and when they’re expected to return. Leave a map that marks your hunting location(s). Take a cell phone just in case you need to call for help. Hunters who plan to hunt in tree-stands are advised to use a fall-restraining device from the moment they leave the ground until they return to it. A full-body safety harness is preferred, but any fall-restraining device is better than none. Hunters also should use a hoist rope to raise and lower their hunting equipment; don’t climb with a firearm or pack.
SAFETY TIPS TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU ARE IN THE WOODS
— Always control the muzzle of your firearm. Point it in a safe direction and keep it under control at all times.
— Handle every firearm as though it were loaded. Check any firearm you hold to see if it is loaded. Any time firearms change hands, keep the actions open. Also, remember that it is illegal to have a loaded firearm in, on or leaning against your vehicle.
— Be sure of your target and what’s beyond. Never shoot at a flash of color, sound, shapes or anything you “think” is a deer until it is plainly visible and you can positively identify it. Never shoot at a sky-lined deer or any time you are not certain what lies beyond your target.
— Keep you finger off the trigger until ready to fire. Never walk about with your finger inside the trigger guard. Insist that everyone in your hunting party handles their firearm safely.
— Never “scope” anything but your intended target. If you need to confirm something moving through the brush or field, use binoculars, not your rifle scope.
— Always carry a whistle; matches or lighter and tinder; and some first-aid materials for emergencies.
— Carry a compass and a topographic map and know which direction you need to travel in if you become disoriented.
— Wear layers of clothes so you can adjust to changes in temperature or weather. Wearing too much could cause you to overheat and perspire; too little leaves you cold and shivering. Both will make you uncomfortable and can affect your judgment and accuracy.
– When moving about before dawn, don’t load your firearm until you reach your deer stand and until legal shooting hours.
RESEARCH DEER AND HUNTERS
Over the past several years, Pennsylvania Game Commission research biologists have captured and marked nearly 2,500 white-tailed deer in many areas of the state. Captured deer are marked with plastic ear tags and many have radio collars.
“We ask hunters to treat deer with radio collars and ear tags as any other deer,” said Dr. Christopher Rosenberry, Game Commission Deer Management Section supervisor. “If the deer is legal for harvest, and a hunter wishes to take it, he or she should. If a hunter harvests an ear-tagged or radio-collared deer, please report the harvest, but be aware that changes have occurred in the reporting process.”
Budget constraints have forced the Game Commission to discontinue its toll-free numbers on the ear tags and radio collars. In place of toll-free numbers, hunters are urged to use one of the following alternatives for reporting marked deer:
— Contact one of the following phone numbers: 877-PSU-DOES, or PGC Southcentral Region, 643-1831.
— Report online at the Game Commission’s Web site.
— Send a letter or post card — separate from the mandatory harvest report card — and include the ear-tag number; county/township/WMU where it was taken; as well as your name, address and telephone number. Mail your letter to: Deer Management Program, Bureau of Wildlife Management, Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797.
DON’T FORGET TO SUBMIT A HARVEST REPORT CARD
The Pennsylvania Game Commission relies on information from hunters to estimate deer harvests. If all hunters who harvested a deer would send in their harvest report card, as required by law, and the U.S. Postal Service delivered every one, harvest estimates wouldn’t be needed. However, the agency was forced to begin using reporting rates to calculate deer harvests in the 1980s, when declining report card returns were documented.
In 2005, reporting rates — for both antlerless and antlered deer — were less than 40 percent. The dropping compliance by hunters to report their harvests over the past decade has the Game Commission’s deer managers concerned because it decreases the precision of the agency’s harvest estimate.
Each year, according to Cal DuBrock, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management director, about 75 deer-aging personnel check and record information from ear tags on harvested deer throughout the state. Over the 2005-2006 hunting seasons, more than 28,000 deer were examined. The information collected then was cross-checked with harvest report cards submitted by hunters to establish reporting rates for antlered and antlerless deer by Wildlife Management Units.
HUNTERS/TRAPPERS ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT PHOTOS FOR SCRAPBOOK
To showcase the achievements of successful hunters and trappers, and to promote the Commonwealth’s proud hunting and trapping heritage, Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are encouraging hunters and trappers to share photos of their harvests through the agency’s “Hunter/Trapper Photo Scrapbook” and the “Junior Hunter Scrapbook” on its website. The scrapbooks can be found by going to the agency’s Web site, and clicking on the “Hunter/Trapper Scrapbook” icon in the center of the homepage.
“We’re interested in showing photographs of hunters who have taken a trophy animal in one of Pennsylvania’s big game seasons — elk, black bear, white-tailed deer and wild turkey — or trappers or predator callers who have taken a bobcat or coyote, and trappers who have taken an exceptional beaver,” said J. Carl Graybill Jr., Game Commission Bureau of Information and Education director. “What we’re looking for are sharp, color photographs that depict a proud hunter with his or her trophy.”
Graybill noted that photos should show game animals in a presentable manner. Photos submitted through the U.S. Mail cannot be returned, and there is no guarantee that every photo received will be used. Individuals may send submissions via first-class mail to the address found on the application. Photos also can be submitted electronically via e-mail. Please include background information on the photo, including: name of the hunter/trapper; age; hometown; harvest date and location; achievement description (species, weight, antler points, beard length); and achievement significance, such as whether this was a hunter’s first deer, first spring gobbler, first bear, or a trapper’s first coyote or beaver.
“If we uses a contribution, the photo and accompanying information will appear on our Web site in one of several smaller species-specific scrapbooks,” Graybill said.
PENNSYLVANIA’S BLACK BEAR SEASONS EXPECTED TO BE GOOD
Hunters can expect to find a sizeable black bear population afield in the state’s upcoming bear seasons, which include a first-ever bear archery season, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission officials.
In fact, on the heels of Pennsylvania’s record-setting black bear harvest of 4,164 in 2005, Mark Ternent, Game Commission bear biologist, said he believes hunters will harvest 2,500 to 3,000 bears during the upcoming hunting seasons. Those seasons are: special bear archery, Wildlife Management Units 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 4A, 4B and 4D, Nov. 15-16; regular bear season, statewide, Nov. 20-22; and extended bear season, WMUs 3C, 3D and portions of 3B, 4E, and 2G, Nov. 27-Dec. 2. Additionally, there is a Rockview Prison bear hunt (with prior approval) in Centre County, Nov. 27-Dec. 2.
A printing error in the 2006-2007 Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping Digest incorrectly lists on a detachable pull-out card found between pages 28 and 29 that the extended bear season (Nov. 27-Dec. 2) is open WMU 4C. The extended bear season is not open in WMU 4C.
“Although a record number of bears were taken last year, bears continue to be plentiful over a large part of the state,” said Mark Ternent, Game Commission bear biologist. “The only areas where bear numbers may be down slightly are portions of northeastern Pennsylvania where extended bear hunting seasons have been held since 2002 to reduce bear populations. Elsewhere, bear populations were affected minimally by last year’s large harvest and should again be near record levels.
“Hunter success is influenced heavily by fall food conditions and weather. Fall foods, although not as plentiful as last year, are still average to slightly above-average in many places and should be adequate to keep plenty of bears out of dens and on the move for the upcoming seasons. Weather conditions, on the other hand, are tough to predict. Cold temperatures and snow would be beneficial to hunters, whereas rain or warm weather would be detrimental.”
The state’s six largest black bear harvests — all exceeding 2,600 bears — have occurred over the past six years. Prior to 1983, the state’s annual bear harvests never exceeded 1,000. Pennsylvania has held bear hunting seasons every year but four since 1905. Those four years when bear season was closed were 1934, 1970, 1977 and 1978.
“Black bear hunting opportunities are outstanding in Pennsylvania,” Ternent said. “Bear license sales have been increasing steadily over the past 10 years, and when the extended bear season, which runs concurrently with the first week of the firearms deer season, became available, participation jumped even more. Last year, a record 142,000 hunters purchased Pennsylvania bear licenses.”
Black bears were taken in all but four of the state’s 22 Wildlife Management Units and in 52 of the commonwealth’s 67 counties. The top three bear harvests by WMU were: WMU 2G, 908 (632 in 2004); WMU 3B, 542 (321); and WMU 3D, 394 (419). The top five harvest counties were: Lycoming, 313 (244); Tioga, 242 (119); Clinton, 227 (218); Potter, 214 (87); and Cameron, 172 (95).
Bear licenses must be purchased at any issuing agent, including on the agency’s Web site via “The Outdoor Shop,” prior to the opening day of the regular deer firearms season, Nov. 27. If purchased through “The Outdoor Shop,” license buyers will be provided a Web order number that they will be instructed to write on their general hunting license in the appropriate box and sign; there will be no need to wait for anything to be sent in the mail.
ARCHERS PREPARE FOR STATE’S FIRST BLACK BEAR ARCHERY SEASON
Hunters planning to participate in the state’s first archery bear season on Nov. 15 and 16 must have a general hunting license and a bear license from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The archery bear season will be held in Wildlife Management Units 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 4A, 4B and 4D.
In WMUs where the archery bear season and fall wild turkey season run concurrently, bowhunters when moving are required to wear a hat containing 100 square inches of solid fluorescent orange. The hat may be removed when the hunter is stationary or on stand. Those WMUs affected by this requirement are 2D, 2F, 2G and 3A.
Although crossbows are permitted to be used by any hunter participating in the regular bear firearms season, they are not allowed in the special archery bear season, except by authorized disabled permit holders.
Bears taken by archers must be reported to a game commission region office within 24 hours of the time it was killed. Successful bowhunters are asked to call a region office for instructions. Region office staff will direct the hunter to a location where an employee will meet him or her and check the bear. Traditional check stations will not be open during the archery bear season. Telephone numbers for the six region offices are listed on page three of the 2006-07 Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping Digest.
GAME COMMISSION OFFERS BEAR HUNTING TIPS
Pennsylvania Game Commission officials point out that one of the biggest mistakes bear hunters make is failing to locate areas with good fall food supplies — acorns, beechnuts, apples, corn — before the hunting season and overlooking areas of dense cover where bears like to hide.
“Signs to look for while scouting include droppings; bedding areas, which are scratched out depressions, usually at the base of a tree or log; and active trails with tracks,” said Mark Ternent, Game Commission black bear biologist. “In beech stands, look for fresh claw marks on tree trunks indicating that bears are feeding in the area, and in oak stands look for fresh droppings that are almost completely composed of acorns bits. Either of these signs suggest bears are feeding nearby and, if food conditions are right, they will likely still be there come hunting season.
“A good time to scout is early November, so you can assess local mast conditions. When mast conditions are spotty, finding a good area dramatically increases your odds of also finding a bear.”
Other bear hunting tips include:
— Look for bears in the thickest cover you can find, such as: swamps and bogs; mountain laurel/rhododendron thickets; north-facing slopes; regenerating timber harvest areas, areas with lots of downed trees, and remote sections of river bottoms. Bigger bears are notorious for holding in thick cover, even when hunters pass nearby.
— Organized drives are effective. Hunters working together often increase their odds of taking bears, especially those bears holding out in thick cover. Develop plans to safely drive likely bear hideouts and follow them to the letter. A minor slip-up by a driver, flanker or stander is all a bear needs to elude even the best-planned drive. Regulations limit the size of organized drives to 25 people or less.
— Hunting on-stand early and late in the day gives hunters a great chance to catch bears traveling to and from feeding and bedding areas. Hunt areas that provide cover to traveling bears and ensure there is either a good supply of mast or cornfields or cover near where you plan to hunt.
— Use the wind to your advantage. If a bear gets a whiff of you, you’re busted as a hunter. Bears have an outstanding sense of smell. They often let their noses guide the way as they travel. Always place yourself downwind of expected travel lanes when hunting on-stand or driving. Bears are cagey enough without giving them more advantages.
— Stay focused and assume nothing. Black bears blend in well in forest settings at dawn and as dusk approaches. Spend too much time looking one way and you can miss a bear. Even though bears are quite heavy, they often are surprisingly quiet moving through the forest. You may see a bear before you hear it coming. Staying alert and remaining vigilant are critical.
NEW LAWS AID FURBEARER HUNTERS/TRAPPERS
Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl Roe noted that a new law that took effect earlier this year permits furbearer hunters and trappers, especially those pursuing coyotes, to take advantage of new tools.
Under state law (Title 34 – Game and Wildlife Code), the list of legal methods and devices now allows licensed hunters and trappers to use any natural or manmade nonliving bait used to attract coyotes; any electronic or mechanical device used to attract coyotes; and any decoy used in the trapping or hunting of furbearers.
Roe pointed out that the law does not permit hunters to use any natural or manmade nonliving bait used to attract furbearer species other than coyotes, or to use any electronic or mechanical devise used to attract furbearer species other than coyotes. Current Game Commission regulations, however, do permit the use of electronic callers for hunting bobcats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons and crows.
The law allowing trappers to use any natural or manmade nonliving bait to attract coyotes still does not permit the bait to be visible from the air. Current law (Section 2361 of Title 34) states that it is unlawful for any person to bait a trap with meat or animal products if the bait is visible from the air. Those hunting coyotes, however, may hunt over bait visible from the air.
Roe noted that the coyote season, when compared to other game species seasons, is the most liberal season in the commonwealth.
“A properly-licensed Pennsylvania hunter can hunt coyotes year-round, from July 1 to June 30, including Sundays, with either a general hunting or furtaker license, 24-hours-a-day, and the bag limit is unlimited,” Roe said. “We also permit hunters to use electronic callers, and the Board of Game Commissioners recently finalized a regulatory change to permit hunters to use up to No. 4 buckshot to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their shotgun loads.”
As for trapping coyotes, Roe pointed out that the annual seasons run from mid-October through mid-February, and the bag limit also is unlimited. In addition, this year a new measure approved by the Board took effect to permit coyotes and foxes to be taken by trappers using cable restraints from Jan. 1 until the end of the trapping seasons. To use cable restraints, a licensed trapper must take and pass a one-day certification program, which was developed and is being implemented with the assistance of the Pennsylvania Trappers Association.
FALL TURKEY HUNTING SEASON OFFERS PROMISE
Pennsylvania Game Commission officials expect hunters who get their pre-season scouting in before the season opens Oct. 28, to fair better afield than those who don’t.
“Healthy-sized wild turkey flocks are present, but will be well dispersed so hunters really need to get out in the woods before the season starts to see first-hand what’s going on,” emphasized Mary Jo Casalena, game commission wild turkey biologist.
Turkey summer sighting surveys conducted statewide by Wildlife Conservation Officers indicate that turkey recruitment was slightly higher than the past few years.
“There’s no doubt that cold, wet spring weather once again influenced nesting, but not as seriously as in 2003 and 2005,” Casalena said. “Also helping turkeys was the abundant food supply and warmer, drier weather on tap last winter. Coming into this spring’s nesting season, turkeys were in good shape.
“Turkey hunting prospects will be good in most areas, but an abundant supply of fall foods make preseason – as well as in-season – scouting crucial. Being consistently successful in turkey hunting is often directly related to the time a hunter spends afield. Of course, no hunting offers guaranteed results. But you can improve your chances when you have the insider information scouting provides.”
Turkey hunters are coming off a strong 2006 spring gobbler season. Preliminary harvest estimates indicate 44,000 bearded turkeys were taken – including almost 1,500 birds taken on the 8,041 second or “special spring gobbler season licenses” hunters purchased. The 2006 preliminary spring harvest compares with a final 2005 spring harvest of 32,600 (the preliminary 2005 spring estimate was 38,800). Preliminary harvest estimates are developed from harvest report card returns; final harvest figures are a product of the agency’s Game-Take Survey of hunters.
“Early indications are that hunters had a great spring gobbler hunt this year,” Casalena said. “The increase in the spring harvest from 2005 to 2006 seems to be attributed to more favorable weather conditions and a strong two-year-old age class of gobblers present this past spring. Two-year-old birds are particularly vulnerable to hunter’s calls.”
IMPORTANT REGULATION INFORMATION FOR TURKEY HUNTERS
WMU 5A remains closed to fall turkey hunting again for the fourth year to help restore the turkey population there. Research has shown that fall hunting mortality was a factor limiting that turkey population.
Also, WMU 5B remains closed to aid with restoration work there. During a three-year project, which was completed in 2003, the Game Commission trapped-and-transferred 515 turkeys to 21 sites in York, southern Lancaster, southern Berks and Chester counties. Fall hunting season in WMU 5B will remain closed until this turkey population is restored. The spring season will remain open because agency research has shown it does not impact the population.
Season lengths vary in the state’s other WMUs for fall turkey hunting: WMUs 1A and 1B (Shotgun and bow and arrow only) – Oct. 28-Nov. 11; WMUs 2A and 2B (Shotgun and bow and arrow only) – Oct. 28-Nov. 18; WMUs 2C, 2E, 4A, 4B and 4D – Oct. 28-Nov 11; WMUs 2D, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C and 4E – Oct. 28-Nov. 18; and WMUs 5C and 5D (Shotgun and bow and arrow only) – Oct. 28-Nov. 3.
Turkey hunters, in most parts of the state, must wear a minimum of 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back, visible in all directions, while moving. They may remove the orange at a stationary calling location, if they place a 100-square inch orange alert band within 15 feet of their location.
In WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D – where fall hunting is limited to shotguns and archery equipment only – hunters must wear a hat containing a minimum of 100 square inches of solid fluorescent orange (no camouflage orange) when moving. The hat may be removed when the hunter is at a stationary calling location, and no orange alert band is required. For additional information, please consult page 80 of the 2006-07 Digest.
Shot size is limited to No. 4 lead, bismuth-tin, tungsten-iron or No. 2 steel. Turkey hunters also are required to tag their bird before moving it and to mail the postage-paid harvest report card – provided with all hunting licenses – within 10 days of taking a turkey. A replacement harvest report card is on page 33 of the 2006-07 Digest.
GantDaily Editor’s Note: The above information was provided by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Created in 1895 as an independent state agency, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is responsible for conserving and managing all wild birds and mammals in the commonwealth, establishing hunting seasons and bag limits, enforcing hunting and trapping laws, and managing habitat on the 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands it has purchased over the years with hunting and furtaking license dollars to safeguard wildlife habitat. The agency also conducts numerous wildlife conservation programs for schools, civic organizations and sportsmen’s clubs.
The game commission does not receive any general state taxpayer dollars for its annual operating budget. The agency is funded by license sales revenues; the state’s share of the federal Pittman-Robertson program, which is an excise tax collected through the sale of sporting arms and ammunition; and monies from the sale of oil, gas, coal, timber and minerals derived from State Game Lands.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission also has documents available to help make your hunt safer and even more “rewarding.”
Camp Roster
First Bear Harvest Certificate
First Turkey Harvest Certificate
First Deer Harvest Certificate
