HARRISBURG -- The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners met today at the Game Commission’s Harrisburg headquarters to hear public comment and conduct official business. The highlights from today’s meeting follow.
MENTORED HUNTERS UNDER 7 COULD RECEIVE TAGS
All mentored hunters – including those under 7 years old – would get big-game harvest tags with their permits if a proposal before the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners is given final approval.
The Board voted today to preliminarily approve the measure, which is meant to improve access to the mentored hunting program and expand hunting opportunities within it.
The mentored hunting program allows young and inexperienced hunters to hunt under the guidance and supervision of a mentor if they obtain a permit and follow all program requirements.
Under the present system, most mentored hunters receive antlered deer, fall turkey and spring turkey harvest tags with their permits, but mentored hunters who are younger than 7 when they obtain their permits do not. If a mentored hunter under 7 harvests an antlered deer or turkey, they must receive the appropriate big-game harvest tag from their mentor, meaning the mentor needs a valid tag to take them hunting.
This creates challenges for mentors who accompany more than one child throughout the big-game hunting seasons. Furthermore, mentors who transfer their harvest tags to a successful mentored youth sacrifice their own ability to lawfully hunt for and harvest the species for which the tag was issued. Some believe this is unfair to mentors, who play a vital role in recruiting new hunters to carry on the hunting tradition and continue the important work of managing wildlife populations.
Providing all mentored hunters with antlered deer and turkey tags would align the program across all age groups.
Commissioner Bob Schwalm, a dedicated advocate for youth hunters, and a mentor himself, pointed out the benefits of providing young hunters with opportunities.
“By introducing a youngster to hunting and conservation – before the distractions of school, organized sports and video games – I believe we can recruit lifelong hunters,” said Schwalm, of Bethlehem. “As a lifelong mentor, I can assure you it requires a great deal of time and effort to prepare a young hunter before heading out on a mentored hunt. We need to thank those mentors by allowing them to keep and use their own tags, not penalize them for their continued dedication and support of conservation in Pennsylvania.”
The measure, which passed by a 6-3 vote, will be brought back to the January meeting for a final vote.
If adopted, mentored hunters under 7 would be able to be able to obtain their own bear licenses, antlerless deer licenses, Deer Management Assistance Program permits and special spring turkey licenses.
MORE AG TAGS COULD BE HELD AT A TIME
Hunters participating in the Agricultural Deer Control Program, or Ag Tag program, can receive as many permits as they obtain coupons for.
But presently, Ag Tag hunters can hold no more than four permits at a time.
That would change based on a measure the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners preliminarily approved today. The proposal would remove the limit on the number of Ag Tags a hunter can hold at a time. It will be brought back to the January meeting for a final vote.
PHILLY GAME LANDS COULD SEE SPECIAL REGULATIONS
Many state game lands are special in their own ways. Few are unique for the same reasons that make 17.88-acre State Game Lands 339 in Philadelphia different, though.
That might lead to a name change and some special regulations.
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminarily approval to a measure renaming State Game Lands 339 as Poquessing Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The change, if given final approval at a subsequent meeting, would make the parcel the Game Commission’s third official wildlife management area, joining Middle Creek WMA in Lancaster and Lebanon counties and Pymatuning WMA in Crawford County.
Unlike other game lands, WMAs typically are governed by special regulations.
The plan at Poquessing Creek WMA, in particular, is to allow public archery deer hunting, but by permit only. Those will be awarded by drawing each August. Hunters awarded a permit will be allowed to hunt the WMA and portions of nearby Benjamin Rush State Park from elevated stands during designated one- to two-week periods between the onset of archery season in September and its close in January. Five permits would be awarded per segment.
There’s no underestimating the opportunity that represents.
State Game Lands 339 lies within Philadelphia’s city limits, just off U.S. Route 1 – a busy, heavily traveled area where green space is at a premium.
Yet hunting regularly occurs in the area. The Game Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and various non-government partners conduct mentored hunts for first-time hunters in Benjamin Rush State Park and John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge.
Poquessing Creek WMA would give all hunting license buyers the chance to apply to hunt within Philadelphia. Managing that by permit will provide a better-quality experience, said Peter Sussenbach, the Game Commission’s Southeast Region Director.
“Hunters were absolutely ecstatic when we acquired this property because they know what an opportunity it represents in a metro area,” Sussenbach said. “What we’re trying to do now is make sure they can hunt, and have a good hunt, but do so safely. It can be done, as our partnerships with other parks show. We’re meeting hunters where they are, close to home and in areas with large populations of white-tailed deer.”
MORE THAN 500 ACRES TO BE ADDED TO GAME LANDS
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today approved five land acquisitions – a donation, a new purchase, and three land exchanges – that would add 572 surface acres to state game lands, as well as 1,340 acres of subsurface oil, gas, and mineral rights.
The donation of about 390 acres in Penn Lake Park Borough, Luzerne County, adjacent to State Game Lands 119, was offered by The Nature Conservancy. This property would provide critical access to the existing state game lands and open 2,400 acres of previously inaccessible land. The donation is subject to approval by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources due to applicable grant funding requirements.
The Board approved the purchase of roughly 1,340 acres of subsurface oil, gas and mineral rights located in and under State Game Lands 143. This game lands contains quality habitat for ruffed grouse as well as Blue Eye Run, a stocked trout stream. By acquiring the subsurface rights for this property, the Game Commission will have greater control over future development efforts that could impact the unique habitat on this game lands.
The three land exchanges are:
- In Howard Township, Centre County, the Game Commission would receive roughly 6 acres adjoining State Game Lands 92 in exchange for roughly 2 acres of the game lands. This exchange would improve the integrity and manageability of State Game Lands 92 and the Game Commission will retain an administrative right-of-way across the property.
- In Washington, Penn and Union townships, Snyder County, the Game Commission would receive roughly 140 acres of Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission land adjoining State Game Lands 212 in exchange for roughly 16 acres in Brush Creek and Belfast townships, Fulton County, adjoining State Game Lands 65, which would go to Flickerville Cross of Fulton County Foundation. The exchange does not cover the entire purchase price, therefore the Game Commission would pay the remaining balance – $243,800 – for the 140 acres. Access would be from Hidden Valley Road. The Fish and Boat Commission has already approved the purchase at its July Board of Commissioners meeting.
- In Hanover Township, Luzerne County, the Game Commission would receive roughly 36 acres adjoining State Game Lands 207 in exchange for a roughly 2.88-acre, non-exclusive right-of-way on State Game Lands 207 for PPL to better access their electric infrastructure. This exchange would improve property integrity and manageability of State Game Lands 207 by resolving numerous boundary line issues.
Hunters and other users of the game lands system should be aware that none of these additions are yet final. Some are contingent upon third parties receiving funding through grants or other means. What’s more, the Board of Commissioners’ approval of the agreements is but one step in the land transfer process.
When that process is completed, and the properties are officially game lands, the Game Commission will post signs to that effect, stating that they’re now available for public use.