Game Commission Proposes 2012-13 seasons and Bag Limits

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 24, 2012

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminary approval to hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2012-13, including a move to allow Mentored Youth Hunting Program participants to take part in fall turkey seasons.

            Other changes include expanded bear hunting opportunities in urban/suburban Wildlife Management Units (WMUs); additional small game season dates prior to Christmas; the addition of WMU 4C for bobcat hunting and trapping; the addition of WMUs 2G and 4D for fisher trapping; various changes to the beaver trapping seasons to reduce bag limits in WMUs 3A and 3D and to increase bag limits in WMU 5D to address nuisance complaints.

The public may offer comments on all proposed 2012-13 seasons and bag limits, as well as other Board actions, between now and the Board’s next meeting, April 23-24, at which time the Board is scheduled to finalize seasons and bag limits for 2012-13. 

Also, the Board will receive staff recommendations for antlerless deer license allocations for the 22 WMUs at its April meeting.  Deer harvest estimates for the 2011-12 seasons will be available in mid-March.

Following are several articles on meeting highlights. 

BOARD PROPOSES TO RETAIN SPLIT RIFLE DEER SEASONS

The Board of Game Commissioners gave preliminary approval to a slate of deer seasons for 2012-13 that retains the split, five-day antlered deer season (Nov. 26-30) and seven-day concurrent season (Dec. 1-8) in 11 Wildlife Management Units.  The list includes (WMUs) 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E. The package also retains the two-week (Nov. 26-Dec. 8) concurrent, antlered and antlerless deer season in WMUs 1A, 1B, 2B, 3A, 3D, 4A, 4C, 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D.

Hunters with DMAP antlerless deer permits may use them on the lands for which they were issued during any established deer season, and will continue to be permitted to harvest antlerless deer from Nov. 26-Dec. 8 in WMUs 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E. Fees for DMAP permits are $10 for residents and $35 for nonresidents.

Additionally, the Board also gave preliminary approval to retain the use of crossbows in the archery deer seasons.  The Board took this action by removing the sunset date inserted in the regulations when crossbows were first permitted to be used in the archery deer seasons.

The Board retained the antler restrictions enacted for the 2011-12 seasons, which includes the “three-up” on one side, no counting a brow tine, provision for the western Wildlife Management Units of 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B and 2D, and the three points on one side in all other WMUs.

Read much more here