New PA Game Commission Website To Go Live In Mid-April

Marketing hunting in Pennsylvania

By Bob Frye

The Pennsylvania Game Commission's new website is about to go live. Its new marketing campaign will follow close behind and be focused largely here in western Pennsylvania.

The website, an addition to the existing one, is called GoHuntPa.org. It will debut in mid-April, right after the agency gives final approval to hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2014-15.

The intent is to make it a streamlined version of the agency's regular website, with information only on hunting-specific topics like seasons, places to hunt, pheasant stockings and where to buy a license, said Keith Snyder, the agency's outreach and education division chief.

The marketing campaign will begin in September with a series of radio and print ads and billboards encouraging people who hunt periodically, but not every year — “fringe” hunters, Snyder called them — to come back to the sport and stay. The outreach effort will focus on the nine Pennsylvania counties with the most hunters. Allegheny leads that list by a large margin and will see much of the advertising along with Erie, Westmoreland, York, Lancaster, Butler, Cambria, Berks and Cumberland counties.

The advertising effort will continue through November, he said. There will be a heavy emphasis on deer hunting, given that the whitetail attracts more hunters than any other species in Pennsylvania.

“There is no close second,” Snyder said.

The goal of the campaign is to get the commission back to selling one million hunting licenses a year by 2018-19. It sold about 944,000 general licenses — not including specialty tags like those for muzzleloader, bear and archery hunting — in 2012. The commission hasn't hit the one million mark in licenses sold since 2004.

The cost of the marketing program is about $450,000 annually. Federal grant money covers that.

“I can hardly wait to see the results,” commissioner Dave Putnam of Centre County said.

Report: Pa. Could Save $5M By Merging Game, Fish and Boat Commissions

By Brad Bumsted

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania is the only state with separate game and fish commissions, and it's likely to stay that way, says a leading proponent of merging the agencies.

“The chances are minimal, at best,” said Rep. Robert Godshall, R-Montgomery County, a wildlife and hunting enthusiast who believes the agencies should merge.

Consolidating the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission would save about $5 million annually, according to a detailed report released on Wednesday by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee. It's an issue that has been debated periodically for 60 years.

“It's common sense,” Godshall said of a merger. Despite the odds against legislative approval, “I still want my voice to be heard,” he said.

Officials of both agencies told committee staff they worry about the possible “dilution” of their agencies' missions, according to the report.

“The question is, why take two very efficient agencies and combine them into one that is less efficient?” said John Arway, executive director of the fish and boat commission. “Simply put, we do a lot with a little.”

Matt Hough, executive director of the game commission, told the committee that he believes a merger would result in “minimal savings.”

The committee report suggested taxpayer savings could be less than $5 million depending on factors such as building renovations, “bumping rights” of employees for jobs and coordination of computer services.

“It's a source of pride for Pennsylvania (that) we have resisted trends to move to a single agency like other states,” Hough told the committee.

“I don't think there's much interest in merging them,” said Sen. John Eichelberger, R-Altoona. “We don't put any (state) tax money into those agencies.”

Hough said other states' officials have told him they wish they had separate agencies like Pennsylvania. Godshall, a lifelong hunter, challenged that assertion.

After a similar study 10 years ago, Godshall said he wrote to officials in other states to assess their preference on single or separate agencies. He said the game commission tried to sabotage his survey by telling out-of-state agencies not to respond, but Godshall said he got 25 responses showing states with consolidated agencies prefer it.

The game commission effort to interfere with his survey was “a little bit unethical,” Godshall said.

“I agree,” said Hough, who was not director at the time.

“It's time we start looking at what's going on in other states,” Godshall said. There's no reason officers of each agency couldn't learn to enforce fish and game laws, he said.

“I think it still needs to be done,” said Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, adding the state would be better able to oversee one agency.

“We're the only state that hasn't (consolidated),” Metcalfe said. “Both independent agencies have thumbed their noses at the public again and again.”

Brad Bumsted is Trib Total Media's state Capitol reporter. He can be reached at 717-787-1405

Increase in poaching could restrict spotlighting

By Bob Frye 

If there's a downside to success, this is what it looks like.

Since the advent of antler restrictions in 2002, Pennsylvania has been producing more big bucks that ever. At the very least, hunters have been shooting more big bucks than ever.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission's official record book shows that hunters have entered more trophy deer in the last 10 years than during any other decade in history.

Don't think the bad guys haven't noticed.

“I think it is valid to say we have experienced an increase in poaching numbers over the last couple of years,” said Rich Palmer, head of the commission's bureau of wildlife protection.

A “fairly significant” number of those deer are being taken illegally at night by poachers using spotlights, he said.

That's not a surprise to Jay Delaney.

A member of the Game Commission board from Luzerne County, he said, with so many hunters using trail cameras these days, more people are aware of the deer out there.

It doesn't take long for word of a big buck to spread, he said. Then, everyone wants to get a glimpse of him.

“If there's a big buck in the neighborhood, the lights are out there every night looking for that guy,” Delaney said.

That had commissioners debating last week whether it might be time to expand the state's prohibition on spotlighting, or “spotting,” as it's commonly called.

Currently, spotlighting is legal far more often than not.

You can't do it during the statewide firearms deer season that runs for two weeks starting the Monday after Thanksgiving or during the extended firearms deer season in “special regulations” counties, including Allegheny, that runs from the day after Christmas through the last Saturday in January.

You can't have a firearm, bow or “other device capable of killing wildlife” in the vehicle when spotlighting, and you can't shine your light on any buildings, farm animals or photoelectric cells.

Otherwise, it's legal year-round from sunrise to 11 p.m.

Lots of people do it, too, and not only hunters. There are many people, especially in rural areas, for whom spotlighting is a longstanding family activity, said commissioner Ron Weaner of Adams County.

Changing the rules in such a way as to put an end to that would be “a really hard decision,” he said.

“There are a lot of really legitimate reasons to allow recreational spotlighting,” Weaner said.

Poaching is a real concern, especially among sportsmen, though, added commissioner Ralph Martone of New Castle.

Delaney agreed and said he might support banning spotlighting during all big-game hunting seasons, which, in parts of the state, begin as early as September and run through the end of January.

Palmer suggested if the board moves to expand the time period when spotlighting is illegal, it move away from thinking in terms of hunters only and take a broader approach based on a “specific date range,” he said.

“You have a lot of people who spotlight but don't hunt, who don't know wildlife management unit boundaries. If you want to expand this, we should look at going with a specific date range,” Palmer said.

Some commissioners aren't ready to act just yet, though.

Commissioner Brian Hoover of Delaware County said before he would support any kind of “drastic change” in spotlighting rules, he'd like to see some statistics.

He would like to know how many deer are being killed using lights at night, whether that's changed significantly over time and, just as importantly, whether changing the rules might address the problem.

He asked, “can we effectively make a difference” by further limiting spotlighting?

No one had an answer at the board's working group meeting this past week in Harrisburg, so the commission plans to debate the issue further before taking any action.

“I think we need more discussion before we lay anything on the table,” Delaney said.

Bob Frye is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at bfrye@tribweb.com or via Twitter @bobfryeoutdoors.

Big trout to be found in certain waters at certain times

By Bob Frye Pittsburgh Tribune Review

There's rare, then there's really, really rare.

State record-size fish fall into the latter category. Few anglers will ever hook one, let alone land one, in their lifetime.

It is possible to tie into a really nice fish on occasion, though. That's never truer than in trout season.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will stock 3.2 million trout this year, most of them of the 11-inch variety. But it also will release tens of thousands of hefty brook, brown, rainbow and golden rainbow trout.

“They're definitely important for us, we feel,” said Rick Lorson, area 8 fisheries manager in the commission's southwest region office in Somerset. “They create a lot of excitement, a lot of enthusiasm, so we're glad to provide them.”

The goal is to stock about 8,500 “trophy goldens” — averaging 14 inches and 1.5 pounds — and 20,000 brook, brown and rainbow brooders. Those are fish 21⁄2 years old in the case of males, and 31⁄2 years old in the case of females.

If it's “unlikely” any of those fish will be record size when released, there will certainly be lots of big ones, with rainbows often the biggest of all, said Tom Cochran, fish production manager for the agency's southern hatcheries.

“You can get some of the bigger rainbows to go 6 to 8 pounds,” Cochran said. “And occasionally, they get even bigger than that.”

So where should you fish to have a chance to hook one of those bruisers?

That depends on what you're looking for.

If you want to catch a trophy golden trout, get out early in waters close to lots of people.

The commission stocks all of its goldens before opening day, Lorson said, so early is better than later. They only go into selected waters, too.

You won't find any in streams considered “low yield,” in that they attract few fishermen and consequently get just one in-season stocking. Streams managed under delayed harvest, fly fishing only and catch and release only rules don't get goldens either.

All other stocked waters managed under statewide regulations get at least a few, but some get more than others, based on things like the recreational use potential of the water and the surrounding human density, Lorson said.

What that means is, all other things being equal, a stocked stream in Allegheny County, like Pine Creek, will get more trophy golden trout per mile than a similar-sized stream in rural Somerset County, just because there are more people fishing it, he said. Likewise, an urban lake will get more goldens per acre than a similarly sized lake in a rural area, he said.

Things are a little different when it comes to rainbow, brown and brook brood trout. They get stocked on a per-mile or per-acre basis, too, with metro lakes getting more than rural ones.

But they're released into all stocked waters, regardless of regulation, Lorson said. They get sprinkled in throughout the pre- and in-season stocking period, too.

“That's essentially a numbers thing,” Lorson said. “We have more of them, so we get them in as many places as possible so that people have a chance to hook that big one.”

At least some of those big fish get caught. The Fish and Boat Commission runs an “angler awards” program, which allows fishermen to get certificates for catching big fish.

A brown trout qualifies for a certificate if it weighs at least 5 pounds, 8 ounces. The standard is 5 pounds, 3 ounces for rainbows and golden rainbows and 4 pounds for brook trout.

Junior anglers can get an award for smaller fish. There are catch and release categories for adults and kids for fish of certain lengths, too.

A look at the awards handed out last year shows big trout came from a number of area waters, including Deer and Turtle creeks and Deer Creek Lake in Allegheny County; Buffalo Creek in Armstrong; Traverse Creek and Bradys Run Lake in Beaver; Yellow and Evitts creeks in Bedford; Bull Creek in Butler; Chess Creek and Laurel Run in Cambria; Yough River and Virgin Run Lake in Fayette; Little Mahoning Creek in Indiana; Laurel Hill and Bens creeks and Stonycreek River in Somerset; Pike Run and Miller Run in Washington; and Fourmile Run, Linn Run, Loyalhanna Creek and Twin Lake in Westmoreland.

Your chances to get into a few of those fish are here already, too.

The trout harvest season doesn't start until April 12 in Western Pennsylvania, but anglers can fish for trout on a strictly catch and release basis right up to opening day on “approved trout waters open to year-round fishing.”

The list of local waters in that program is long. They're identified in the fishing summary book issued with each license.

That's relatively new. The rules allowing for year-round fishing for stocked trout just went into effect last year.

Not everyone likes it, admitted Tom Qualters, law enforcement supervisor in the commission's southwest region office. Some worry about hooking mortality leading to dead trout before anglers are allowed to keep them, he said.

But the program is popular overall, he said.

“There were quite a few people who took advantage of that last spring,” Qualters said. “Probably not as many up this way, in the mountains, and that may be tied to the weather and when there was open water. But it seemed like once you got down off the mountains, in the lowland areas, there were a lot of people fishing these lakes through March and into April.”

The big fish will be there, Cochran promised.

“Our fisheries managers put in their requests, and we fill them,” he said.

Pennsylvania Game Commission Enrolls 30th Class Of WCO Cadets

Thirty-one begin their training at Ross Leffler School of Conservation.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s 30^th Class of Wildlife Conservation Officer (WCO) Cadets recently took up residence at the agency’s Ross Leffler School of Conservation, which adjoins the headquarters building along Elmerton Avenue in Harrisburg.

The class, comprising 29 men and two women, will undergo 50 weeks of exhaustive training, including field duty with veteran officers, before graduation in March 2015.

Game Commission Executive Director R. Matthew Hough, who graduated with the 18^th Class of the Ross Leffler School of Conservation and served for years as a WCO, said the cadets who successfully complete their training will join a proud team of Wildlife Conservation Officers that’s been entrusted by the public to protect and conserve Pennsylvania’s wildlife resources and habitats and enforce the state’s hunting and trapping laws.

It’s an intensive training program and many challenges lie ahead for the cadets, he said. The training covers a wide range of topics that will test the cadets both physically and mentally.

“In addition to learning the curriculum, they will spend many months away from their families during this nearly yearlong training, which shows the commitment they are making to protecting and managing Pennsylvania’s wildlife resources,” Hough said. “But the rewards of the profession last a lifetime, and after 33 years with the Game Commission, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

Hough noted that the individuals who comprise the 30th Class were chosen from a field of 622 applications, and were selected through a series of written and oral tests, interview boards and physical examinations.

Cadet training includes subjects such as: wildlife management; physical fitness; firearms proficiency; unarmed self-defense; law enforcement; legal procedures; conservation education; land-management practices; computer skills; and public relations. Cadets are evaluated regularly and required to meet stringent standards to continue.

Upon graduation, each cadet will be commissioned as a Wildlife Conservation Officer and given an assignment within the Commonwealth.  Following a probationary period of at least one year, the WCO’s performance will be evaluated and, if acceptable, he or she will be granted permanent status. Continued training will be required on a regular basis for certain skills, such as firearms proficiency and legal updates.  Other advanced skills training may be offered on a voluntary basis.

Of the 31 individuals enrolled in this class, 26 have college degrees or professional certifications; four have served as Deputy WCOs for the Game Commission; and two are Game Commission employees in other capacities. Seventeen are veterans, five were in the Army, three in the Marine Corps, two in the Air Force, two in the Navy, and five in the National Guard.

Other previous careers include police officer, corrections officer, probation/parole officer, dispatcher, teacher, physical therapist, nurse’s aide, bartender and biologist aide.

The minimum age for enrollment is 21 years, the maximum is 48 years and the average age is 30 years.

Cadets and their hometowns are: Blake Barth, Lock Haven, Clinton County; Jeremy Brunst, Richeyville, Washington County; Steven Brussese, Newport, Perry County; Richard Buha II, Harmony, Butler County;  

Michael College, Altoona, Blair County; Zachary Edwards, Nanty Glo, Cambria County; Jeremy Febinger, Kittanning, Armstrong County; Joel Gibble, Lebanon, Lebanon County; Skyler Gibble, Coudersport, Potter County; Michael Goodenow Jr., Athens, Bradford County; Ryan Guth, Mohnton, Berks County; Andrew Harvey, Friedens, Somerset County; Ellyn Lindenmuth, Emmaus, Lehigh County; Matthew Johnson, Lansdale, Montgomery County; Eric Kelly, Clifton Township, Lackawanna County; Thomas Kline, Reading, Berks County; William Kreider, Stroudsburg, Monroe County; Charles Macunas, Auburn, Schuylkill County; Eric McBride, Clearfield, Clearfield County; Jonathan Mummert, Spring Grove, York County; Jeffrey Orwig, Felton, York County; Brandon Pfister, Duncansville, Blair County; Amanda Powell, Huntingdon, Huntingdon County; Benjamin Rebuck, Sunbury, Northumberland County; Justin Ritter, Boiling Springs, Cumberland County; Matthew Savinda, Tarentum, Allegheny County; Michael Stutts Jr., Meadville, Crawford County; Jared Turner, Bristol, Bucks County; Jason Wagner, Elizabethtown, Lancaster County; Matthew Ward, Pleasant Gap, Centre County.

The Game Commission has budgeted nearly $2 million to train these 31 individuals, who will fill vacant districts throughout the state. The agency anticipates that all vacant districts will be filled when this class graduates in March 2015.

The 30^th WCO class follows the 29^th class, which graduated in March 2013. For years, the Game Commission has been one of the top ranking agencies in terms of employee longevity, but an increasing number of employees reaching retirement in recent years, especially within the ranks of our WCOs, has made it necessary for more frequent classes with even more cadets.

While the training represents a sacrifice for the cadets, it’s one Hough said is well worth it.

“Upon completion of the training, they will be among the most-qualified, best-trained officers in wildlife management,” he said.

Pennsylvania Game Commission Releases Deer Harvest Estimates

Harvests up 3 percent statewide in 2013-14, report shows.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission today reported that, in the state’s 2013-14 seasons, hunters harvested an estimated 352,920 deer – an increase of about 3 percent compared to the previous seasons’ harvest of 343,110.

Hunters took 134,280 antlered deer in the 2013-14 seasons – a harvest similar to the previous license year when an estimated 133,860 bucks were taken. Also, hunters harvested 218,640 antlerless deer in 2013-14, which represents an about 4 percent increase compared to the 209,250 antlerless deer taken in 2012-13.

Harvest estimates are based on more than 25,000 deer checked by Game Commission personnel and more than 110,000 harvest reports submitted by successful hunters. Because only about one-third of hunters report their deer harvests, the Game Commission uses data from deer checked in the field and hunter reports to estimate the total harvest.

The age structure of the 2013-14 antlered deer harvest was 47 percent 1½-year-old bucks, with the remaining 53 percent of harvested bucks being 2½ years old or older.

The antlerless harvest included nearly 62 percent adult females, about 21 percent button bucks and almost 18 percent doe fawns. The rates are similar to long-term averages.

The antlerless success rate remained about 25 percent for the licenses issued. 

Bureau of Wildlife Management personnel currently are working to develop 2014-15 antlerless deer license allocation recommendations for the April meeting of the Board of Game Commissioners. Calvin W. DuBrock, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management director, said that in addition to harvest data, staff will be looking at deer health measures, forest regeneration and deer-human conflicts for each WMU.

Total deer harvest estimates by WMU for 2013-14 (with 2012-13 figures in parentheses) are as follows:

WMU 1A: 6,400 (6,100) antlered, 13,900 (11,900) antlerless;

WMU 1B: 6,800 (7,000) antlered, 10,800 (11,100) antlerless;

WMU 2A: 6,800 (6,700) antlered, 13,200 (12,700) antlerless;

WMU 2B: 5,600 (4,800) antlered, 14,000 (16,000) antlerless;

WMU 2C: 7,200 (7,600) antlered, 11,000 (10,800) antlerless;

WMU 2D: 13,700 (13,700) antlered, 21,600 (20,800) antlerless;

WMU 2E: 4,900 (4,800) antlered, 8,000 (5,600) antlerless;

WMU 2F: 6,600 (7,100) antlered, 8,000 (6,100) antlerless;

WMU 2G: 5,000 (5,000) antlered, 6,900 (5,000) antlerless;

WMU 2H: 1,500 (1,700) antlered, 1,700 (1,400) antlerless;

WMU 3A: 4,200 (4,300) antlered, 5,400 (6,700) antlerless;

WMU 3B: 6,200 (5,800) antlered, 8,700 (8,700) antlerless;

WMU 3C: 7,000 (7,900) antlered, 12,700 (10,500) antlerless;

WMU 3D: 3,400 (4,000) antlered, 5,000 (6,000) antlerless;

WMU 4A: 5,000 (4,200) antlered, 6,000 (6,500) antlerless;

WMU 4B: 5,300 (5,600) antlered, 5,800 (5,600) antlerless;

WMU 4C: 5,200 (5,300) antlered, 6,900 (7,800) antlerless;

WMU 4D: 7,200 (6,900) antlered, 8,200 (6,300) antlerless;

WMU 4E: 6,300 (5,000) antlered, 7,700 (6,100) antlerless;

WMU 5A: 2,800 (2,800) antlered, 4,100 (3,600) antlerless;

WMU 5B: 7,400 (8,500) antlered, 12,800 (12,500) antlerless;

WMU 5C: 8,100 (7,800) antlered, 21,700 (23,600) antlerless;

WMU 5D: 1,600 (1,300) antlered, 4,500 (3,800) antlerless; and

Unknown WMU: 80 (60) antlered, 40 (50) antlerless.

Season-specific 2013-14 deer harvest estimates (with 2012-13 harvest estimates in parentheses) are as follows:

WMU 1A: archery, 2,730 (2,300) antlered, 2,450 (2,220) antlerless; and muzzleloader, 70 (100) antlered, 1,250 (1,380) antlerless.

WMU 1B: archery, 2,380 (2,250) antlered, 1,530 (1,480) antlerless; muzzleloader, 20 (50) antlered, 670 (920) antlerless.

WMU 2A: archery, 2,160 (1,970) antlered, 2,060 (2,320) antlerless; muzzleloader, 40 (30) antlered, 1,640 (2,080) antlerless.

WMU 2B: archery, 3,740 (2,800) antlered, 6,010 (7,040) antlerless; muzzleloader, 60 (100) antlered, 990 (1,060) antlerless.

WMU 2C: archery, 2,730 (2,220) antlered, 2,150 (2,160) antlerless; muzzleloader, 70 (80) antlered, 1,550 (1,640) antlerless.

WMU 2D: archery, 4,960 (4,480) antlered, 2,940 (2,910) antlerless; muzzleloader, 140 (120) antlered, 2,660 (3,290) antlerless.

WMU 2E: archery, 1,570 (1,160) antlered, 1,010 (740) antlerless; muzzleloader, 30 (40) antlered, 1,190 (960) antlerless.

WMU 2F: archery, 1,660 (1,550) antlered, 1,070 (790) antlerless; muzzleloader, 40 (50) antlered, 1,230 (1,110) antlerless.

WMU 2G: archery, 1,180 (970) antlered, 1,170 (880) antlerless; muzzleloader, 20 (30) antlered, 1,430 (1,120) antlerless.

WMU 2H: archery, 290 (290) antlered, 290 (160) antlerless; muzzleloader, 10 (10) antlered, 310 (240) antlerless.

WMU 3A: archery, 1,080 (880) antlered, 620 (750) antlerless; muzzleloader, 20 (20) antlered, 680 (850) antlerless.

WMU 3B: archery, 2,040 (1,450) antlered, 1,820 (1,530) antlerless; muzzleloader, 60 (50) antlered, 1,490 (1,670) antlerless.

WMU 3C: archery, 1,950 (1,840) antlered, 2,230 (1,660) antlerless; muzzleloader, 50 (60) antlered, 1,970 (1,940) antlerless.

WMU 3D: archery, 1,170 (1,080) antlered, 1,130 (1,170) antlerless; muzzleloader, 30 (20) antlered, 670 (730) antlerless.

WMU 4A: archery, 900 (660) antlered, 600 (650) antlerless; muzzleloader, 100 (40) antlered, 800 (750) antlerless.

WMU 4B: archery, 1,650 (1,480) antlered, 1,080 (1,110) antlerless; muzzleloader, 50 (20) antlered, 820 (890) antlerless.

WMU 4C: archery, 2,250 (1,850) antlered, 1,540 (1,490) antlerless; muzzleloader, 50 (50) antlered, 860 (810) antlerless.

WMU 4D: archery, 1,950 (1,450) antlered, 1,660 (1,190) antlerless; muzzleloader, 50 (50) antlered, 1,140 (1,010) antlerless.

WMU 4E: archery, 2,240 (1,550) antlered, 1,650 (1,200) antlerless; muzzleloader, 60 (50) antlered, 1,050 (1,000) antlerless.

WMU 5A: archery, 970 (780) antlered, 850 (630) antlerless; muzzleloader, 30 (20) antlered, 550 (370) antlerless.

WMU 5B: archery, 4,030 (4,020) antlered, 3,730 (3,700) antlerless; muzzleloader, 70 (80) antlered, 1,270 (1,300) antlerless.

WMU 5C: archery, 5,110 (4,170) antlered, 9,840 (9,370) antlerless; muzzleloader, 90 (130) antlered, 1,760 (1,430) antlerless.

WMU 5D: archery, 1,300 (970) antlered, 3,140 (2,520) antlerless; muzzleloader, 0 (30) antlered, 160 (80) antlerless.

Unknown WMU: archery, 80 (60) antlered, 10 (10) antlerless; muzzleloader, 0 (0) antlered, 0 (20) antlerless.

For additional information on Pennsylvania’s 2013-14 deer harvest, please go to the agency’s website – www.pgc.state.pa.us – and click on “White-Tailed Deer” on the homepage, and then select 2013-14 Deer Harvest Estimates under “Deer Management.”

Montana Pheasants Released Into Pennsylvania

With Franklin County release, all of state’s Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas 

now have received birds.

            Pheasants aren’t known to fly long distances.

            But 58 Montana ringnecks recently took flight to Pennsylvania, albeit by airplane, and were among the first wild pheasants ever released into what is known as the Franklin County Wild Pheasant Recovery Area.

            Four Pennsylvania-born pheasant roosters, which were trapped in and transferred from the Central Susquehanna Wild Pheasant Recovery Area, were released alongside the Montana birds to provide for a balanced sex ratio of the birds released.

            Prior to Sunday’s release, it had been three years since Pennsylvania had placed wild pheasants into any of the state’s Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas, which aim to restore to the state self-sustaining populations of wild ring-necked pheasants that eventually can be hunted. 

            States like South Dakota, which initially provided wild ringnecks to Pennsylvania as part of the restoration program, have been reluctant to part with their own wild stock because of overall declines in their wild pheasant populations. 

            Until recently, it looked as if 2014 would mark another year in which the trend would continue.
            However, the Pennsylvania Game Commission in late January received permission from a Native American tribe in Montana to trap and transport wild pheasants as part of the program. 

            In addition to the 58 Montana pheasants that have been released, about 10 more Montana pheasants have been trapped and are slated to be shipped to Pennsylvania and released within the Franklin County WPRA in the coming days.

            Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director R. Matthew Hough acknowledged the difficulty in recent years of securing wild pheasants from other states for release into Pennsylvania’s WPRAs. He thanked those involved in this year’s wild-pheasant stocking for their dedication and cooperation in the effort.

            “Organizations like Pheasants Forever deserve much thanks, as does the Crow Indian Reservation, the trapping crew that traveled to Montana to secure the birds, and Game Commission staff and our Board of Game Commissioners for their resolve to locate wild pheasants that could be brought here for release,” Hough said. “With the release into the Franklin County WPRA, all four of Pennsylvania’s WPRAs now have received wild birds at least once. Hopefully these Montana birds will find their new home to their liking.”

            The Franklin County WPRA was established in 2011, and was initially slated to receive wild pheasants in early 2012. The WPRA is located in the southwestern part of Franklin County and centers roughly on the borough of Mercersburg. U.S. Route 30 forms the WPRA’s northern border, and the WPRA runs south to the Mason-Dixon Line. 

            The Franklin County WPRA is among four that have been established in Pennsylvania. Pheasants previously have been released into the Central Susquehanna WPRA, which is located in parts of Northumberland, Montour, Columbia and Lycoming counties; the Somerset WPRA in Somerset County; and the Hegins-Gratz Valley WPRA in Schuylkill and Dauphin counties.

            Only trapped-and-transferred wild pheasants are introduced into a WPRA, given their heightened chances for survival in the wild, compared to propagated birds.

            There is no open season for taking pheasants in any Wild Pheasant Recovery Area, and releases of propagated pheasants also are prohibited there. Training dogs and hunting small game other than woodchucks, waterfowl and crows are prohibited within a WPRA from the first Sunday in February to July 31.

            The Game Commission seeks the public’s help in making WPRAs more successful. Pheasant success within any WPRA relies on the availability of adequate nesting and wintering habitat, and privately held land accounts for most of the acreage within the WPRAs. Those who are interested in creating or enhancing pheasant habitat on land they own can contact the Game Commission’s WPRA biologist Colleen DeLong at 570-380-0833, or contact their local Pheasants Forever chapter.

            The public also can help to monitor the success of WPRAs by calling the Game Commission if they see pheasants – especially hens or chicks – within a WPRA, or calling the phone number on leg bands of any dead pheasants they might find within a WPRA.

            People also are asked to leave pheasant nests within WPRAs undisturbed and to avoid mowing grassy or brushy habitat there.

            For more information on WPRAS, visit the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.state.pa.us, and select, “Hunting under the “Hunt/Trap” tab, then select “Pheasant” under the “Small Game” header. Maps and other information on Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas are available

2014 Spring Gun Bash Another Great Success!

Thanks to all the 700+ who came out to help make this years Spring Gun Bash at Laube Hall in Freeport a great Success and a great time for all.

Pennsylvania Antlered Harvest Up, Antlerless Kill Steady

By John Hayes / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The deer harvest was generally up, bucks were older and getting larger, and $20 million in revenue was earned through industrial leases, according the state Game Commission's 2014 annual report to the legislature.

In his first address to the House Game and Fisheries Committee, new executive director Matt Hough said an estimated 343,110 deer were taken in combined 2012-13 seasons (336,200 in 2011-12). The antlered harvest of 133,860 was up 5 percent, and 209,250 antlerless deer were killed, about same as during the 2011-12 harvest.

The percentage of harvested bucks age 2 1/2 years and older was up since the implementation of antler restrictions, he said, and the crossbow impact on the archery harvest was significant.
"Archery hunters were responsible for 32 percent of the total antlered deer harvest, and 48 percent of the archery antlered harvest was taken by individuals using crossbows," Hough said.

While the agency faced challenges, increased revenue from industrial leases, bonus payments and royalties on State Game Lands contributed to a relatively solid financial standing.

Ammo prices down

Around the holidays ammunition prices were through the roof -- that's if you could find ammo at all. At gun shops and big box outfitters, many shelves were literally empty.

Buddy Savage, owner of Braverman Arms in Wilkinsburg, said the market is "still in flux -- very, very hard to read," but the trend is for greater availability and cheaper prices.

"It was unreal, some of the prices out there," he said. "The bottom line is, it's maxed itself out. There's much more availability now than just a few weeks ago. I feel [prices] are coming down -- it's changing almost by the day."

Although some hoarding has occurred for several years -- many consumers have stocked up fearing a federal gun and ammunition crackdown -- Savage said the recent supply problem was to some degree related to massive ammunition purchases by the federal government.

"There was a big demand on ammunition manufacturers and their facilities by the government," he said. "It's good pay, and some of the contracts were so overwhelming, they had to go with the government. I think they're now to the point where they're satisfying the government and letting commercial production take over."

Much of the current demand is for smaller calibers used in military-style rifles popular with bench shooters. Demand for common hunting calibers is likely to increase in the spring.

Spring Is Almost Here - Really!

Sooner or later, winter will let up – and bluebirds will nest.

In a winter like this one, it might seem spring will never come.

But it’s guaranteed to get here. And now is the perfect time to start “thinking spring” by making plans to connect with wildlife in your own backyard when temperatures warm.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission again is selling bluebird nesting boxes. The boxes sell for $10.60 (includes sales tax), and customers can select from assembled boxes or kits that can be assembled as a wood-working project.

“Bluebirds are early nesters, so now is the time to put up new nest boxes, as well as to clean and repair existing boxes,” said Dan Brauning, Game Commission Wildlife Diversity Division chief. “These bluebird boxes enable Pennsylvanians to help wildlife in a natural way.

“Also, building nesting boxes is a great project for individuals, families or civic organizations interested in connecting with wildlife. These box designs are proven to attract bluebirds and other native species, such as tree swallows and house wrens.”

Bluebirds live in open country, and are a beautiful songbird native to Pennsylvania. Bluebirds are cavity nesters and became less common due to a lack of suitable nest sites. Many nest sites have been lost through changing land-use practices, as well as to urban and suburban sprawl. But the introductions of house sparrows and starlings in 1851 and 1890 were the primary reasons for the bluebirds’ decline, as these non-native species took over native bluebird nesting cavities.

The bluebird boxes offered by the Game Commission include an opening that is the prescribed 1½  inches in diameter. This precludes starlings from being able to enter. However, house sparrows still are able to enter the boxes. If this occurs, the house sparrow nest should be removed immediately. They’re usually easy to identify; they fill up the whole nesting cavity with grasses and almost always include feathers and manmade materials in their composition. Native species such as tree swallows and house wrens should not be excluded from nest-boxes. Wrens construct nests with twigs; swallows build a nest with a distinct cup below the entrance hole.

Boxes should be placed on a free-standing pole 3 to 5 feet above the ground – facing south, if possible – and facing a nearby tree or fence where young birds can safely land on their initial flights from the box. To reduce predation and competition from other species, no perch should be placed on the box; bluebirds do not need one. Boxes placed in pairs, about 20 feet apart, may help reduce competition from swallows.

The Game Commission’s Howard Nursery has been manufacturing bluebird nest boxes and box kits for more than a quarter century. Each year, about 9,000 boxes are manufactured there and sold or provided to Pennsylvanians to help bluebirds. That annual influx of new nest boxes helps ensure Pennsylvania remains a “keystone state” in bluebird conservation.

The boxes are on sale at the Game Commission’s Harrisburg headquarters, the Howard Nursery, the Game Commission’s six region offices, and can be ordered by mail through an order form available online. Sales will continue while supplies last.

 Office hours are Monday to Friday from 7:45 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Game Commission’s headquarters is at 2001 Elmerton Ave., just off the Progress Avenue exit of Interstate 81 in Harrisburg.

The Howard Nursery is located at 197 Nursery Road, Howard, Pa.

To order by phone, call the Game Commission’s Harrisburg office at 1-888-888-3459. If ordering by phone, shipping and handling costs will apply depending on how many boxes are ordered.

The 2014 Wildlife Homes Order Form will soon be available at the Game Commission’s website. It will be found under the “General Store” tab, and in the “Howard Nursery” category.

For more information on bluebirds, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), hover over “Wildlife” in the menu bar at the top of the homepage, then select “Birding and Bird Conservation”, and then “Eastern Bluebird” in the Natural History section of the page. Also, information about additional wildlife nesting structures can be found by putting your cursor on “Self-Help” in the menu bar at the top of the homepage, then clicking on “Download Forms and Brochures” in the drop-down menu listing, and then clicking on “Wildlife Homes Order Form” in the “Agency Programs” section.