Beaver County Sportsmen's Conservation League

To promote and foster, the protection and conservation of our wildlife resources

SEEDLING SALES TO BEGIN

by

While it might be winter, landowners can begin making plans to help wildlife this spring – and beyond – by planting tree and shrub seedlings offered by the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Howard Nursery.

The 2019 seedling order form is available online, and sales are set to begin Jan. 7 at 7 a.m.

The Howard Nursery grows tree and shrub seedlings for state game lands, participating Hunter Access cooperators, the Seedlings for Schools program and the Game Commission’s conservation partners. Any remaining surplus is available to Pennsylvania residents for purchase for wildlife food and cover, watershed protection, soil-erosion control, and for reclamation of disturbed areas, such as surface mine sites and utility rights-of-way.

The selection of seedlings changes from year to year due to available seed, seedling germination, or growing conditions.

“Last year, game lands and partner demands for seedlings was greater than our supply,” explained Brian D. Stone, manager at Howard Nursery. “This year, after fulfilling our commitments to our game lands projects and our partners, we will have a limited supply of surplus available for public sale.”

Seedlings are sold in units of 25. The 2019 order form contains a selection of shrubs and nut-bearing trees, most of which are native to Pennsylvania and collected from Pennsylvania sources. The order form also offers seedling descriptions, site preferences and benefits.

Those species available are: buttonbush, graystem dogwood, Northern bayberry, ninebark, chokecherry, common elderberry, arrowwood viburnum, Washington hawthorn, black walnut, black locust, and black-gum.

Many of the seedlings offered for sale can be purchased at a discounted price.

Orders of 12 or more total units qualify for applicable discounted pricing. With the discount, prices are as low as $5.50 per unit. Regular price ranges from $7.50 to $9.50, depending upon the seedling species.

Species that qualify for the discount are marked on the order form.

Stone said those who are interested might want to call Howard Nursery at 814-355-4434. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Orders can be placed by telephone, as well.

The order form and information about the seedlings for sale will be available at the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.pa.gov. Place your cursor over “Information & Resources” in the menu bar at the top of the homepage, then click on “Make a Purchase” and select the option to order products from Howard Nursery to find the 2019 Seedling Order Form.

If you have problems downloading the order form, you likely need to install the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be found by doing an Internet search and downloaded for free.

The order form can be completed and submitted online, or printed out and faxed or mailed. Payment is not due until the order is confirmed by Howard Nursery. For those without Internet access, order forms can be obtained at Game Commission offices or various displays or booths at shows in which the agency participates through the spring or by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Howard Nursery, 197 Nursery Road, Howard, PA 16841.

The preferred method of delivery is by United Parcel Service (UPS). Shipping and handling charges do apply.

Orders are shipped only Monday through Wednesday to assure delivery for weekend planting. However, orders also may be picked up in person at the nursery once buyers are notified the order is ready.

Generally, seedlings ship in the month of April.

Release # 01-19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jan. 3, 2018

For Information Contact:

Travis Lau     717-705-6541    trlau@pa.gov

Courtesy of PA Game Commission

Partnership Conserves 750 Acres

by

12/19/2018

PARTNERSHIP CONSERVES 750 ACRES

HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Game Commission and The Conservation Fund announced today the purchase of 752 acres of forestland near Red Rock.

Bordered on three sides by Ricketts Glen State Park and State Game Lands (SGL) 13 and 57, the property provides habitat for a variety of migratory birds, popular game animals, aquatic life and threatened and endangered species. The newly protected area in Sullivan County features wetlands, swamps and forested headwaters for two miles of the high-quality Mehoopany Creek, including core habitat for natural heritage areas important for preserving biologic diversity and water quality of the North Branch of the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

“While this is a large acquisition for the Game Commission in terms of acreage, the overall impact is larger still,” said Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans. “The acquisition pushes the total acreage of State Game Lands 13 to over 50,000 acres, and it creates nearly 100,000 acres of contiguous state game lands because State Game Lands 13 and 57 border one another. For hunters, trappers and all users of game lands—and importantly, for wildlife—the acquisition is an important achievement in conservation. On behalf of these parties and the Game Commission, allow me to thank The Conservation Fund for its efforts.”

The Pennsylvania Game Commission purchased the land on December 18 with transactional support from The Conservation Fund and funding from Williams in connection with the construction and operation of the company’s Atlantic Sunrise natural gas pipeline project. Now part of SGL 13, the land is open to the public for hiking, hunting, fishing and wildlife-viewing, activities that support the outdoor recreation economy of the Endless Mountains Heritage Region. Additional funding for the acquisition was provided by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

“This is a great place to visit and experience the outdoors. In addition to wildlife and bird watching, the property has high quality habitat for game species and will prove a worthy addition to the opportunities afield for Pennsylvania hunters.” said Kyle Shenk, Pennsylvania State Director for The Conservation Fund. “Securing large contiguous forest as public land prevents fragmentation of habitat—which is good for wildlife, the forest products industry and local economies.”

Located within the Audubon Society’s designated Loyalsock North Mountain Forest Block Continentally Important Bird Area (IBA) and among more than 109,500 acres of protected public lands, the property supports breeding habitat for 75 species of migratory birds and bats, including state listed species like the American bittern, yellow-bellied flycatcher, American woodcock, Louisiana waterthrush and the silver-haired bat.

About The Conservation Fund

At The Conservation Fund, we make conservation work for America. By creating solutions that make environmental and economic sense, we are redefining conservation to demonstrate its essential role in our future prosperity. Top-ranked for efficiency and effectiveness, we have worked in all 50 states since 1985 to protect more than eight million acres of land, including more than 106,000 acres in Pennsylvania. Visit conservationfund.org for additional information.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Travis Lau – 717-705-6541  PA Game Commission

Courtesy of PA Game Commission

Pennsylvania State Game Lands

by

The Game Commission owns and manages nearly 1.5 million acres of state game lands throughout the Commonwealth. The primary purpose of these lands is the management of habitat for wildlife and provide opportunities for lawful hunting and trapping. Secondary recreational uses are permitted in accordance with the Game Commission’s regulations.

State Game Lands RegulationsOpens In A New Window – Title 58

State Game Lands PDF Maps

Mapping Center: Create personalized state game lands maps.

Public Shooting Ranges 

The Game Commission maintains public shooting ranges on game lands across the state.

Northwest
Northcentral
Northeast
Southwest
Southcentral
Southeast

Seasonal Roads 

More than 400 miles of roads are open seasonally on state game lands. Seasonal openings are based on hunting seasons, road conditions and safety. These listings provide maps, road descriptions and their opening and closing dates.

Northwest
Northcentral
Northeast
Southwest
Southcentral NOTE: Due to extremely wet weather conditions, a decision was made to close the seasonal road on Jack’s Mountain, State Game Lands 99 prior to the end of Flintlock Muzzleloader Season, ending on January 12th.  Hunter’s will still have access to this game lands and the top of Jack’s Mountain via White Road off State Route 747.
Southeast

Access for Hunters with Disabilities 

Hunters and trappers with disabilities can find additional information on the Permits for Hunters with Disabilities page. Permitted persons can access state game lands using ATVs on these designated routes. Note: This information is in the process of being updated. Please reach out to the region directly if no routes are listed.

Northwest
Northcentral
Northeast
Southwest
Southcentral
Southeast

Designated Routes for Horses and Bicycles 

These multi-use roads or trails are open to bicycling and horseback riding at certain times of the year, and under certain restrictions. Riding activities are not permitted (except on Sundays or on roads open to public travel) from the last Saturday in September thru the third Saturday in January, and before 1 p.m. from the second Saturday in April thru the last Saturday in May. This does not apply to anyone lawfully engaged in hunting, trapping or fishing on state game lands. Designated routes are posted by the Game Commission as being open to travel by a non-motorized vehicle, conveyance or animal.

Northwest
Northcentral
Northeast
Southwest
Southcentral
Southeast

Snowmobile Trails 

Designated routes for snowmobile use on State Game Lands are open, provided there is sufficient snow, from the third Sunday in January through April 1. Riders may only use snowmobiles that are registered and display valid registration decal.

Northwest
Northcentral
Northeast
Southwest
Southcentral
Southeast

Additional Information

Game Lands Special Use Permit (PDF)

Special Requests to Use State Game Lands Information

 

 

 

 

Pennsylvania Senate Committee to Consider Sunday Hunting Ban Repeal

by

Senate Bill 147, sponsored by Senator Daniel Laughlin, would expand hunting opportunities for Pennsylvania hunters by eliminating the prohibition against hunting on Sundays. Prohibitions on Sunday hunting are old blue laws left on the books in just a few states.  They deny hunters access one day per week despite the fact that each year, hunters pump millions of dollars into habitat restoration and conservation through Pittman-Robertson funds.

Many hunters are prevented from introducing their children or friends to hunting because they are competing against organized sports and other activities on Saturday, which is currently their only opportunity to hunt outside of the work or school week.  Countless hunters stop hunting because of the lack of opportunity, both in time and accessible land.  The addition of an extra day in the field, especially on the weekend, increases the opportunity to enjoy our hunting heritage.  Allowing hunting on Sundays will invigorate essential hunter recruitment and retention efforts.

Your NRA-ILA will continue to keep you updated on this important pro-hunting legislation as it progresses in the legislature.

Courtesy of NRA-ILA  Institute for Legislative Action

HIGHLIGHTS FROM COMMISSIONERS MEETING SEPTEMBER 25TH

by

On Sept. 25, the Board of Game Commissioners took preliminary action to update the state’s list of threatened and endangered species, which includes downgrading three protected cave bat species and reclassifying them as state endangered species.

The three bat species, all of which have been decimated by white-nose syndrome since it appeared in Pennsylvania in 2008, are the northern long-eared bat, tri-colored bat and little brown bat.

Additionally, the board voted preliminarily to upgrade the peregrine falcon’s status from endangered to threatened; upgrade the piping plover from extirpated to endangered, and list the red knot – a federally threatened species – as a threatened species within Pennsylvania, as well.

The northern long-eared bat was listed as a federal threatened species in April 2015. In addition, tri-colored bats and little brown bats currently are being considered for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

A state listing allows for the Game Commission to work with industry that might have projects affected by the presence of endangered or threatened species. While projects will continue to be reviewed by the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI), regarding bats, the proposal would affect projects only if they’re within 300 meters of a recent maternity roost, hibernacula or capture location for threatened or endangered bats. Sites that held these bats prior to the arrival of white-nose syndrome, but not since, won’t affect projects.

If the preliminarily approved measure is adopted, only 34 new hibernation sites and 112 maternity sites statewide would be added into the PNDI.

Through a state-endangered listing, the Game Commission will coordinate with developers to resolve conflicts, pointed out Dan Brauning, Game Commission Wildlife Diversity Division Chief. For little brown and tri-colored bats, the Game Commission will be the lead agency in determining potential impacts. However, for northern long-eared bats, coordination by both the Game Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be necessary.

“These cave bats teeter on the brink of state extirpation; extinction is not yet out of the question,” Brauning noted. “Their need for additional protections is obvious and overdue. For the Game Commission to do anything less would be recklessly irresponsible.”

The Game Commission had moved to list these bats in 2012, but concerns about unnecessary oversight and job loss heard from representatives of timber, oil, coal and gas industries and legislators prompted additional discussion.

“The Game Commission strives to work whenever possible with industry, to save jobs, and be a part of sound state government,” emphasized agency Executive Director Bryan Burhans. “But we cannot look the other way as bats tumble toward extinction. This agency has statutory and state constitutional commitments to represent and conserve all wildlife for today and tomorrow.”

Because bats have lost upward of 97 percent of their historic populations in Pennsylvania, every remaining bat matters, Brauning said.

What works against these cave bats is their annual reproduction provides limited replacement. Most female cave bats have one pup per year, a rate that would place their potential recovery more than a century away.

There’s no doubt a state-endangered listing of these cave bat species will require the implementation of additional protective measures. But given the mammoth collapse of these winged mammals, there’s no doubt they need more help; the sooner, the better.

But some of the proposals for status change represent better news.

The peregrine falcon has seen a steady statewide recovery, which qualifies its status to be upgraded to threatened under the agency’s Peregrine Falcon Management Plan.

Upgrading the piping plover’s status to endangered recognizes its return to breeding in Pennsylvania After more than 60 years of absence, piping plover pairs successfully nested at Presque Isle State Park in 2017 and 2018.

And changing the status of the red knot – a rare migrant bird found in Pennsylvania mostly at Presque Isle State Park – recognizes its vulnerability to further declines.

The status changes will be brought back to the January meeting for a final vote. Click here to keep reading.

MEDIA CONTACT: Travis Lau – 717-705-6541

COURTESY OF PA GAME COMMISSION

FEDS SUPPORT PROJECT TO TRACK SPECIES IN DECLINE

by

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to support a proposal for further expansion of the Motus Wildlife Tracking System in Pennsylvania and four other states to monitor eight migratory species of greatest conservation and other wildlife.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission will lead a team involving the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Northeast Motus Collaboration and other partnering organizations to collect life-cycle information of seven migratory birds and one bat that have been in serious declines for at least years, and in some cases, decades.

The Northeast Motus Collaboration is a partnership of the Willistown Conservation Trust, Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, Project Owlnet and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Powdermill Nature Reserve. The collaboration is housed under the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, established in 2013 by Bird Studies Canada. The network currently tracks wildlife from more than 500 stations around the world.

The USFWS is providing $497,929 to help underwrite this wildlife surveillance, which tracks migrating animals with nanotags – radio transmitters so small, they can be fitted to monarch butterflies. Collaboration member organizations and others are providing more than $225,000 to meet federal matching funding requirements.

The Pennsylvania species being targeted by this fieldwork are Swainson’s thrush, wood thrush, blackpoll warblers, Canada warblers, rusty blackbirds, American woodcock and northern long-eared bats. Other priority species, such as New England’s Bicknell’s thrush, also are targeted by this research.

“This project embodies contemporary wildlife conservation: state and federal government agencies working with private conservation organizations and universities to help species that demand more attention than traditional wildlife management can provide,” explained Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans. “The agency is indebted to partner organizations, such as the Willistown Conservation Trust and the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, for their commitment to wildlife. Today, conservation counts on partners more than ever before.”

Nanotags are the innovation that makes this research possible. They weigh as little as one-eighth the weight of a penny and can accomplish what much heavier telemetry gear couldn’t do as recently as 10 years ago. Almost overnight they have helped strengthen the science used in wildlife conservation.

Nanotags transmit a signal that can reach out about 10 miles. This project aims to provide more receiver stations to collect those nanotag transmissions. Currently, there are more than 40 in Pennsylvania. The expectation is that about 12 more receiving stations would be added under this proposal.

“Pennsylvania already is well equipped with receiving stations in western and southern counties,” explained Dan Brauning, who supervises the Game Commission’s Wildlife Diversity Division. “Clusters of new receiver stations will be established on the Pocono Plateau, as well as across the northern tier, and along the Kittatinny Ridge/South Mountain system.”

But this proposal covers more than Pennsylvania. It will work to establish more receiving stations in four other states: New York, Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware.

Receiver stations already are collecting information that has been pondered by ornithologists and bat biologists since the dawn of American wildlife conservation. Soon, they will know more about the specifics of migration than ever before. Click here to continue reading.

MEDIA CONTACT: Travis Lau – 717-705-6541

COURTESY OF PA GAME COMMISSION

 

LEASHED TRACKING DOGS ALLOWED TO RECOVER BIG GAME

by

As the statewide deer seasons kick off, hunters will have their first opportunity to recover big game they’ve shot by tracking the animal’s escape trail with a leashed dog.
Gov. Tom Wolf earlier this year signed into law a bill that allows for the use of leashed tracking dogs to recover big game that cannot be recovered by hunters.
The legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Mario M Scavello, provides another choice for hunters who have shot and inflicted injury on a white-tailed deer, black bear or elk, but lose the trail.
“This law will provide greater recovery of big game shot by hunters,” noted Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans. “Trailing big game can require specialized tracking skills, especially after nightfall. And if it’s a warmer night, or rain is approaching, every minute matters. Within a few hours, downed big game might spoil.”
Scavello’s bill recognized and championed the need for properly trained and controlled tracking dogs.

This simple and humane change in law is of great benefit to both our hunting community and some of Pennsylvania’s most-valued natural resources, white-tailed deer, black bears and elk, Scavello said.
Big-game hunters may use tracking dogs to recover big game in the 2018-19 seasons. Dogs cannot be used to locate big game unless an animal has been shot.
It’s important to remember that the new leashed tracking dog language to the Game and Wildlife Code really doesn’t change how hunters can track wounded big game, said Randy Shoup, Bureau of Wildlife Protection director. The only difference is the tracking dog.
During hunting hours, big game can be tracked with a sporting arm, which can be possessed only by the hunter. After hunting hours close, a sporting arm cannot be used to dispatch downed big game. This includes Sundays and the day after season closes.

In addition, hunters tracking big game after hours, or on Sundays are asked to contact the Game Commission region office serving the county where the animal will be tracked, to alert the local state game warden of the recovery effort. It’s possible the game warden might accompany the tracker.
During tracking, the hunter and the tracker (dog owner) must be licensed for the big game being tracked and meet the season’s florescent orange requirements. In addition, the longstanding expectation for hunters, and now trackers, to respect private property boundaries remains in place.
Trackers do not register with and are not certified or licensed by the Game Commission. Trackers might charge for their services, but the Game Commission will not resolve differences between trackers and hunters. Commercial activity on state game lands is prohibited so tracking dog owners cannot charge for their services there.

MEDIA CONTACT: Travis Lau – 717-705-6541

COURTESY OF PA GAME COMMISSION

 

PENNSYLVANIA GAME COMMISSION RUFFED GROUSE FILM WINS BIG

by

Watch the 9-minute film

Between 2001 and 2005, the ruffed grouse population suffered a 63 percent decline in Pennsylvania. No one was sure why but in 2015 through 2016, Game Commission biologist Lisa Williams and her team confirmed their suspicions about Pennsylvania’s state bird being affected by the West Nile Virus (WNV).

Grouse chicks were hatched from eggs gathered in the wild, and then inoculated with WNV. Within the first week 40 percent of the chicks died. After two weeks, an additional 40 percent of the chicks showed so much organ damage that they probably could not have survived in their natural environment.

After the challenge study was completed, the laboratory findings were then tested on wild grouse in Pennsylvania by looking for WNV-positive antibodies in harvested grouse. This testing is the first of its kind where lab results were then tested in wild populations.

Williams rallied hundreds of hunters across the state to send in blood samples when they harvested a grouse during the hunting season. Game Commission pathologist Justin Brown and their research partners at Colorado State University and the University of Guelph then did the careful lab work to assess WNV exposure in wild grouse. By incorporating these findings into habitat management planning, the Game Commission and partners hope to direct habitat management efforts to areas where grouse populations have the best chance of responding.

Williams’ research then caught the ear of one of the Game Commission staff filmmakers.

Game Commission filmmaker Tracy Graziano, armed with her Canon C500 and Final Cut X editing program, set out to tell Williams’ story that continues to unfold even today. Graziano completed the 9-minute documentary in late January 2017 after 18 months of shooting and countless hours in the field. She has been with the agency for eight years but has been creating science and wildlife documentaries since 1999.

“The most rewarding thing I can hope for in any of my film projects is to help influence change for the benefit of wildlife and conservation,” said Graziano.

“With more than 27,000 YouTube views to date, I believe the ‘Ruffed Grouse’ film was critically important in raising awareness among hunters about the risk of WNV to grouse and is one of the reasons other state wildlife agencies started looking into WNV as a contributing cause of decreasing grouse populations,” Lisa Williams said.

Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans concurs.

“Lisa Williams’ research into the ruffed grouse population decline in Pennsylvania is cutting-edge science-based wildlife management,” Burhans said. “Documenting these important findings by using the latest technology by skilled filmmaker Tracy Graziano so others can learn and benefit exemplifies why the Pennsylvania Game Commission is at the forefront in modern wildlife management.”

“Ruffed Grouse” won awards from the following:

  • The University of Idaho Fish & Wildlife Film Festival 2017, Idaho, “Natural History Documentary-Short” category
  • American Conservation Film Festival 2017, West Virginia, Official Selection “Conservation Film Short” category
  • Wildlife Conservation Film Festival 2017, New York, Official Selection “Wildlife Conservation” category
  • FIIN 2017, Portugal, Official Selection “Films of Nature” category
  • NatureTrack Film Festival 2018, California, Official Selection “Conservation” category
  • Outdoor Film Festival 2018, Utah, Official Selection “Categories by Species”

This past July, the “Ruffed Grouse” film was recognized with its most recent award at the Association for Conservation Information (ACI) conference in Springfield, Missouri. The film took third place in the 2018 “Video Long” category.

ACI is a professional organization that recognizes excellence in educational work completed by state and federal fish and wildlife agencies across North America.

 

CWD RULES AFFECT OUT OF STATE HUNTERS

by

HARRISBURG, PA – Pennsylvanians who harvest deer, elk, mule deer or moose out-of-state likely can’t bring them home without first removing the carcass parts with the highest risk of transmitting chronic wasting disease (CWD).

Pennsylvania long has prohibited the importation of high-risk cervid parts from areas where CWD has been detected. This prohibition reduces the possibility of CWD, which always is fatal to the cervids it infects, spreading to new areas within Pennsylvania.

Earlier this year, the Game Commission strengthened its ban on importing high-risk cervid parts by prohibiting any deer harvested in New York, Ohio, Maryland or West Virginia from being brought back to Pennsylvania whole.

In previous hunting seasons, the prohibition applied only to deer harvested within counties in those states where CWD has been detected.

With the change, Pennsylvanians who harvest deer anywhere in New York, Ohio, Maryland or West Virginia either must have them processed in those states or remove the high-risk parts before bringing the meat and other low-risk parts back into Pennsylvania.

There now are 24 states and two Canadian provinces from which high-risk cervid parts cannot be imported into Pennsylvania.

The parts ban affects hunters who harvest deer, elk, moose, mule deer and other cervids in: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming; as well as the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

High-risk parts include: the head (including brain, tonsils, eyes and any lymph nodes); spinal cord/backbone; spleen; skull plate with attached antlers, if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; cape, if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; upper canine teeth, if root structure or other soft tissue is present; any object or article containing visible brain or spinal cord tissue; unfinished taxidermy mounts; and brain-tanned hides.

Hunters who are successful in those states and provinces from which the importation of high-risk parts into Pennsylvania is banned are allowed to import meat from any deer, elk, moose, mule deer or caribou, so long as the backbone is not present.

Successful hunters also are allowed to bring back cleaned skull plates with attached antlers, if no visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; tanned hide or raw hide with no visible brain or spinal cord tissue present; capes, if no visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; upper canine teeth, if no root structure or other soft tissue is present; and finished taxidermy mounts.

Hunters who harvest cervids in a state or province where CWD is known to exist also should follow instructions from that state’s wildlife agency on how and where to submit the appropriate samples to have their animal tested. If, after returning to Pennsylvania, a hunter is notified that his or her harvest tested positive for CWD, the hunter is encouraged to immediately contact the Game Commission region office that serves the county in which they reside for disposal recommendations and assistance.

A list of region offices and contact information can be found at www.pgc.pa.gov by scrolling to the bottom of any page to select the “Connect with Us” tab.

Pennsylvania first detected chronic wasting disease in 2012 at a captive deer facility in Adams County. The disease has since been detected in free-ranging and captive deer in a few, isolated areas of Pennsylvania.

Presently, there are three active Disease Management Areas (DMAs) within Pennsylvania where special regulations apply to help prevent CWD from spreading to new areas. Deer harvested within DMAs also cannot be transported whole to points outside the DMA.

Much more information on CWD and Pennsylvania’s DMAs is available at www.pgc.pa.gov.

MEDIA CONTACT: Travis Lau – 717-705-6541

Courtesy PA Game Commission

Wild Goose BBQ Sandwich

by

It’s Wild Game Wednesday!

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt a special sense of pride when preparing a meal that included fresh, wild game. There is just something satisfying about knowing exactly where your meat came from that makes wild game meals even more appealing – and – appetizing! Oftentimes, there is an exciting story to accompany the game that’s been prepared. Delicious food paired with great conversation, what more could you ask for?

On Wild Game Wednesday, we take a moment to recognize one of the most important reasons people take to the woods and fields to hunt: to fill their freezers with types of fresh, organic meat. These weekly posts include delicious, easy and in-season wild game recipes from the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Game Cookbook that you and your family can prepare.

For all our goose hunters out there, this one is for you! Let us know if you try this recipe.

Wild Goose BBQ Sandwich

If you are interested in more wild game recipes submitted by people from around Pennsylvania, visit www.theoutdoorshop.state.pa.us/FBG/ to purchase the second edition of the cookbook for less than $10!

Courtesy PA Game Commission