09/26/2023

HARRISBURG, PA – This is a case of enormity hidden in plain sight.

Take Penn State University’s Beaver Stadium – the second-largest stadium in the western hemisphere and the fourth-largest in the world with more than 105,000 seats – and fill it to capacity with fans three times over. Throw in another 40,000 or so concessionaires, parking attendants, custodians, tailgaters and the like.

What’s all that get you?

About as many camo-clad hunters as will hit the woods in the days and weeks ahead for Pennsylvania’s archery deer season. Roughly 350,000 people – about one of every two deer hunters here overall – will head afield in pursuit of whitetails with either a vertical bow or crossbow.

To put that into perspective, the Archery Trade Association earlier this year put out its first-ever estimate of bowhunter numbers nationwide. It credits Pennsylvania with more bowhunters than any other state, and 10% or so of all the bowhunters in the country.

That’s a big change from 1951, when Pennsylvania held its first-ever archery deer season. Then, a little more than 5,500 Keystone State hunters bought the $2 license needed to participate and took 33 bucks.

The 2022-23 archery harvest, by comparison, was 145,640: 75,770 antlered deer and 69,870 antlerless.

“It’s no wonder Pennsylvania’s archery deer season is so popular,” said Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans. “Hunters can pursue whitetails across multiple weeks, before, during and after the peak of the rut, against a backdrop of vibrant autumn colors and increasingly cooler temperatures.

“It’s where opportunity meets demand. Hunters appreciate what’s available and take advantage of it.”

The 2023-24 statewide archery season runs from Sept. 30 through Nov. 11, continues on Sunday, Nov. 12, then goes from Nov. 13 to 17. It comes back in from Dec. 26 to Jan. 15, 2024.

Archers pursuing whitetails in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2B and 5C and 5D, around Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, respectively, can start hunting two weeks sooner, get an additional Sunday and can go later into 2024. Archery season in those WMUs runs from Sept. 16 to Nov. 11, continues on Sunday, Nov. 12, goes Nov. 13 to 18, continues on a second Sunday, Nov. 19, and goes from Nov. 20 to 24. It comes back in on Dec. 26 and goes through Jan. 27, 2024.

That’s a lot of time to be in the woods. Hunters who want to fill a tag and bring home some healthy venison for the table should use as much of it as possible, said David Stainbrook, the Game Commission’s Deer and Elk Section Supervisor.

“Harvest is tied to effort,” Stainbrook said. “One extra day in the woods can mean the difference between harvesting a deer and not getting one. So put yourself where the deer want to be, around food and cover, and then be patient and persistent.”

The Game Commission has a number of videos offering additional information on how to successfully hunt deer on its YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/@PAGameCommissionHDQTRSOpens In A New Window. Search “deer hunting.”

Of course, bowhunters should also practice with their equipment before the season starts, shooting from the ground and/or an elevated stand. In all cases, hunters should only take responsible shots at deer to ensure a quick, clean kill. That means limiting themselves to broadside or quartering-away shots at deer within their personal maximum effective shooting range.

As for equipment, archery hunters may use long, recurve or compound bows, or crossbows. Bows must have a draw weight of at least 35 pounds; crossbows must have a minimum draw weight of 125 pounds.

Illuminated nocks that aid in tracking or locating the arrow or bolt after being launched are legal, but transmitter-tracking arrows are not.

Tree stands and climbing devices that cause damage to trees are unlawful to use or occupy unless the user has permission from the landowner. Tree stands – or tree steps – penetrating a tree’s cambium layer cause damage, and it is unlawful to build or occupy tree stands screwed or nailed to trees on state game lands, state forests or state parks.

Portable hunting tree stands and blinds are allowed on state game lands, but not until two weeks before the opening of the archery deer season. Hunters must remove them no later than two weeks after the close of the flintlock and late archery deer seasons in the WMU being hunted.

In all cases, tree stands on state game lands also must be conspicuously marked with a durable identification tag that identifies the stand owner. Those tags must include the hunter’s first and last name and legal home address, the nine-digit CID number that appears on their hunting license, or their unique Sportsman’s Equipment ID number. Hunters can find their number in their HuntFishPA online profile or on their printed license.

Hunters who plan to be afield on private property on the Sundays open to archers must carry with them written permission from the landowner to be there.

Safety tips for bowhunters

Make sure someone knows where you’re hunting and when you expect to return home. Leave a note or topographic map with your family or a friend. Pack a cellphone for emergencies.

Practice climbing with your tree stand before the opening day of the season, especially at dawn and dusk. Consider placing non-slip material on the deck of your tree stand if it’s not already there.

Always use a fall-restraint device – preferably a full-body harness – when hunting from a tree stand. Wear the device from the moment you leave the ground until you return. Don’t climb dead, wet or icy trees. Stay on the ground on blustery days.

Use a hoist rope to lift your bow and backpack to your tree stand. Trying to climb with either will place you at unnecessary risk.

Don’t sleep in a tree stand. If you can’t stay awake, return to the ground.

Keep yourself in good physical condition. Fatigue can impact judgment, coordination, and reaction time, as well as accuracy.

Always carry broadhead-tipped arrows in a protective quiver. Know how to uncock a crossbow safely, too.

If you use a mechanical release with a vertical bow, always keep your index finger away from the trigger when drawing.

Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for all equipment and check your equipment before each use.

Avoid walking with a nocked, broadhead-tipped arrow or bolt.

Cocked crossbows should always be pointed in a safe direction.

Always carry a whistle to signal passersby in the event you become immobile. A compass or GPS unit and map, matches or lighter and tinder also are essential survival gear items to have along. A flashlight with extra bulbs and/or a portable charger for the light and your phone also can be helpful.

Archers can learn more about how to stay safe in the woods by taking the Game Commission’s free, hour-long online archery safety course. It’s on the Game Commission’s Hunter-Trapper Education page (www.pgc.pa.gov/HuntTrap/Hunter-TrapperEducation) under “Pennsylvania Archery Safety Course.”

Venison care

While hunting in October often offers pleasant days afield, the warm weather also presents challenges for successful deer hunters.

One is making sure they wind up with high-quality venison for the table.

Deer harvested when the weather is warm should be field dressed quickly, then taken from the field and cooled down as soon as possible. Refrigerating is best. While hanging a deer carcass in a shady area might be fine in cooler temperatures, it’s not so good when air temperatures are above 40 degrees.

Additional information on warm-weather venison care, as well as instructions on deer processing and other tips, are available on the white-tailed deer page on the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.pa.gov.

CWD regulations

Hunters should be aware of some rule changes new for this fall designed to slow the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), which is a threat to deer and elk in Pennsylvania.

For starters, the Game Commission recently created a new Disease Management Area (DMA), expanded another and reduced a third.

DMA 8 was created as a response to two recent CWD detections in road-killed deer in Dauphin County. The newly established DMA includes portions of Dauphin, Lebanon, Northumberland, and Schuylkill counties, and is about 660 square miles in size. This was the first time CWD was detected in free-ranging deer east of the Susquehanna River.

Within DMA 8, the Game Commission is using the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) to increase the antlerless deer harvest around the sites where CWD-positive deer were detected. Hunters are able to get additional permits to hunt and harvest antlerless deer there.

The new DMAP unit associated with DMA 8 is DMAP Unit 6396. The unit is more than 140,000 acres, located within Dauphin, Northumberland and Schuylkill counties and includes portions of State Game Lands 210 and 211, and all of State Game Lands 264. A map of DMAP Unit 6396 is available at the DMAP participating properties page at www.pgc.pa.gov.

More than 5,600 DMAP permits for DMAP Unit 6396 were allocated. They can be purchased anywhere hunting licenses are sold, including online at huntfish.pa.gov. Each hunter can buy up to two DMAP Unit 6396 permits. Each permit costs $10.97.

DMA 3, meanwhile, is expanding following the detection of CWD in a road-killed adult female deer in Indiana County. The boundary will generally expand south to Route 259 near Brush Valley, south along Route 119 to Black Lick, west to Clarksburg and Shady Plain, and follow Route 210 north to meet the current boundary. DMA 3 is located in western Pennsylvania and includes portions of Armstrong, Cambria, Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Indiana, and Jefferson counties.

The size of DMA 4 in Lancaster County is being reduced this year after the area around the original CWD-positive captive facility went five consecutive years without any additional CWD detections. The northern boundary will retract to Interstate 76 while the remainder of the DMA stays the same. CWD has not been detected among free-ranging deer in DMA 4.

A map delineating all of the state’s DMAs can be found at the “CWD Interactive Map” tab on the Game Commission’s CWD webpage at www.pgc.pa.gov/cwd.

Hunters should also note that, in the past, they were prohibited from moving “high-risk” carcass parts from any of the state’s Disease Management Areas (DMAs) or the Established Area (EA) to anywhere else in Pennsylvania.

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.

Now, given the continued expansion of DMAs and the increasing number of hunters impacted by them, the Game Commission is allowing hunters who harvest a deer within the boundaries of a DMA or the Established Area (EA) to take them directly to any Game Commission-approved processor or taxidermist anywhere in the state.

The list of cooperators is available at www.pgc.pa.gov/cwd.

Hunters who take a deer within a DMA or the EA may leave the high-risk parts at the location of harvest, although this is not preferred. They can also take it home to process themselves so long as they also live within that DMA or the EA and dispose of the high-risk parts through a trash service. Hunters who live outside a DMA or the EA can quarter the animal to take it home, free of high-risk parts.

Ongoing opportunity

Some hunters will get out early and often across the archery season. Others will be more limited by work, family or other commitments.

The good news is that there’s never a bad time to grab your bow and go. Every week of the 2022-23 archery season, for example, contributed at least 10% to the overall harvest, with some weeks accounting for as much as 25%. So there’s cause for optimism whenever you can get out there.

“Pennsylvania’s archery deer season is an amazing time to be afield,” Burhans said. “You don’t want to miss it.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Travis Lau – 717-705-6541

10/06/2023

HARRISBURG, PA – If you hunt Pennsylvania black bears, maybe for years without harvesting one, now is not the time to give up hope.

It’s true the odds of tagging a bear can seem long. Only somewhere between 1.5% and 2.5% of bear license holders get a bear in any given year.

But bears are again plentiful and widespread across Pennsylvania, with an estimated 15,000 roaming the woods. The 2023 seasons are long and varied, offering lots of opportunities, including hunting on three Sundays. And history shows there’s always reason for optimism.

In 2022, nine hunters born in the 1930s harvested a black bear. One of them, a 96-year-old, took his first bear after 82 years of trying.

There’s nothing to say a hunter who gets a bear can’t get another either. The Game Commission surveyed about 2,100 bear hunters about their experiences, habits and more. One question centered on their level of success.

“Most hunters, 43%, only ever harvested one bear,” said Game Commission black bear biologist Emily Carrollo. “But 11% harvested five or more bears in their lifetime, and 1.5% harvested more than 10 bears in their lifetime.

“And the average number of bears harvested per hunter in a lifetime was 1.5.”

There’s some bear hunting going on already. The archery bear season in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2B and 5C and 5D – which surround Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, respectively – began on Sept. 16. It runs through Nov. 24, including two Sundays, Nov. 12 and 19.

The statewide archery bear season kicks off Oct. 14 and runs through Nov. 4 in all other WMUs.

Muzzleloader hunters can pursue bears statewide from Oct. 14 to 21, while the statewide special firearms bear season for junior and senior license holders, active-duty military and disabled persons’ permit holders runs Oct. 19 to 21.

The general statewide firearms bear season goes from Nov. 18 to 21, including Sunday, Nov. 19.

Bear hunters get one last chance in a few WMUs still later, in the extended firearms bear season that overlaps with the statewide firearms deer season. A hunter with a valid bear license can take a bear from Nov. 25 through Dec. 2, including on Sunday, Nov. 26, in WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C, 4E and 5A, and from Nov. 25 through Dec. 9, including Sunday, Nov. 26, in WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D.

Hunters should be aware extended season bear hunting no longer is permitted in WMUs 1B, 2C, 4A, 4B and 4D, as was the case last year. The Game Commission no longer needs the season to meet its bear management objectives in those units, Carrollo said.

Through all of those seasons, the limit is one bear per hunter per year.

Last year, during the 2022 seasons, hunters harvested 3,170 bears overall. That was down from 3,621 in 2021, but still enough to rank the harvest as the 14th largest all time.

Pennsylvania’s all-time best bear season came in 2019, when hunters harvested 4,653.

Last year hunters got bears in 58 of the state’s 67 counties and all but one WMU. Notably, the harvest was spread out – more evenly than ever before – with seven taken in the special early archery season, 737 taken in the statewide archery season, 712 in the muzzleloader/special firearms seasons, 1,051 in the general season and 663 in the extended season.

Some of those bears were especially noteworthy for their size.

Cory Bennett, of Toms River, N.J., took a 755-pound bear with a muzzleloader Oct. 15 in Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County. That was the largest harvested in 2022, though still short of the all-time record. The heaviest bear ever taken in Pennsylvania was an 875-pounder harvested in 2010 in Pike County.

Other large bears taken in 2022 were: a 746-pounder taken with a rifle on Nov. 22 in Barrett Township, Monroe County, by James Laquino, of Canadensis; a 705-pounder taken with a muzzleloader on Oct. 15 in Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County, by Timothy Moffet, of East Greenville; a 693-pounder taken with a rifle on Oct. 20 in Abbott Township, Potter County, by Elijah Smucker, of Paradise; a 681-pounder taken with a muzzleloader on Oct. 22 in Bradford Township, Clearfield County, by William Swoope, of Woodland; a 681-pounder taken with a bow on Oct. 21 in Cumberland Valley Township, Bedford County, by Cole Schnably, of Bedford; a 657-pounder taken with a rifle on Oct. 22 in Gallagher Township, Clinton County, by Lane Charles, of Millersville; a 650-pounder taken with a rifle on Nov. 21 in Hazle Township, Luzerne County, by Joshua Monahan, of Ashland; a 634-pounder taken with a rifle on Nov. 27 in Asylum Township, Bradford County, by Nicholas Menzen, of Cogan Station; and a 633-pounder taken with a muzzleloader on Oct. 22 in Cummings Township, Lycoming County, by Holden Long, of Lock Haven.

Among counties, Tioga County produced the most bears, giving up 187 last season. Lycoming County ranked second with 152, followed by Bradford and Luzerne counties with 126 each, Centre County with 122, Potter County with 119, Clearfield and Monroe counties with 114 each and Clinton County with 113.

Final county harvests by region (with 2021 figures in parentheses) are:

Northwest – 502 (451): Warren, 88 (87); Jefferson, 81 (72); Clarion, 80 (60); Venango, 79 (81); Crawford, 52 (38); Forest, 51 (44); Butler, 40 (43); Erie, 20 (13); and Mercer, 11 (8).

Southwest –253 (247): Somerset, 64 (58); Armstrong, 50 (58); Cambria, 44 (19); Fayette, 34 (49); Indiana, 31 (12); Westmoreland, 25 (41); Greene, 3 (3); and Allegheny, 2 (7).

Northcentral – 1,028 (1,220): Tioga, 187 (166); Lycoming, 152 (212); Centre, 122 (118); Potter, 119 (180); Clearfield, 114 (94); Clinton, 113 (156); Elk, 85 (80); McKean, 52 (107); Cameron, 52 (68); and Union, 32 (39).

Southcentral – 355 (464): Huntingdon, 81 (115); Bedford, 71 (82); Mifflin, 34 (55); Blair, 33 (39); Fulton, 31 (47); Perry, 29 (42); Juniata, 26 (36); Franklin, 18 (17); Snyder, 15 (12); Cumberland 8 (8); Adams, 7 (10); and York, 2 (1).

Northeast – 901 (1,121): Bradford, 126 (136); Luzerne, 126 (111); Monroe, 114 (95); Pike, 84 (167); Sullivan, 84 (127); Wayne, 81 (120); Carbon, 78 (103); Lackawanna, 51 (62); Wyoming, 50 (66); Susquehanna, 47 (77); Columbia, 46 (36); Northumberland, 10 (16); and Montour, 4 (5).

Southeast – 131 (156): Schuylkill, 65 (61); Dauphin, 27 (54); Lebanon, 14 (8); Northampton, 12 (13); Berks, 11 (12); and Lehigh, 2 (6).

The final bear harvests by Wildlife Management Unit (with final 2021 figures in parentheses) were: WMU 1A, 26 (26); WMU 1B, 115 (96); WMU 2A, 13 (5); WMU 2B, 4 (10); WMU 2C, 159 (192); WMU 2D, 202 (206); WMU 2E, 85 (45); WMU 2F, 258 (245); WMU 2G, 425 (519); WMU 2H, 101 (90); WMU 3A, 174 (238); WMU 3B, 292 (403); WMU 3C, 165 (218); WMU 3D, 344 (426); WMU 4A, 114 (173); WMU 4B, 76 (121); WMU 4C, 190 (224); WMU 4D, 291 (300); WMU 4E, 109 (97); WMU 5A, 17 (14); WMU 5B, 2 (1); and WMU 5C, 8 (10).

Given all those numbers, it’s no wonder Pennsylvania black bear hunting is as popular as it is. In 2022, 213,639 people – 203,933 Pennsylvania residents and 9,717 nonresidents – bought a bear license. That was the third-most ever.

Carrollo said the odds of that interest going away anytime soon are slim, certainly slimmer than the chance of harvesting a bear.

“Our season structure allows hunters to pursue black bears across multiple months, using multiple tools, when opportunity best matches up with their availability,” Carrollo said. “That’s good for them and good for helping us reach our management objectives.”

Requirements for hunters

Hunters who want to pursue bears in Pennsylvania need a general hunting license or mentored hunting permit, as well as a bear license.

Hunting licenses can be purchased online at https://huntfish.pa.gov or from issuing agents located in every county. A list of agents is available at www.pgc.pa.gov under the “Hunt/Trap” tab. Licenses purchased online cannot be used until they are received through the mail because bear licenses contain harvest ear tags.

Bear hunters must wear a minimum of 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back combined at all times during the four-day general firearms season, or when participating in the muzzleloader or special firearms bear seasons. The orange must be visible from 360 degrees.

Hunters who harvest a bear must complete the harvest tag and attach it to the bear’s ear before moving it, then check the bear as required. Bear check stations are open at certain locations and on certain days across the various bear seasons. Details can be found in the 2023-24 Hunting & Trapping Digest that all hunters get when buying their license.

When check stations aren’t open, hunters can call the Game Commission’s Centralized Dispatch Center at either 1-833-PGC-HUNT (1-833-742-4868) or 1-833-PGC-WILD (1-833-742-9453) to make check-in arrangements.

To prepare for those checks, hunters who take a bear should place a 3- to 4-inch stick into the bear’s mouth before rigor mortis or freezing temperatures set in, so that a tooth can be removed for aging.

Finally, hunters should also go into the woods with a plan for how to get a bear back out. Even smaller bears can be difficult for one person to handle.

MEDIA CONTACT: Travis Lau – 717-705-6541

10/17/2023

HARRISBURG, PA – With dogs zig-zagging through cover, birds flushing with a pulse-quickening cackle, and hunters needing to stay ready throughout, Pennsylvania’s ring-necked pheasant season always packs excitement.

And the action is about to get underway.

Saturday, Oct. 21 marks the opening of the 2023-24 statewide pheasant season, which promises to be another memorable one for Pennsylvania’s 75,000 pheasant hunters. In addition to the over 16,000 pheasants already released in early October for the youth season, the Game Commission will be stocking approximately 220,000 additional birds between now and early January.

“Releases will occur weekly from mid-October through mid-November,” said Ian Gregg, chief of the Game Commission’s Wildlife Operations Division. “A mid-December release will bolster hunting opportunity prior to the holidays, and for the third year, many sites are also scheduled to be stocked twice after Christmas for late season hunting. Increased production on our two game farms has allowed us to make these improvements to winter pheasant hunting without impacting opportunity during the traditional autumn season.”

Except for within the Central Susquehanna and Franklin County Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas, where pheasant hunting is closed, male and female pheasants are legal to harvest statewide. Although protecting hens is an important aspect of wild pheasant management, survival of propagated pheasants is too low to support sustainable populations, even without hunting mortality. While the Game Commission raises and releases pheasants at a ratio of around three males for every one female, the harvest of all pheasants is lawful and encouraged.

All adult hunters and some senior hunters who pursue pheasants are required to purchase a pheasant permit in addition to a general hunting license. The permit costs $26.97. Like a general hunting license, hunters can store a digital pheasant permit on a smart device to carry when hunting. Paper licenses and permits must be signed when carried afield. Senior lifetime resident license holders who acquired their licenses prior to May 13, 2017 are exempt from needing a pheasant permit. Junior hunters and mentored permit holders under 17 need a free permit.

Although pheasant permit revenue is not earmarked specifically for the propagation program, and does not completely offset the costs of raising and stocking pheasants, it is important in ensuring the financial sustainability of the program. Permit revenue for the 2022-23 license year was nearly $1.5 million.

“The numbers of pheasant permits issued for both adult and junior hunters have been steadily increasing since 2018,” Gregg said. “This interest level is encouraging for the future of small game hunting in Pennsylvania and it’s a great time to be a pheasant hunter. Good luck, have fun, and hunt safely!”

Finding pheasants

Because pheasant hunting in Pennsylvania relies on the release of propagated birds, hunters are wise to focus their efforts on the time periods and locations where the Game Commission stocks birds. To increase awareness of where and when pheasants will be stocked, the agency publishes an allocation table and interactive stocking locations map at www.pgc.pa.gov.

Click on “Hunt & Trap” on the upper banner, then “Hunting,” then “Small Game,” then “Stockings” under “Ring-Necked Pheasants.” A table displays the number of pheasants to be released in each Game Commission region.

Click on a region to see the number of male and female pheasants planned for stocking in each county for each release, as well as the range of dates for each release, and a listing of each property to be stocked.

Click on the interactive map of pheasant stocking locations to see the more than 200 properties that are scheduled to be stocked. Click on an individual pheasant icon to see the property name, the number of releases, and number of birds released last year to get an idea of large versus small release areas. Users can also zoom in to see pink highlighted areas representing areas of best pheasant hunting habitat where birds are most likely to be found.

The pheasant season runs from Oct. 21-Nov. 24, including Sundays Nov. 12 and Nov. 19; Dec. 11-23, and then Dec. 26-Feb. 29. The limit is two birds daily with six in possession.

Learn to Hunt

For those new to hunting pheasants, the Game Commission has created an online resource that provides the information needed to be successful. The “Learn to Hunt: Pheasants” webinar is available on the Game Commission’s Learn to Hunt webpage http://bit.ly/pgclearntohuntOpens In A New Window and YouTube channel.

Handling harvested wild birds

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses can be carried by wild birds and have been found across the Pennsylvania landscape. To protect themselves and to reduce the risk of spreading this extremely contagious disease to other birds, hunters are advised to practice the following precautions:

• Have dedicated footwear, clothing, and tools that are only used for handling or dressing harvested wild birds.
• Do not handle or harvest wild birds that appear sick or are found dead.
• Wear gloves when handling or dressing harvested wild birds.
• Do not eat, drink, or smoke when handling or dressing harvested wild birds.
• Dress harvested wild birds in the field.
• Double bag any offal and feathers that will be removed from the field.
• Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer immediately after handling or dressing harvested wild birds.
• Wash all tools and work surfaces with soap and water after using them, then disinfect with a 10% household bleach solution. Allow to air dry or rinse after 10 minutes of contact time.
• Change footwear and clothing before coming in contact with any domestic poultry or pet birds.

While influenza viruses can infect humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared that currently in the United States “viruses circulating in birds are believed to pose a low risk to the general public”.

Any sick or dead domestic birds should be reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture at 717-772-2852.

Sick or dead wild birds should be reported to the Game Commission at 1-833-PGC-WILD or online using the Wildlife Health Survey tool at www.pgcapps.pa.gov/WHS.

MEDIA CONTACT: Travis Lau – 17177056541

STEPS to Safe Tree Stand Hunting

By remembering these STEPS to tree stand safety, you can reduce your risk of falling and be prepared to signal for help if you do fall.

Safety harness or belt: Always wear a full-body safety harness whenever your feet leave the ground. Tree stand maintenance: Check your stand for missing or broken parts before each use. Evaluate your stand site: Select trees that are alive and will support your weight. Partners and plans: Hunt with a partner and have a plan in case of an emergency. Signals: Carry a whistle or other signaling device should you need assistance.

Also, after you are secured in the stand, use a haul line to bring gear up to you. Make sure firearms are unloaded with the action open. For more tips, take this free online treestand safety courseOpens In A New Window.

Hunting Safety Tips

• Positively identify your target. Be sure you are shooting at legal game. Never shoot at sounds or movement.
• Stay in the zone! Hunters should be spaced 25 to 40 yards apart, and always in sight of one another. Each hunter’s zone of fire spans about 45 degrees directly in front of the hunter. Never shoot at game moving between you and someone else. Follow the link for more information on maintaining your safe zone-of-fireOpens In A New Window.
• Plan your hunt! Let someone know where you’re hunting and when you’ll return.
• Buckle up! If you hunt from an elevated stand, always wear a full-body, fall-restraint device as soon as your feet leave the ground until they return.
• Keep fit! Hunting is hard work. Don’t become a statistic. keep physically fit. Start with a check-up and follow your doctor’s advice.
• Stay found! Become familiar with your hunting area. Learn how to use a map and compass or GPS unit. Be prepared for emergencies. Carry a basic survival kitOpens In A New Window and know how to use it.
• Be seen! Wear or display the required amount of fluorescent orange clothing.

Turkey Hunting Safety Tips

• Positively identify your target! Be certain the bird is fully and plainly visible before pulling the trigger. Don’t shoot at sounds or movement.
• Never stalk a turkey! Movement or sounds you think are a turkey may be another hunter. Be patient; let the bird come to you.
• Protect your back. Select a large tree, rock or other natural barrier while calling. Hunt in open woods.
• Shout “STOP” to alert approaching hunters. Never move, wave or make turkey sounds to alert others of your position.
• Dress to be safe. Never wear red, white, blue or black clothing. These are the colors found on mature gobblers.
• Cover up. Don’t carry harvested birds in the open. Cover them with fluorescent orange or completely conceal from view in a game bag.
• Be seen. Wear or display the required amount of fluorescent orange, particularly when moving.

Primary Firearm Safety Rules

When using a firearm, be sure to follow these five primary safety rules. You can remember these rules by thinking SMARTOpens In A New Window.

Safe Direction: Keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction at all times.
Make sure: Positively identify your target.
Always check: Know what’s beyond your target before shooting.
Respect firearms: Treat all firearms as if they are loaded.
Trigger caution: Don’t touch the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

More information on Game Commission website