Beaver County Sportsmen's Conservation League

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

GAME COMMISSION SUSPENDS SEEDLING SALES TO PUBLIC

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Tree and shrub seedlings from the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Howard Nursery will not be offered for sale to the public in 2018 due to drastically low inventories.

Seedlings will continue to be supplied to participants in the Seedlings for Schools Program, as well as to landowners who open their lands to public hunting through the Game Commission’s Hunter Access Program, but there are too few seedlings to offer for public sale.

The Game Commission hopes to resume seedling sales to the public in 2019.

The existing seedling shortage is due to germination failure in a couple of conifer species.

The Game Commission’s annual seedling sale – a way to benefit wildlife statewide by improving habitat – has been popular with the public. Sales typically open in mid-January, and the variety of seedling offered varies from year to year.

Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans acknowledged many will be disappointed with the suspension of seedling sales to the public, but staff is working to build inventory in hopes the existing shortage will result only in a one-year layoff.

“And in 2018, Pennsylvania’s state game lands as well as the Seedlings for Schools and Hunter Access programs will continue to receive seedlings that make for better wildlife habitat statewide,” Burhans said.

Courtesy PA Game Commission / www.pgc.pa.gov  12/22/17

LEGISLATION WOULD CREATE NEW CONSERVATION FUNDING

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Bipartisan legislation was reintroduced Dec. 14 in the U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C., by Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) that would dedicate $1.3 billion in funding to help states address the needs for thousands of fish and wildlife species in trouble across America.

Patterned after the Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 2000, which narrowly failed to clear Congress, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R. 4647) proposes to provide assured and sufficient funding to states to proactively conserve imperiled species identified in State Wildlife Action Plans.

It is being championed by the Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America’s Diverse Fish & Wildlife Resources, a think-tank of 26 energy, business and conservation leaders assembled in 2014 by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, which serves North America’s state and provincial wildlife management agencies.

If approved, the Act’s new funding model would dedicate $1.3 billion annually, out of more than $10 billion in revenues from traditional and renewable energy development and mineral development on federal lands and waters, toward fish and wildlife conservation.

Pennsylvania currently receives about $1.5 million in federal State Wildlife Grant funds annually to manage the state’s 664 fish and wildlife species of greatest conservation need and their associated habitats. Under the proposal, Pennsylvania would receive a guaranteed annual federal fish and wildlife conservation payout of about $34 million to better address the outlined conservation actions for these species. Every Pennsylvanian benefits when we have healthy and accessible fish and wildlife.

Courtesy PA Game Commission / www.pgc.pa.gov 12/19/17

 

STATE’S HUNGRY THANKFUL FOR HUNTERS

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When they sit down at the dinner table on Thursday, Pennsylvania’s hunters will have plenty for which to be thankful. It’s prime time for Pennsylvania hunting and, with any luck, some game bags or ear tags have been filled already, or are nearly about to be.

But as hunters are giving thanks, they should know also they’re in a prime position to receive thanks for what they might choose to give.

Each year, the generosity of Pennsylvania’s hunters results in about 200,000 meals for the state’s hungry.

By donating venison through Hunters Sharing the Harvest – a program that works through a network of meat processors to channel venison donations to local food banks, soup kitchens and hungry families – hunters extend their helping hands to those in need.

And, once again this year, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and other partners are making it easy for hunters to help out. The Game Commission again donated $20,000 to the program – money that enables Hunters Sharing the Harvest to accept venison donations without charging hunters. In prior years, hunters who donated venison needed also to pay a $15 tax-deductible fee to cover deer-processing costs.

Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans said the agency is proud to partner with Hunters Sharing the Harvest, a program that exemplifies the generosity of Pennsylvania’s hunters.

“There’s no greater gift than feeding someone who is hungry, and our state’s hunters have stepped up to do that, time and again, by working through the program to generously donate meat from the deer they harvest to people in need,” Burhans said.

At a Tuesday news conference to kick off the busiest season for venison donations, Hunters Sharing the Harvest Executive Director John Plowman thanked the Game Commission and others who have helped to make the program a success. All deer donated through Hunters Sharing the Harvest must be processed professionally by a participating butcher. For information on where to take deer to be donated, or to learn more about the program generally, visit Hunters Sharing the Harvest’s website, www.sharedeer.org.

GAME COMMISSION OFFERS FREE CWD TESTS FOR DMA-HARVESTED DEER

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CDW binsHunters within the state’s Disease Management Areas (DMAs) have the opportunity to have their deer tested – free of charge – for chronic wasting disease (CWD), and at the same time help the Game Commission fight this deadly disease.

 

The Game Commission has installed large metal bins at about two dozen locations for the collection of harvested deer heads within DMA 2 and DMA 3. The bins, which are similar to those used for clothing donations, keep contents secure and are checked and emptied every other day through the deer-hunting seasons.

 

All deer heads retrieved from the bins that can be tested for CWD, will be tested, and the hunters who submitted them will be notified of the results as soon as they’re available.

 

This initiative not only benefits the hunter by identifying deer that shouldn’t be consumed, it helps the Game Commission assess and monitor progress of the disease and the effectiveness of future management actions.

 

“CWD is an increasing threat to Pennsylvania’s deer and elk, and our hunting tradition,” said Wayne Laroche, Game Commission Special Assistant for CWD Response. “So far this year, the number of CWD-positive deer detected in DMA 2 has increased at a faster rate; the first free-ranging CWD-positive deer has been found within DMA 3; and three new deer farms have turned up positive within DMA 2.

 

“Still, prevalence of the disease in Pennsylvania is low,” Laroche said. “There’s still a chance to minimize the disease’s impacts on wild deer. And it’s a win-win scenario for the hunters who bring the heads of their harvested deer to a collection bin. Not only do they help protect wild deer against the disease’s spread, if they shoot a diseased animal, they’ll know about it and can discard the meat.”

 

Collection bins were placed within both DMA 2 and DMA 3 in early October, and many of the deer heads dropped off there during the statewide archery deer season already have been tested for CWD, with the hunters notified of the results. The bins will remain in use through the late archery and flintlock deer seasons.

 

The exact locations of all collection sites is available on the Chronic Wasting Disease page at www.pgc.pa.gov.

PRELIMINARY STATEWIDE BEAR HARVEST RESULTS

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Hunters during the final day of Pennsylvania’s statewide bear season harvested 168 bears, raising the 2017 statewide season harvest to 1,796 – an about 30 percent decrease compared to the 2,579 bears taken during the four days of the statewide season in 2016.

Extensive rain on the season’s opening day, Nov. 18, led to the harvest decline.

Archery and other early-bear season harvest data is not included in this report. Comprehensive bear harvest totals that include bears taken during the early and extended seasons will be released in the coming months.

During the statewide season, bears were harvested in 54 counties.

The top 10 bears processed at check stations were either estimated or confirmed to have live weights of 576 pounds or more.

Two bears over 500 pounds were taken on the season’s final day. A male estimated at 581 pounds was taken in Tuscarora Township, Perry County, by Allen W. Esh, of Millerstown, Pa. Meanwhile, a male estimated at 568 pounds was taken in Fox Township, Elk County, by Edward J. Bellotti, of Kersey, Pa.

The state’s heaviest bear in the statewide season – a male estimated at 700 pounds – was taken in Oil Creek Township, Venango County, by Chad A. Wagner, of Titusville, Pa. He took it with a rifle at about 8 a.m. on Nov. 18, the season’s opening day.

Other large bears taken over the four-day season – all taken with a rifle – include: a 691-pound male taken Nov. 21 in Cherry Grove Township, Warren County, by James M. Langdon, of Wattsburg, Pa.; a 648-pound male taken Nov. 18 in Dreher Township, Wayne County, by Joseph D. Simon, of Newfoundland, Pa.; a 609-pound male taken Nov. 18 in Abbott Township, Potter County, by Michael R. Neimeyer, of Spring City, Pa.; a 601-pound male taken Nov. 20 in Valley Township, Armstrong County, by Bo J. Bowser, of Kittanning; a 595-pound male taken Nov. 18 in St. Marys Township, Elk County, by Stephanie A. Siford, of North East, Pa.; a 595-pound male taken Nov. 18 in Charleston Township, Tioga County, by Zachery L. Martin, of Wellsboro, Pa.; a 586-pound male taken Nov. 18 in Oil Creek Township, Crawford County, by Brian K. Baker, Titusville, Pa.; a 576-pound male taken Nov. 18 in Homer Township, Potter County, by Kirby R. Kornhaus, of Jonestown, Pa.; a 569-pound male taken Nov. 21 in Liberty Township, Centre County, by Conner L. Toner, of Beech Creek, Pa.; a 562-pound male taken Nov. 20 in Beech Creek Township, Clinton County, by William J. Miller, of Beech Creek, Pa.; a 561-pound male taken Nov. 20 in Fox Township, Sullivan County, by Tyler J. Bagley, Of Montgomery, Pa; a 561-pound male taken in Ross Township, Luzerne County, by Richard B. Kollar, of Shickshinny, Pa.

View more 2017 bear harvest details.

UPCOMING MEETINGS ANNOUNCED FOR PA GAME COMMISSION

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UPCOMING MEETINGS ANNOUNCED
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners next will meet on Monday, Dec. 18 at a working group meeting held at the Game Commission’s Harrisburg headquarters.

The next quarterly meeting of the Board of Commissioners will be held at the Harrisburg headquarters on Sunday, Jan. 28, Monday, Jan. 29 and Tuesday, Jan. 30.

Courtesy of PA Game Commission

NO-COST 1,500-ACRE ACQUISITION TO OFFSET IMPACTS ON BATS

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NO-COST 1,500-ACRE ACQUISITION TO OFFSET IMPACTS ON BATS
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today approved the no-cost acquisition of 1,536 acres adjoining or near State Game Lands 302 in Richhill Township, Greene County.

The land is being offered by Consol Pennsylvania Coal Co. LLC and partners and presented through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as mitigation requirements for impacts on wildlife, specifically the federal- and state-endangered Indiana bat and the federal-endangered northern long-eared bat

Courtesy of PA Game Commission

ENHANCED GAME-LANDS ACCESS SOUGHT FOR THOSE WITH MOBILITY ISSUES

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The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminary approval to a host of improvements that would enhance public access to state game lands by persons with mobility challenges.

Central to the proposal is the proposed creation of the Disabled Person Access Permit, which would allow mobility-challenged game-lands users to use ATVs, golf carts and other mobility devices on designated routes on game lands.

This permit would be free, and separate from the existing permit that allows disabled persons to hunt from motorized vehicles and ATVs. A wider variety of applicants might qualify for the new permit.

Manual or electric wheelchair users on game lands would not need a Disabled Person Access Permit.

The proposal will be brought back to the January meeting for a final vote.

Courtesy of PA Game Commission

FOUR ELECTRONIC DEVICES APPROVED FOR HUNTING

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FOUR ELECTRONIC DEVICES APPROVED FOR HUNTING
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave final approval to a measure that makes four additional electronic devices lawful to use while hunting.

Hunting while using the newly approved devices will not be legal until the changes are published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, in approximately six to eight weeks. Once that happens, hunters will be able to use electronic decoys in hunting waterfowl; electronic dove decoys used solely for hunting doves; electronically heated scent or lure dispensers; and electronic devices that distribute ozone gas for scent-control purposes.

Courtesy of PA Game Commission

Chronic Wasting Disease

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Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)       

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) affects the brain and nervous system of infected cervids (deer, elk and moose) eventually resulting in death.

Current Status:

Following the detection of CWD in both captive and free-ranging deer in Pennsylvania, an executive order (PDF) was issued by the Game Commission to establish Disease Management Areas (DMAs). Within DMAs, rehabilitation of cervids (deer, elk and moose); the use or possession of cervid urine-based attractants in an outdoor setting; the removal of high-risk cervid parts; and the feeding of wild, free-ranging cervids are prohibited. Increased testing continues in these areas to determine the distribution of the disease. Newly confirmed cases alter the boundaries of DMAs as the Game Commission continues to manage the disease and minimize its effect on free ranging cervids.

In Pennsylvania, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been detected in these Disease Management Areas (DMAs): DMA 1 on a captive deer farm in Adams County during 2012 (DMA 1 has since been eliminated); DMA 2 in multiple free-ranging deer in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, and Fulton counties from 2012 -2017, and captive deer farms in Bedford, Franklin, and Fulton counties during 2017; DMA 3 in two captive deer farms in Jefferson County during 2014 and a free-ranging deer in Clearfield County during 2017. In addition, CWD has been detected in wild or captive deer and/or elk in many other states and provinces.

Rules and regulations regarding CWD in Pennsylvania are found in the Game Commission executive order (PDF) and Title 58 regulations.

 

Public Meetings

  • Thursday, Oct. 5 at 6:30 p.m. – Fayetteville Fire hall, sponsored by state Rep. Rob Kauffman. More information: 814-643-1831.
  • Thursday, Oct. 5 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. – Mahaffey Fire Hall, 958 Market St., sponsored by state Reps. Matt Gabler, Thomas Sankey and Cris Dush.​ ​Come anytime during the event and learn at your own pace; informational handouts and staff members will be available throughout the evening.
  • Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. – McConnellsburg Fire hall, sponsored by state Sen. John H. Eichelberger Jr. and state Rep. Jesse Topper. More information: 814-643-1831.

Link to Article on PA Game Commission Web Site