PA - Gary Alt "Retires"!!! No Joke!!!

[dragthor]

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/v...?a=11&Q=162956

ALT RETIRES FROM GAME COMMISSION
Dr. Gary Alt, Pennsylvania Game Commission Deer Management Section Supervisor, submitted a letter announcing his retirement effective Dec. 31.

In acknowledging Dr. Alt's retirement, Game Commission Executive Director Vern Ross noted that the job of deer management section supervisor was not an easy task.

"Gary took on a difficult job trying to manage Pennsylvania's most controversial big game species," Ross said. "It was perhaps the most challenging job in the state, and there was no way anyone in his position could please everyone. Hunters see too few deer, while landowners, such as farmers and foresters, state there are too many deer.

"There are a lot of people out there who think that they could do this job. What they don't realize is that not many people could last more than a few months due to the competing viewpoints. Dr. Alt stood up to the challenge for more than five years."

Ross also noted that Dr. Alt did a tremendous job of trying to get the message out to Pennsylvanians about the need for balancing the deer with its habitat.

"For three years, Dr. Alt traveled across Pennsylvania to meet with hunters and nonhunters, as well as the news media, to explain the reasons and rationale behind the changes he was proposing for deer management," Ross said. "It was because of this effort, I believe, he was able to gain the support for antler restrictions, the concurrent rifle deer season and the Deer Management Assistance Program from hunters, legislators, landowners and other wildlife enthusiasts."

[T_in_PA2]

The deer management plan is in place. His work is done. Don't look for anything drastic to change.

[buckeye]

Send Mr. Alt to Ohio to get some of these rednecks over here to start passing up young bucks.[8D]

[ulysses]

GOOD GOD can this be true??? If it is I know why I've been saving that bottle of JD .
Sadly though like TinPa said don't expect much to change! He put it in place and now that things are completely f'up it will take awhile to overcome them. Guess we'll just need to wait an see now.

IF this is true, My work on Alt is done, I feel like a success!

[Champlain Islander]

It is true...check the PGC web site under press releases.

[dragthor]

Dude... I placed the official link at the top of my post.

[MikeE51848]

ORIGINAL: T_in_PA2

The deer management plan is in place. His work is done. Don't look for anything drastic to change.

Yeah, I agree. The DNCR/Audobon/PGC Commissioners have gotten a big foot-hold in the say about deer hunting in this state.

[Buck Magnet]

Well, this could be a good thing, or it could be much worse! We could get someone in that will take the plan that Alt set-up and modify it to accomadate what everyone wants, or we could get someone who will either forget about the plan and get us back to where we were 6 years ago or someone who wants even more deer killed off!

I will admit that this past week I went spotting and saw very few deer. In about 45 minutes of spotting, I saw a total of 8 deer! 5 doe and 3 bucks! Granted, the deer are still messed up from rifle season, but that is much less than I have ever seen at this time of the year. The bad thing is that 2 bucks and 3 doe were in a golden rod field in my "honey hole" property! The other three were spread out through the rest of the normal route!

I think that we were on the right track, but this rifle season seemed to have been truly hard on the deer herd around here! The property's that I have permission to hunt are at great levels with a good amount of deer but not too many, but it seems as though the rest of the areas around here are very low!

[ulysses]

how do you express GLOATING on a message board?
BM said it though whom knows what the next "expert biologist" will do? Nobody, but I seriously doubt that much is likely to change for the next few years. The PGC will appoint a figure head that they can manipulate to do as they wish. And their wishes are to keep the farmers/timber companies happy. Doubt this just read Vern Ross's comments again as to Alt's retirement.

[Duckmastor2]

Good. Now you PA guys may be able to get back to annihilating Spikes before you know it! [8D]