DCNR’s goal for deer management finally came “out of the closet” at this PGC meeting. DCNR’s plan is to achieve 5 deer per square forested mile (dpsfm) across their holdings for a generation or the next 25 years. (For most of us that’s the rest of our lives.) Their 2.1 million acres of State Forest Land translates into 3281 square miles or 16,406 total deer. The PGC didn’t admit that their goals are the same, but they didn’t need to. In these past few years the PGC has literally caved to DCNR’s wishes across the board. It is painful to say, but the PGC’s proud tradition of independence is completely gone. The PGC currently functions as a DCNR lapdog.
Looking at the statewide picture, if we say 60% of PA’s 45,000 square miles is forested for 27,000 square miles times 5 dpsfm, we get a statewide herd of 135,000 animals if private landowners buy into the program. Needless to say a bad winter and predators can clean up the remnants of a herd that small.
The justification for hunting is based on the principle of “compensatory losses”. Hunters are permitted to cull the surplus each season to “compensate” for potential winter losses. Under our current management plan there will be no surpluses. Without surpluses there is no justification for hunting.
It is interesting to note that our new PGC Deer Project Leader, Dr. Chris Rosenberry has admitted a number of times in a number of indirect ways that we may not have ever had 1.6 million deer. Apparently, the PGC’s strategy has been to say they have discovered a “problem” with the Dr. Alt deer model. We have not seen an updated number in the last five years. No one of authority has yet to ask if we didn’t have 1.6 million deer, why do we continue to kill deer with a vengeance.
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From what I have seen in the woods the last two years the above is true.