I hunted West Virginia for many years until 2002.

They had mandatory check stations. Back then WV allowed a hunter to take about 7 deer a year, if you bought every tag. Many years I'd take 5 deer. Check stations were small stores and gas stations. They were manned by the store's/station's employees.

The idea that PA can't do it is BS. PA may be bigger, have more hunters, have more deer BUT with all the gas stations, small stores, sporting goods stores, gun shops, archery shops, fire stations, etc...here in Good ole PA, it could be done. Small states such as Maine may have fewer hunters and places to check deer but PA, being bigger, has MORE places for check stations. We are bigger, we have more places for check stations to ease the burden. Even allowing the place of the checking station to charge a small fee, maybe $1


Even without check stations there could be mandatory reporting before you purchase the following year's liceness. If you don't report by a certain date, you don't get a license.

Change the license year to run from January to January would be a good start. Check in by the end of Febuary to get the following year's license.

The PGC says they aren't geared up to do that but I think they can somehow tweek the system they already have in place that watches how many elk license applications an individual sends in, If you recieved a bobcat permit the previous year, if you sent in to several different counties for a bonus antlerless license.

How does the PGC know if a person didn't send in several bonus applications during the first round drawing? How do they know if a person didn't purchase two regular licenses to be able to take two bucks? How do they know if a guy sends in two elk applications hoping to get an elk license? How do they know if a guy , that had his license suspended, if he doesn't just go ahead and buy a license the next year anyway?

How do they track all of this?

I think they could tweek itto makeharvest reports mandatory before buying the next year's license. If you don't report, you don't get a license.


By the way, I send in every report card but I know many guys that don't. I try to explain the importance of it but they don't care. It is guys like this that make me want a mandatory reporting system.