Some of the key elements of the audit prove that our legislators are listening even if our PGC Commissioners are not. A twelve-year look-back at our deer populations and deer harvests are incorporated. This is critical because our deer population took a mysterious leap to 1.6 million when Dr. Gary Alt became involved. If done objectively many will be in shock at how few deer are left in this state. Converting the PGC’s “qualitative” deer management into hard, believable, quantitative numbers is a major objective of this audit. We must manage by numbers, just as every state in the nation manages their deer herd.

Forest regeneration problems and the effects of acid rain are weaved into this resolution. This is also a major victory because after killing millions of deer, forest regeneration did not occur as promised. The understory did not explode to provide food for those monster bucks. DCNR and the PGC are beginning to quietly lime their timber cuts. Dr. William Sharpe of Penn State advised Dr Alt eight years ago that deer reduction would not cure our regeneration problems.

Analysis of our deer modeling techniques, a review of our reproduction data as an indicator of herd health and the questionable size of our WMU’s are all in this document. Our legislators on the House Game and Fisheries Committee and the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee members have done an outstanding job. Granted, we must find qualified, objective people from across the nation to execute the audit, but the framework is excellent.