ORIGINAL: R.S.B.
But, perhaps an even bigger problem would be that entire turkey populations could be killed off very quickly with bait. Bear kills would increase to the point I suspect they would have to restrict the number of bear hunters each year.
Once again you show where the PAGC's priorities lie. You didn't mention further decimation of our already overly reduced deer herd, instead you express concern over the turkey and bear populations. Both of which are increasing each year while deer decrease. Enough Said!
Pheasants are another species that could be entirely eliminated from many areas through the use of baiting.
That ship has sailed. When "wild" pheasants did live in PA it has always been in areas that surrounds or is in or nearby farmland. How is bait going to affect the populations of a species that lives on farmland where food is in abundance. Your (PAGC) stocked pheasants are slaughtered without bait, what good would baiting do when the only birds we have are coming from a stock truck and released during season in front of the hunters waiting to hunt them. I feel your pheasant program is a huge misallocation of money, there is no end for the need tostock in sight. You aren't reestablishing a wild population just sticking pen raised birds out into your fields that haven't been planted with food for these pheasants to feed and survive if they escape hunters, hawks, foxes and cats. What is the goal here??? And you say the transition from game onlyto fish and game won't be an easy one. You are doing exactly what the Fish Commission does in regard to stocking, Actually the fish Commission is producing more of a wild population of fish than the PAGC is with the pheasants.
Is that what hunting is turning into? Is that the direction we as hunters want it to go?
R.S. Bodenhorn
I guess some hunters want to be able to use bait on public lands in some areas where the PAGC has killed off the deer. Maybe the mindset is- "If I put bait out maybe I will see a deer this week"
I want you to know I have nothing personal against you R.S.B. I just express how I feel about our game commission. As far as your question of who will manage the game if the PAGC ceases to exist? I don't care who it is. They won't do any worse for the hunters than the PAGC has as of lately. We will be hunting for years to come, few if anyof us will be alive to see the day hunting is no longer legal, so as far as you guys fighting for our right to hunt... My money goes to the NRA and always will. The NRA has done more for us hunters than the PAGC ever will.