Oldtimr

Nothing is fishy at all, I was the OP and I also was a PA Game warden for over 33 years. Yes there are limited licenses, however there are two organizations that work with the PGC on improving the elk range and they each receive one license that they raffle off to raise money to improve the elk range or to buy land to add to the state game lands. Pa has some of the largest bull elk in the country. The hunter in this case was the one who wan the raffle tag from one of the organizations so he was not in the drawing for licenses. It was the guides in both cases that violated the law, sadly the outfitter is sheltered from prosecution unless it can be proven that he either ordered his guides to violate the law in order to make a client successful and pump up their business. The Guides work for the outfitter who does not need a permit to have an outfitting business, he is the person who brings the guides and hunters together. And yes I did my due intelligence before I hired an outfitter to make sure they had a stellar reputation because as a retired Game Warden I wanted nothing to do with anyone who had a less than stellar reputation. It took me 17 years of applying for an either sex elk license before I was drawn and I sure didn't want to hook up with a questionable outfitter. Sadly there is no facilitator license which is what an outfitter is. What happens on the annual elk hunt is closely watched by the PGC and the general public in the several counties that have a huntable elk population. In the 2018/19 elk season there were 27 bulls taken and 89 cows taken. There were 60,000 applicant for a little over 100 licenses. I don't know what you were eluding to with your post , but I can assure you there was nothing fishy with the issuance of license and certainly not when information of the illegal taking of a trophy bull elk was reported to the PGC. We certainly do not disagree that the way the hunt was run was not anything to be proud of, waiting until someone finds you a bull before you drive to the elk range is pitiful! However there are many people who unlike you and I, do not have a hunting ethic, their only thought is to kill something regardless of how. Since there is no permit required to be an outfitter the PGC cannot shut down this POS since it takes the general assembly to pass a law requiring an outfitters license, all they can do is prosecute the guides until such time that nit becomes less than profitable for the outfitter to operate became of lack of clients.