"Why doesn’t the Game Commission have check stations in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania has had a mandatory deer harvest reporting system in place for decades, but each year, many hunters do not report taking deer, a violation of law. We know compliance would still be a problem even if mandatory check stations were established here, because in states currently using check stations, significant numbers of successful hunters still don’t check or report their harvests. For whatever reason, many hunters fail to report taking deer. That's why the Game Commission calculates hunter reporting rates each year. The information is collected during annual examinations of harvested deer. Even if check stations were started, the Game Commission would still have to collect data at other locations, such as butcher shops, to determine how many hunters weren't going to the checkpoints. Thousands of deer would have to be checked in addition to those processed at check stations to develop an accurate and valid reporting rate. This information, essential for computing annual antlerless deer license allocations, is vital to the deer program. While other states use check stations, their harvest numbers are only those that are reported and they typically do not have any measure of noncompliance, hence they are minimum estimates. Many states also assume that compliance rates are constant from year to year. Based on more than 400,000 records from deer processors over the last 10 years, we have documented that reporting rates vary by year and by antlered and antlerless deer. Finally, check stations would be an expensive proposition, no better than the system in place, and an inconvenience to hunters." <pgc web site
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/v...a=465&q=161248

I happen to believe the PGC's deer harvest #'s are as good as any state. Its what they try to spin from those numbers that is sloppy.


T in Pa.....
Have to disagree with you. There are many midseason reports on the PGC website, if you look. They do them all the time.

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/v...?A=11&Q=157524


and if not in thier own press releases they give the preliminary report info to the press. IE;
"http://www.tnonline.com/archives/sports/2004/01.14/outdoors.html
"Overall, Pennsylvania officials expect a 17 percent drop when final numbers are released in March.
Based on preliminary estimates, he's probably right. The Pennsylvania Game Commission said Tuesday that snow, cold and high winds created a perfect storm for protecting deer and thwarting hunters this season in Pennsylvania " < printed Jan 14, 2004

here is the same report of the 17% drop in another format. state rep Ed Stabacks, web site reported it from "preliminary reports".





they may not put out a specific premliminary report on a specific day, but the PGC routinely puts out a preliminary hunting information to the press and in its own press releases. They are there if you look for them.