BTBowhunter

License sales as of November From the PGC.
Not quite the Armageddon that the USP predicted!

Everything below is directly from the PGC:

> As you know, there has been a lot of debate over general hunting license sales
figures this year. It all started earlier this year when -- due a a change in
calendar impacting when the agency would begin accepting antlerless license
allocations -- everyone jumped when the sales figures as of the end of July
showed a 41 percent decline. There were those who wrote that the sky was
falling, but failed to take into account the one important truth when comparing
this year to last year: this year, the agency began accepting resident
antlerless deer licenses applications Aug. 7 (the latest possible date); while
last year the agency began accepting resident antlerless deer licenses
applications Aug. 1 (the earliest possible date). What this meant was that
hunters had an additional week to purchase their license before mailing us their
antlerless deer license.
>
> While this reason was dismissed by some as "spin," we stated that our
processing of antlerless licenses was telling us that we were not down that much.
>
> For those of you who followed this closely, you recall that each month the gap
slowly closed. By the end of August, we were 9 percent behind last year;
September was 5 percent behind last year; and October was four percent behind
last year.
>
> Again, despite our statements that there were a number of factors involved,
there are those who continued to cite "deer" as the only reason and our
statements were nothing more than spin. There are those who argued that hunters
were "leaving in droves in protest."
>
> This time, as of the end of November, we are 1 (one) percent behind last year
for general hunting license sales. What's more, nonresident general hunting
license sales went from being down 9 percent as of the end of October to being
down 5 percent as of the end of November. While a decrease of one percent still
is nothing to celebrate -- as it still is a decline -- I would argue that this
should put to rest the claims of some that the "sky is falling."
>
> Other license sales figures have held rather steady: archery, down one percent (down one
percent as of the end of last month; muzzleloader, down four percent (down five
percent last month); bear up one percent (up one percent last month).
>
> However, furtaker license sales are up 10 percent (6 percent as of the end of
last month), which is a good sign that more are interested in the limited bobcat
seasons, as well as the other furbearer hunting and trapping opportunities.
>
> So, without further delay, please see the attached license sales reports
below.

HUNTING LICENSE SYSTEM HUNTING LICENSE YEAR-TO-DATE SALES COMPARISONS DATE 12/18/06

LICENSE DIVISION FROM FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING UP TO AND INCLUDING NOVEMBER SECTION B

REPORT LICS2502 COMPARING 2005/2006 TO 2006/2007 PAGE: 1

L_I_C_E_N_S_E_ _T_Y_P_E_ PREVIOUS YEAR'S CURRENT YEAR'S * QUANTITY PERCENTAGE

L_I_C_E_N_S_E_S_ _S_O_L_D_ L_I_C_E_N_S_E_S_ _S_O_L_D_ * D_I_F_F_E_R_E_N_C_E_ D_I_F_F_E_R_E_N_C_E_

*

G_E_N_E_R_A_L_ _H_U_N_T_I_N_G_ _L_I_C_E_N_S_E_S_ *

RESIDENT *

ADULT 639,714 630,597 * -9,117 1 % DOWN

MILITARY 2,154 2,450 * 296 14 %

LANDOWNER 1,466 1,379 * -87 6 % DOWN

JUNIOR 42,141 39,727 * -2,414 6 % DOWN

JUNIOR COMB 49,788 49,153 * -635 1 % DOWN

SENIOR 31,064 28,364 * -2,700 9 % DOWN

SENIOR LIFETIME 2,901 3,535 * 634 22 %

SENIOR LIFE COMB 3,168 4,149 * 981 31 %

SENIOR LIFE UPGRADE 261 281 * 20 8 %

S E N I O R L I F E R E N E W A L _ _ _ _5_3_,_9_2_5_ _ _ _ _5_6_,_6_9_1_ * 2,766 5 %

TOTAL RESIDENT 826,582 816,326 * -10,256 1 % DOWN

NON RESIDENT *

ADULT 52,525 50,034 * -2,491 5 % DOWN

JUNIOR 2,239 1,962 * -277 12 % DOWN

JUNIOR COMB 649 594 * -55 8 % DOWN

S E V E N D A Y _ _ _ _ _1_,_3_3_0_ _ _ _ _ _1_,_4_2_6_ * 96 7 %

TOTAL NON RESIDENT 56,743 54,016 * -2,727 5 % DOWN

TOTAL GENERAL HUNTING 883,325 870,342 * -12,983 1 % DOWN

*

*

*

A_R_C_H_E_R_Y_ *

RESIDENT ARCHERY 249,178 246,575 * -2,603 1 % DOWN

NON RESIDENT ARCHERY 11,720 11,340 * -380 3 % DOWN

TOTAL ARCHERY 260,898 257,915 * -2,983 1 % DOWN

*

*

*

M_U_Z_Z_L_E_L_O_A_D_E_R_ *

RESIDENT MUZZLELOADER 174,713 168,693 * -6,020 3 % DOWN

NON RESIDENT MUZZLELOADER 7,615 6,902 * -713 9 % DOWN

TOTAL MUZZLELOADER 182,328 175,595 * -6,733 4 % DOWN

*

*

*

A_N_T_L_E_R_L_E_S_S_ _L_I_C_E_N_S_E_S_ *

RESIDENT *

ANTLERLESS 825,174 782,617 * -42,557 5 % DOWN

A N T L E R L E S S L A N D _ _ _ _ _1_,_4_6_7_ _ _ _ _ _1_,_5_1_5_ * 48 3 %

TOTAL RESIDENT 826,641 784,132 * -42,509 5 % DOWN

NON RESIDENT *

ANTLERLESS 25,286 22,689 * -2,597 10 % DOWN

A N T L E R L E S S L A N D _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _8_7_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1_0_0_ * 13 15 %

TOTAL NON RESIDENT 25,373 22,789 * -2,584 10 % DOWN

TOTAL ANTLERLESS 852,014 806,921 * -45,093 5 % DOWN

*

*

*

HUNTING LICENSE SYSTEM HUNTING LICENSE YEAR-TO-DATE SALES COMPARISONS DATE 12/18/06

LICENSE DIVISION FROM FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING UP TO AND INCLUDING NOVEMBER SECTION B

REPORT LICS2502 COMPARING 2005/2006 TO 2006/2007 PAGE: 2

L_I_C_E_N_S_E_ _T_Y_P_E_ PREVIOUS YEAR'S CURRENT YEAR'S * QUANTITY PERCENTAGE

L_I_C_E_N_S_E_S_ _S_O_L_D_ L_I_C_E_N_S_E_S_ _S_O_L_D_ * D_I_F_F_E_R_E_N_C_E_ D_I_F_F_E_R_E_N_C_E_

*

ANTLERLESS *

A_R_M_E_D_ _F_O_R_C_E_S_ _L_I_C_E_N_S_E_S_ *

ARMED FORCES 2,567 2,591 * 24 1 %

D A V A N T L E R L E S S _ _ _ _ _1_,_0_9_0_ _ _ _ _ _1_,_2_0_3_ * 113 10 %

TOTAL ARMED FORCES 3,657 3,794 * 137 4 %

*

*

A_N_T_L_E_R_L_E_S_S_ _R_E_P_L_A_C_E_M_E_N_T_S_ 817 895 * 78 10 %

*

*

F_U_R_T_A_K_E_R_ _L_I_C_E_N_S_E_S_ *

RESIDENT *

ADULT 19,757 21,804 * 2,047 10 %

JUNIOR 201 161 * -40 20 % DOWN

SENIOR 571 507 * -64 11 % DOWN

S E N I O R L I F E T I M E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _5_ * 4 400 %

TOTAL RESIDENT 20,530 22,477 * 1,947 9 %

NON RESIDENT *

ADULT 139 189 * 50 36 %

J U N I O R _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _6_ * 5 500 %

TOTAL NON RESIDENT 140 195 * 55 39 %

TOTAL FURTAKER 20,670 22,672 * 2,002 10 %

*

*

*

B_E_A_R_ _L_I_C_E_N_S_E_S_ *

BEAR RESIDENT 120,720 121,873 * 1,153 1 %

BEAR NON RESIDENT 4,542 4,622 * 80 2 %

TOTAL BEAR 125,262 126,495 * 1,233 1 %

*

*

*

M_I_G_R_A_T_O_R_Y_ _B_I_R_D_ *

RESIDENT MIGRATORY BIRD 96,490 96,655 * 165 0 %

NON RESIDENT MIGRATORY BIRD 3,991 3,823 * -168 4 % DOWN

TOTAL MIGRATORY BIRD 100,481 100,478 * -3 0 % DOWN

*

*

*

S_P_R_I_N_G_ _T_U_R_K_E_Y_ _L_I_C_E_N_S_E_S_ *

RESIDENT SPRING TURKEY 0 1 * 1 100 %

NON RESIDENT TURKEY 0 0 * 0 0 %

TOTAL SPRING TURKEY 0 1 * 1 100 %

*

*

*

*

* * * T_O_T_A_L_ _L_I_C_E_N_S_E_S_ _S_O_L_D_ 2,429,452 2,365,108 * -64,344 3 % DOWN

*

* * * T_O_T_A_L_ _M_O_N_E_Y_ _G_E_N_E_R_A_T_E_D_ $32,431,159.00 $31,747,604.00 * -683,555.00 2 % DOWN

*

cardeer

I got to buy a license so I can buy tons of doe tags in 5c and have a barbecue with them.

BTBowhunter

Welcome back Cardeer! Where ya been buddy?

Crazy Horse RVN

The 40% decline in license sales in July was clearly a message the hunters of Pennsylvania were sending to the Pennsylvania game Commission and the Board of Commissioners.

BTBowhunter

Maybe you should read the report. The latest figures show a mere 1% drop in resident adult licenses. (the vast majority of license sold) and a total drop of 3% including doe tags of which there wereless to sell this year.

July numbers are about as important as who was leading the Daytona 500 at lap 47 last February. The end resultis what matters and license sales are pretty much at their end for this season.

White-tail-deer

Easy does it ther CRAZY Horse!!

eagle chickie

those figures are skewed like the rest the PGC publishes.... the decline was when comparing to last year's numbers...What the PGC failed to mention was last year's numbers were a decline of the previous year's and that a decline over the year before...is there anyone anywhere that thinks hunter numbers are actually going up???? The PGC themselves have published many reports in the Game News as to the over all decline in hunter numbers as the "hunting generation" ages and youth recruitment is not making the difference up.

doctariAFC

Actually, Hunting numbers did show an increase overall Nationally from 2004 to 2005. Primary source of this increase, believe it or not, was more women buying licenses. This information comes from USF&W and NSSF. I don't have the actual report at my finger tips, but I recall this topic being discussed during one of our Federation Meetings late Spring 2006.

Now, certainly, this is a National picture. Individual Stateshave varying trends. PA is on the decline. ALthough the decline that is overall is low, what is more cocerning, as I recall, was the ratio of new hunters, especially Jr Hunters entering, with older hunters leaving. The replacement rate for every hunter leaving was 3:2. Meaning, for every three hunters that leave the sport in PA, 2 are entering. The greatest weakness was identified in theyouth age group, and was the primary incentive to push for the Families Afield Act.

BTBowhunter

well said DoctariAFC. IMHO, of all the declines in that report, the one we should be most concerned about is indeed the decline in junior license sales. A few states are actaully recruiting more young hunters than they are losing (Missouri for example). It seems the common factor among states bucking the trend is that those states have minimal or no roadblocks to a parent taking hisyoung hunterout as early as possible.
PA's recent mentor program is only a start and need to be expanded ASAP. Once we lose a kid, it's much harder to get him back!

eagle chickie

like I said overall Pa is on the decline yet the PGC publish that report to read as it is ever so slight....just an example of" PGCskewed reports"