Ok, this will most likely be my final post of any kind about this issue. Because quite frankly, I hunt posted ground thankfully and most of what happens doesn't effect me all that much. And, this issue has long since been beaten into oblivion.

However, something I never understood. Why don't we have elections on the positions in the commission every so many years? Personally, I'd like to see that myself. Then, if the guy elected does a terrible job and no one is happy, we can get him out of office the next election.

I see how this can back fire on the sportsman too, but I can't help but wonder.

Are you suggecting elections by the general public or by hunting license buyers? I can imagine all kinds of scary scenarios if the non hunting public had a say. Most of the general public has very little clue about mainsteram issues, let alone hunting and wildlife issues.

I could just imagine PETA coughing up millions in campaign funds to put their candidates on the PGC.[:'(]

BT, thats exactly what I was thinking, but just wondered.

I guess what I'm really trying to ask is how can the we as hunters regulate what the PGC does. They're not regulated by anyone. Kind of like a big company that doesn't get audited.

1) You've overlooked the constant meddling by elected officials like our statelegislators,many of whom arestanding in the way ofa license increase because they say "constituents" are unhappy with deer hunting. Anytime one of them is unhappy, they summon the administration to their offices for another brow-beating, or show up at public PGC meetings to wag a finger at the board.

2) Political influence in the selection of commissioners (there are currently two empty seats on the board): Applicants must be interviewed by the Gov's Advisory council, then submitted to the Gov for consideration, thensubmitted by the Govto the Senate, for approval/confirmation. Darn near everyone within the political systemthat has an axe to grind, gets a say on who gets approved or not.Deals are made and people approved or rejected. It's why it takes forever to fill an empty seat on the board.

3) In addition to license fee increases, almost any changes the PGC wants to make in the way of major regulations, must be approved by the legislature, which means they appear before the House Game and Fisheries Committe several times a year (legisaltive oversight), to be grilled and often chastised about this issueor that issue. (They're often televised on PCN, makes for interesting TV).

As for audits, I believe the game commission is subject to the same financial audits that any other state agency is.

The current system is definitely polluted by politics but I cant imagine it being better if the non license buying public had a say. At least hunters are something of a force when it comes to the system now in place.

Not saying it couldnt be improved but I'm not sure what system might be better.

DennyF, thanks. I wasn't aware of the exact process involved.

The PGCmay well be one ofthe most audited agencies in PA.Some seem to keepdemanding new ones, in an attempt to uncover the "truth" about their suspicionsconcerning"mismanagement".

If not mistaken,the PGC presentedannual reports to the General Assembly and was audited by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, the US Fish and Wildlife Service as well as the Auditor General, last year.

Always the chance that Ken Starr might be recruited for more inquistions, now that the elections are over.

"Always the chance that Ken Starr might be recruited for more inquistions, now that the elections are over."

Or maybe DON MADL.

Denny, if thats the case, I feel a little better about who's running the show down in Harrisburg. I really don't have too many issues with the PGC, other than going a little overboard with the doe thing. However, the main thing that blows me away is the browse line thing. That is completely ridiculous.

Oh well, like I said initially, this whole debate is getting really old.

What component of "the browse line thing" are you referring to and whatseems not to beacceptable?

I have a pic taken severalyears ago during spring gobbler season,near my camp in Tioga Co. There is a large ridge-top hayfield that has woods on two sides of it. One tree line runs downhill for several hundred yards and that is what I took the pic of, from the far side of the field (200+ yards distant). Once the treeshave developed leaves each spring, it's clearly noticeable that the treeline along the fieldhas beencropped in a perfectly uniform line, about 6' from the ground for its entire length (probably 350-400 yards).

Very few hunters recognize it as a browse line when shown the pic, although it stands out like a sore thumb.Some have asked "WTH trimmed those trees like that in such a straight line?"I can remember when it wasn't as noticeable, maybe 25-30 years ago when local deer numbers were much smaller. Tree growth is more prounced where there is sun along the edges,hence that's where the most growth is for browse chow.I walk upthere every spring and it always looks about the same, or has for the previous 20 years. Some browse lines are harder to spot...this one isn't.

My woods are well-populated with sugar maple, cherry, beech and other species of small seedlings each year. Prior tothe deer population increasing in the mid-80s, these seedlingswereusually waist high by mid-summer, in the woodsunderstory. For many years thought,they'd been cropped off by springtime.They are just now starting to reach theirformer heights in summer, indicating the deer are less in numbers than before.

During my adulthood there has always been a canopy in those woods, whichare primarily mature sugarmaple, beech, hickory, basswoodand other tall trees. About the only variable over the past 35 years,on how high/thick the seedlings were by summer, has been the numbers ofdeer nibblin' on them in late winter/early spring.