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By Bob Frye
TRIBUNE-REVIEW OUTDOORS EDITOR
Sunday, January 21, 2007


Sportsmen are worried that some people within the Pennsylvania Game Commission are trying to "undermine" the state's mentored youth hunting program.
Last year, state lawmakers approved legislation that said any child, regardless of age, could hunt provided they were accompanied by an adult mentor. Game Commissioners subsequently allowed youngsters to hunt groundhogs, squirrels and spring gobblers.
They were initially going to let youngsters hunt antlered deer, too, but delayed that until the fall 2007 season so that agency staff had time to work out the logistics of the program.
Now, those same staff people are telling commissioners they need yet more time. When commissioners meet this week, agency staff will recommend that they not let kids hunt bucks.
















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The feeling is that allowing children who don't have a license -- and therefore no harvest tag -- to kill deer will be problematic. Some believe it will play havoc with the commission's ability to track the deer harvest. Others fear it will lead to law enforcement issues, with mentors shooting small bucks and saying the children took them.
"We simply need more time to consider alternatives and the potential benefits and costs to the agency, the resource and the citizens of the Commonwealth," reads an item in the Game Commission's agenda.
Agency staff have already had a year to work out those very issues, though, said commissioner Russ Schleiden of Centre County. He said he's not sure if the board will follow the staff's recommendation.
There's no doubt how the sportsmen who served on the state's youth mentored hunting committee feel, however.
In a letter to commissioners and agency staff, Ron Fretts, the Scottdale man who chaired the committee, said any move to keep kids from hunting deer this fall is "unacceptable."
"Many youth who experienced hunting with an adult mentor in 2006 because of the new program are eagerly waiting to pursue the crown jewel of hunting, the white-tailed deer," Fretts wrote. "We stand to seriously disappoint those families who hoped to enjoy time afield this fall."
Commission biologists have already said there is no scientific evidence to indicate that that letting children hunt bucks -- as well as turkeys -- this fall will cause any problems, Fretts added.
"Sportsmen across the Commonwealth see this type of waffling by (the) PGC as an indication of an agency headed in the wrong direction. Sportsmen that considered the PGC as a partner in efforts to improve hunter recruitment and retention rates will no longer trust (the) PGC if the agency proceeds with plans to gut the mentored youth hunting program," Fretts concluded.


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Bob Frye can be reached at [email protected] or (724) 838-5148.

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Others fear it will lead to law enforcement issues, with mentors shooting small bucks and saying the children took them.

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This isnt to slam you for your opinion but I think maybe the possibility of an adult taking a kid out there, shooting a small buck, and then putting the kids tag on it is pretty low.

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