dragthor

GAME COMMISSION RESPONDS TO DEER REPORT

Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners President Russell Schleiden today offered the following comments regarding today's release of a report titled: "Managing White-Tailed Deer in Forest Habitat from an Ecosystem Perspective: Pennsylvania Case Study." The report was sponsored by Audubon Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Habitat Alliance.

Schleiden said: "This report is but one more voice in the broad spectrum of opinions and views on how the Pennsylvania Game Commission should manage deer. However, this report's claim that deer management can be better handled by a merged agency that includes the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, is an issue that was examined during the last Legislative Session, and was proven to be merely a distraction from the primary objective: ensuring adequate funding for proper wildlife management. Also, the idea that a larger agency would serve the public and wildlife resources interests better is questionable at best. Since when has a larger bureaucracy ever been more efficient, effective or responsive?

"My concern is that the authors of this report are merely trying to create a structure for managing deer that marginalizes hunters' views and opinions. The Game Commission, as a state government agency, historically has directed deer management, with input from the state's varied stakeholders - hunters, biologists, farmers, foresters, landowners and local officials - and we believe that the current process is working.

"Since 1999, the Game Commission has implemented an aggressive program designed by our biologists on the Deer Management Team to balance Pennsylvania's deer herd with its habitat to improve the health and quality of our deer herd and deer hunting. This plan focuses on allowing the habitat to recover so that all wildlife - both game and nongame, including deer - will prosper in a healthy eco-environment.

"As we consider the input we have received so far about the 2005-2006 seasons and bag limits, we have heard from those who agree with the authors of this report that more deer need to be harvested. We also have heard from those who believe that we are harvesting too many deer. We will continue to fulfill our mandate as Commissioners to provide a balance that will be acceptable to the majority and continue to keep the best interests of white-tailed deer resource and its habitat first and foremost."

MikeE51848

Nothing new, you guys in the western part of state say there's still too many deer there.

and

Well if they do, there has always been persistent rumors as to
you-know-who being the head.

chickory

Mike have you had a chance to read Audubons new deer report ??? Its from Audubon and the "habitat alliance" and they reccomend the PGC funding no longer be funded by just hunters. They would like nonhunter funding in order to "facilitiate the shift from single species management to ecosystem managment"

...and this one "the governor and general assembly should change the commissioner system so that they ensure the commissioners represent ALL citizens of pa, not just those who hunt".

Its an amazing document, and is being presented around the state to lawmakers as we speak.

I can post some links to it if you have not read it.

Nonhunters and hunters through Audubon and "the habitat alliance" are attempting to change the structure of pa widlife managment and the agencies tasked with managing wilidife and forests so that hunters no longer have a lot of say in issues.

Its about control, and there is a big power grab going on right now.

wvdeer4u

The PGC has 3 choices. 1. Manage the herd biologically like Dr Alt was, 2. Bow to the pressure of the hunters again, 3. Or find a happy medium. Now that Alt is gone noone knows what the PGC is going to do. Have they gained enough support fromhunters and nonhunters to stay the course Dr Alt set or is there enough opposition from the rest of the hunters to go back to the old days. I guess in April we will find out.

BTBowhunter

doesnt look like much will change for this year at least.

here's a link

[link]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/outdoors/s_291308.html[/link]

muzzyman88

You know, something that I find startling is the fact that so many, who really don't have much to do with deer management are trying to get involved now. I understand the ecosystem needs to be managed and the deer are part of that. But when the flower sniffers and people who really don't give a hoot about the hunting aspect thing we need more outside involvement, this could cause more of a mess then Dr. Alt created.

Not unlike big business, this is going to be all about money and power in the future unfortunately. Maybe those who detest Gary Alt's ideals will regret some of it in the future when they decide that hunters aren't as needed to control the heard and come up with alternative ways of dealing with it. This is only a thought, and I surely hope it will never come to that. But it definitely has me concerned.

MikeE51848

Cold spots??? That's putting it mildly. The "numbers" will certainly be interesting.

MasonsRidge

You keep expanding your deer kill in Pennsylvania and you are going to end up like West Virginia. In West Virginia now, you'll be lucky to see a buck during rifle season due to the years of killing all the does. There are just too many "freezer hunters" that want to kill just for the meat and they are the ones bitching about too many deer. For us "trophy" hunters, we are the ones suffering for too many deer being killed. Wake up, voice your opinion before it's too loate like West Virginia.

BTBowhunter

It's been more than 10 years since I hunted WVA but I remember that it was possible to shoot as many as 5 BUCKS a year there. Has that changed?

MasonsRidge

Let's put it this way.....In WV you can kill up to 10 deer a year with all the stamps. Yes you can kill 5 bucks, that's if you see a buck. West Virginia's "overkill" of does and the so-called hunters that call themselves "freezer hunters" and the help of our worthless DNR have managed to really foul up the deer hunting in the Mountain State. In certain parts of the state, I have talked to deer hunters who didn't see (1) buck during the 2 week rifle season, that's how bad it has gotten. Sure, you'll have an occasional hunter from WV say there are plaenty of deer and more does need to be taken, but these are the landowners who own 1000+ acres and have a poster on every other tree.