Coyote's Killing our Deer Herds

Living in McKean County, right on the Pennsylvania and New York border, I have talked to many people about the issues we have here in our community with the packs of coyote's living in our hemlocks and pines. They are killing the deer and even attacking and killing our neighbor's cows, which is devastating to the farmers because those animals are these people's livelihoods. I lay awake at night sometimes, only to hear my brother's cows bellering and bellering because they are so afraid of these critters who are out to attack and hunt them. I've spoken with many people who say that the coyote's have even come into their yards looking for food.

Friends and family members of mine would like to see an organized hunt of coyote's in Pennsylvania because I personally have no interest in even allowing my son to go into the woods for a nature hike in fear that these hungry animals would attack and hurt him too. I remember the good ole days when my brother and sisters would often go into the woods, looking for wildflowers or to simply explore. It's really unfortunate that children can't be allowed to do that anymore. Maybe it's just the Mom in me who is paranoid, but I do believe there is a real problem with those predators and of course, I know there are also mountain lions here (even though the game commission says there are not, but residents of Pennsylvania, we know better).

Pennsylvania Fishing Fines

Did you know that if you are fishing, that the fish and game commission can issue you a citation if you're car registration has expired? They sure can and I was so surprised. Of course, I had totally forgotten to take care of business, innocent mistake, but yep, the game commission wardens can issue the same type of ticket that the Pennsylvania State Police can issue. I had no idea how much power they had :-)

16,500 Pheasants Set Aside for Youth Pheasant Hunt

I'll never forget a time in Oakton, VA; that my sister and I were just leaving a local establishment and these two fella's came up to us and started talking about the fact that they had some frozen pheasant in their truck and did we want some. Well, being country gals at heart, we said sure, why not. So they gave us a couple and we all left on our merry way. I took the frozen birds home and put them in the freezer. A couple months later, I decided to have a feast on them birds, left them thaw while I was at work, came home to start cooking them, only to discover that they were filled with what I believe you'd call buckshot. There were soooooo many little pellets in them birds, there was no way you could even begin to eat them. It was gross, that's for sure. So, this article brought a memory back to me, even if it were another bad eating memory lol Thank goodness there were no strings attached on those little gifts. *smile*

HARRISBURG - While the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners just gave approval to the 2006 youth pheasant hunt - Oct. 7-13 2006 - Carl G. Roe, agency executive director, noted that now is the time for hunting clubs interested in hosting a youth pheasant hunt to begin making plans. In addition to the 15,000 birds that the agency plans to release statewide prior to the opening of youth season, Roe has pledged to reinstate the set-aside of an extra 1,500 birds for clubs that host a youth pheasant hunt.

"The future of hunting is directly related to the continuing participation of young Pennsylvanians in our hunting seasons," Roe noted. "The goal is to make hunting a priority among all the other activities and recreational opportunities that vie for a teenager's time. It's truly a challenge for the Game Commission, as well as Pennsylvania's more than a million hunters.

"To maximize this opportunity for young hunters, and to ensure we pass along the ethics and ideals of our hunting heritage, the Game Commission and Pheasants Forever urge local clubs to consider hosting a youth pheasant hunt for the young people in their community."

Those clubs interested in hosting a youth pheasant hunt are encouraged to use the 26-page planning guide prepared by the Game Commission and the Pennsylvania State Chapter of Pheasants Forever. The booklet offers a step-by-step guide on how to develop an organized youth pheasant hunt, and includes: a sample timeline; suggested committees and assignments; general event planning considerations; and several sample forms and news releases. It also includes event evaluation guides so clubs and organizations may consider changes for future youth pheasant hunts.

The manual can be viewed on the Game Commission's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), by clicking on "Forms & Programs," and then selecting "Youth Pheasant Hunt Planning Guide." In addition to the planning guide, the upcoming 2006-07 Pennsylvania Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations will feature a listing of all locations that the Game Commission plans to stock for the youth pheasant hunt.

To participate in the youth pheasant hunt, youngsters must be 12 to 16 years of age, and must have successfully completed a Hunter-Trapper Education course. As required by law, an adult must accompany the young hunters. Participating hunters do not need to purchase a junior hunting license to take part in the youth pheasant hunt, but all participants must wear the mandatory 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on head, chest and back combined, visible from 360 degrees.

The 1,500 pheasants that the agency will provide for sportsmen's clubs sponsored youth pheasant hunts will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Roe noted that the set-aside for clubs was cut from last year's budget due to fiscal issues.

"While the agency's financial situation remains a concern, providing pheasants to clubs sponsoring youth pheasant hunts is a wise investment," Roe said.

To qualify, clubs and organizations must sign up before July 31 with the Game Commission to host a youth pheasant hunt. The only two stipulations to be eligible for clubs to receive Game Commission birds are that these hunts must have registration open to the public and must be held on public lands or private lands enrolled in one of the Game Commission's Cooperative Public Access Programs. Applications are available as part of the Youth Pheasant Hunting Planning Guide, or by going to the "Forms & Programs" section of the agency's homepage (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and clicking on "Youth Pheasant Hunt Application."
Additionally, to maximize potential participation, the Game Commission will post on its website all club-sponsored youth pheasant hunts.

"Holding concurrent youth seasons for squirrels and ring-necked pheasants will offer variety to youths who participate in these small game-hunting opportunities," Roe said. "The state's long-standing two-pheasant daily bag limit will apply to junior hunters participating in the season. In addition, depending on the area they are hunting, juniors will be required to comply with restrictions on hunting male or female pheasants."

Roe also noted that, on April 18, the Board of Game Commissioners gave preliminary approval to regulations establishing the Mentored Youth Hunting Program, which will enable youth under 12 years of age to hunt under the close supervisor of a mentor. To take effect next license year, the Board must give final approval to the package in June.

While pheasants will not be legal game as part of the Mentored Youth Hunting Program, the Board did identify as legal game for the 2006-07 license year the following species: squirrels, woodchucks (groundhogs) and the spring gobbler. Antlered deer will be included in the 2007-08 seasons. For more information on the Mentored Youth Hunting Program, please visit the Game Commission's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and click on "Release #048-06" in the "Newsroom" section.

Other recent Game Commission initiatives to promote youth hunting opportunities include an expanded youth squirrel hunt; a youth spring gobbler hunt; expanded youth waterfowl hunts; special antlerless deer hunts; and youth field day events. Also, as part of the license fee increase approved in 1998, the General Assembly created a junior combination license that packages regular license privileges with archery, flintlock and furtaking opportunities for $9, compared to $39 if the necessary licenses were purchased separately.

Pheasants Forever is a national non-profit habitat conservation organization with a system of hard working local chapter volunteers dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasants and other wildlife populations. Pheasants Forever emphasizes habitat improvement, public awareness and education, and land management policies that benefit private landowners and wildlife alike. For more information, visit its website at www.pheasantsforever.org

DOG TRAINING LIMITED TO BENEFIT YOUTH PHEASANT HUNT
Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe recently signed an executive order to temporarily stop dog training on State Game Lands from the Monday prior to the start of the youth pheasant season until the close of the youth pheasant season, which, for this coming season, translates to Oct. 2-13.

Roe stressed that this order does not, in any manner, prohibit dog handlers from using dogs as part of a youth pheasant hunt activity or for dog training activities to be conducted on any lands other than State Game Lands. He also noted that this order does not impact dog training activities statewide during the remainder of the year, including general small game seasons.
"The Game Commission and many sportsmen's clubs stock pheasants specifically to enhance youth pheasant hunting opportunities," Roe said. "The majority of these pheasants are stocked on State Game Lands across the Commonwealth.

"As our youth pheasant hunting opportunities are directly linked to and limited by the existence and availability of stocked pheasants, we are attempting to limit disturbances to those birds we stock just prior to and during the youth pheasant seasons."

Roe noted that the agency has become increasingly aware that dog training activities occurring on State Game Lands during the period just prior to and concurrent with the youth pheasant season are consistently causing stocked pheasants to scatter and disperse far away from designated release sites, where the birds are intended to temporarily remain for the duration of the youth pheasant season.

"Generally, the Game Commission's regulations permit dog training activities during any time of the calendar year," Roe said. "And, we try to promote dog training activities on State Game Lands, provided these activities do not conflict with legal hunting activities. However, we believe that we must take this limited and responsible step to protect the investment of sportsmen's dollars - in terms of agency employee's time and to provide the greatest opportunity to take the birds being stocked.

"We very much appreciate the understanding and cooperation of those involved in the dog training community."

Source:
Release #050-06

Find a Hunting Club

Internet matchmaking isn't just for love connections anymore. I found a couple of interesting links on this news article which I thought was very appropriate for my Pennsylvania blog. It's always more fun to hunt with buddies or be a part of a hunting camp. That's half the fun of hunting is partying after you have gone out hunting for the day is to find folks who you don't mind sharing a hunting camp with.

Find a Hunting Club.com was a great idea, but appears to no longer be in service.

Early in 2005, as Beau, 32, of Madison, was watching TV, he happened on a show that featured couples who had met on an Internet dating service.

"They talked about how it had helped that the service had found so many levels of compatibility and that it had definitely helped them find a mate," Beau Starkey said. "That's when it hit me. Why can't that be done between hunters and hunting camps."

Hence, FindaHuntingClub.com, which went online in early February.

Hunters pay a $9.95 annual fee to establish their profile and clubs pay $49.95 a year. Eighteen clubs and 100 individuals have joined.

A computer program, similar to ones that match couples, then uses different criteria and finds the best matches.

"That criteria can include such things for hunters as location of camp, whether it's still or dog hunting, whether it's family oriented, if they allow an occasional poker game and even if they allow an after-hunt cocktail," said Gary Starkey. "It can include size of club, number of stands and type of terrain. Anything that can help a hunter find the right club."

The hunter is then given a list of clubs that fit his or her criteria, and they are ranked by most criteria matches.

Beau Starkey said that at first, it was just thought of as a hobby.

"Then when we started telling people about our idea, they said, 'Hey, you can make money doing that,' so we set it up that way," he said. "We're hoping it works here in Mississippi and we can expand it to other states.

"We're also looking at kicking off another site, FindaHunt.com, to help hunters and guides (outfitters) get together."

Source:

Let the fun and games begin

Wow, this really says alot and I was so glad to hear of our community getting together to challenge and voice their complaints and opinions at this meeting. I had no idea how well attended it had been and wish I could have been there too. What I would love to know is how did our local sportsmen hear about this meeting. I heard about this "after the fact". Guess I'll have to ask around. I'm so glad to see our local guys and gals trying to get some positive action for our community. Hunting tourism plays a big role in our area and it's such a shame to see how things have changed over the past few years. It's bad enough that Adelphia had their problems, but to take our hunting options away. Shoot, they might just as well put us out of our misery. OK, so I love venison and I enjoy hosting my hunters who travel here each year. In the past, I have had 13 hunters staying in my home here in McKean County. This past year, I had 3 stay with me and it has everything to do with the lack of white tailed deer. It's very unfortunate. I remember "the good ole days". It was truly something to look forward to in our area, but anymore, people from out of town (lovingly called "flatlanders") are headed out west for the big elk hunts and actually seeing deer which they can harvest to help feed their families. I don't agree at all with the hunters who kill and leave the animal there, that's JUST WRONG, but everyone I've ever met is passionate about hunting and it serves a purpose for them. Sort of like fish stories or "the one that got away". It's a guy thing I think.

Here is the article:

OUTDOORS - "The best laid plans of mice and men often go to hell in a hand basket" or something like that the old cliche tells us. We have an upcoming gubernatorial election and the battle is on for the "hearts and minds" of Pennsylvanians. Personally, I am fascinated by developing political strategies, which undoubtedly becomes a "war of words" across our media outlets.

In the years ahead political historians will look back at the DCNR meeting in Coudersport in January 2006 as a pivotal point in the outcome of this election. It was here that DCNR bureaucrats "opened the canopy" and let some sunshine hit their view of deer hunting and the PA Wilds Program. It has been damage control in overdrive for the Rendell Administration ever since that historic meeting.

Recently, I traveled to Coudersport and found those people quite upset. They now believe they have been flimflammed. They are accusing the Administration of ramming the PA Wilds Program down their throats "instead of" deer hunting, not "in addition to" deer hunting. Who could blame them? There are practically no deer in the Northcentral. The merchants have come to realize their hunting revenue is all but gone and the replacement PA Wilds Program revenue is "happy talk" for the future. To deflect the daggers the Governor went as far as releasing a long-winded press release passionately expressing he is not anti-hunting. DCNR has done the same. There's trouble in Harrisburg and the plot is thickening.

When we analyze the results of the last election we find that Governor Rendell bit deeply into the traditional Republican vote across our rural areas. I don't believe the Governor ever realized the true reason. There was a strong anti-Ridge sentiment out there. After all, it was Tom Ridge that started the entire kill the deer, forestry certification; let's see if we could merge the agencies agendas. Governor Rendell had no problem capturing Philadelphia and Pittsburg.

This time around the terrain has changed. Lynn Swann will bite deeply into our cities. The rural vote, our sporting class vote, will undoubtedly become the hinge-pin in the outcome of this election. In hindsight, CNR's rush to forest certification will play a major role in this election. Once you cut through the hype and hoopla of certification, you realize we are being squeezed into accepting 0-5 deer per square forested mile for the next 50 years or more. Certification and deer hunting have been on collision course with DCNR avoiding the subject in its entirety.

When we look back over the last four years and the Administration's forest certification, deer reduction and PA Wilds Program it has been theorized the Republicans did nothing to stop the freight train quite intentionally. It was the old "give him enough rope" to hang himself strategy. Our seasoned politicians are well aware you can propose changes in PA, but you don't mess with deer hunting, property rights and personal freedoms. Governor Rendell has ventured into these areas and his policies are impacting the social and traditional fabric of our state. His efforts have become a state version of Al Gore's "wrenching transformation of America". Predictably, our sporting class and rural residents aren't in the buying mood.

So what can Governor Rendell do to recapture the hearts and minds of our sporting class? It's quite simple. He could announce that he will sign a Constitutional Amendment guaranteeing our rights to hunt, fish, trap and shoot. I hope you noticed the word "shoot" is included. This is critical for obvious reasons. He could also agree to sign "zero loss of hunting land" legislation. In other words, if DCNR closes land to hunting, they will be forced to open land somewhere else to compensate. These concepts once again are being promoted by the premier sportsmen's advocacy group in this state, the Unified Sportsmen of PA. Unified has worked hard to promote these concepts, which will undoubtedly protect our rights for generations to come.

It has been said many times over, "actions speak louder than words". In view of the last four years, the sporting class of Pennsylvania needs more than pre-election lip service. We need legislation to sink our teeth in. The above two safeguards will insure that forest certification, herd reduction and the PA Wild Program will be throttled back and not cause a "wrenching transformation of Pennsylvania". If Governor Rendell is uncomfortable with making such commitments, perhaps his opponent will see it differently.

In an amazing twist of ironies, I believe, our sporting class will decide the next Governor of Pennsylvania.

Source:

If you can't beat em, join em

I wonder if this is really such a bad thing? What the heck is wrong with this? Another case of government control in regard to the Pennsylvania Deer herd? I'll have to see what else I can find out about this story because it is interesting at best. I wonder if he had the deer fenced in on his property? To keep the cougars out maybe or the other critters which love to venison as much as we do. If he has the critters contained, what difference does it make to the car insurance companies? I know how I feel about those organizations and the part that I believe they play on the deer control in Pennsylvania. Now, the selling of the venison, I suppose there are some regulations, again, the FDA has there say about this one. The sad thing is, most people can only afford to buy venison. We have alot of poor people, below poverty level here in our great state. Goes back to government control. I see it that this fellow, Jeffrey Dean Spence of Reynoldsville, PA was trying to help the Pennsylvania hunting industry. To bring the hunter back to Northwestern Pennsylvania and bring the big bucks (both literally and figuratively) back to this area. There must be some way, if the government wants the money themselves that they can help to preserve the white tailed deer.

source:

A Jefferson County man faces more than 2,300 charges and fines and penalties in excess of $16 million in connection with the illegal operation of a white-tailed deer farm and hunting preserve.

Pennsylvania Game Commission officials filed wildlife-related and criminal charges against Jeffrey Dean Spence of Cemetery Road in Reynoldsville, Jefferson County, Feb. 14 in the office of District Justice Richard Beck of Brookville. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for March 31.

Spence was charged with 1,284 counts of selling or bartering, offering for sale or barter, conspiring to sell and barter, and having in possession for sale or barter white-tailed deer or the edible parts of deer. Spence is also accused of propagating deer at an unpermitted facility.

If convicted of those violations, Spence faces fines up to $1,027,200.

At the same time, Spence is charged with 960 counts of unlawfully using a computer to sell or offer for sale the white-tailed deer raised at his unpermitted facility. Conviction on those counts carries penalties of up to seven years in prison and $15,000 in fines for each count.

Finally, Spence faces 74 counts of taking payment for selling deer he was not permitted to sell or raise. Those charges carry a penalty of up to seven years in prison and $15,000 in fines for each of 10 counts, five years in prison and $10,000 in fines for each of 34 counts and two years in prison and $5,000 in fines for each of 30 counts.

The investigation is continuing, so additional charges may be filed, wildlife conservation officer Roger Hartless said.

Deer Hunting Chat from all around the USA

While searching for articles on "speed beef", I find this great message board for deer hunters all around the US to talk about their favorite sport. This might be a great board to join.

What is speed beef?

Deer that run in front of your car and freeze in the headlights. No, no, no!!
Deer that run faster than your basic cow. :-)

Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania

Do Mountain Lions live in Pennsylvania? The debate continues as to
whether there are mountain lions or cougars or panthers in this great
state. I wanted to attach this article to my blog for posterity. There
is a comment in there about the fact that if you're sure you saw one, then
no one can convince you otherwise and I have to agree with that. I am
surrounded by hunters all of the time and many of these hunters have
been hunting in these woods for years and years and they are no idiots
for sure. I truly believe that if they say they saw a mountain lion, then
by golly, I believe them and I think that the game commission should
believe them too.

Wanted: information on mountain lion, cougar or panther sightings:

More cougar information