Starting at 9 a.m. today in Harrisburg, hunters should be aware of several possible changes in deer hunting and deer management that will be discussed in a meeting by members of the House Game and Fisheries Committee.

There is no timetable listed stating if or when these changes would be made. However, the topics are highly looked upon by members of the Pennsylvania Game Commission as well as deer hunters across the state.

“The point of this meeting is to just gather info,” noted state Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, who is also the chairman of the Game and Fisheries Committee.

One of the more interesting topics that will be discussed is going back to the original three-day antlerless deer season. Since 2001, Pennsylvania has run a concurrent buck and antlerless deer season.

Another key issue is the possible removal of antler restrictions for senior hunters. Some feel that senior hunters should have the right to harvest any buck of their choice, while others believe that if senior hunters take younger bucks, it may have an impact on the success of the antler restriction.

Also, the possibility of rifle season starting on a Saturday will be discussed. The average weekend hunter only gets two Saturdays a year to hunt during rifle season. By opening the season on Saturday, it would likely increase license sales and get more hunters in the woods.

“I think we need to look over all of these bills very seriously,” Causer added. “Deer management is one of the issues we hear the most from. It is a goal of mine to look at all sides of the issue and try to improve it.”

Other topics on the agenda are the Deer Management Assistance Program, deer management units and better overall deer management.

Expected to testify are Pennsylvania Game Commission Director of the Bureau of Wildlife Management Calvin DuBrock, Randy Santucci of the Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania and Melody Schell of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs.