You’ve got to give credit to those who attend. After all, providing public testimony at a Pa. Game Commission meeting takes guts. And that’s exactly why I especially enjoy attending the Board of Commissioners’ meetings.
The January 2020 meeting will be the first to follow a new format with meetings being held on Friday and Saturday rather than on Monday and Tuesday.
The meeting will begin on Friday at 1 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is for the board to hear reports from staff. Public comment will not be accepted at this meeting.
The two-day meeting then will reconvene on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 8:30 a.m. Public comment will then be taken. Each speaker is limited to five minutes. Those who want to address the Board of Commissioners must register. Speakers are selected in the order in which they signed up.
The ability to address the Commissioners is important. After all, where else can an individual or group directly address the decision makers?
Right, wrong, or in between, just five minutes will often help shape a position. In forty years of attending this PGC meeting in particular, I can attest to the fact that those who provide constructive criticism or offer their opinions are heard and have made a difference. At this meeting, those who sign up to speak are not handpicked.
Today, there remains a sense of longing to turn back the hands of time to go back and reinstate that which was experienced decades ago. That was then, this is now. Change is inevitable to insure moving forward, provided it is approached with a good solid plan.
Individuals are encouraged to share their thoughts with the Board of Commissioners. Criticism, good or bad, depending on your viewpoint, is accepted. And that’s to be expected.
The Board of Commissioners will take the entire afternoon to listen to what the sportsmen have to say. Sometimes at the January meetings, there have been occasions when the public comment session has gone on for an extended period of time.
In recent years, when a speaker completed his or her testimony, Commissioners took the time to clarify points that were brought up. That has been refreshing to see.
You can bet that the upcoming meeting will draw questions, especially regarding any changes or adjustments to the starting dates of hunting seasons.
This past season expanded hunting opportunities provided by new special-firearms and muzzleloader bear seasons and an expanded archery bear season have helped push up the 2019 bear harvest.
The harvest was also driven upward by the Commission’s decision to double the number of statewide bear-hunting days, creating the state’s lengthiest bear-hunting opportunities since the 1930’s.
Of the total bears taken, counties across the northern tier did well. Northwest Region (535): Warren, 142; Venango, 79; Forest, 66; Jefferson, 65; Clarion, 61; Crawford, 56; Butler, 44; Erie, 15; and Mercer, 7.
Northcentral Region (1,588): Lycoming, 283; Clinton, 267; Tioga, 261; Potter, 173; Centre, 144; McKean, 125; Clearfield, 103; Elk, 100; Cameron, 78; and Union, 54.
This past season 4,618 black bears have been harvested. The final harvest numbers will be released in February.
Commissioners are expected to take action on a number of proposed changes including the following:
Deer: Biologists want to return to the past and open the two-week firearms deer season to concurrent buck and doe hunting seasons statewide.
Also proposed is to allow hunters with the proper tag(s) to harvest a buck or doe anytime in a 14-day season, beginning on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and including Sunday.
Bear season: Biologists want to open bear season on Saturday then continue it to include Sunday until Tuesday. Secondly, they want to move up the timing of the state-wide archery bear season. Proposed for next year is to have one week of bear hunting open to muzzleloaders and for archers the last three days open to junior and senior rifle hunters. A second week of archery-only would follow.
Turkeys: Biologist’s propose shortening fall turkey seasons in WMU 4C and 4E from two weeks plus two days to one week and three days that would include Thanksgiving Day.
Squirrels: The suggestion is to the youth-only season up to mid-September and statewide up to late September.
Pheasants: This past season hunters were permitted to shoot male and female pheasants in all WMU’s, except WMU 4E and 5A. If approved, hunters would be permitted to take cock birds and hens in these two WMU’s as well.
The exception would be within the pheasant recovery areas.
Furbearers: Biologists support opening within the Northwest Region WMU’s 1A, 1B, and 2F, a one week otter trapping season. There is consideration being given to extend otter season in the Northeast Region in WMU’s 3C and 3D to two weeks. A third consideration would be to increase the season limit in WMU’s 1A and 1B from 40 to 60.
Regarding bobcats, it will be suggested to open bobcat trapping and hunting in WMU 2B.
Elk: The suggestion is to eliminate the extended elk hunting season. The reason is due to the lack of participation in this particular season.
Archery Deer: Staff will be recommending to add Sunday, November 15, to the end of archery season.
The suggested changes in seasons and bag limits are proposed and possibly will be tentatively approved. Items approved will not receive final approval until later in the year.
You can bet there will be plenty to discuss and sent forth for preliminary approval.
If you’ve yet to attend a Commission meeting, I hope you will. See you in Harrisburg.
Charlie Burchfield is an active member and past president of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, an active member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association, Outdoor Writers Assoc. of America and the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers. Gateway Outdoors e-mail is GWOutdoors@comcast.net
