Hunting & Trapping Digest 2008-2009 - (Page A6) Deer Quiz Answers 1. FALSE. The mission of the Game Commission is “to manage all wild birds, mammals and their habitats for current and future generations.” This mission is consistent with the Game Commission’s legal duties and responsibilities and includes a wide range of stakeholders from homeowners to hunters. However, hunters are the primary ones who financially support this wildlife management from which all Pennsylvanians benefit. The Commission receives no general funds. 2. D. ALL OF THE ABOVE. In July 2002, individuals and organizations with an interest in deer management developed, and unanimously agreed to, the goals that direct the deer management program. The group agreed that the Game Commission should manage deer for a healthy deer herd, healthy forest habitat and acceptable levels of deer human conflicts. Sportsmen’s organizations invited to attend this meeting included: the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Deer Association, United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania, Quality Deer Management Association and The National Wild Turkey Federation. Other groups representing agriculture, forestry, conservation, urban-suburban, government agency, legislative and Game Commission interests also participated. 3. FALSE. Negative effects on genetics of Pennsylvania’s deer herd are very unlikely to occur. Research using genetic analyses suggests most or all bucks in a population – including yearling bucks – participate in breeding. Because 75 percent of bucks harvested in Pennsylvania are harvested after the peak of the rut in mid-November, potential negative effects of antler restrictions are reduced. Bucks harvested in early December already passed their genes onto the next generation. And the older, big bucks harvested in October passed their genes onto future generations in previous breeding seasons. 4. D. ALL OF THE ABOVE. Forest regeneration, or presence of young seedling and sapling trees, is the primary indicator of forest habitat health. A healthy forest has enough young seedling and sapling trees to replace larger trees when they die, fall down, or are cut. However, deer are not the only factor affecting forest regeneration. Light conditions, seed supply, soil chemistry, diseases and fire suppression are some additional factors that can affect regeneration. The Game Commission monitors regeneration of many tree species including oaks, hemlock, maples, black cherry, birches, beech and others. Advantages of the Game Commission’s measure of forest health are: 1) it includes only plots receiving enough light for young trees to grow, 2) it includes a variety of tree species that are counted the same, so factors such as hemlock wooly adelgid that damages hemlock trees, have less impact on the overall measure, 3) it counts tree species that are tolerant of acidic conditions the same as tree species that are more sensitive to acidic conditions, and 4) it includes tree species of value to Pennsylvania’s wildlife and wood products industry. 5. TRUE. The public can provide input to the Game Commission by speaking at quarterly meetings of the Board of Commissioners, by writing letters and emails, and by calling the Game Commission. In addition, the deer program uses Citizen Advisory Committees (CACs) to gather public input from each Wildlife Management Unit (WMU). Members of CACs represent groups including hunters, farmers, foresters, homeowners and businesses. These groups work together and make a deer population recommendation – whether the deer population should increase, decrease or remain the same. Deer biologists then take this recommendation and consider it along with measures of deer and forest habitat health for each WMU. To date, CACs have been completed in 10 of the 22 WMUs. By 2011 at least one CAC is expected to have been completed in each of the 22 WMUs.
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