Pennsylvania Game News - December 2018 - 45

SEPTEMBER COMMISSIONERS MEETING

Mentored program could open to all ages

As it is now, youth 12 to 17 are the only ones left out of the opportunity.
The Pennsylvania Board of Game
Commissioners in September gave preliminary approval to a measure that would
bridge the mentored youth and mentored
adult hunting programs.
Hunters and furtakers in Pennsylvania
can purchase their first licenses at age 12,
after successful completion of HunterTrapper Education. The mentored youth
program enables those younger than 12 to
participate in hunting, while the mentored
adult program allows those 18 or older to
participate, simply by obtaining a permit
and following program requirements.
Under their current framework, the
mentored programs leave out hunters ages
12 to 17. The only way those ages 12 to
17 can experience hunting is to become
certified and buy a license.
The measure preliminarily approved
by commissioners would allow unlicensed individuals under the age of 17
to participate in the mentored youth program, and those 17 or older to participate
in the mentored adult program.
The measure is scheduled for a final
vote in January.
Mentored hunters may hunt only certain game species and must follow other
requirements. In some cases, the mentored
hunter must receive through transfer a
valid harvest tag from their mentor.
A mentored adult can only participate
in the program for a total of three, unbroken license years. Under the proposal,
that three-year maximum would apply
to all mentored hunters ages 12 or older.
After three years in the program, they'd
be required to get a license.
DECEMBER 2018

Other meeting highlights
* Resident disabled-veteran hunters would
continue to be eligible for special disabledveteran goose hunts at Middle Creek and
Pymatuning Wildlife Management Areas,
even after they give up their disabled-veteran
licenses for senior lifetime licenses, based on a
change preliminarily approved by the Board of
Commissioners.
As it is now, only resident disabled-veteran
license holders are eligible to apply for the special
hunts. The proposed change would extend the
ability to apply to anyone holding a senior lifetime
hunting or senior lifetime combination license
who can provide documentation evidencing their
eligibility for a resident disabled-veteran license
or reduced fee disabled-veteran license.
* An updated Wild Turkey Management Plan
covering the span from 2018 through 2027 was
approved by the Board of Game Commissioners.
A draft of the plan had been made available
for public view in July, and public comments
received on the plan were considered in the
approved draft.
The finalized plan is available to view at
www.pgc.pa.gov
* Changes to strengthen the "public hunting"
component within agency-issued deer-control
permits have been adopted by the Board of
Commissioners. The permits are used to manage
deer problems on private and public properties.
With the adopted revisions, public hunting
is further defined as hunting available to the
general public that "shall not include hunting
opportunity that is afforded to an individual, or
class of individuals, solely by virtue of their public
employment."
* Hungarian partridges have been classified
as a wild bird through unanimous vote by the
Board of Commissioners. The designation allows
individuals to legally acquire and release these
birds for dog-training or hunting.

45
http://www.pgc.pa.gov
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - December 2018
