Pennsylvania Game News - June 2011 - 34

Internet must be mailed and won’t be received in time for the season. 2011-12 turkey seasons The fall 2011 and spring 2012 turkey seasons are: Oct. 29-Nov. 12 and Nov. 24-26 in WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 4A, 4B and 4D; Oct. 29-Nov. 18 and Nov. 24-26 in WMUs 2B, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C and 4E; and Nov. 1-3 in WMU 5A. WMUs 5B, 5C and 5D will remain closed for the fall seasons. The 2012 spring gobbler season will run from April 28-May 31, with hunting hours from April 28-May 12 to be one-half hour before sunrise until noon, and from May 14-31, to be onehalf hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset. The Spring Gobbler Junior Hunt will be April 21, from one-half hour before sunrise until noon. Other changes The Board gave final approval to a regulatory change to allow for the hunting of starlings, English sparrows, opossums, skunks, groundhogs and weasels during legal hunting hours of the spring gobbler season. This change will increase opportunities for hunters pursuing those species without creating unacceptable conflicts with spring gobbler hunters. Based on a motion by Commissioner Ralph Martone, the Board unanimously approved extending the closing date of the late squirrel season

from Feb. 4 to Feb. 25. The late squirrel season, as adopted, will run from Dec. 26-Feb. 25. Commissioner Jay Delaney offered an amendment, which was unanimously approved, to establish the bobcat hunting season dates of Jan. 17-Feb. 7. For the 2011 elk season, the Board approved an allocation of 18 antlered and 38 antlerless elk licenses, in addition to the one Elk Conservation Tag, which was auctioned at this year’s Safari Club International convention on Jan. 28. Applications for the public drawing to award elk licenses will be accepted June 13 through Aug. 26. The date for the public drawing will be announced later this year. Complete 2011-12 seasons and bag limits begin on page 46. In other action the Board: • Gave final approval to allow the use of single projectile muzzleloaders and shotguns for bear hunting in Special Regulations Areas counties (Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia); • Gave final approval to a variety of amendments to define and clarify the standards relating to certain trapping activities. Among the changes are the clarification that the 20 trap or snare limitation is a statewide total — not a WMU, watercourse or waterway limitation — and that add definitions for “artificial cubby” and “foot encapsulating trap” as part of the definitions

After hunters purchase a general hunting license, they may apply for antlerless deer licenses as outlined in the Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest. The antlerless deer license allocations for 2011-12 are: WMU 1A - 42,000; WMU 1B - 30,000; WMU 2A - 65,000; WMU 2B - 71,000; WMU 2C - 58,000; WMU 2D - 60,000; WMU 2E - 25,000; WMU 2F - 34,000; WMU 2G - 23,000; WMU 3A - 26,000; WMU 3B - 40,000; WMU 3C - 29,000; WMU 3D - 39,000; WMU 4A - 28,000; WMU 4B - 23,000; WMU 4C - 35,000; WMU 4D - 37,000; WMU 4E - 29,000; WMU 5A - 19,000; WMU 5B - 50,000; WMU 5C - 117,000; WMU 5D - 22,000. 34 GAME NEWS

Pennsylvania Game News - June 2011

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