Pennsylvania Game News - June 2021 - 48

APRIL COMMISSIONERS MEETING

Seasons set for 2021-22
The hunting and trapping seasons for the
new license year to begin July 1 were given
final approval in April by the Pennsylvania
Board of Game Commissioners, and some
exciting changes are on the way.
The firearms deer season will be open to
the hunting of both antlered and antlerless
deer throughout its 14-day duration.
The move is not intended to increase the
antlerless deer harvest; the number of
antlerless licenses has been reduced in
most Wildlife Management Units (WMUs)
where antlerless deer hunting days have
been added to the season. But a concurrent
season does increase opportunity and
allow hunters more time to meet deermanagement objectives.
Sunday hunting opportunity also will
increase in 2021-22. Once again, three
Sundays - Nov. 14, Nov. 21 and Nov. 28 -
are open to additional hunting. But this year,
hunting on those Sundays will be open to all
species - except for turkeys and waterfowl
- that are in season.
Extended-season bear hunters also will
pick up a new Sunday hunting opportunity.
In all WMUs where it's held, the start of the
extended season was moved up to Saturday,
Nov. 27 - the firearms deer opener - and
Sunday, Nov. 28 will be open to bear hunting
in those WMUs, too.
The elk license allocation was increased
to 187 to be awarded by lottery, and the
January late season, which in previous years
was open only to antlerless-elk hunting, will
include 10 bull tags in 2021-22.
A complete listing of 2021-22 seasons
and bag limits can be found on the Game
Commission's website and in the 2021-22
Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest.
48

Other meeting highlights
* Electronic licenses now can
be carried in place of certain paper
licenses, though paper harvest tags
will continue to be issued to hunters
on durable stock, and must be carried
afield in any season where harvested
game must be tagged.
* The deadline for landowners to
apply for DMAP was extended to July
1, allowing them more time to analyze
deer-management goals.
*Two new mentored hunting
opportunities will be up for final
approval in July. Commissioners will
consider a proposal to allow mentored
hunters to pursue waterfowl and bears.
The proposal also would allow
mentored hunters over 7 years old to
buy their own bear licenses and Special
Spring Turkey licenses, and would allow
those licenses to be transferred from
their original owners to mentored
hunters under age 7.
* Straight-walled centerfire
cartridges soon could be allowed
statewide, including in Special
Regulations Areas.
These rounds lose velocity quickly,
but are highly effective short-range
options that have been permitted in
" shotgun-only " areas in other states.
A final vote on the matter is
scheduled for the July meeting.
* Beaver trap restrictions that
apply in areas where beaver and otter
seasons overlap could be relaxed.
In those areas, beaver trappers are
limited to using no more than five traps
or snares, no more than two of which
can be body-gripping, during otter
season and for five days beyond.
A proposal scheduled for a final vote
in July would allow beaver trappers to
resume regular trap restrictions when
otter season closes.
Pennsylvania Game News - June 2021

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