Pennsylvania Game News - June 2022 - 44

APRIL COMMISSIONERS MEETING
Red Tag changes OK'd
Pennsylvania's Board of Game
Commissioners in April adopted
changes to the agency's Agricultural
Deer Control Program, commonly
known as the Red Tag Program.
The program is meant to help
farmers address crop-damage issues
by letting hunters take antlerless deer
outside regular hunting seasons. The
changes, which were recommended by
those who use the program, include:
* Individual hunters can get four
permits for a Red Tag property, rather
than one. Hunters can keep all deer
they harvest.
* The summer period during which
Red Tag hunting is closed (previously
May 16-June 30) has been expanded
to April 16-July 31. Permits are valid
from Aug. 1 through Sept. 15, then
from Feb. 1 through April 15.
* Landowners no longer are required
to report Red Tag harvests.
Instead, hunters report for each permit,
regardless of harvest success,
* All licensed hunters, not just
Pennsylvania residents, can participate.
*
The program's namesake red
snap tags are being replaced with
standard harvest tags.
* Landowners no longer need to
enroll in the Game Commission's
Hunter Access program before using
the Red Tag program, and Red Tag
properties no longer need to be posted
with signs.
This measure will become effective
in November 2022.
44
Other meeting highlights
The board gave preliminary approval
to several measures that will be brought
back to the July meeting. They include:
* A bobwhite quail recovery area
surrounding Letterkenny Army Depot
in Franklin County could be created.
Grassland habitat has been improved in
this area, which is to begin receiving wild
bobwhites in spring 2023.
* Those who hold wildlife capture and
transportation permits might have to begin
making monthly reports to the Game
Commission to ensure they're operating
within the parameters of their permits.
This proposal is supported by the Wildlife
Rehabilitation and Educational Council.
* The State Game Lands 176 shooting
range would be governed by the same
regulations as other ranges on game
lands, including hours of operation.
* Falconry hunting seasons could
remain open during the regular firearms
deer season, a change the Game Commission
has determined won't significantly
impact deer hunters. If adopted, the
change is expected to take effect in the
2023-24 license year.
Additionally, the board cast a final vote
to adopt the following:
* Pennsylvania elk hunters now
receive their preseason training by mail,
instead of in person. Regulations were
updated to reflect this.
The board also announced a previous
notational vote that led to this action:
* The Game Commission cooperated
with a CWD survey being conducted by
Cornell University's Center for Conservation
Social Sciences by providing the
name, age, address, phone number, date
of birth and gender for 3,000 New York
state residents who bought 2021-22
Pennsylvania hunting licenses.
Pennsylvania Game News - June 2022

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