PA Senate Bill 274

Yes.  Time is now.  Hopefully it won't get held up like the last two attempts. 

No problem Doc this would be great for the kids...they are our future and we need to keep thier interests in the outdoors...

I have to Thank dpms he made me aware of this...i just wanted to post it here...
Thanks!

I can understand why some would support this. But I dont support. Just an attempt to kill more deer. Kids couldnt hunt ANYTHING prior to 12 before, and i think the opportunities they have now are great. I have no doubt the allocations wont be adjusted to account for the significant added harvests because those running the show arent trustworthy...at all. And until they are, i dont trust them with any other "tools" to kill more deer period.

So i cannot support no matter how "feel good" the move may seem. Of course knowing who the two are that came up with the idea of the bill in the first place...two enviroextremists. Pretty much sealed the deal for me. They couldnt care less about our youth period. All they care about is more deer killed and wish to add anyway possible to kill a few more whenever possible.

Obviously you do not understand the bill..

Why i most certainly do sir!

It will NOT increase the harvest .. the adult has to transfer (use up)his antlerless tag to the youth.. still only one tag used for one antlerless deer..

How many more times do we have to discuss this before you get it doc? You dont have to agree, but dont act like you dont know my position when this is like the 3rd or 4th time we've discussed.

More tags will be used that wouldnt have been used otherwise. And i personally know of some. Guys with no interest in harvesting a doe, that have tags, that yes, WILL permit their youth hunter use them... I dont need you to tell me... They tell me themselves! And i dont think they are alone in that decision. It will also enable more tags to be sold in areas where as many as can be sold already are....Such as unit 2A for example. They are already selling all they can.

I dont see it as imperative to permit a 5 year old to shoot a doe. Especially when doing so is simply making things even worse for them by helping the herds demise, and they end up seeing fewer deer anyway as a result.

This might in the future be a "good thing" to consider, but currently imho it is anything but.

You musta been posting while i was dpms. Read my last post.

ORIGINAL: wayne c

Just an attempt to kill more deer.

 
 
Really ?  Is that really the purpose of this bill? 
 

V. Recommendations.

The DCNR Action Plan to address the issue "Regeneration of Pennsylvania's Forests through Deer Management" includes four projects:

Project #1--Provide hunters with the necessary programs to kill more deer and reduce the size of the herd. This project will require close cooperation with the PGC to change hunting regulations to enable hunters to harvest more deer.

Im all for the mentor program, but I also think there still should be some ages set. I just dont think a 5, 6 , or even 7 year old should be in the woods in hunting season at all. I know alot of guys will disagree but thats how I feel. Im sure we all know some kids that are not ready at 12. I do think that mabey start the age at 8 or 9 for small game only, this is the best practice anyway. Then mabey 10 or just a year early at 11 let them shoot a deer. I hate to hear the guys that have the 4yo out in turkey season. Thats not good IMO. I know all kids are different but still think they should set some ages.

ORIGINAL: rollcaster

Im all for the mentor program, but I also think there still should be some ages set. I just dont think a 5, 6 , or even 7 year old should be in the woods in hunting season at all. I know alot of guys will disagree but thats how I feel. Im sure we all know some kids that are not ready at 12. I do think that mabey start the age at 8 or 9 for small game only, this is the best practice anyway. Then mabey 10 or just a year early at 11 let them shoot a deer. I hate to hear the guys that have the 4yo out in turkey season. Thats not good IMO. I know all kids are different but still think they should set some ages.

 
I agree with you, I have never been much of a fan of the mentored hunts.   
 
While there are certainly exceptions, your typical 8 or 9 year old is nowhere near ready to be hunting big game IMO.  For that matter most 10 and 11 year olds aren't ready either. 
 
Do the mentored youth even need to complete the Hunters Education course?

I personally don’t see this as a way for the PGC to kill off more deer, it just gives our mentored hunters a better chance of filling a tag and keeping their interest in the outdoors. This is very very important these days..They said nothing about allotting more tags per WMU is this would pass or anything like that...and personally I feel if mentors had a doe tag this past season most of them probably let the mentored hunter take the shot and just used their tag ..lets be honest with ourselves, we all know this
So I personally feel the kill would be no different in the future if this passed and feel its a great opportunity for the kids to be more involved in our sport...as far as age goes...I feel if your responsible enough to be a mentor you know when the right time is to take your mentored youth out there and be safe and responsible..

I disagree. I happen to know of several guys that didnt use tags even thought they have kids or other mentors...and they followed the letter of the law and DIDNT let them fill those tags. Although that will change if this is implemented, and im sure they arent alone. If some feel the added harvest is worth the tradeoff, fine, theyre entitled to the opinion, but i dont. I mentor a couple of kids (ages 8 to 10)rifle season last few years, and know the last thing they need is to see even fewer deer in the woods when out.

Dad will buy more tags....but in 2F, tags sell out so fast, there isnt a second round of tags to buy like the urban areas. I usually am able to get a 2D tag in the second round. Now down in Allegheny Co they need more shot, so take the MY down there


Overall I dont forsee that many more deer being killed.

I personally don’t see this as a way for the PGC to kill off more deer

If the hunter success rates made any significant change, as a result of this legislation passing or anything else for that matter, it would be as simple as a reduction in the antlerless permits being issued to once again put the harvests in line with the management objective.
 
It sounds like good legislation for the future of hunting to me even though I too agree that some parents might be pushing their kids into hunting way too early. Each youth is different in when the right to start them would be. If the parent pushes them into it or starts them before they both physically and emotionally ready to be a hunter they will turn them off to hunting instead of turning them on to it.
 R.S. Bodenhorn