GAME COMMISSION ISSUES SPRINGTIME ALERT: DO NOT DISTURB YOUNG WILDLIFE

Whether hiking in the woods, driving through the countryside or simply enjoying
nature, outdoor enthusiasts encountering wildlife, especially young wildlife,
are encouraged to leave the animals alone and not remove them from the wild.

"Being outdoors in the spring is an enjoyable way to spend time and learn more
about nature," said Calvin W. DuBrock, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife
Management director. "In the coming months, it will become common to find
young deer, rabbits, birds, raccoons or other wildlife that may appear to be
abandoned. Rest assured that in most cases, the young animal probably was not
abandoned and the best thing to do is not disturb it."

DuBrock noted many adult animals tend to forage for food and bring it to their
young. Also, wildlife often relies on a natural defensive tactic called the
"hider strategy," where young animals will remain motionless and "hide" in
surrounding cover while adults draw the attention of predators or other
intruders away from their young.

For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=171468

PARENTS URGED TO THINK TWICE ABOUT EASTER PETS

With Easter just around the corner, many parents consider purchasing young
rabbits, ducks, geese or chickens for their children as pets. However,
officials from the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Wildlife
Rehabilitation Association are urging parents to think twice about purchasing
such pets.

"Each year, we hear of people abandoning these living Easter gifts at public
parks, state forests or State Game Lands after parents and children grow tired
of caring for these pets," said Calvin W. DuBrock, Game Commission Bureau of
Wildlife Management director. "Nearly all of these animals are unable to
survive in the wild on their own since they have been breed and raised in
captivity."

Beth Carricato, a wildlife rehabilitator in Harrisburg, said parents should
educate themselves about an animal's needs and requirements before purchasing a
pet. She noted that wildlife rehabilitators typically are filled to capacity
largely due to impulse purchases of these animals and their eventual release.

"As the animal's uniqueness fades and they grow, many will inevitably be taken
on a one-way trip to a pond or park and abandoned," Carricato said. "Very few
will become permanent pets where they are fed and kept properly."

Leaving domestic animals, such as ducks or geese, in the wild is illegal and
has the potential to spread diseases to wild populations and cause domestic
hybridization of the wild waterfowl.

For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=171482




 

HOWARD NURSERY TAKING FINAL SEEDLING ORDERS FOR THE SEASON

Landowners seeking to plant tree species beneficial to wildlife have until
April 27 to submit their seedling orders to the Pennsylvania Game Commission's
Howard Nursery. For a listing of those species remaining and an order form,
landowners are encouraged to visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission's website
(www.pgc.state.pa.us), click on the "Forms and Programs" section and choose
"Howard Nursery Seedling Program."

Minimum orders are for 300 seedlings, which cost 15 cents per seedling (plus
sales tax) and are placed in bundles of 50 of each species. The following
species are still available for this spring: mugo pine; red pine; Norway
spruce; white spruce; arborvitae; silky dogwood; black locust; sawtooth oak;
scrub oak; buttonbush; Washington hawthorne; American sweet crabapple;
crabapple; and American mountain ash. A description of each, along with size
information, is available on the website.

For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=171496




 

GAME COMMISSION SAYS SPRING GOBBLER SEASON HOLDS PROMISE
Pennsylvania Game Commission officials believe the upcoming gobbler seasons
will provide good to excellent hunting opportunities for the nearly quarter
million hunters who are preparing to participate.

The state's one-day youth spring gobbler season is April 21; the general spring
gobbler season is April 28 to May 26. In both seasons, shooting hours are one-
half hour before sunrise until noon.


SPRING GOBBLER MENTORED YOUTH HUNTS
For the first time under the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Mentored Youth
Hunting Program, mentors may take youth under 12 years of age out to
participate in either the "Spring Gobbler Youth Hunt" on April 21, or the
general spring gobbler season, April 28-May 26.

While no hunting license is required for the mentored youth, the mentor must be
a properly licensed adult age 21 years of age or older. Any gobbler harvested
by the youth must be tagged by making and attaching a tag that contains the
youngster's name, address, date, Wildlife Management Unit (WMU), township, and
county where it was taken. Also, the youth must submit a harvest report card,
which is available on page 33 of the 2006-2007 Pennsylvania Digest of Hunting
and Trapping Regulations, within five days for any gobbler he or she takes.


TURKEY HUNTING SAFETY TIPS
Hunting regulations require all hunters to wear at least 100 square inches of
fluorescent orange while moving through the woods. If hunters opt to remove
their orange clothing after reaching their calling position, which, by law,
they may, the Game Commission encourages them to display a fluorescent orange
alert band near their hunting position, especially those who plan to call or
use decoys. It may alert a hunter who is closing in on your call or decoys that
a person is in the area. Hunters also are encouraged to place decoys in a way
that will limit their susceptibility to in-the-line-of-fire shotgun discharges
from approaching hunters.


WILD TURKEY FIELD REPORTS
Pennsylvania Game Commission turkey biologist Mary Jo Casalena has prepared
field reports for Wildlife Management Units (WMU) statewide to share agency
filed observations on wild turkey hunting prospects and population trends. If
you need assistance locating these WMUs, please consult pages 42-45 in the 2006-
2007 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest.


For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=171524




 

PENNSYLVANIA HUNTERS SET NEW SAFETY RECORD IN 2006

The Pennsylvania Game Commission today announced that 2006 was the safest
hunting year in the more than 90 years that records have been kept. Last year,
there were 46 hunting-related shooting incidents (HRSIs), including two
fatalities. In addition, the incident rate of 4.81 per 100,000 participants
was the lowest on record.

In 2005, the year the previous records were set, there were 47 hunting-related
shooting incidents, including three fatalities, and the incident rate was 4.92
per 100,000. In 2004, there were 56 hunting-related shooting incidents,
including four fatalities, and the incident rate was 5.56 per 100,000.

For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=171545




 

GAME COMMISSIONERS ADOPT 2007-08 SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave final approval to
hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2007-08, including increased
antlerless deer seasons in the state's three most developed Wildlife Management
Units (WMUs) 2B, 5C and 5D; a continuation of archery and extended black bear
seasons; and increased time for the September elk hunt. The Board also set
antlerless deer license allocations for all 22 WMUs.

For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=171559




 

GAME COMMISSION OFFICIALS TO APPEAR ON PCN "CALL-IN" PROGRAM
Pennsylvania Game Commission officials - Carl G. Roe, executive director, and
Calvin W. DuBrock, Bureau of Wildlife Management director - will appear on
Pennsylvania Cable Network's "PCN Call-In" program on Thursday, May 3, at 7 p.
m. Viewers of the hour-long program can call in questions about hunting,
trapping and wildlife management to PCN toll-free at 1-877-PA65001 (726-5001).
(Please check local listings for the PCN channel in your area, or PCN's website
at www.pcntv.com.)

The call-in program, which is facilitated by PCN staff, will be aired just two
weeks after the Board of Game Commissioners' April meeting, at which time it
gave final approval to the 2007-08 seasons and bag limits.

DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR NEXT SWG PROJECT APPLICATIONS
The Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
are reminding potential applicants that the May 4 deadline for projects to be
considered for funding through the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) Program is
rapidly approaching.

For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=171580




 

THEY'RE EN ROUTE AND ABOUT. ARE YOU READY?

Winter has finally let go of the Commonwealth and, according to the
Pennsylvania Game Commission, neotropical songbird migrations are underway, and
bears are on the prowl. Wild turkeys have resumed gobbling, and hummingbirds
will soon be back. Spring is making up for lost time, and that stubborn chill
in the air finally is gone.

Spring is Pennsylvania's annual renaissance. It marks the start of increased
animal activity, the emergence of plants and leaves, the return of exciting
nighttime noises and the coming of warmer air. It is a time to take notice; to
stop, look and listen; to take it all in.

For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=171608




 

GAME COMMISSION OFFERS ADVICE ON HOW TO AVOID ATTRACTING BEARS

With spring blossoming around the state, many Pennsylvanians are seeing signs
of new life in the outdoors as migratory birds continue their northward
migration and other wildlife shake off their winter slumber. Among the
wildlife becoming more visible are Pennsylvania's roughly 15,000 black bears,
all of which will be looking for food.

Since bears are found throughout a large part of the state, Mark Ternent,
Pennsylvania Game Commission black bear biologist, said that bear sightings are
common during this time of year. Food for bears is typically scarce in the
spring until vegetation begins to green-up, but bears emerging from dens need
to find food after fasting for several months. Thus, sightings and, in some
cases, conflicts increase as bears look for food, including in backyards.

For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=171622




 

GAME COMMISSION ADVISES MOTORISTS TO WATCH FOR DEER
Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today urged
motorists to stay alert and slow down when driving after dusk and before dawn
to reduce their risk of colliding with a white-tailed deer.

"Each spring, deer congregate on the grassy areas along the state's busy
highways, and cover greater distances in search of food," Roe said. "This
activity makes vehicle collisions with deer all but inevitable.

"For the sake of public safety, the Game Commission is asking motorists to
watch for deer and to drive defensively after dark and before sunrise, which is
when deer are most active. Your efforts can help to keep accidents to a
minimum, which, in turn, will reduce or eliminate hardships to your family and
other Pennsylvanians."

SPRINGTIME ALERT: DO NOT DISTURB YOUNG WILDLIFE
Whether hiking in the woods, driving through the countryside or simply enjoying
nature, outdoor enthusiasts encountering wildlife, especially young wildlife,
are encouraged to leave the animals alone and not remove them from the wild.

"Being outdoors in the spring is an enjoyable way to spend time and learn more
about nature," said Calvin W. DuBrock, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife
Management director. "In the coming months, it will become common to find
young deer, rabbits, birds, raccoons or other wildlife that may appear to be
abandoned. Rest assured that in most cases, the young animal probably was not
abandoned and the best thing to do is not disturb it."

DuBrock noted many adult animals tend to forage for food and bring it to their
young. Also, wildlife often relies on a natural defensive tactic called the
"hider strategy," where young animals will remain motionless and "hide" in
surrounding cover while adults draw the attention of predators or other
intruders away from their young.

For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=171706




 

GAME COMMISSION TO PROVIDE WILDLIFE WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHERS

With summer recess for schools just around the corner, the Pennsylvania Game
Commission is announcing a pair of wildlife education workshops for educators
and scout and youth group leaders this summer. The two programs, both of which
are Act 48 approved for educators, are WILD About Endangered and Threatened
Species and WILD About Owls.

Theresa Alberici, Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Education specialist,
facilitates and administers Project WILD, which is one of the most widely-used
conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students
from kindergarten through 12th grades. These workshops, which are part of the
series of Advanced WILD and PA Songbird workshops provided by the Game
Commission, will be held at the Game Commission's Middle Creek Wildlife
Management Area along Hopeland Road, two miles south of Kleinfeltersville,
Lebanon County.

Following is a summary of the programs, both of which are free of charge.

WILD About Endangered and Threatened Species: On June 13, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.
m. To register, contact Theresa Alberici at talberici@state.pa.us or at 717-783-
4872. Join the Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
for this hands-on session addressing the Environment and Ecology Standard:
Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species. Why are some species endangered
while others are flourishing? Through indoor and outdoor activities,
participants will explore the concepts and issues surrounding threatened and
endangered species, investigate "how" and "why" species become endangered and
threatened, examine laws affecting these species and explore methods biologists
are using to help restore these species. Participants will use a variety of
materials and resources and receive a Threatened and Endangered Species
Background Information and Activity booklets for use with their students.
Please bring a bag lunch and binoculars. Dress is casual for indoor and
outdoor activities. A small morning snack will be provided.

WILD About Owls: On June 29, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. To register, contact the
Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area at (717) 733-1512. Join Game Commission
educators and biologists to explore the world of owls. This workshop will
include natural history, adaptations and habits of Pennsylvania owls, hands-on
activities to address state Environment and Ecology Standards and an update on
research and monitoring that is occurring in our state. As a special workshop
feature, participants will join biologists and bird banders at a barn owl nest
site to be part of the banding of young barn owlets. Participants will receive
a Project WILD guide and specialized resource information on owls. Please
bring a bag lunch and binoculars. Dress is casual for indoor and outdoor
activities. A small morning snack will be provided.

Created in 1895 as an independent state agency, the Game Commission is
responsible for conserving and managing all wild birds and mammals in the
Commonwealth, establishing hunting seasons and bag limits, enforcing hunting
and trapping laws, and managing habitat on the 1.4 million acres of State Game
Lands it has purchased over the years with hunting and furtaking license
dollars to safeguard wildlife habitat. The agency also conducts numerous
wildlife conservation programs for schools, civic organizations and sportsmen's
clubs.

The Game Commission does not receive any general state taxpayer dollars for its
annual operating budget. The agency is funded by license sales revenues; the
state's share of the federal Pittman-Robertson program, which is an excise tax
collected through the sale of sporting arms and ammunition; and monies from the
sale of oil, gas, coal, timber and minerals derived from State Game Lands.

# # #

PEREGRINE FALCONS MAKE A CHARGED COMEBACK

The peregrine falcon appears poised to follow the bald eagle on the road to
recovery in the Commonwealth, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission,
which has managed this state-endangered raptor's reintroduction over the past
30 or so years.

But the birds of prey aren't too keen about continuing to participate in the
wildlife management program that has prompted their return. In fact, they've
become downright inhospitable to Game Commission personnel who annually visit
their nests to perform health checks and band their young.

Fortunately, the biggest news on peregrine falcons this spring isn't who got
smacked or raked during nest visits. It's about the phenomenal - almost
unbelievable - increase in peregrine nests in Pennsylvania. This year there are
24 peregrine nests instate or on bridges on state borders. There were 15 nests
statewide last year.

For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=171776




 

GAME COMMISSION PRAISES HOUSE PASSAGE OF READSHAW BILL TO AMEND LANDOWNER
LIABILITY LAW

Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today praised the
state House of Representatives for its unanimous approval of House Bill 13,
sponsored by Rep. Harry A. Readshaw (D-Allegheny), which seeks to amend the
state's landowner liability law.

On May 23, the House voted 199-0 to send Readshaw's bill to the Senate for
further consideration.

"For decades, the Recreational Use of Land and Water Act stood to protect
landowners who agree to open their land to hunters," Roe said. "However, a
recent civil case in Lehigh County, demonstrated that there was a need to
strengthen the law, thereby continuing to provide liability protection for
landowners who generously open their lands to hunters.

"With House approval of Rep. Readshaw's bill, we now look forward to working
with the Senate to advance this measure to Governor Edward G. Rendell's desk in
a timely manner."

Created in 1895 as an independent state agency, the Game Commission is
responsible for conserving and managing all wild birds and mammals in the
Commonwealth, establishing hunting seasons and bag limits, enforcing hunting
and trapping laws, and managing habitat on the 1.4 million acres of State Game
Lands it has purchased over the years with hunting and furtaking license
dollars to safeguard wildlife habitat. The agency also conducts numerous
wildlife conservation programs for schools, civic organizations and sportsmen's
clubs.

The Game Commission does not receive any general state taxpayer dollars for its
annual operating budget. The agency is funded by license sales revenues; the
state's share of the federal Pittman-Robertson program, which is an excise tax
collected through the sale of sporting arms and ammunition; and monies from the
sale of oil, gas, coal, timber and minerals derived from State Game Lands.

CWD NOT FOUND IN PENNSYLVANIA HUNTER-KILLED DEER SAMPLES

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) was not detected in samples taken from hunter-
killed deer during the state's 2006 hunting season, according to Dr. Walt
Cottrell, Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife veterinarian.

Because CWD was identified in New York and West Virginia in 2005, Cottrell
noted that the agency continues to increase the number of deer samples it
collects for testing. In 2006, 4,260 samples were tested from hunter-killed
deer, and CWD was not detected.

In 2005, 3,834 samples were tested from hunter-killed deer, and CWD was not
detected. In 2004, 3,613 hunter-killed deer samples were tested, compared to
the 2,004 deer sampled in 2003, and 558 in 2002. CWD was not detected in
previous year's samples.

Results showing that the CWD tests of hunter-killed elk from 2006 were all
negative and were announced on March 2.

For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=171825




 

YORK COUNTY WCO EYLER RECOGNIZED FOR OUTSTANDING WORK

Chad Eyler, Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer (WCO) in
York County, recently was presented with the Shikar-Safari International
Wildlife Conservation Officer of the Year Award, which is sponsored by
Cabela's.

Eyler is the WCO for the southwestern portion of York County, where he enforces
the game and wildlife laws; completes wildlife studies and reports; visits
local school districts, civic organizations and sportsmen's clubs to conduct
educational programs about the state's wildlife and the role of hunting and
trapping in wildlife management; and assists with wildlife nuisance
complaints. He also oversees and participates in Hunter-Trapper Education
programs in the district.

Currently, Eyler is serving as resident instructor for the Game Commission's
27th Class of the Ross Leffler School of Conservation.

For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=171839