QDMA's Support OF The DMP

Date: 24 January 2010
To: Pennsylvania Game Commission
From: Steve Trupe, President, Pennsylvania State Chapter QDMA
Kip Adams, Northern Director of Education and Outreach
Re: 2010-11 Deer Season


On behalf of the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) and the Pennsylvania State Chapter we appreciate the opportunity to provide input on Pennsylvania’s 2010-11 deer season. The QDMA is an international nonprofit wildlife conservation organization dedicated to ensuring the future of white-tailed deer, wildlife habitat, and our hunting heritage. The QDMA has over 50,000 members including more than 3,000 of the nation’s leading wildlife, forestry and land management professionals. As such, QDMA is widely regarded as the most respected whitetail organization in the U.S.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has made great strides in the past several years with respect to deer management. Pennsylvania’s deer herd is more in balance with the available habitat, it has a more balanced adult sex ratio, it has a more complete male age structure, and it has provided some incredible hunting experiences. Antlerless deer harvests have been predictable based on allocation rates within consistent seasons, and Pennsylvania hunters have had some fantastic buck hunting. These improvements were made possible by antler restrictions, concurrent seasons, the deer management assistance program (DMAP), the October antlerless season and a science-based approach to antlerless license allocations.

The QDMA supports the Game Commission listening to hunters and trying to improve their hunting opportunities. We ask that potential changes be thoroughly researched to provide unbiased information, and be supported by the biological staff. We understand there are political pressures on the Game Commission to make changes to the deer season, and we recognize the existing budget constraints and support a license fee increase so the Game Commission can return to full strength with regard to manpower and programs. We also support any landowner being eligible to enroll in DMAP and the opportunity to hunt on Sundays. Most importantly, we support the Game Commission’s deer management program and its measurable goal system of herd health, habitat health and deer-human conflicts.

With respect to the current proposals, we support the cottontail rabbit junior hunter season that would coincide with the ring-necked pheasant junior hunter season. This and additional junior and mentored youth hunter opportunities should be investigated. We also support the proposed additional bear hunting opportunities, especially those that would occur during the deer season. Finally, we support the Commission’s proposed policy statement on the use of fertility control agents in the Commonwealth with respect to wildlife population control. We especially approve the statement, “Fertility control agents are only to be used in conjunction with hunting and other wildlife management methods because contraception alone cannot reduce wildlife populations to healthy or socially acceptable levels.”

We’d like to commend the Game Commission on its successful deer management program. We realize there are places in the Commonwealth where deer herds are below what the habitat can support, but these situations can be addressed and corrected within the framework of the existing program. Overall, the Commonwealth’s deer herds are more in balance with the habitat, and have better adult age structures and sex ratios than they’ve had in decades. Current seasons also provide abundant recreational and harvest opportunities while ensuring for the future health of our herds and habitats.

These are a few of the reasons Pennsylvania recently ranked second out of 13 Northeastern states with regard to its deer management program. QDMA analyzed and ranked all states in the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest regions with respect to their deer management programs. Specifically, states were ranked on four variables that assessed the percentage of a state’s deer herd that was in balance with the habitat, the age structure of the buck segment of the population, and the adult sex ratio. These variables are an index to herd and habitat health, and Pennsylvania outranked 11 of the other 12 Northeastern states. The Pennsylvania Game Commission was formally recognized for this accomplishment during a press conference last week at the Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas. Log on to QDMA.com and select QDMA’s 2010 Whitetail Report for a complete look at the analysis and ranking, as well as other important deer management and hunting issues in the U.S.

We recognize the difficult task before you today and hope you continue managing Pennsylvania’s deer herd using concurrent seasons, antler restrictions, DMAP, an October antlerless season and antlerless allocations based on the wildlife staff’s science-based recommendations. Thank you for your time and commitment to Pennsylvania’s natural resources.


Respectfully,


Steve Trupe
Pennsylvania State Chapter President

Kip Adams
Director of Education & Outreach

ORIGINAL: S-10

Have you ever hunted the strip mines in Ohio Doc? Goldenrod, multi floria Rose, Larch, and pines, cover to be sure but not much else except lots of big bucks and no AR.

"so while QDMA and the PGC may think it is a good tool and worthy of support they do not say it is good or would work well for PA...."