More 'doe' licenses
PGC ups 2G antlerless allocation 37%

The Game Commission will sell an additional 7,000 antlerless deer licenses this year in the wildlife management area that encompasses all of Cameron County and the southern half of Potter County.

This effort to further reduce the number of deer in the largely forested Area 2G could set off a storm of protest from those who believe deer populations are already too low in the region.

Last year, PGC sold 19,000 doe licenses for 2G. This year's allotment has been boosted to 26,000.

Doe license sales will remain at 29,000 for Area 3A, which covers most of Potter, McKean and Tioga counties north of Rt. 6.

The Game Commission said its antlerless deer license allotments were based "on measurements of deer health, habitat health, as well as deer population trends."

Antler restrictions will continue unchanged.

A concurrent antlered/ antlerless rifle deer season will run from Nov. 26 to Dec. 8. A firearms antlerless deer season will be open from Oct. 18-20, for junior and senior license holders, disabled and military personnel.

A muzzleloader season for antlerless deer will be held from Oct.13-20. The flintlock muzzleloader season, which is set for Dec. 26-Jan. 12, continues to be an antlered or antlerless season.

In other action, PGC agreed to extend shooting hours for most hunting seasons to onehalf hour after sunset.

The agency approved a three-day statewide black bear season Nov. 19-21 and a twoday archery bear season Nov. 14-15.

PGC added an extra three weeks (Sept. 3-29) for those 10 people who participate in the September elk hunts and set the fall elk hunt for Nov. 5-10. Forty elk licenses (15 antlered and 25 antlerless) will be issued for the November season. Successful applicants will be determined through public drawings in September, where elk licenses will be awarded for the November 2007 and the September 2008 hunts.