PGC meeting: be heard on the deer herd

Public input on the Pa. Game Commission's policies will be heard when the agency meets Jan. 27-29 at its Harrisburg headquarters. Of major concern to hunters and tourist-based businesses in the local area is the commission's deer management policies.

On Sunday, Jan. 27, beginning at 1 p.m., the board will hear recommendations for 2008-09 hunting and furtaking seasons and bag limits. Individuals interested in offering testimony. limited to five minutes, may begin to register at noon.

On Monday, Jan. 28, the board will gather any additional public comments and hear staff reports beginning at 8:30 a.m. Registration opens at 7:45.

Then, on Tuesday, Jan. 29, beginning at 8:30 a.m., the Game Commission will take up its prepared agenda to, among other things, give preliminary approval to hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2008-09. Doors open at 7:45 a.m.

Antlerless deer license allocations for the 2008-09 seasons will be presented for the board to consider at its meeting in April. Deer kill results from the 2007-08 seasons will be announced in mid-March.

The Game Commission sold an additional 7,000 antlerless deer licenses last year in the wildlife management area that encompasses all of Cameron County and the southern half of Potter County. It was part of a plan to further reduce the number of deer in the largely forested Area 2G.

In 2006, the PGC sold 19,000 doe licenses for 2G. Last year's allotment was boosted to 26,000.

Doe license sales remained at 29,000 in 2006 and 2007 for Area 3A, which covers most of Potter, McKean and Tioga counties north of Rt. 6.