White-tailed deer in Pennsylvania are facing several challenges.
PENNSYLVANIA HUNTERS:
WE NEED YOU TO HELP BY HUNTING, HARVESTING, AND REPORTING DEER DURING THE UPCOMING SEASONS.
From slowing the continual spread of
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) to new areas of the state, to preventing high deer populations to cause future damage to young successional forests, we face considerable challenges. We need hunters to fill a tag for the future to help manage deer populations in Pennsylvania.
HUNTING IS CONSERVATION
Hunters are among the largest and most dedicated group of wildlife conservationists. Not only do hunters largely fund wildlife conservation efforts in our state, through license sales, but when it comes to managing deer, hunters are on the front lines in Pennsylvania's woods and fields.
If you have already purchased your 2023-24 Pennsylvania hunting license, THANK YOU for supporting wildlife conservation efforts here in our state. Now we encourage you to prioritize time in the woods to fill a tag for the future — particularly antlerless tags.
ANTLERLESS HARVEST IMPACTS DEER MANAGEMENT
Why is it important to fill antlerless tags? Our Pennsylvania Game Commission deer biologists use antlerless harvest to adjust populations to achieve deer management goals.
Antlerless hunting is controlled by an annual allocation of antlerless licenses for each wildlife management unit (WMU), which is set based on several data-supported factors, including antlerless harvests, antlerless success rates, deer population trends, and deer population objectives.
Good news for hunters:
With an increased amount of Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) permits allocated, which includes select state game lands for the first time, and an extended statewide archery season that runs through the rut, opportunities to hunt deer in Pennsylvania have never been better.
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MANAGING FOR HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE DEER AND FORESTS
Why do we want to increase our deer harvest? Reducing deer abundance can be critical to slowing the spread of CWD and preventing over-browsing of our forest habitats.
When it comes to deer management, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has become the driving force for reduction efforts, as it can spread quickly and is always fatal to deer.
If you live or hunt in an area where CWD has been detected, please be sure to review all regulations for your area in
Pennsylvania's 2023-24 Hunting & Trapping Digest or online at pgc.pa.gov.
Learn more about CWD in Pennsylvania here.
In other areas, particularly the northern tier, the current levels of deer browsing has the potential to prevent future forest habitat regeneration, which is a threat to deer habitat, as well as the habitats of many other species of wildlife.
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THANK YOU FOR BEING A PENNSYLVANIA HUNTER!
GOOD LUCK. HAVE FUN. HUNT SAFELY.
PURCHASE YOUR 2023-24 HUNTING LICENSE ONLINE AT
WWW.HUNTFISH.PA.GOV OR AT ANY IN-STORE LICENSE VENDOR.