“Everybody’s talking at me. I can’t hear a word they’re saying, Only the echoes of my mind.”
— Lyrics by American folk singer Fred Neil
HARRISBURG
A lot was said the last few weeks to the board of commissioners for the two state agencies responsible for making the rules for how the games are played by anglers and hunters in Pennsylvania.
As for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Board of Commissioners — keeping with a musical theme — its response was to “Give the people what they want.” What the people wanted — by a 338-5 margin — was the removal of proposals that would have changed the regulations for fishing in areas designated “Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only.”
Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Game Commission Board of Commissioners ignored the comments from state legislators, national conservation and sportsmen’s groups, volunteers within its hunter-trapper training program and individual sportsmen in opposition to its plan to make changes to the Mentored Youth Hunting Program. No longer will a buck and spring gobbler tag be issued with a MYHP permit to those younger than 7 years old, but a mentor may transfer their tag.
PFBC executive director John Arway said the proposed changes generated much public comment where questions were posed that would have required substantial staff time and effort to fully answer. As a result, the board of commissioners believed it was best to withdraw the proposal and focus on identifying other changes where the agency can more easily accomplish its objectives.
Unlike the PFBC Board of Commissioners, the PGC Board of Commissioners claimed this modification of the MYHP was supported by comments it received. Yet no statistics were supplied. Commissioner Ron Weaner did say, however, that he had received “hundreds” of comments in support of the reduction of hunting opportunity for both mentees and mentors by the forced tag sharing.
Weaner continues to maintain his position of being against the creation of hunting opportunities. Weaner voted against the legalization of crossbows, has expressed opposition to expanded Sunday hunting and has indicated he would vote “no” if a vote was taken on the legalization of modern air rifles — some of which are as powerful as .22-caliber rifles — for small game.
Evidently Weaner missed the thousands of comments in support of maintaining the MYHP that were copied and posted on the “We Support the Mentored Youth Hunting Program” on Facebook. His response to the overwhelming amount of opposition to the board of commissioners modifying the MYHP was that “Life’s not always fair.”
In 2006, Pennsylvania became the first of the 35 states — with four more on the way — to enact Families Afield legislation by the creation of the MYHP. It was intended to have no age limit as a symbolic regulation rather than a measure to fill the woods with pre-school hunters.
At the time both the legislators, who voted 252-1 in favor of the MYHP, and the board of commissioners, who passed the measure 8-0, fully understood that there would be those who would push the limit of the program. That would be “push” as in at the worst poaching and at the least cheating. It was rightfully decided, however, the goodwill and opportunity created by the program far outweighed the actions of the underbelly who pose as sportsmen.
That the board of commissioners still provides the opportunity for those younger than 7 to potentially hunt deer using firearms with a transferred tag and also hunt groundhogs and coyote did nothing to appease those who claim they don’t want to share the woods with hunters in diapers. Weaner explained the action by stating, “It’s not about safety.”
No, indeed, it’s about deer. It’s always about deer, especially if someone else is killing our deer.
What was debunked, however, was the mythical account of the father who was carrying his 4-year-old daughter in one arm and had — depending on who was telling the story — a .30-06 or .300 Winchester Magnum over his other shoulder. This story was based on fact: A hunter did have his daughter with him while he was hunting deer and his wife was mentoring their 7-year-old son.
As for citations being sighted, agency staff said of 348 “incidents” reported — all in the Northwest Region — six citations were written. All of them were because of mentors carrying mentees’ permits with their licenses, which is permitted with voluntary youth fishing licenses and mentored youth fishing permits.
If the PGC Board of Commissioners truly believes modification had to be made to the MYHP, a far better choice would be to limit participation to mentees who physically can hold and aim their sporting arm of choice. Then again, it’s not about safety.
(Dietz is outdoors editor)