HARRISBURG — It is admittedly the most unscientific of unscientific surveys and is based upon the response of 10 hunters at the recent Lehigh Valley Hunting and Fishing Extravaganza in Kempton.
During the show’s two-day run in late August, literally hundreds of bowhunters attend to participate in the Weaknecht 50-target 3D shoot and the other novelty archery contests. So there was no better setting than to ask the randomly selected individuals if they were aware of the major change by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for the opening of this year’s archery season, Saturday, Sept. 19, in Wildlife Management Unit 5C — as well 2B and 5D.
Because of where the question was asked, the response from 8-of-10 hunters was at best disappointing and at worst irresponsible. Those eight all said they were unaware that this year both antlered, as well as antlerless deer, which had been the case in previous years, will be legal up until the opening of the statewide archery season Saturday, Oct. 3.
Of the remaining two hunters, only one was fully aware of the change; the other responded that he had “heard something about it” when asked.
That so many hunters are unaware of changes made in the hunting regulations is unfortunately not surprising. A few years ago when the regulation was changed in WMU 4E that made only antlered deer legal the first five days of the firearms deer season, several butchers reported hunters bringing in antlerless deer the first and second year of the change.
Still in effect is the change that took place last year that makes it legal for properly licensed hunters to take a black bear in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D during the entire archery season and in WMU 5B during the statewide archery season, Oct. 3 to Nov. 14. It is also legal for those hunters to take a bear in these WMUs during the early antlerless muzzleloader season, Oct. 17-24, and the three-day unrestricted antlerless season for junior and senior license holders, Oct. 22-24.
Another major change for WMU 5C that goes into effect this year for all hunting seasons is the boundaries have been changed to decrease the southern portion by expanding the northern and western areas of Wildlife Management Unit 5D. This new boundary better divides the more-developed urban areas surrounding Philadelphia and the less-developed areas farther from the city and is expected to reduce the pressure in particular on the farmland of Berks and Lehigh counties.
Another major change affects hunters statewide and requires treestands and blinds left on State Game Lands and other public-access property managed by the PGC to be tagged to identify the owner using their CID number or a number assigned to them by the PGC. Treestands and portable blinds may be set up and left on SGLs until two weeks after the close of the final deer season in the WMU, and now those who ignore this regulation can be identified.
Early archery big game
This year’s early archery seasons for big game begin Saturday, Sept. 19, in Special Regulations Areas, including Wildlife Management Unit 5C, with a major change this year making antlered deer legal the first two weeks of the season leading up to the opening of the statewide archery season Saturday, Oct. 3.
DEER, ARCHERY (Antlered and Antlerless) — Sept. 19-Nov. 28: Wildlife Management Units 2B, 5C and 5D; one antlered deer per hunting license; one antlerless deer with each required antlerless license.
BLACK BEAR — Sept. 19-Nov. 14: WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D; Oct. 3-Nov. 14: WMU 5B; one bear with special permit per license year.