HARRISBURG — This is most the Pennsylvania Game Commission of our fathers or grandfathers.
For that matter, it is not the PGC of a decade ago.
The PGC has clearly moved into the technological age by providing services to its customers, those who purchase hunting and fishing licenses. Improvements to the agency website (www.pgc.pa.us) seemingly come on a weekly basis — especially during the fall hunting seasons and the days leading up to those seasons — and additions to available Apps for iPhones and tablets seem endless.
For starters, there is the online calendar that’s been provided for easy reference to Pennsylvania’s hunting and trapping seasons. This is a brief summary of dates designed to be used in conjunction with the “PA Hunting & Trapping Digest” provided with the purchase of each license, but is also available online.
Once accessed or synced to devices, the URL for the public calendar will provide all hunting and trapping seasons. One can customize the link to list specific seasons and hide other seasons.
For those using Microsoft Outlook, the link can be accessed and opened at www.google.com/calendar/ical/gamecommcalendar%40gmail.com/public/basic.ics, click “Open” and the “PA Game Commission Seasons” calendar of events will appear with the “Outlook” calendar. It is recommended this be refreshed periodically and cross-referenced with the Digest.
For the Google Calendar, copy the URL www.google.com/calendar/ical/gamecommcalendar%40gmail.com/public/basic.ics, click the down arrow beside “Other calendars,” select “Add by URL,” paste the URL in the open field, click “Add Calendar” and the “PA Game Commission Seasons” calendar events will appear. This calendar should be refreshed periodically and always cross-reference the Digest.
If an Android phone fails to automatically sync the “PA Game Commission Seasons” events from the Google Calendar, enter the Calendar App/Screen on the phone, select Menu, then “Settings” and select the Gmail account used to add the “PA Game Commission Seasons” calendar and check “PA Game Commission Seasons” to sync. As with the previous applications, refresh the calendar periodically and always cross-reference the Digest.
For iPhones and iPads, tap “Settings” on the Home screen, then tap “Mail, Contacts, Calendars,” then tap “Add Account” and select “Other,” choose “Add Subscribed Calendar” and in the “Server” field add the URL www.google.com/calendar/ical/gamecommcalendar%40gmail.com/public/basic.ics. Once done, then tap “Next” and the “PA Game Commission Seasons” calendar events should appear in the calendar, which should be refreshed periodically and cross-referenced with the Digest.
Macintosh users should open Calendar, or iCal on older models, select File > New Calendar Subscription and when the first prompt says “Enter the URL” of the calendar enter www.google.com/calendar/ical/gamecommcalendar@gmail.com/public/basic.ics. In the next prompt leave everything the same making sure that the location is “iCloud.”
With these settings, when a season starts, Calendar (iCal) will give an alert in Notification Center. On the iOS device, make sure under Settings > iCloud that calendar is synced and it will automatically load, and refresh the calendar periodically and always cross-reference the Digest.
“We’ve tried to accommodate the most popular devices,” PGC executive director Matt Hough said. “Though we don’t have access to every device being used, we’ll try to assist you if you’re having trouble, and people can let us know what device they’re using and describe the issue at pgccomments@pa.gov.”
Under the “Where to Shoot” link on the PGC website is the location of the more than 25 public ranges on State Game Lands, sportsmen’s clubs and commercial ranges and membership information, archery shops that have shooting facilities, a calendar of 3-D archery shoots and skeet, trap, clays and 5-stand shoots. Clubs that hold any of these events can have them listed free of charge by sending the information to the PGC.
One of the most used features on the website is the “State Game Lands Mapping Center” that allowed for the creation of customized maps that allows users to search, discover and print SGLs maps with features that include aerial photographs, topographic base maps, wildlife management units and more. There is also a complete digital version of the 2015-16 Digest that includes a search feature, a clickable contents page and the ability to zoom, save, share and print.
Using the GoHuntPA Toolkit App provides turn-by-turn directions to SGLs, the ability to plot points such as tree stand locations, an SOS alert function and more. There is even a video demonstration on the App and download instructions in the link.
With the PGC entering the technological age the what, when and where aspect of hunting and has never been easier.