The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners Elects Martone As Board President for 2012

Board Makes Expanded Use of Crossbows Permanent

Board Allows Use of Bait on 'Red Tag' Farms in Southeast; Board Takes Other Actions

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Board of Game Commissioners today elected new officers during its annual reorganization for 2012. 

Game Commissioner Ralph A. Martone, of New Castle, Lawrence County, was elected president.  First appointed to the Board in 2009, Martone was elected vice-president in 2011.

Game Commissioner Robert Schlemmer, Export, Westmoreland County was elected vice-president.  Schlemmer was first appointed to the Board in 2009.

Game Commissioner David J. Putnam, of Centre Hall, Centre County, was re-elected as secretary.  He was first elected secretary in 2011, and appointed to the Board in 2009.

Other Game Commissioners are: David W. Schreffler, of Everett, Bedford County; James "Jay" Delaney Jr., of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County; and Ronald A. Weaner, of Biglerville, Adams County.  Terms for Game Commissioners Thomas E. Boop, Sunbury, Northumberland County, and Gregory J. Isabella, of Philadelphia, expire on Jan. 28, and must be filled.

Game Commissioners are nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the state Senate to serve an eight-year term.  They receive no salary, but are reimbursed for expenses to attend Game Commission quarterly meetings and other functions.

For more information on Board members, visit the agency's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), click on "About Us" in the menu bar in the banner and then click on "Commissioners' Page" in the drop down menu listing.

BOARD MAKES EXPANDED USE OF CROSSBOWS PERMANENT

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminary approval to make permanent the lawful use of crossbows in archery deer and bear seasons.  The Board took this action by removing the sunset date inserted into the regulations in 2009, which required the Board and agency staff to review the impact of expanded use of crossbows on the deer and bear resource before June 30, 2012.  The Board must give final adoption to this action in April.

BOARD EXPANDS USE OF BAIT ON 'RED TAG' FARMS IN SOUTHEAST

To further the Game Commission's efforts to find effective tools to manage the deer populations on agriculture lands in the southeast corner of the state, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminary approval to a regulatory change to expand the legalized use of bait during all deer hunting seasons in WMUs 5C and 5D on approved properties enrolled in the agency's Agricultural Damage Depredation Program, commonly referred to as the "Red Tag" program.

"If adopted in April, this new regulation will allow the focused use of bait on those farms most in need of deer control assistance through their enrollment in the 'Red Tag' program," said Carl G. Roe, agency executive director. "Presently, farmers applying to enroll in the Red Tag program need to include in their application justification for the need to use bait.  What this regulatory change would do is allow hunters on these properties to use bait during any legal deer season in addition to the 'Red Tag' seasons for antlerless deer, which are from Feb. 1 to May 15, and July 1 to Sept. 28."

Farmers enrolled in the "Red Tag" program are provided with a specific number of antlerless deer permits, which are red in color.  Farmers then give these permits to hunters to harvest antlerless deer from Feb. 1 to Sept. 28 each calendar year, excluding Sundays, during the hours of dawn to dusk only. The permits are not valid from May 16 to June 30, and can't be used to take bucks.

The listings of farms enrolled in the "Red Tag" program are maintained by the respective Region Offices as those landowners enrolled in the program change from year to year.           

BOARD TAKES OTHER ACTIONS

In other action today, the Board of Game Commissioners:

• Gave preliminary approval to a technical change to make Game Commission regulations (Title 58) consistent with recent changes in the Vehicle Code (Title 75) in relation to all-terrain vehicles, which are prohibited for use on State Game Lands except for disabled hunters with a permit to use a vehicle as a blind on certain roads on select State Game Lands;
• Gave preliminary approval to update the standard hunting hours table for the 2012-13 seasons, a routine change that must be adopted each year based on sunrise/sunset tables obtained from the U.S. Naval Observatory; and
• Established the dates of the Board's meeting schedule for 2012 as follows: April 23-24, at the agency's Harrisburg headquarters, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, just off the Progress Avenue exit of Interstate 81. Other meeting dates for 2012 will be June 25-26, and Sept. 24-25, but the locations have not been set.  The Board postponed setting the meeting dates for January of 2013, but that meeting will be held at the agency's Harrisburg headquarters, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, just off the Progress Avenue exit of Interstate 81.

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SOURCE Pennsylvania Game Commission