Pennsylvania Game Commission: Unsold Antlerless Deer Applications to be Accepted Aug. 28.

WMU 1B Exhausts Antlerless License Allocation

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning Monday, Aug. 28, the Pennsylvania Game Commission will accept resident and nonresident hunters' applications for the first round of unsold antlerless deer licenses. Applications for regular antlerless deer licenses were accepted from resident hunters on Aug. 7, and nonresidents on Aug. 21.

Hunters may apply for and receive only one antlerless deer license during this first round in all Wildlife Management Units (WMUs), except for WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, where hunters may apply for multiple antlerless licenses. Applying for and receiving more than one "unsold" antlerless license prior to Sept. 11 - except in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D - is against the law and carries a fine. In addition, receiving a second "unsold" license during the first round automatically voids the first "unsold" license a hunter receives.

As a result of a printer error at Liberty Press, some copies of the 2006- 07 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest contain an unsold antlerless deer license application and instructions (which appear on page 54) that had words cut from the page's right margin during production.

"This error shouldn't create a problem for those who use the application, and it is still valid," said J. Carl Graybill Jr., Game Commission Bureau of Information and Education director. "Complete instructions for filling out the application also appear on pages 52 and 53 of the Digest. And, as in the past, the Game Commission has posted on its website an unsold antlerless deer license application that enables the user to enter his or her information into the application before printing it."

The printer error left some applications without lines for applicants to fill in their ZIP Code and the date of signature. Also, wording for instruction point number 4 is cut off. The complete wording is: "All Unsold Antlerless License applications must be submitted through the U.S. Mail (First Class Only) until Nov. 6. Express and Priority mail will not be accepted. No more than three (3) individual applications per official envelope. Number of applications must be circled on front of envelope to avoid delay and possible rejection."

The online application can be found on the agency's website (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/) in the "Forms & Programs" section in the left- hand column on the homepage, and then under the "Forms" heading.

The Game Commission has developed a "Doe License Update" page on its website (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/) to provide hunters additional information on the antlerless license application process, including regular updates about the number of antlerless licenses available by Wildlife Management Unit (WMU). Look for it in the "Quick Clicks" box in the upper right-hand corner of the agency's homepage.

As of today, WMU 1B joins WMUs 2G and 2F in this list of WMUs that have exhausted its supply of antlerless deer licenses. However, hunters are not out of options when looking to hunt antlerless deer in these WMUs thanks to the availability of Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) coupons for the Allegheny National Forest, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources state forests and parks, and privately-owned properties. Coupons provided by landowners to hunters may be redeemed from the Game Commission for a DMAP antlerless deer permit to be used on a particular property.

"While DMAP permits may be used only on the specific property for which they are issued, they do offer hunters additional antlerless deer hunting opportunities on large tracts of public and private lands in WMUs 1B, 2F and 2G," said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. "DMAP enables landowners to achieve the type of deer harvest they desire to better manage their lands. We encourage hunters to contact these landowners and take advantage of this opportunity."

Landowners may not charge a fee or accept any contribution from a hunter for a DMAP coupon. While hunters may obtain up to two DMAP permits per property, DMAP permits do not impact a hunter's eligibility to apply for and receive antlerless deer licenses issued for WMUs. DMAP permit allotments are not part of the annual general antlerless deer license allocations for WMUs.

Resident hunters must mail DMAP coupons in a regular envelope, along with a check for $6 made payable to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, to the address listed on the coupon to receive their DMAP antlerless deer permit. Nonresidents must include a check for $26. The permit can be used to harvest one antlerless deer on the specific DMAP property. Maps for the properties are to be provided to hunters by the landowners.

Hunters may not use DMAP permits to harvest an antlered deer.

For more information on DMAP, visit the Game Commission's website (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/) and click on the "DMAP" box in the center of the homepage. Hunters also can check the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' website to see where coupons still are available for various state forests and parks by clicking on: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/dmap/available.aspx.

Of the 859,000 antlerless licenses originally allocated for the state's 22 WMUs, 371,150 licenses remain. Following is a listing of the antlerless deer licenses remaining by WMU as of today, Aug. 21 (along with the initial allocation for each WMU): WMU 1A, 17,767 (42,000); WMU 1B, CLOSED (30,000); WMU 2A, 35,336 (55,000); WMU 2B, 63,597 (68,000); WMU 2C, 13,378 (49,000); WMU 2D, 14,631 (56,000); WMU 2E, 2,601 (21,000); WMU 2F, CLOSED (28,000); WMU 2G, CLOSED (19,000); WMU 3A, 9,612 (29,000); WMU 3B, 17,478 (43,000); WMU 3C, 1,532 (27,000); WMU 3D, 15,391 (38,000); WMU 4A, 5,927 (29,000); WMU 4B, 8,037 (31,000); WMU 4C, 9,645 (39,000); WMU 4D, 4,966 (40,000); WMU 4E, 19,520 (38,000); WMU 5A, 16,387 (25,000); WMU 5B, 31,084 (53,000); WMU 5C, 64,862 (79,000); and WMU 5D, 19,399 (20,000).

Beginning Monday, Sept. 11, the Game Commission will accept, only through first-class mail, applications for the second round of unsold antlerless licenses. Hunters who applied for an unsold antlerless license during the first round may apply for and receive only one antlerless deer license during the second round. Those hunters who did not apply for an unsold license during the first round may make separate applications for and receive up to two unsold antlerless licenses during the second round. The separate applications may be submitted to one or two WMUs.

Regular antlerless licenses and first-round unsold licenses will be mailed by county treasurers to successful applicants no later than Monday, Sept. 18. Second-round unsold licenses will be mailed no later than Sunday, Oct. 1.

Also, beginning Monday, Sept. 18, applicants may apply over-the-counter at county treasurers' offices in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D. Beginning Monday, Nov. 6, hunters may apply over-the-counter for unsold antlerless licenses in all WMUs.

Created in 1895 as an independent state agency, the Game Commission is responsible for conserving and managing all wild birds and mammals in the Commonwealth, establishing hunting seasons and bag limits, enforcing hunting and trapping laws, and managing habitat on the 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands it has purchased over the years with hunting and furtaking license dollars to safeguard wildlife habitat. The agency also conducts numerous wildlife conservation programs for schools, civic organizations and sportsmen's clubs.

The Game Commission does not receive any general state taxpayer dollars for its annual operating budget. The agency is funded by license sales revenues; the state's share of the federal Pittman-Robertson program, which is an excise tax collected through the sale of sporting arms and ammunition; and monies from the sale of oil, gas, coal, timber and minerals derived from State Game Lands.

CONTACT: Jerry Feaser, Pennsylvania Game Commission, [phone], or [e-mail]

Web site: http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/ http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/dmap/available.aspx