I understand the dislike of the dog regulations in the WPRA. I don't undertand it from someone not affected by it though. The WPRAs have a very small percentage of the states acres. The protection was felt necessary for law enforcement to enforce any type of law. If all it took was for a hunter to say "I'm hunting rabbits not pheasants" no law could be enforceable. Also, nobody has to drive 30 minutes to get out of a WPRA unless they are on a bicycle. The restrictions are also for a limited time.

I applaud the efforts of everyone involved with the habitat work being done & realize that many species benefit from these efforts. However, there are other groups out there that enjoy persuing game other than pheasants/ upland birds with their dogs. If the current regs applied to only public land or publically advertised accessible property, I'd accept that. It's my oppinion that as hunting dog fanciers we should come together and see to it that the regs get cleaned up. All sides should see to it that the powers that be within the PGC rewrite the regs to allow all dog activities that do not specifically target the repeated flushing of pheasants during the nesting period. Enforcement, that's difficult to pin down... I'd suggest a written warning for the first offense, then the ability for the WCO to identify that the person's a repeat offender. If a racccoon habitat /managemnet program is established, I'd be willing to lay my dogs up during the timeframe which the sows are nursing their litters as long as we keep all other hunting dogs out of the woods as well. Now assume that this dog training restriction coincided with the better part of 5 months out of the year & during a timeframe inwhich you may be starting a young dog. That's basically what is being asked of us to accomodate the pheasant program. I am not a land owner in a WPRA but a hunter who was impacted by the regs. The landowners that I currently have permission to hunt do not manage their properties for pheasants & some were unfamiliar with the regs associated with the WPRA's. Access to quality hunting grounds is getting increasingly difficult & expecting me to relocate to new areas isn't as easy as earlier suggested. This post wasn't inteded to bash anyone, their efforts, or beliefs, rather an attempt to point out my point of view & pass some time until this foolish race gets restarted.

Those birds are SPECIAL indeed Tom, and there are more areas like that, some closer to YOU than you might think!

Gentlemen,
I am going to talk to Eric Miller about what actually happened, setting up these WPRA's. If infact the PGC has
somehow over stepped its boundries, I want to know about it.
If you are not part of the WPRA program, there is no way the PGC can tell you that you are not allowed to run your own dog on your own private property, unless you have already committed to the program. No Pheasant, special program or not, will ever take my private property rights away from me, the PGC can not over ride a County Sheriff.
Trespass laws here in Pa even stop the PGC from entering your land once you put up the signs. Now if you are on someone elses land, that becomes a completely different matter.
If the PGC has actually done this, which somehow I really doubt, contact your County Sheriff and post no trespassing signs on your land, private property rights here in Pa can not be over ridden, unless a search warrant is granted, by a judge.
Pine Creek/Dave

I'd re think that ....

Timberddoodle,
Nothing to rethink, Trespass laws here in Pa work in this manner, once the property is posted no Trespassing
and the Sheriffs dept is notified anyone entering the property is to be wared and fined the 1st time, the 2nd
trangression becomes Aggravated Trespassing and the Trespasser can be arrested, even the PGC, and the PGC knows it. Nobody takes legal presidence on a County Sheriff here in Pa, not even the PGC. Your private property law falls under County Sheriff jurisdiction for law enforcement purposes, in Pa. If this was happening on my land I would call the County Sheriff.

cite your sources...

Call the County Sheriff and find out for your self.
I am surprised if the PGC has over reached that some land owner has not taken legal action. PGC rules do not over ride civil & criminal law here in Pa.
Pa State Constitution
Pine Creek/Dave

Might want to check your facts before giving inncorect information.

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=575665&mode=2


CHAPTER 9
ENFORCEMENT
Subchapter
A. General Provisions
B. Prosecution and Penalties
SUBCHAPTER A
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 901. Amended December 17, 1990, Act No. 180-1990, December 19, 1996, Act No. 184, December 21, 1998, Act No. 1998-166, June 28, 2002, Act No. 2001-79, Effective August 28, 2002 and October 7, 2010, Act No. 64, Effective December 6, 2010.
Sec. 901. Powers and duties of enforcement officers.
(a) Powers.--Any officer whose duty it is to enforce this title or any officer investigating any alleged violation of this title shall have the power and duty to:
(1) Enforce all laws of this Commonwealth relating to game or wildlife and arrest any person who has violated any of the provisions of this title while in pursuit of that person immediately following the violation.
(2) Go upon any land or water outside of buildings, except curtilage, posted or otherwise, in the performance of the officer's duty.

Good info Pine Creek.