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PGC considering prohibiting deer and turkey

6K views 81 replies 33 participants last post by  Curly Maple 
#1 · (Edited)
#9 ·
Then they can consider issuing a 25 dollar feeding permit to those who like to feed wildlife on their own property. It`s all about the money. One doe tag per person wasn`t making them enough money, so now you can buy as many as you want, one spring turkey tag wasn`t getting enough revenue, so for 25 you can shoot another, but you had to buy the tag before the season started, they were counting on most hunters who purchased a second tag wouldn`t kill #2. Now you need a $25 pheasant tag to hunt a pheasant as well. What`s next? …..The game commission and our Legislators should just charge every hunter a 100 bucks every year for a hunting license, that would help solve their money problems.....in my opinion......
 
#12 ·
Any thoughts on how soon they would implement? CWD hasn’t been confirmed yet in Columbia or Lycoming counties that I am aware of but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was already there. The deer urine would be a change for me. I use evercalm especially in archery season.

I do see this coming. I also see Cwd coming to places I currently hunt. I don’t know what that will mean for me. I like to hunt but don’t know how I feel about CWD deer. I don’t want to knowingly eat them
 
#13 ·
From the article:

" Diseases like chronic wasting disease, mange and tuberculous – all with the potential to significantly impact wildlife populations – spread naturally, but their spread is increased significantly when wildlife is unnaturally concentrated. And, when people feed wildlife, they escalate that concentration."
"... or to intentionally lay or place food, fruit, hay, grain, chemical, salt or other minerals that may cause big game to congregate or habituate an area. If otherwise lawful feeding is attracting big game, the commission may provide written notice prohibiting the activity.”


Should get interesting when someone points out that food plots meet this same general outline during a court case. Waugh!
 
#15 ·
I think the argument would be "I didn't lay or place food, fruit, hay, grain, chemical, salt or other minerals, I planted seeds." But with judges today, who knows.
I could see large plots of sugar beets becoming targets, but clover, brasicas, grasses, grains and even soybeans would be easy enough to justify out of charges/violations, hay fields, soil improvement, etc.
 
#16 ·
Stopping the feeding is not going to stop the spread of CWD only slow it down ! They need to look around at all the other states that had it !! It will be everywhere in time ! Deer graze and feed in the same areas or places now that are natural or farm areas plus they drink from the same waterholes or even big mud puddles ! They also graze on the same alfalfa,clover,beans and others ! It will happen and you aren't going to stop it no matter what !
If they really want to do something about it then do away with the deer farms - where it starts in the first place !! Or get them regulated closely !
My one buddy had a deer farm a couple years ago and he said they had all kind of stipulation and regulations on paper and in the books but nobody hardly ever came around to check on them or make sure things were being done the way they were suppose to be other than collecting moneys for the permits and so on !
I even knew a guy that had a smaller deer farm and in the spring they would catch fawns and put his ear tags on them ! I know he even had a dart gun and he'd call the GC and tell him that a couple of his deer got out and he'd go shoot a couple big bucks in the area and put his ear tags on them and he never got caught ! He is dead now and the farm is no longer ! I turned him in but don't know if anything ever happened !
The feeding doesn't really matter to me because I don't have any ground to feed on and I mostly hunt public land !
 
#17 · (Edited)
Opposed unless the PGC targets all of those that feed deer and turkeys. The bird lovers put out tons and tons of feed that congregates deer and turkeys and is consumed heavily by them. Way more than hunters and/or sportsman's orgs do.

The birding industry and following is huge but are responsible for more feed consumed by deer and turkeys than any other group. If this passes, will the PGC do the right thing and enforce this without giving certain groups a pass?

This is just another measure that will do nothing in the big picture unless they are serious about uniform enforcement. It targets hunters and the deer feed industry but gives the birders a pass.
 
#22 ·
Anyone who is able to ready and understand the language or laws and/or regulations can see that it is written in a way that DOES cover everyone, including those feeding birds or anything else, if that feeding starts attracting or causing the banned species to congregate. Therefore, no one would be exempt from the laws or regulations. But, it also still allows people to feed birds or other non specified wildlife as long as it is not causing a problem that attracts or congregates the targeted species.

This attitude of unless you can solve ALL of the problems we face we are going to stand in opposition of laws that do solve some problems is very counter productive and just plan wrong headedness.

Dick Bodenhorn
 
#20 ·
Impossible to enforce. There are hundreds of thousands of PA residents, that feed wildlife all year long. Including me. Bird feeders are common in about EVERY yard in PA. I toss out any stale fruits, grains, cereals, breads, etc... routinely. I can see enforcement of say, local "clubs" and their feeding. Our club actually sets out a tripod spinner in the winter to feed.
 
#32 ·
WW, how many new classes of Wardens will be needed to enforce this on a basis widespread enough to make any impact at all?
Sure, current staff could easily go after large game feeders spotted from the road, but widespread enforcement of the proposal, especially if taken to it's most overzealous extreme, is extremely unlikely.
I think this will become nothing more than an add-on citation in all but the most rare occasion.
 
#36 · (Edited)
WW, how many new classes of Wardens will be needed to enforce this on a basis widespread enough to make any impact at all?
Sure, current staff could easily go after large game feeders spotted from the road, but widespread enforcement of the proposal, especially if taken to it's most overzealous extreme, is extremely unlikely.
.
Correct. There will be little practical impact made other than targeted enforcement of one group. They don't have the resources nor the time to truly enforce a feeding ban on deer and/or turkeys. It will be targeted enforcement that focuses on sportsman while others will not receive the same scrutiny. A trail camera behind a camp with shell corn will receive the priority over a bird feeder behind a house in suburbia with sunflower hearts, even though both have deer poop and turkey feathers under them.

The fact remains that the largest feeders of deer and turkey in this state are non hunters utilizing what is often not thought of as deer feed. Any new regulation that doesn't target the feeding of birds utilizing certain seeds and/or grains is an empty regulation that will never achieve any goal.
 
#39 ·
this measure will not stop CWD. nothing can stop it. but it can be slowed down...way down.


1. ban the use of deer urine

2. stop the use of feed and food plots as deer concentrate in those areas, they are not occurring naturally as both are man made

3. close all deer farms or at least mandate double fencing, with the space big enough to guarantee no contact with the wild deer.
4. stop all importing and deporting of deer from these farms.
 
#48 ·
2. stop the use of feed and food plots as deer concentrate in those areas, they are not occurring naturally as both are man made
Fields of crops aren't naturally occurring, and draw in and concentrate a heck of a lot more deer than food plots.
Backyard gardens do too.
Should we ban them both while we're at it?

There's a big difference between "concentrating" deer at a fixed pile of bulk food, where they eat shoulder to shoulder in the same exact spots every day, and browsing at will in a half acre plot, then move along.
 
#41 ·
As to the point that RSB raised asking why does it have to be all or nothing. It doesn't have to be but if a proposal is something, like this one, at least target the group that is responsible for most of the deer feeding. The wording in the proposal that has leaked out is carefully worded to not offend the bird folks.
 
#47 ·
I still think common sense should work and most on here have it but want to get one step ahead. We should all do our part in any way possible of the spreading of CWD, I look at it as a give and take. I used to put out feed in summer for trail cams and loved it. But now being in a DMA I have around 6 cameras laying in my garage and don't miss it anymore. Me and another guy thought we knew every buck out there and would try to find out if anyone in the area got it that we had on trail cam. Now not using trail cams I just go hunting and see what I see like the old days. Back in the 70's where my camp was it was my grandmothers place. She would put out bird feed and some corn cobs up high, she really enjoyed watching the birds or squirrels out of her window. Me and my cousin would walk out of the house that was directly in the woods but would n ot even think of shooting a squirrel with in a hundred yards that it might be grandma's house squirrels we called them.
 
#49 ·
How can the PGC even be taken seriously on this matter of banning the feeding of deer when they themselves PERMIT baiting in the Southeast SRA's????

If they first take the lead themselves and ban baiting in the SRA's, then I would be far more inclined to be on board with them banning all feeding. And don't come on here and tell me that baiting is a necessary tool to get the harvest that they want in the SE. If they want that harvest, then increase the tags and liberalize the seasons. Baiting will do every bit as much to spread CWD and other diseases in this state as any deer feeder will, yet the PGC permits it. Total hypocrisy on their part to even attempt or discuss the banning of feeding until they take the lead on the issue and first ban baiting.
 
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