Pa Game Commission announces changes for mentored hunting, land purchases

PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners met on Friday, July 12, and are highlighting several changes that residents may be affected by.

Some of the most notable things are a new change to how adults can accompany additional hunters, the growth of the state game land system, a proposal to decrease the minimum age for falconers and an amendment that would affect the name of an American species.

Changes for mentors hunting with youth

The board approved a measure that will allow mentors hunting with mentored youth to accompany up to two additional hunters, be they mentored youth, junior hunters or mentored adults. That limit is now set at three.

Previously, no additional junior or mentored hunters could accompany a mentor hunting with a mentored youth. There was a required one-to-one mentor/mentee ratio.

The requirement that limits mentors and mentored youth from possessing only one sporting arm between them remains. The mentor must carry the sporting arm at all times while moving. Junior hunters and mentored adults may possess their own sporting arms while accompanied by a common mentor.

This change will become effective after publication and in time for the fall hunting seasons.

Game Lands system expanding

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today approved acquisitions that would add nearly 5,290 acres to state game lands. That involves the purchase of 13 properties including some in Blair, Centre, Clearfield, Elk and Somerset.

Here are the properties:

• Roughly 195 acres in Coolspring Township, Mercer County, adjoining State Game Lands 294. Acquiring this property will fill in gaps between two separate tracts of State Game Lands 294.
• Roughly 660 acres in Cherry and Clay Townships, Butler County, adjoining State Game Lands 95. A heron rookery located on a freshwater pond on the property provides a unique wildlife habitat feature.
• Roughly 1,153 acres in Northampton Township, Somerset County, near State Game Lands 82.  The property contains critical and unique habitat, including the headwaters of Brush Creek, a high-quality cold-water fishery.
• Roughly 10 acres in Buffington Township, Indiana County. This is an indenture to State Game Lands 79.
• Roughly 1,747 acres in the City of St. Marys, Elk County, adjoining State Game Lands 14. This property is in the core of the elk range and is the headwaters of numerous tributaries to high-quality trout streams.
• Roughly 7 acres in Beccaria Township, Clearfield County, adjacent to State Game Lands 60. This parcel contains critical and unique riparian habitat.
• Roughly 7 acres in Beccaria Township, Clearfield County, adjacent to State Game Lands 60. This is a separate parcel from the one above.
• Roughly 210 acres in Howard Township, Centre County, adjacent to State Game Lands 323. This parcel will provide critical access to game lands and adjacent partner lands that are open to hunting.
• Roughly 578 acres in Logan and Frankstown townships, Blair County, near State Game Lands 166. This property contains unique habitat that will benefit several species of greatest conservation need, and will be managed to provide high-quality grouse habitat.
• Roughly 504 acres in Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County, adjoining State Game Lands 211. This parcel will provide critical access to a remote portion of State Game Lands 211.
• Roughly 73 acres in East Penn Township, Carbon County, adjacent to State Game Lands 217. This acquisition protects critical and unique habitat on Kittatinny Ridge, a Globally Important Bird Area.
• Roughly 139 acres in Heidelberg Township, Lebanon County, and Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County, near State Game Lands 46. This game lands is heavily used by hunters and non-hunters and this acquisition would increase the opportunity for these groups to enjoy the outdoors.
• Roughly 7 acres in Nockamixon Township, Bucks County, an indenture to State Game Lands 56.

Proposal to decrease minimum age for falconers

Based on the proposal that the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners preliminarily approved the minimum age for falconers would be decreased from 18 to 16 years old.

The Game Commission has not identified any biological or safety concerns that would result from lowering the minimum age.

This proposal, which was requested by the Pennsylvania Falconry and Hawk Trust, will be brought back to a future meeting for final consideration and potential adoption.

Amendment to affect name change of American species

Once thought to be a single species, goshawks in Europe and North America were split into separate species last year by the American Ornithological Society, due to their differing genetics and behavior.

As a result, European goshawks retained the name Northern Goshawk, while those in North America were renamed American Goshwak.

That change soon could be reflected in state regulations. The change wouldn’t affect the management or protection of goshawks in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminary approval to amend Title 58 of the Pennsylvania Code to incorporate the recent name change. The measure would be brought back for final consideration at an upcoming meeting

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