Pennsylvania Game Commission offers tips, safety reminders ahead of bow season

PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — Bowhunting in Pennsylvania is about to start, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission wants to remind all participants how to stay safe and have this season.

The season kicks off statewide on Oct. 5 and runs through Nov. 22. During the season, Hunters will be allowed to hunt on one Sunday, which is scheduled to be Nov. 17. Furthermore, the season will reopen Dec. 26 – Jan. 20.

Getting started with bow hunting

Looking to get into bow hunting but don’t know where to start? This year, the game commission has uploaded videos to its YouTube Channel , with tips to help deer hunters. There is a two-part learning series on archery hunting, along with another series on the effective range of crossbows. There are also several other videos surrounding tree stand safety.

Bowhunters are reminded to safely practice with their equipment before heading into the woods. The game commission recommends shooting from a comfortable standing position on the ground or from an elevated surface, whichever way mimics how they’ll hunt during the season the best.

As for equipment, bowhunters may use long, recurve or compound bows as well as crossbows. Bows must have a draw weight of at least 35 pounds, with crossbows needing a minimum draw weight of 125 pounds. Illuminated nocks that aid in tracking or locating the arrow after being launched are legal, but transmitter-tracking arrows are not.

Tree stands and climbing devices that cause damage to trees are unlawful unless the user has written permission from the landowner. Tree stands or steps penetrating the tree’s cambium layer are also unlawful, specifically on state game lands, state forests or state parks.

Portable hunting tree stands and blinds are allowed on state game lands two weeks before the opening day of archery season. However, they must be removed no later than two weeks after the close of the flintlock and late archery deer seasons.

In all cases, tree stands on state game lands also must be conspicuously marked with a durable identification tag that identifies the stand owner. Those tags must include the hunter’s first and last name and legal home address, their nine-digit CID number or their unique Sportsman’s Equipment ID number. Hunters can find their number in their HuntFishPA online profile or on their printed license.

Safety tips for bow hunting

• Make sure someone knows where you’re hunting and when you expect to return home.
• Leave a note or topographic map with your family or a friend
• Pack a cellphone for emergencies
• Practice climbing with your tree stand before the opening day of the season, especially at dawn and dusk
• Consider placing non-slip material on the deck of your tree stand if it’s not already there
• Always use a fall-restraint device – preferably a full-body harness – when hunting from a tree stand
• Don’t climb dead, wet or icy trees, and stay on the ground on blustery days
• Use a hoist rope to lift your bow and backpack to your tree stand
• Don’t sleep in a tree stand. If you can’t stay awake, return to the ground
• Keep yourself in good physical condition. Fatigue can impact judgment, coordination and reaction time, as well as accuracy
• Always carry broadhead-tipped arrows in a protective quiver, especially when moving
• Cocked crossbows should always be pointed in a safe direction. Know how to uncock a crossbow safely, too
• If you use a mechanical release with a vertical bow, always keep your index finger away from the trigger when drawing
• In all cases, check your equipment before every outing and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for using it

Regulations, care and programs

Deer harvested when the weather is warm should be field dressed quickly, then taken from the field and cooled down as soon as possible, preferably by refrigerating if temperatures are above 40 degrees.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) – an always-fatal prion disease impacting deer and elk for which there is no cure – continues to spread across Pennsylvania both geographically and in terms of the number of deer infected.

High-risk parts include the head (including brain, tonsils, eyes, and any lymph nodes); spinal cord/backbone; spleen; skull plate with attached antlers, if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; cape, if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; upper canine teeth, if root structure or other soft tissue is present; any object or article containing visible brain or spinal cord tissue; unfinished taxidermy mounts; and brain-tanned hides.

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The Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) allows hunters to get permits good for harvesting antlerless deer – one per tag – on the specific property or area for which the permit was issued.

Once again this year, the Game Commission is offering DMAP tags on some state game lands, namely 41 spread across the Northwest, Northcentral, Northeast and Southeast regions. Combined, 7,000 tags were made available across 360,014 acres.

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