Pennsylvania State Chapter - National Wild Turkey Federation

Pennsylvania State Chapter - National Wild Turkey Federation

Hunting License Increase

Article written and published by Don Heckman,

first appeared Pennsylvania State Chapter newsletter, Turkey Talk,

and published in Pennsylvania Afield; updated October 1997.

Our Pennsylvania General Assembly did not pass the hunting license increase bill as presented by the House Game and Fisheries by end of November 1996. They didn’t even get the opportunity to view the bill, let alone take a vote by the full House. Our system of game laws, wildlife regulations, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) Budget really came under the microscope of the sporting public. We heard every possible solution and answer to the PGC request for a hunting license increase. By not passing the license increase bill, S.B. 844, in this Legislative session, this bill died in committee.

On a renewed effort, as the new legislative session started in January 1997, the House Game and Fisheries Committee started all over in this session and passed H.B. 1200.

H.B. 1200 was sent to the House Appropriations Committee. During the spring and fall months of 1997, the Appropriations Committee failed to act on the bill. Therefore, no hunting license increase was pass by this Committee and sent to the full House for a vote.

H.B. 1200 has the approval of a large majority of the state-wide conservation organizations and has been supported by these organizations.

As with most government compromise, somebody loses. In this case, the PGC, you and I, and our wildlife resource lost. And we still don’t have a turkey hunting license, we still don’t know who the turkey hunters are, how many turkey hunters there are, there isn’t an accurate turkey kill report system only an official estimate, there is no formal turkey hunting education course, no uniform firearms law for spring and fall turkey hunting, and all we can do is ask why, and then listen to all the excuses.

Many individuals spent thousands of hours developing the hunting license increase legislation. It has now been more than eleven years since the PGC has had any kind of a general hunting license increase. Sportsmen’s organizations finally came together in support of the compromise bill that would provide the PGC the necessary funds to operate for the next 7 to 8 years. But, no credit can be given to the Legislator’s as there is no hunting license increase bill setting on the Governor’s desk awaiting signature. It has now been over 34 months since the initial process was put in place to create a general hunting license bill for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. By the time it is all done it may take over 48 months to complete this process. Still, there is no reasonable guarantee.

Several hearings were held to gather hunters input and general public opinion to the hunting license increase. Sportsmen’s organizations met to help draft compromise hunting license package. Sportsmen’s Clubs and Conservation Organizations held several local club meetings to review and discuss the license increase. The Pennsylvania State Chapter has gone on record as supporting a reasonable hunting license increase. H.B. 1200 is a reasonable hunting license increase.

The Pennsylvania State Chapter supports a turkey hunting license and will work to achieve this license. A turkey hunting license has to be implemented through the legislative process. The legislation that would support a turkey license could be drafted as: (1) a spring and fall season turkey hunting license for $10.00; (2) a spring season license for $5.00; or (3) a spring season second bird tag for $5.00. H.B. 1200 does not contain any language for a turkey hunting license. The Pennsylvania State Chapter did compromise by not pushing the fight for a turkey license. We feel H.B. 1200 should not be jeopardized any further by trying to get language passed that supported the turkey hunting license, at this time.

Thanks to all sportsmen and women that want a better system, labored hard to get a better system, but yet are being denied. Your support; on behalf of the hundreds of thousands who did nothing, contributed nothing, and were willing to live with compromise; has never been more evident. Your support through phone calls and letter writing is appreciated.

The Pennsylvania State Chapter fully supports a reasonable general license increase, spoke to that issue, wrote supporting letters to our Representatives, Senators, and the PGC. We testified at the public hearings held by the House Game and Fisheries Committee, and addressed the issue with our membership to explain the reasons why a hunting license increase is necessary.

We still believe in the process, how to establish a hunting license increase; however, changes need and must take place in that process. To spend this much time, over 34 months, and effort to get zero results is ridiculous. To have the system reduced to a grudge match of independent sportsmen’s organizations, Legislators, and apathetic hunters, and then to have our elected Representatives put the issue/bill on the back burner; e.g. November 1996, June 1997, and October 1997, is nonproductive.

We, as sportsmen and women of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, have been given the run around. The PGC has been given the run around. Our wildlife resources in Pennsylvania have been forgotten in all this debate. New PGC information and education programs will not get started at this time. Our Wildlife Conservation Officers and Wildlife Managers have been told to pull in the reins. Cuts are being made in wildlife management programs. Current WCO staff positions are not being replaced, especially when we should be thinking about doubling the size of our WCO staff. And I don’t like it one bit.

There is work to be done this year. I’m going to do everything in my power to be sure my voice and concerns are heard on Capitol Hill, again, and again.

Game laws, wildlife regulations, and Wildlife Management programs need to be improved and new programs started to make these changes. Hunting information and education programs in our schools have got to start everywhere, not just in rural school districts. Additional land needs to be purchased and added to existing Game Lands or we will have more concrete, blacktop, highways, and buildings crowding out wildlife habitat and wildlife. Additional wetlands, streams, and forests must be protected, also.

PGC staff, e.g. WCO’s, Land Managers, Wildlife Biologists and their support teams, must increase in number. We should have double the number of WCO’s we have today, maybe even triple the number, to protect our wildlife from the slob hunter, unlawful hunter, game poachers, and just plain criminal activity that is occurring.

Sportsmen must be kept informed and educated about our society and environmental changes that are effecting our great Commonwealth. Zoning and building laws are changing. Government intervention is everywhere you look and places you don’t even know to look.

The future of hunting in Pennsylvania is our youth. There are some very good programs for our youth sponsored by the PGC and Sportsmen’s organizations. We need to reach out to our youth with a positive message about sport hunting and wildlife management. They need to learn about hunting, safety and ethics, conservation, wildlife management, and our environment. It is our responsibility to teach them.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission needs and deserves a general hunting license increase. If you have ever hunted out-of-state, you know the cost of a non resident license you pay in that state. You know what travel, food, gas, accommodations cost to get there. And if you hunt with an outfitter, you know their cost just to hunt. If you bought a fully loaded big game rifle, scope, and case plus a couple boxes of shells, you know what that costs you. If you bought a new or used vehicle in the last eleven years to get you to the woods, you know how much they have increased. Did you recently buy a new camo shotgun, or you just had to have the latest in camo clothing for this years hunting season. That is the cost to hunt and you don’t think twice about spending money to hunt.

After the public hearings, meetings, discussions and dialogue, letters and phone calls from their constituents, and after a compromise bill having passed the House Game and Fisheries Committee, we still have nothing! Status quo. What a mess, what a shame, what an insult to my intelligence. Do you feel the same way as I do?

While I still believe there is additional work to be done for future license increases, I do believe the Game Fund needs to be financially sound and managed by highly trained professionals. Professionals, supported by Sportsmen, who will use sound wildlife management principles to support our wildlife resources. Professionals that will support what sportsmen want addressed. PGC staff want to enforce game laws, help manage the environment, support land, air and water management, teach hunter education and hunting ethics, improved wildlife habitat, provide hunting information to all ages, and address conservation issues sportsmen want changed. We need to give them the opportunity.

That is why the PGC needs a hunting license increase and why I support their request. In eleven years, now going on twelve, the PGC has gone without a hunting license increase. Many things have changed in twelve years, some have not been so good. We don’t want wildlife management to take a back seat. Surely conservation organizations, special interest wildlife organizations, Legislators, PGC staff, and sportsmen can get together and figure this out. This is no small task, as the system is designed today. We must enact a hunting license increase bill that will give the PGC the additional revenue they need to continue to manage and improve out hunting privilege. Then, we need to take a long hard look at the system and determine what changes need to be made.

Update as of September 1997: The House and Senate will again consider legislation for a hunting license in September, October and November 1997. The fall legislative session starts on September 22^nd. Your help is needed again to get H.B. 1200 moving through the system so Governor Ridge call sign the bill. Call your Representative or Senator and ask them to support H.B. 1200, as approved by the House Game and Fisheries Committee. Your voice does count.

Update as of October 1997: H.B. 1200 has been put on hold until after the 1998 fall elections. After the elections, the General Assembly comes back in session for a short period of time to clean-up loose ends, a lame duck session as it is called. There is hope that H.B. 1200 will be passed by the House and Senate and sent to the Governor for signing in this short period of time. The Pennsylvania Game Commission will then be able to get on with the business of managing our wildlife resources.