UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Pennsylvania Game Commission seeks public comment on its proposed changes to the state's deer hunting regulations. Because all citizens -- whether they hunt deer or not -- may be affected by these changes, a wildlife expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences urges everyone to respond.

"The goal of the proposed changes is to decrease the doe population while increasing the percentage of mature bucks," says Gary San Julian, professor of wildlife resources. "The commission will finalize the changes at their April 8 meeting."

The state's deer population is as high as it's ever been, San Julian explains. "Each year, more than 40,000 deer carcasses are picked up off the highways. Probably that many more get hit and die in the woods and fields. Deer-car interactions cost lives and do tens of millions of dollars in damage.

"Deer also are responsible for about $75 million in damage to grain crops annually," he adds. "In addition, they eat young forest trees and severely reduce our forests' ability to regenerate."

Proposed changes to the hunt include:

• Starting the antlerless rifle season on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, followed by a concurrent two-week season for antlered and antlerless deer, starting on Monday.
• Changing the "private lands" tag so that hunters can apply for a second antlerless deer permit if available in a specific county.
• Opening the muzzleloader "antlerless-only" deer season earlier (Oct. 18-20) and allowing senior and junior hunters, disabled hunters and active duty military personnel to use any sporting rifle to take does if they have the proper permits.

Overall, the changes will increase the doe hunt by 11 days, San Julian explains. With fewer female deer available to breed, competition among bucks should increase -- resulting in fawns being born in a shorter time-frame.

"We kill more than 80 percent of all the bucks in the population each hunting season," he says. "It is hoped that hunters who just want to put venison in the freezer will take advantage of the first day of doe season."

Opening the season for three Saturdays also gives hunters more weekend days to get out in the field, San Julian explains. Hunters will have more time to be selective in choosing a larger doe or a bigger buck. The antlerless season also will no longer be so weather-dependent.

"In addition, the commission wants to see if starting the doe season on Saturday will make bucks more wary and not such easy targets on opening day," he says. "If so, we may be able to carry more bucks through the winter and improve the buck-to-doe ratio."

To comment on the deer hunt proposals, send written correspondence to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, ATTN: Deer Season Comments, Bureau of Information and Education, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797. Submit comments no later than March 30 to have them added to the public statement.

For more information on the new regulations, or updates to the state's deer management program, see the Pennsylvania Game Commission's World Wide Web site at http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/.

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EDITORS: To contact Gary San Julian, please call 814-863-0401.

Contacts: Kim Dionis KDionis@psu.edu 814-863-2703 814-865-1068 fax