Two raptors up for status changes
One Pennsylvania raptor soon might be placed on the state’s endangered-species list, while another that’s presently classified as a threatened species could be upgraded.
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners recently gave preliminary approval to placing the northern goshawk on the state’s endangered-species list, and removing the peregrine falcon from the state’s threatened species list.
The measure will be brought back to the September meeting for a final vote.
The proposed changes reflect the strikingly different population trends for goshawks and peregrines.
The northern goshawk, which in Pennsylvania is at the southern limits of its range in the Northeast, has experienced range contraction and a dramatic population decline in the past 20 years. Classifying the northern goshawk as an endangered species would further protect it by limiting or delaying certain activities within northern goshawk breeding habitat during courtship and nesting seasons.
A large secretive raptor of mature, mixed forests, the northern goshawk is found in Pennsylvania’s northern tier and at high elevations across the state.
Meanwhile, the peregrine falcon, which was upgraded from endangered- to threatened-species status in 2019, has continued to see population increases. The recommendation for its upgrade is based on the Game Commission’s 2013-2022 Peregrine Falcon Management Plan, which establishes objectives for the species’ recovery that now have been achieved.
The proposed change signals a significant conservation victory after 40 years of recovery action in Pennsylvania and nationally, in which the Game Commission has played an active role. Adoption of the change would mark the third high-profile raptor recovery in Pennsylvania, following the delisting of the bald eagle and osprey – demonstrating that placing a species on the endangered or threatened list is not a permanent designation, and recovery is an achievable goal.
The Board of Commissioners also gave preliminary approval to a separate motion that’s intended to provide the peregrine falcon additional protection if it’s removed from the threatened-species list. As part of the penalty for killing a threatened species, a $5,000 replacement cost can be assessed. But when a recovered animal comes off the threatened-species list, the replacement cost drops to just $200, unless regulatory changes are made to increase it.
If the peregrine is upgraded and removed from the threatened-species list, regulations would be adjusted so a $2,500 replacement cost would apply, the board voted preliminarily. This measure, too, will be brought back to the September meeting for final adoption.
Red tag program could be revamped
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners on July 24 gave preliminary approval to a host of changes that will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Agricultural Deer Control Program, better known as the Red Tag Program, which helps farmers address crop-damage issues through the hunting of antlerless deer.
If adopted, the measure would become effective in July 2022.
The changes were recommended by those who use the program following a meeting with the Game Commission’s Deer and Elk Section. Proposed changes include:
n An individual hunter no longer would be limited to obtaining one permit for a Red Tag property; they could get up to four. The higher limit is consistent with that used in the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP), which also helps landowners meet deer-management goals through antlerless deer hunting. Hunters would be able to keep all deer they harvest.
n The summer period during which Red Tag hunting is closed (currently May 16 – June 30) would be expanded to April 16 – July 31. Permits would be valid from Aug. 1 through Sept. 15, then from Feb. 1 through April 15. Permits would be issued for the license year that begins July 1 and runs through June 30.
n Landowners no longer would be required to report Red Tag harvests. Instead, similar to DMAP, hunters would report for each permit regardless of harvest success.
n All licensed hunters, not just hunters who are Pennsylvania residents, would qualify for Red Tag permits.
n The red snap tags that are the namesake of the Red Tag Program, would be replaced with standard harvest tags issued through HuntFishPA.
n Landowners no longer would need to enroll in the Game Commission’s Hunter Access program before using the Red Tag program, and Red Tag properties no longer would need to be posted with signs.
The measure will be brought back to the September meeting for a final vote.
“The Agricultural Deer Control Program is designed to allow farmers to manage the deer populations on their property,” said Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife
Management Director Matthew Schnupp. “The changes preliminarily approved by the Board today will make it easier for landowners to enroll and also making it more convenient for hunters to participate through the expanded season and increase in the number of tags they can use.”
New mentored hunting opportunities created
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners recently adopted new opportunities for mentored hunters, who soon will be able to pursue waterfowl and bears in addition to other select species.
Mentored hunters ages 7 and older will be able to purchase their own bear licenses. Those under age 7 must receive a valid bear license through transfer from an adult mentor.
All mentored hunters pursuing waterfowl will need a Pennsylvania migratory bird license, in addition to their mentored hunting permit. Those mentored hunters ages 16 and older also will need a federal duck stamp.
Though adopted by the board, these new opportunities for mentored hunters will not become effective until they are published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, a process that typically takes about six to eight weeks.
The measure adopted by the board also enables mentored hunters ages 7 and older to buy their own special spring turkey licenses, and allows those licenses to be transferred from their original holders to a mentored hunter under age 7.
With the additional opportunities, mentored hunters will be able to hunt rabbits, hares, ruffed grouse, mourning doves, bobwhite quail, pheasants, crows, squirrels, porcupines, woodchucks, coyotes, deer, waterfowl, bears and wild turkeys in the coming seasons.
Straight-walled cartridges update
On July 24, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners gave final approval to a regulatory change that allows the use of straight-walled centerfire cartridges within Special Regulation Areas.
This change will provide hunters within those areas more choices when selecting a firearm.
Straight-walled cartridges essentially are a short-range option for rifle shooters. They lose velocity quickly, but at their optimal ranges, they can be highly effective ammunition. In many states straight-walled cartridges have become an alternative in shotgun-only areas. Their limited range is similar to a rifled shotgun, inside 200 yards, but they often provide better accuracy and considerably less recoil, making their use an attractive option for younger or female hunters.
Additionally, regulations pertaining to Special Regulations Areas were reorganized to help make them clearer.
Beaver trap restrictions relaxed
In the overlap with otter trapping season, and for five days beyond, beaver trappers in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) with open otter seasons had been limited to using no more than five traps or snares, no more than two of which could be body-gripping traps.
No more.
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners has given final approval to a measure that limits trap restrictions in those WMUs to the period when otter season is open. Once the season closes, beaver trappers can resume normal trap restrictions.
The Game Commission determined post-otter-season trap restrictions no longer are needed. The requirement was put in place to avoid accidental otter captures in the event otter season had to be extended. That hasn’t happened since 2015, and longer trapping seasons instead of season-specific extensions will be proposed by the Game Commission in areas where more otters can be trapped sustainably.