This is How the Pennsylvania Game Commission Intentionally Increased Elk Numbers, so they can justify the first Elk Hunt in 70 years! They Will Do Anything to Sell More Licenses.

DATELINE

THE ELK MANAGEMENT MERRY-GO-AROUND

ELK BACKGROUND

TAKE ACTION TO STOP ELK HUNTING NOW

EMAIL YOUR PA STATE REP & PA STATE SENATOR

DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW - SEND A SAMPLE LETTER

EATING DEER AND ELK CAN KILL YOU CWD is spreading, CWD is always fatal and CWD has no known cure.

 

KNOW WHAT IS ILLEGAL - PRINT OUT PDF FILES FOR THE  PENNSYLVANIA DIGES OF HUNTING AND TRAPPING REGULATIONS
July 1, 2002 - June 30, 2003

RULES

According to the game laws it is illegal to shoot at any big game animal while swimming.

A safety zone is an area within 150 yards around that area of which is below the highest point of any occupied dwelling house, residence, or other building or camp occupied by human beings, or any barn, stable, or other building used in connection therewith or any attached or detached playground of any school, nursery school or day care center.

The safety zone rule is as follows:
Unless you are the owner of the property in question you cannot hunt, chase, shoot at, take, trap, pursue or otherwise disturb or otherwise chase any game or wildlife, or discharge, for any reason, any firearm, arrow, or other deadly weapon within a safety zone, or to shoot at any game or wildlife while it is within the safety zone without the specific advance permission of the lawful occupant thereof.

Special notes:
In special regulation areas, Allegheny County and the southeastern counties  of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia. The safety zone for archery hunters has been reduced from 150 yards to only 50 yards pertaining to all buildings except, playgrounds, schools, nursery schools or day care centers. With these the 150 yard limit is still in effect. Also, safety zones cross property lines. If you live within the limit from a neighbor who allows hunting they cannot grant someone permission to violate what is essentially your safety zone, even if the area is still on the neighbors land.

By definition of PGC law it is illegal to "drive" Elk into a hunter unless the drivers are licensed Elk hunters of Elk guides.

By definition of PGC law it is illegal to shoot any animal while it is seeking refuge in water.

By definition of PGC law, it is illegal to disturb, hunt or kill an animal within 150 yards of an occupied building.

By definition of PGC law, it is illegal to alight from a vehicle and shoot any animal. Must be at least 25 yards from the highway before discharging a weapon at game.

By definition of PGC law, it is illegal to kill an Elk for crop damage unless the Elk is endangering the human life.

By definition of PGC law you are allowed up to 25 people to help clean up the murdered animal, who must wear orange, are not allowed to possess weapons.

DATELINE

•Eastern Elk once roamed Pennsylvania but by the mid 1800's, were extinct. Hunting had extirpated the indigenous Eastern Elk herd. In an effort to perpetuate elk for hunting, the Game Commission trapped and transported 177 non-indigenous Rocky Mountain elk from Yellowstone National Park to Pennsylvania from 1913 to 1926. These elk were hunted between 1926 and 1931, but once again, their numbers dramatically declined. Hunting seasons were curtailed in 1932 due to dramatically declining elk numbers.

•Elk numbers remained below 150 for the next 60 years.
Due to crop damage killing, poaching and natural environmental factors, the herd ranged from a low of 38 elk in 1974 to a high of 154 elk in the 1980's.

•Seeing An Opportunity To Sell More Licenses
By reintroducing elk hunting, the Pennsylvania Game Commission took steps to dramatically increase elk numbers in the 1990's. The elk population estimate for 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 1999 was 183, 205, 224, and 254, 305, 480, and 566 elk respectively. This increasing trend has nothing to do with environmental factors, rather, it was the result of the practices of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. These practices include: planting forage crops such as clover, birds-foot trefoil, timothy, oats, rye and winter wheat to benefit elk as well as deer and other wildlife. Additionally, through trap and transport, i.e., moving elk around to areas of high elk density to low elk density, elk numbers have increased by reducing competition for food, cover, and social dominance.

•Elk Hunt For The First Time In 70 Years
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has called for a "Modern-Day Elk Hunt" for PA residents and non-residents as well as an annual Elk Hunt Festival.

• Sept. 30, 2002 The Game Commission Says . . .

THE ELK MANAGEMENT MERRY-GO-AROUND Top

• ELK ARE DECIMATED BY HUNTING
• ELK ARE IMPORTED INTO PENNSYLVANIA
• ELK ARE DECIMATED AGAIN BY HUNTING
• ELK ARE TRAPPED AND TRANSPORT AROUND PENNSYLVANIA
• ELK ARE HUNTED ONCE AGAIN

EAGER TO SELL MORE HUNTING LICENSES
After years of funding and hours of labor which successfully increased elk numbers, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is now claiming that if elk aren't hunted, they will become overpopulated. According to the Pennsylvania's Game Commission's elk hunt recommendations, a "No hunt Alternative" would mean that elk would wreak havoc with the environment; cause elk-car collisions; compete with deer for resources , thus, reduce deer numbers for hunters; and ultimately starve to death or kill each other among other problems. In reality, elk numbers will probably decline again as they have historically, however, the Pennsylvania Game Commission have trumped up these claims in order to reap the finanacial benefits of selling elk hunting licenses.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has called for an elk hunt in 2001, however, the commission does not have the authority to create an elk hunting license. The state legislature must pass enabling legislation to create an elk license.
SEE THE LEGISLATION THAT HAS BEEN DRAFTED

As part of this elk hunting plan, it is recommended that local community leaders (i.e. travel and tourism, Chamber of Commerce and others) coordinate an elk hunting festival in Pennsylvania's elk range near St. Marys or Benezette. At this festival, possibly involving thousands of people, the Commission plans to conduct a public lottery to determine who would win elk hunting licenses.

The Embarassing Shortcomings of The Elk Program
http://www.outdoortalknetwork.com/art149.html (copy & paste)
Read about the elk reintroduction program, John Oliver, the DCNR. In 2002 Applications for elk licenses dropped 20,000. States See Fewer Requests for Hunting Licenses

Listen to Morning Edition audio Jan. 1, 2003
The number of people who hunt wildlife is falling, as more people choose to take pictures of animals. However, it's hunting and fishing licenses that pay for wildlife management. NPR's Robert Smith explains states will have to change how they manage public lands.

ELK BACKGROUND Top

• Trophy Hunting Will Increase And Distort The Elk Population
The Pennsylvania Game Commission promotes trophy hunting of large, mature bull elk to provide a "unique hunting opportunity" and to maintain the male:female sex ratio at 25:100. Once again, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is mismanaging the elk herd as it has mismanaged the deer herd - to increase numbers for sport hunters irrespective of the needs of the public. Instead of continuing to manage for such a skewed sex ratio (intended only to maximize elk production thus enhance hunting opportunities), the Pennsylvania Game Commission should seek a more natural male:female sex ratio (approximately 50:50) in order to reduce population productivity and, in turn, reduce the potential for elk-human conflicts.

• Hunting Will Increase Elk - Car and Elk - Train Collisions.
Elk are much larger than white tailed deer. A mature male elk, called a bull, stands 50-60 inches at the shoulder and weighs 600-1000 lbs. The danger of an elk collision with a vehicle is far more serious than a deer-car collision. In states such as Utah where elk hunting is common, devastating elk-car fatalities and injuries have occurred on a regular basis. In the past year alone, through habitat enhancement and trap and transport activities, elk numbers increased by 16% to approximately 600 elk. This has caused an increase in elk-car collisions.
19 elk - Vehicle Collisions In 1999
As elk numbers are intentionally increased for sport hunting, so will elk-vehicle collisions. Additionally, as hunting disrupts elk patterns and incites elk to flee into roadways and tracks, increasing numbers of elk-vehicle collisions causing major injuries and fatalities looms large as a threat to public safety.

TAKE ACTION TO STOP ELK HUNTING NOW Top

• Attend State "Open Houses"
and voice your opposition to the new Elk Hunting Season.The Pennsylvania Game Commission has scheduled four open houses on its elk hunt recommendations in July. The meetings will be held:

• July 8-9, at the McVeytown Fire Hall, Route 22, McVeytown, Mifflin County
• July 15-16, at the Rocky Grove Fire Hall, 29 Wood St., Franklin, Venango County
• July 22-23, at the Luzerne County Fairgrounds Complex, Route 118, Dallas, Luzerne County
• July 29-30, at the Community College of Allegheny County's South Campus, Building B, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County

The hours for the two-day open houses are 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Sundays.

The first three elk hunt open houses were held in Williamsport, Lycoming County; St. Marys, Elk County; and Kleinfeltersville, Lebanon County.

Elk Hunting Proposal sponsored by Representative Bruce Smith
While the Pennsylvania Game Commission claims that they plan to make the new elk hunting proposal " an open process,", it is only lip service. The legislation allowing for an elk-hunting license for the Game Commission has already been approved by the Fish and Game Committee of the PA House of Representatives. It was sponsored by the committee's chair - Representative Bruce Smith. The bill is pending further consideration in the House.
As drafted, the bill would allow hunters to pay a nonrefundable $10 fee to apply for a drawing for elk hunting licenses. If selected, resident hunters would pay $25 and non-resident hunters would pay $250 for an elk license. The elk hunting lottery will take place at an Elk Hunting Festival to be held in Pennsylvania's elk range near St. Marys or Benezette.

EMAIL

YOUR PA STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND PA STATE SENATOR Find your legislators by zip code

SEE ALL THE SAMPLE LETTERS HERE Top

Send a letter to your local newspaper.
Please rewrite or paraphrase the text of the sample letter. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number.

EMAIL THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
Please rewrite or paraphrase the text of the sample letter.

EMAIL REP. BRUCE SMITH (R, York County), Chairman of the House Game & Fisheries Committee. Rep. Smith was responsible for introducing legislation to create the elk hunting license.

A SAMPLE LETTER Top

Hon. Bruce Smith
East Wing Room 41A
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020
Phone: (717) 783-8783
Fax: (717) 705-1885
Email: bsmith@pahousegop.com

The Honorable ___________
House of Representatives (or Senate of Pennsylvania)
State Capitol
Harrisburg, PA 17120

Dear Representative (Senator)___________________,

For seventy years, elk have not been hunted in Pennsylvania. Their numbers did not significantly decline nor did they increase. Left unperturbed ,the elk population was naturally controlled. In the past ten years, in an effort to increase their own revenue and without regard for public safety or scientific environmental practices, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has intentionally manipulated elk and their habitat to dramatically increase elk numbers. Elk-vehicle collisions have increased due to these reckless practices and will continue to increase with the introduction of trophy hunting.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission's elk plan is motivated by greed, instead of a desire to preserve public safety and scientifically manage wildlife. Wildlife can be managed responsibly and effectively but this will never occur within the Pennsylvania's current structure which allows hunters and trappers to dominate all decisions. After all, as so-called "stewards of the Commonwealth's wild birds and mammals for the benefit of present and future generations" the Pennsylvania Game Commission must be held accountable to the public.

I speak for the other 93% of us who are not hunters and trappers and I strongly urge you to oppose this ill-conceived elk hunting plan.

Sincerely yours,