COUNTDOWN TO DEER SEASON HAS BEGUN
The state's biggest draw for hunters is set to begin the Monday after Thanksgiving, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe, when the two-week firearms deer season opens.
"When hunters begin to mobilize for the start of our traditional firearms deer season, there's an unmistakable change that sweeps throughout Pennsylvania," Roe said. "Fluorescent orange and camouflage clothing instantly become as common as denim. The crack of firearms being sighted in at rifle ranges can be heard in the distance. Cars are parked on the shoulders of roads that bisect or border most forested areas, as hunters scout for deer sign and look for the perfect stand locations. Newspapers advertise hunter breakfasts and write stories about mom-and-pop butcher shops that process deer for hunters.
"Deer season has a dramatic effect on the Commonwealth. It provides recreation to hundreds of thousands of hunters, and for those who take a deer, dozens of meals of tasty venison. It also provides an economic surge that local businesses and national chain stores count on annually. Hunters buy everything from clothing and equipment, to fuel and food. Their economic impact is substantial.
"Deer season also is an important tool that the Game Commission has used for more than a century to manage Pennsylvania's whitetails. The efforts of hunters are far-reaching, and they help to keep deer populations at levels to meet deer management goals."
For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website:
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=175458
