JULY 13 BEGINS NEW DOE LICENSE PROCESS
HARRISBURG - With full implementation of the Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS), Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today reminded hunters that county treasurers will begin accepting antlerless deer license applications three weeks earlier than in past years. Applications from resident hunters will be accepted by county treasurers starting Monday, July 13; nonresidents on Monday, July 27.
For the 2009-10 license year, antlerless deer license fees are the same as they have been since 1999. However, there is a 70-cent transaction fee attached to the purchase of each license and permit, which is paid directly to Automated License Systems, the Nashville-based company that runs PALS. This transaction fee, which already applies to each Pennsylvania fishing license and permit sold by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission through PALS, means that residents will need to write checks made payable to "County Treasurer" for $6.70, and nonresidents for $26.70.
By state law, antlerless deer licenses will continue to be sold only by county treasurers, so hunters will need to prepare and mail separate applications for antlerless deer licenses. A listing of all county treasurer addresses can be found on page 48 of the 2009-10 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest, which is provided free to each license buyer.
Roe noted that hunters must use the new pink envelopes, which are provided to each license buyer by the issuing agents, and that the previously used yellow envelopes should be thrown away. For those who order licenses via the Game Commission's website (
www.pgc.state.pa.us), a new Digest and two pink envelopes will be included in the package, along with the licenses, which will arrive in seven to 10 business days from the date of order.
"As county treasurers will be set up with PALS, hunters will be able to submit an application to any county treasurer, and the application will list the hunter's first three choices, in order of preference, for a specific Wildlife Management Unit antlerless deer license," Roe said. "If an applicant's first choice of WMU has exhausted its allocation of antlerless deer licenses, the county treasurer will move to the second preference - and third, if necessary.
"This new process will nearly eliminate the chance that a hunter will not be able to receive at least one antlerless deer license during the processing of regular antlerless deer licenses."
Also, Roe said that the early start to the antlerless deer license application process will help ensure that county treasurers will be able to mail antlerless deer licenses back to hunters prior to the opening of the archery season. The first such season opens with the antlerless archery season in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D on Sept. 19. The opening date of the general statewide archery deer season is Oct. 3.
Under the new timeline, residents will apply for regular antlerless deer licenses on July 13; nonresidents will apply for regular antlerless deer licenses on July 27. After this, residents and nonresidents will apply for the first round of unsold antlerless deer licenses on Aug. 3, and residents and nonresidents will apply for the second round of unsold antlerless deer licenses on Aug. 17.
County treasurers will have to mail regular and first round of unsold antlerless deer licenses no later than Sept. 14, and second round of unsold antlerless deer licenses no later than the Sept. 28.
Beginning August 3, for WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D only, there is no limit to the number of unsold antlerless deer license applications an individual can submit until the allocations are exhausted. This must be done by mail only, and there is a limit of three applications per pink envelope.
Beginning Aug. 24, county treasurers will begin accepting applications over-the-counter for WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, and may immediately issue antlerless deer licenses. Hunters may apply over-the-counter to county treasurers for any other WMU with antlerless license allocations on Nov. 2.
Roe noted that, this year, in conjunction with the move to PALS, the Game Commission will roll out a new online reporting system for antlered and antlerless deer, as well as fall turkey and spring gobbler. Postage-paid report cards still will be available in the Digest, but the agency is encouraging hunters to report online to save on the cost of postage and data entry.
"Reporting online also will ensure your harvest data will not be lost in the mail," Roe said. "So report online and the agency will be able to direct its limited resources to other important wildlife conservation work. Thanks in advance for helping to improve harvest data collection!"
Roe noted that antlerless deer licenses, as well as general hunting licenses, still will need to be displayed by hunters.
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