Pennsylvania Game Commission Removes Protection on Feral Swine
October 28, 2008
HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe recently rescinded protection on feral swine found in the wild in Butler, Bedford and Cambria counties.
“In May, when we removed protection on feral swine in Pennsylvania, we maintained the protection on them in Butler, Bedford and Cambria counties to facilitate trapping by the U.S. and Pennsylvania departments of Agriculture,” Roe said. “Trapping is viewed as the most effective way to remove feral swine from the wild, because it limits their dispersal into new areas.
“However, as we are now outside the time of year in which trapping is most effective, we want to afford hunters the maximum opportunity to remove feral swine that they encounter while participating in the upcoming big game seasons.”
The Game Commission has determined that the eradication of feral swine from Pennsylvania is necessary to prevent further harm to public and private property, threats to native wildlife and disease risks for wildlife and the state’s pork industry.Â
“We are not seeking to establish a hunting season for feral swine, but rather we are committed to rid Pennsylvania of this invasive species,” Roe said.
Licensed hunters, including those who qualify for license and fee exemptions, are eligible to participate in the unlimited taking of feral swine. They may use manually-operated rifles, revolvers or shotguns, as well as and muzzleloaders, bows and crossbows. All other methods and devices legal for taking feral swine must be conducted in compliance with the provisions of Section 2308 of Title 34 (Game and Wildlife Code), which can be viewed on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us
) in the “Laws & Regulations” section in the left-hand column of the homepage.Â
Any person who kills a feral swine must report it to the Game Commission Region Office that serves the county in which the harvest took place within 24 hours. Residents who witness feral swine also are urged to contact the Region Office that serves their county. For contact information, as well as list of counties that each region office serves, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), click on the “Contact Us” link in the left-hand column of the homepage and scroll down to “Region Offices.”
Nearly 25 states across the nation have persistent and possibly permanent populations of feral swine established in the wild, and Pennsylvania is one of 16 new states where introduction is more recent and may still be countered through decisive eradication efforts.
Feral swine have been declared to be an injurious, non-native, invasive species of concern in Pennsylvania that are suspected to have been introduced into the wilds of this Commonwealth through a variety of means, including both intentional and unintentional releases. Feral swine also have been determined to pose a significant, imminent and unacceptable threat to this Commonwealth’s natural resources, including wildlife and its habitats; the agricultural industry, including crop and livestock production; the forest products industry; and human health and safety.
The Game and Wildlife Code (Title 34) and agency regulations (Title 58) provide broad authority to the Game Commission to regulate activities relating to the protection, preservation and management of all game and wildlife. However, the agency was only recently declared to have jurisdiction over matters relating to feral swine by the state Supreme Court in Seeton v. PGC. In its decision, handed down on Dec. 27, the Supreme Court decision declared feral swine to be “protected mammals,” and, as a consequence, feral swine could only be taken as authorized by the agency. Without established harvest rules, the Supreme Court declared them protected until such time as the agency takes action.
For more information, visit the Game Commission “Feral Swine” section on its website (www.pgc.state.pa.us).
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Tips For A Safe Archery Hunt
August 7, 2008
Stay safe this year by following a few, simple rules.
Utah’s general archery buck deer hunt and the state’s general archery elk hunt kick off Aug. 16.
“Every year we receive reports of archery hunters injuring themselves,” says Gary Cook, hunter education coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources.
Two practices lead to most of the accidents: being unsafe in tree stands or having arrows out of your quiver when you shouldn’t.
Cook provides the following advice to help you avoid these accidents:
- Tree stands: Before you climb a tree, make sure it’s large enough to hold your weight. To lessen the chance that you’ll fall while climbing the tree, attach a hauling line to your bow, arrows and other equipment, and leave them on the ground. After you’ve climbed into your tree stand, attach your safety harness. Then use your hauling line to lift your gear to you. Cook also recommends using a portable tree stand, rather than building a “permanent” one. “Permanent tree stands can deteriorate and become unsafe,” he says. “They’re unsightly, too. And you can damage the tree by putting nails in it.”
- “Until you’re ready to shoot, keep your arrows in a hooded quiver that covers the broadheads,” Cook says. “One of the most common accidents we see is archers jabbing themselves or other hunters while carrying arrows in their hand that should be in their quiver.” State law requires that arrows be in a case while the arrows are in or on a vehicle. When you’re outside your vehicle, it’s up to you to protect yourself.
More tips
In addition to the safety tips, Cook provides tips on getting prepared for the season, safety items to remember while you’re in the field and tips on tracking animals and preserving their meat.
- Preparation
- Equipment checks: Make sure the laminations on your bow are not flaking or separating and that the strings on your bow are not fraying. And if you have a compound bow, make sure the pulleys and cables are in good working order. Also, make sure that your equipment is matched, that your arrow’s spline (the stiffness of the arrow’s shaft) matches your bow’s draw weight. If your bow’s draw weight produces more force than your arrow can handle, your arrow will probably fly off target when you shoot.
- Broadhead sharpening: Sharpen your broadheads carefully. Your broadheads should be razor sharp, but don’t cut yourself while sharpening them.
- Practice your shooting as much as possible.
- Obtain written permission from private landowners before hunting on their property or using their property to access public land.
- Know the boundaries of limited-entry units and other restricted areas in the area you’ll be hunting.
- Never take a shot at a deer or elk that is beyond the maximum, effective range you’re comfortable shooting at. Also, before releasing your arrow, make sure of your target and what’s beyond it.
- After the shot
- Watch the animal and determine the direction it took. Then go to the spot where you last saw the animal and find your arrow. If there’s blood on it, and if you have a compass, take a reading of the direction the animal went. Then wait 30 minutes before tracking it. If you track the animal too soon, you can spook it into running. If you wait 30 minutes before tracking it, you’ll find most of the deer and elk you shoot dead within a reasonable distance of your starting point.Â
- When you track an animal, look for blood not only on the ground but on the brush too. If you begin to lose the animal’s trail, tie a piece of biodegradable paper near the last blood spot. Then search for the animal’s trail by walking a circular pattern out from the paper. The paper will serve as a marker and will let you know where you started. Also, tying paper at the locations of the last three or four spots you see, and then stand away from the paper and looking at the paper trail, can help you visualize the direction the animal took.
- Once you’ve found the animal, check to see if its eyes are open. If they’re not, the animal probably isn’t dead. If its eyes are open, touch one of the eyes with a long stick. That will keep you out of harm’s way if the animal is still alive. Once the animal is dead, field dress and cool its meat immediately. It’s usually warm during the archery hunt, and the warm temperatures can cause the meat to spoil quickly.
Cook also provides tips for reducing conflicts with homeowners and those who don’t hunt:
- Find access points to your hunting area well in advance of the season.
- If access requires crossing private land, you must obtain written permission from the landowner. If you can’t obtain written permission, find another access point.
- Before you start hunting, make sure you’re well beyond the minimum distances you must maintain from roads and dwellings. If you’re going to hunt in Salt Lake County, please remember that the county’s hunting restrictions are more restrictive than the rest of Utah. Read the 2008 Big Game Guidebook closely for more information.
- Avoid hunting in areas that a lot of people use. Also, whenever possible, avoid hunting near heavily used trails.
“Most of the people in Utah choose not to hunt. But they support hunting as long as hunters are safe, legal and ethical,” Cook says. “When hunters don’t behave that way, the way people feel about hunting can take a turn for the worse.”
Extended archery areas
If you want to hunt the Wasatch Front, Ogden, Unitah Basin or Sanpete Valley extended archery areas, please remember the following:
- Before hunting any of these areas, you must complete the DWR’s Extended Archery Ethics Course. The free course is available online at wildlife.utah.gov/huntereducation.
- While hunting in an extended archery area, you must carry two items with you: your 2008 statewide general archery buck deer permit and your Extended Archery Ethics Course certificate. If you’re a member of the Dedicated Hunter program, you must also carry your Dedicated Hunter certificate of registration.
For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.
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