PA Hunting Licences 2005Hunting - Beginning June 15, Pennsylvania resident and nonresident hunting and furtaker licenses for the 2005-06 seasons will go on sale through "The Outdoor Shop" on the Game Commission website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), according to Vern Ross, agency executive director. "For the past six years, the Game Commission has worked hard to implement new ways to better serve license buyers," Ross said. "By allowing our customers to purchase their hunting and furtaker licenses over the Internet, from the comfort and convenience of their home or office, we are offering one more service to better meet their needs." Ross noted hunting and furtaker licenses also will be available from the nearly 850 issuing agents around the state beginning in mid-June. In order to purchase a license, applicants must provide their Social Security Number. This requirement was implemented by the U.S. Congress and state General Assembly in recent years to better enforce changes to federal and state welfare reform and child support requirements. For more information, please visit the Game Commission's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), click on "Hunting & Trapping," then select the "Hunting License & SSN" item in the "Licensing" box in the right-hand side of the page. For the 2005-06 license year, all fees are the same as last year, including: $20 for adult hunting or furtaker licenses; $6 for junior hunting or furtaker licenses; and $13 for senior hunting or furtaker licenses. Combination licenses, created by the General Assembly in 1998, are available to junior resident and nonresident (12 to 16 years) and senior resident (65 years and older) hunters and furtakers, and were designed to provide youngsters and seniors substantial hunting and trapping opportunities at considerable savings. Combination licenses provide general hunting, furtaker, archery and muzzleloader privileges. Resident junior combination licenses sell for $9; nonresident junior, $51; and resident senior lifetime combination licenses, $101. Combination licenses do not include bear, antlerless deer or migratory bird license privileges, and must be purchased separately. Senior lifetime hunting and furtaker licenses can be upgraded to a senior lifetime combination license for $51. To make the upgrade, an individual must visit one of the Game Commission's six regional offices or the Harrisburg headquarters, or "The Outdoor Shop" on the agency's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us). The process includes filling out a new license application, verifying that the applicant holds a valid lifetime license and payment of the fee. The upgrade can't be obtained through a regular issuing agent. Those wishing to receive the upgrade application through the mail should download the senior lifetime license application from the agency's website (click on "Hunting & Trapping," then "Applications" under the Licensing section in the right-hand column and scroll down to "Resident Senior Lifetime License") or call the License Division at (717) 787-2084. There is no combination license for resident and nonresident adult hunters, nor does the Game Commission sell a nonresident senior license. The resident military personnel hunting license, which sells for $2, is only available from the Game Commission headquarters in Harrisburg or Region Offices or County Treasurers' Offices. This license, now in its second year, offers active duty military Pennsylvanians all of the same hunting privileges of a general hunting license: one antlered deer during the two-week rifle deer season; one fall turkey; one spring gobbler; and all the small game a hunter is legally entitled to harvest. To qualify for this license, an individual must be a Pennsylvania resident on active and full-time duty in the United States Armed Forces assigned to a facility outside of the Commonwealth and on temporary leave within the state. Proof of military status, official orders or leave papers, and place of residence must be shown to Game Commission or County Treasurer staff at the time of purchase. Other resident license fees are: antlerless deer (Wildlife Management Unit specific), $6; archery, $16; muzzleloader, $11; bear, $16; migratory game bird, $3; senior lifetime hunting or furtaker licenses, $51; and resident landowner, $4. Basic nonresident adult hunting licenses are $101; nonresident adult furtaker licenses are $81; and nonresident junior hunting or furtaker licenses are $41. Other nonresident license fees are: antlerless deer (WMU specific), $26; archery, $26; muzzleloader, $21; bear, $36; migratory game bird, $6; and seven-day small game, $31. In April, the Board of Game Commissioners gave preliminary approval to a provision to remove the deadline for purchasing muzzleloader stamps. There has long been a deadline for purchasing a muzzleloader stamp in place, but the Board has determined that there is no longer a need to continue this deadline. If approved at the June meeting, this proposed regulation would take effect for the 2005-06 seasons. The Board also gave final approval in April to a measure to cut off all sales of bear licenses prior to the opening of the two-week firearms deer season. This change will prohibit the sale of bear licenses after opening hours of the regular firearms deer season on Nov. 28, 2005. New this year is the special wild turkey license, which sells for $21 for residents and $41 for nonresidents. As approved by the Board, hunters will be able to apply for one of these special wild turkey licenses to use for a second gobbler for the 2006 spring season. Applications for the special license will be accepted from Jan. 1, 2006, through April 1, 2006, either through the mail or online. An application to apply for a second spring gobbler license will appear on page 36 of the 2005-06 Digest, or via "The Outdoor Shop." The special license was created by House Bill 2042, now Act 53 of 2004, which was sponsored by Rep. Merle Phillips (R-Northumberland). The final version of the bill -- House Bill 2042 -- was unanimously approved by the House and Senate, and signed into law by Gov. Edward G. Rendell on July 2, 2004. Interested hunters also may apply for the upcoming limited bobcat and elk seasons via "The Outdoor Shop." Bobcat applications must be received no later than Aug. 15, or received through "The Outdoor Shop" no later than Sept. 6. The public drawing for the bobcat permits will be held on Friday, Sept. 9. Elk license applications will be accepted through the U.S. Mail by the agency until Aug. 29, however, applications submitted through "The Outdoor Shop" will be accepted until Sept. 19. The public drawing to award elk licenses will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24. Those who submitted applications last two years for either the bobcat permit or elk license drawings and were not selected may begin to benefit from the recently approved preference point systems. Unsuccessful applicants who applied in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 license years will be entered three times if they apply this year. Preference points are carried forward until an applicant is drawn, and there is no requirement that applications be made in consecutive years in order to retain preference points. However, applicants must apply in order to use their preference points for a given license year. Ross noted that completing applications for the bobcat permits or elk licenses on-line guarantees hunters that their application was received and that they will be included in the public drawings, and reduces concerns about lost mail or late arrivals. "In addition to cutting the agency's administrative costs, those filing on-line reduce the chance of having their application declared ineligible because the filing system notifies individuals who attempt to submit an incomplete application," Ross said. Resident hunters may begin applying for a WMU-specific antlerless license on Monday, Aug. 1. Nonresident hunters may begin applying for a WMU-specific antlerless license on Monday, Aug. 15. All hunters may apply for the first round of unsold antlerless licenses beginning Monday, Aug. 22; the second round of unsold antlerless licenses may be applied for beginning Sept. 12. Over-the-counter sales can begin in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2B, 5C and 5D on Sept. 19. In all other WMUs, over-the-counter sales can begin on Nov. 7. County treasurers are required to mail regular antlerless licenses and first-round unsold licenses to successful applicants no later than Monday, Sept. 19. Second-round unsold licenses will be mailed no later than Oct. 1. Proceeds from license sales enable the Game Commission to fulfill its legislative mandate of managing Pennsylvania's wildlife; acquiring new property to add to its 1.4 million acres of state game lands; improving wildlife habitat; and conducting wildlife research projects. ELK APPLICANTS CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF VIDEO OFFER Applicants for this year's elk license drawing can take advantage of a special video offer from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. For $22.95 an individual can apply for the elk hunt and receive a copy of the agency's award-winning video, "Pennsylvania Elk: Reclaiming the Alleghenies." The 85-minute video was sifted from 125 hours of field video gathered over a two and a half year period in the wilds of Cameron, Elk and western Clinton counties. Regularly selling for $19.95, the video contains unparalleled elk close-ups, an intriguing look at elk natural history, eye-opening footage and insightful commentary. "This video is the next best thing to spending time in Pennsylvania's elk country," said Vern Ross, Game Commission executive director. "It is the perfect way to become acquainted with the territory and elk habits if you are interested in hunting Pennsylvania elk." Those interested can clip and fill out the order form on page 104 of the 2005-2006 Pennsylvania Digest of Hunting & Trapping Regulations, attach it to the completed "Elk License Application," which also is found on page 104 of the Digest, and mail it with one check or money order made payable to the Pennsylvania Game Commission for $22.95 ($10 for the elk license drawing, $10 for the video and $2.95 for shipping and handling of the video). For those who applied for the elk hunt via the agency's website, write the on-line order number on the elk video form on page 104, and send it to: Pennsylvania Game Commission, Elk License Application, P.O. Box 61890, Harrisburg, PA 17106-1890, along with a check or money order for $10 for the video and $2.95 for shipping and handling of the video. This video offer is not available through "The Outdoor Shop." Source: PA Game Commision
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