Surplus licenses were made available to sportsmen statewide from 1988 until 1997, when surplus sales were discontinued in all counties except those in special regulations areas. Last spring, commissioners tentatively approved the return of surplus license sales statewide, but chose not to adopt the measure at their July meeting. Surplus license sales were later approved for southwestern counties at the October meeting. Over the past year, biologists have frequently expressed the need to issue all allocated antlerless licenses to reach county deer population goals. Public reaction to issuing surplus licenses is always mixed, and has compelled some commissioners to vote against their return.
Hunters opposing surplus licenses feel they contribute to fewer deer, especially on public lands.
Agency biologists, however, have pointed out that the state's deer management program cannot move forward without using entire antlerless allocations in each county. But we also understand there's a perception among hunters that deer are in short supply in some areas, and that fuels opposition. While we don't disagree that these hunters may have declining deer numbers where they hunt, it's not a statewide, or a countywide problem. Commissioners tentatively approved the continuation of the youth antlerless deer hunt on the two Saturdays of antlered deer season, which will run from Nov. 29 to December 11. The commissioners endorsed five recommendations developed by the Pennsylvania Deer Management Working Group, a committee empowered by the agency last year to increase the dialogue and communication among the varied publics interested in shaping the future of deer management.