Pennsylvania’s certified hunter program may expand

Harrisburg — The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners voted to preliminarily approve regulations that will guide the agency’s Certified Hunter Program, which connects hunters and landowners as a means of addressing crop-damage concerns.

The Certified Hunter Program launched last year in the Southwest Region and is expected to expand statewide.

For hunters, the program provides an opportunity to access productive hunting grounds and harvest antlerless deer to help landowners meet deer-management goals on their properties.

Participating landowners retain full control of their properties and enjoy peace of mind knowing the hunters there have met the program’s qualifications.

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The regulations preliminarily approved by the board establish eligibility for participants and other program parameters.

Certified hunters would need to have held a hunting license in at least four of the past five years and pass a specialized course before being accepted into the program.

Annual background checks would be required, and any applicant convicted of recent Game and Wildlife Code violations or other crimes would be ineligible for a permit. Certified Hunters also would be required to report their deer harvests electronically within 24 hours, unless out of service.

The preliminarily approved regulations will be brought back to the April meeting for a final vote.