A bill currently before the Pennsylvania legislature would make it easier for hunters statewide to get antlerless deer tags. The change to Pennsylvania hunting law allows hunters to apply for doe tags through a real-time system instead of sending in physical envelopes after receiving their initial hunting license each year.
Senate Bill 431 was introduced by Sen. Dan Laughlin, the Senate Game & Fisheries Committee chairman. Laughlin said the improvement to Pennsylvania hunting law is long overdue.
Under the current system, almost all hunting licensing is done through the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Pennsylvania Automated Licensing System. With the bill’s proposed automation of the Pennsylvania doe tag application and approval process, hunters would be able to apply and receive tags at their county offices or sports shops.
The bill will also save the Commission about $170,000 a year by eliminating the pink envelopes. Laughlin estimates that hunters statewide will save a total of around $1 million a year in postage because of the old system’s requirement that applicants include return postage.
Opponents’ Concerns
Under the current system, hunters must wait for at least several days before receiving their doe tags. However, doing the application process by mail under the current system allows older residents, rural residents, and the local Amish to get tags easily. It levels the playing field so that all residents get access to the same first-come, first-serve system.
Proponents of the bill’s changes maintain that applying for and receiving tags in-person using the electronic system retains its overall fairness. There is also a provision in the bill to allow for mail-in applications at certain times during the year. It is unclear whether the Senate will pass the bill as-is or propose additional changes that alleviate opponents’ concerns about fairness.
Quantity Limits
The new system will maintain many of the previous quantity limits, including quantity limits per Wildlife Management Unit (WMU). However, the overall 3-tag limit has been lifted for this year. Hunters will be able to get unlimited tags in some WMUs after certain deadlines, but only if tags remain after the deadline.
The doe tag applications have several rounds of applications with various deadlines depending on which tags are still available. The regular firearm deer hunting season opens on November 27.
