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HARRISBURG -- A new state law, Act 148 of 2022, allows the Pennsylvania Game Commission to modernize and simplify how Pennsylvania's antlerless deer licenses are sold. The new antlerless licensing process proposes that hunters will be able to purchase antlerless deer licenses, for the 2023-24 license year, online at www.huntfish.pa.gov, or at any in-store hunting license issuing agent.
Pennsylvania's general hunting licenses are preliminarily scheduled to go on sale on Monday, June 26, 2023, at 8 a.m. It is proposed that resident hunters would be able to purchase one antlerless license at that time. The new process proposes to include four rounds of sales. The new process is scheduled to be voted on by the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners at its meeting on April 15, 2023.
Please ensure your contact information is correct in your online profile, at www.huntfish.pa.gov, so the agency can be in direct contact with information related to the new process, once approved by the board this spring.
Have questions? Call the Pennsylvania Game Commission at 1-833-PGC-HUNT. Opening day of hunting license sales is a big day in Pennsylvania. The agency asks for hunters' patience in advance, since this is a major change in the way antlerless licenses are distributed.
PFBC offers grants
HARRISBURG -- The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is once again seeking applicants for grants to support education programs that promote new and renewed interest in fishing and boating in Pennsylvania through the recruitment of new participants, retention of existing participants, and reactivation of former participants - collectively known as "R3."
The R3 grants aim to connect Pennsylvanians with the fun of Commonwealth waterways by teaching fishing and boating skills and providing quality locations where these activities can be enjoyed. Organizations are encouraged to engage groups under-represented in the fishing or boating population to learn the benefits of these activities, including community, wellness, and taking advantage of the outdoors.
Last year, the PFBC awarded $201,837 in R3 grants to support 13 education projects in nine counties.
The R3 grants will reimburse qualifying organizations up to $25,000 for eligible expenses for the period of July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. The grants require a minimum of 25% match of total project costs. The deadline for submission of R3 grant applications is April 14. At this time, applications for multi-year grants are not being accepted.
More information about the grant program, including the application, can be found on the PFBC R3 Grant Program page on the PFBC website (Fishand
boat.com).
Fewer boating-
related deaths due to life jackets
HARRISBURG -- The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) has announced that during its first decade in effect, the annual Mandatory Cold Weather Life Jacket Requirement has resulted in fewer boating incidents resulting in fatalities.
This regulation was adopted in 2012, requiring all boaters on boats less than 16 feet in length or any canoe, kayak, or standup paddleboard, to wear a life jacket from Nov. 1 through April 30.
Boating accident data has revealed that while the number of boating accidents during the cold weather months has remained comparable over the 10-year period, fatalities have decreased from 58% in 2012 to 17% in 2022.
While the majority of boating-related incidents occur during the spring and summer months when boating activity is highest in Pennsylvania, the largest percentage of fatalities has historically occurred during the cold weather months.