Pennsylvania hunters harvested an estimated 376,810 white-tailed deer in the 2021-2022 season.
File photo
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The Pennsylvania Game Commission this week reported results from the 2021-22 deer seasons, which ended in January.
Hunters harvested an estimated 376,810 white-tailed deer. The statewide buck harvest was estimated at 145,320 and the antlerless harvest at 231,490.
That take, overall, is down about 13% compared to 2020-21, when hunters recorded the largest deer harvest in 16 years, harvesting an estimated 435,180 deer. It is, however, similar to the estimated statewide deer harvests during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
That’s not cause for concern, said Game Commission Deer and Elk Section Supervisor David Stainbrook. The 2020-21 season was above average, and the 2021-22 season is back on track with previous years.
Some 22% of hunters took an antlered deer, he noted. That’s right in line with the previous four-year average and better than in years past.
In the 1987-88 season, for example, just 16% of hunters harvested an antlered deer. In the 2007-08 season, only 15% percent filled a tag.
“When corrected by the number of hunters, success rates are higher today than in the past, even with antler-point restrictions,” Stainbrook said. “That our hunters are able to replicate that level of harvest speaks to just how sustainable our deer population is here in Pennsylvania.”
The harvest also points to how antlerless allocations — and not length of seasons — drive deer harvests. The 2021 firearms deer season featured two weeks of concurrent buck and doe hunting for the first time statewide in more than a decade, yet with the number of antlerless tags available down compared to the year before, the overall harvest was lower.
Of the deer taken by hunters, many of the bucks harvested were older — 62% of antlered deer taken by hunters were 2.5 years old or older; only 38% were 1.5 years old.
That’s an almost complete reversal of how things were even two decades ago. Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans credited that to how hunters have embraced antler restrictions, in place since 2002.
“Pennsylvania is routinely producing some really impressive deer, on both public and private ground,” Burhans said. “We see that in the entries coming into our Big Game Records Program, in the photos smiling hunters share, and in the deer we see when our staff visits deer processors to collect harvest data.
“We couldn’t have any of that without a well-managed deer herd and cooperation on the part of our hunters,” he said.
Meanwhile, 25% of antlerless tags issued resulted in a deer harvest this past season. That’s right in line with previous years, too.
Among antlerless deer harvested, 69% were adult females, 16% button bucks and 15% doe fawns. All of those figures are consistent with long-term averages.
As in years past, bowhunters accounted for a little over one-third of the total deer harvest, taking 130,650 whitetails (68,580 bucks and 62,070 antlerless deer) with either bows or crossbows. The 2020-21 archery harvest was 160,480 deer (80,130 bucks and 80,350 antlerless deer).
The estimated muzzleloader harvest was 21,060 (1,020 bucks, 20,040 antlerless deer). The 2020-21 muzzleloader harvest was 28,260 (1,140 bucks, 27,120 antlerless deer).
State park campgrounds
to open for trout season
Harrisburg – Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn this week encouraged anglers to consider using state park campsites for overnight fishing trips as trout season approaches.
A total of 43 campgrounds throughout the state will provide camping for the April 2 opener.
“As trout season nears, it is important that the public is aware of the wonderful opportunities for fishing and camping at our state parks,” Dunn said. “We are proud to support outdoor recreation efforts on public lands and look forward to seeing a great turnout this year as people continue to turn to the outdoors for their health and well-being.”
DCNR has opened additional campsites to accommodate the trout season to help expand the outdoor experience. There are 86,000 miles of rivers and streams, and thousands of lakes and ponds in Pennsylvania. Much of this abundant freshwater wealth is found within our state parks and state forests – 101 state parks and 20 state forests permit fishing with the proper fishing license.
“Whether you’re a lifelong angler or discovering the sport of fishing for the first time this trout season, lakes and streams located within state parks are a great place to start,” said Tim Schaeffer, executive director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC). “Camping and fishing make the perfect combination for families looking for adventure and convenience as they make lasting memories on the water.”
Campsites at state parks can be reserved online on a first-come, first-served basis or by calling 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757), Monday through Saturday, 7:00 AM until 5 p.m., except on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
Check individual parks for specific camping availability as some options (cabins, yurts, lodges, etc.) are already reserved. In 2023, camping reservations at parks that accommodate trout season will be expanded to the 11-month standard reservation window.
Fishing in Pennsylvania requires a fishing license. For more information about purchasing a fishing license visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s website.
Through a partnership with the PFBC, the American Sportfishing Association, and DCNR, the public can borrow fishing rods, reels, and an equipped tackle box to try fishing while at the certain parks.
For more information about camping at state parks, visit DCNR’s website.
State adds 11 counties to
spotted lanternfly quarantine
As the invasive spotted lanternfly’s spring hatch approaches, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced this week that the department has added 11 counties to Pennsylvania’s quarantine zone.
Adams, Armstrong, Bedford, Centre, Fulton, Indiana, Lycoming, Mercer, Snyder, Union, and Washington counties bring the total to 45 Pennsylvania counties quarantined.
“Spotted lanternflies threaten outdoor businesses and quality of life as well as grapes and other valuable crops Pennsylvania’s economy depends on,” Redding said. “It’s up to every Pennsylvanian to be on the lookout for these bad bugs. Walk your yard, gardens, or land before spring hatch and scrape egg masses. Kill every bug. Check your vehicles before traveling to ensure you’re not transporting them to a new area for new opportunities to devastate crops and outdoor quality of life.”
Adult lanternflies do not survive the winter months. However last season’s insects have laid eggs on any outdoor surface in masses of 30-60 eggs, each covered with a mud- or putty-like protective coating. Finding and destroying egg masses now will prevent their hatch and reduce their spread this season.
In the seven seasons since lanternflies were first discovered in the U.S., research funded by the department, the USDA and private industry, has advanced our understanding of the insect and how to safely control it in our climate and habitat. To learn how to recognize the insect and its eggs, how to separate common myths from facts, and how to safely control it on your property, visit Penn State Extension’s website, extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly or contact your local PSU Extension office.
Known lanternfly infestations are not widespread in the newly quarantined counties, but in scattered municipalities shown on the department’s detailed online map. When the department receives reports of lanternflies in new areas, inspectors confirm the presence of the insect, then survey the area to determine whether it was an isolated insect or a more extensive population. Working with property owners, inspectors treat areas that pose a high risk of spreading the insect, such as high-traffic businesses, tourist attractions and transport centers.
The quarantine strictly prohibits the movement of any spotted lanternfly living stage including egg masses, nymphs, and adults, and regulates the movement of articles that may harbor the insect.
Businesses that operate in or travel through quarantined counties are required to obtain a Spotted Lanternfly permit. The permit is designed to educate business travelers — regardless of their industry and whether or not they transport goods – to recognize spotted lanternflies and know how to keep from giving them a ride to a new area. More than 20,000 companies throughout the U.S. and Canada have gotten permits, representing more than 1.2 million of their employees who are doing their part to stop the spread of the invasive insect.
For more information on spotted lanternflies, visit — agriculture.pa.gov/spottedlanternfly.