In an interesting turn of events, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners tabled the reintroduction of American Martens back into the state, instead of moving forward with an official vote.
This was one of the decisions made at the most recent board meeting Saturday.
Some of the other topics voted on — hunting fur-bearers with dogs, ice eaters to be legalized, and the black rail will be listed as a threatened species.
In a 6 to 3 vote — the commissioners tabled the decision to reintroduce the American Martens.
The reintroduction plan was made by the commissioners staff — which included a 10 year strategy to bring the species back to the state and monitor it.
The plan was sent out to the public and a majority of public opinion was in favor of the idea, but a game commission survey of nearly 9-thousand hunters found that 37 percent supported the reintroduction, 32 percent opposed it and 31 percent were neutral.
Commissioners were concerned with those numbers and say they need to do more work with hunters before moving forward.
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners gave preliminary approval allowing the game commission’s Executive Director to decide whether it be open to rooster pheasant hunting — as well as the season length and bag limit.
Commissioners still have to make a final decision on this topic.
It also was approved by the Board of Game Commissioners that dogs can no longer be used to hunt furbearers during the state’s regular firearms deer and bear seasons.
This change will not impact the in-season, nighttime hunting of furbearers with dogs in weeks when the regular deer and bear firearms seasons are open.
The board is scheduled to meet April 12 and 13 in Harrisburg.
That’s when 2024-25 seasons and bag limits will be finalized, and antlerless deer license allocations will be determined.
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