Changes in the PA 2008/2009 Hunting Regulations

The other day I got my PA hunting and furtakers license. As I read through the PA Hunting and Trapping Digest book I noticed several things that are different from previous years. This is the list of changes I noticed (it is possible I will see some thing I did not see another year too), this list is most likely not all of the changes that were made. To be on the safe side before you take my word for a law change, go look it up in your book to be sure---because it is possible that I might mistype something. I put "" marks in were I copied something from the book, I also included the page number so you can look it up.

1. New animals added to mentored youth hunting. Page 15 In addition to being able to take squirrels and spring turkey youth hunters can now take groundhogs and antlered deer.
2. Hunting turkeys with dogs in the fall season is now allowed. Page 36 "Dogs can be used to hunt turkeys during fall season but not during the spring."
3. Fluorescent Orange is no longer required in spring turkey season. Page 36 "Spring Season: Fluorescent orange is no longer required but is recommended when moving through the spring woods." I think it might be a good idea to still wear at least an orange hat while moving, you might be a safe hunter and always positively identify your target but the guy over the next hill might not be. This was actually in effect for this past spring season, but was not in last years book because it was a change made later on.
   
4. Antlered firearms season only then antlered and antlerless firearms season together for WMUs 2D, 2G, 3C, and 4B. Page 50 Antlered only from December 1-5, then antlered and antlerless deer season together from December 6-13.
5. Opossums, Skunks, and Weasels may not be hunted on sundays. Page 82 "Oppossums, Skunks, and Weasels may not be hunted on Sundays and prior to noon during the spring gobbler season and, along with Foxes and Raccoons, not during the regualr antlered and antlerless deer season from a half-hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset."
6. A person appling for a bobcat permit with six preference points now automaticly gets a permit. Page 85 The idea of this seems to be so that someone does not keep trying for the permit year after year, but by chance never draws one.
7. Pretty much anything can be used to attract coyotes (except living bait). Page 86 "Recent regulation change now allows any natural or manmade nonliving bait and any electronic or mechanical device to be used to attract coytes for hunting or trapping. The law allowing trappers to use any natural or manmade nonliving bait to attract coyotes still does not permit the bait to be visible from the air. Those hunting coyotes, howerver, may hunt over bait visible from air."
8. Tigher regualtions over shooting Feral Swine (pigs). Page 92 Previously from the way this section was phrased it sounded like you could do pretty much anything as far as hunting the Feral Swine went. They still want you to shoot them, but now they pretty much want you to check with your township or county first.

If you see any thing I missed, phrased wrong, or just want to talk about new law change please fell free to write a comment.

Frozen Traps

Last Friday night was a good night for trapping foxes. There were fox prints by four of my sets, one set of foot prints right on the top of my trap at a dirt hole set. Unfortunately I caught no fox, why? Because my trap was frozen into the ground. Two of the fox prints had been by some of my cable restraints (which thankfully do not freeze up!) But I did not get anything in those either. Judging from the prints the fox had started to go on the trail the cable restraint was on, but went the other direction instead. Then in the other cable restraint set I think the fox went through a small gap I had left next to the cable restraint instead of through the cable restraint (I fixed the gap after seeing that.)

Well, I am pretty sure I have my traps set in good locations so all I can do is keep checking my traps, and wait for the next night when the fox come out. Maybe I'll get one then!

A Grey Fox with a Cable Restraint

I have caught another fox, this time with a cable restraint. While it was still alive as it should be with cable restraints. The fox had tangled some grass in the swivel of the cable restraint so it had the cable all twisted up - almost choking it. If I ever make my own cable restraints I will have to put two swivels in them to keep this from happening.

Looking at the cable restraints and seeing what they do, and seeing what steel traps do to animals when they get caught; I think I would rather my dog to get caught in a properly set cable restraint opposed to a steel trap. I hope that game laws in PA are passed to expand the use of cable restraints for other animals (currently they can only be used for fox and coyotes) and for more of the trapping season (currently cable restraint season start the 1st of January).

Finally A Fox

After many days of walking my trap line (1.14 miles + every day) I have finally caught a fox. I caught him in the same hay set I mentioned in one of my earlier posts. The set has been there since before deer season, untouched except for once a couple weeks ago when I found it set off, but with no animal.

Since January 1st has come and gone and cable restraints have come in season, I have set three of my seven cable restraints. While we still had snow on the ground I found a spot by a small creek where canine tracks abounded, so I have set the restraints along the trails that the canines seemed to be using.

Almost a fox

Last Sunday when I visited one of my dirt hole trap sets I found the trap set off. The pieces of wood I had used as a backing were all chewed up, and there was K9 manure right by the set, but no animal in the trap. Judging from the evidence I had a fox caught in the trap for quite a few hours, if only I had checked the trap at 6 AM instead of 2 PM.

Yesterday when I checked this trap I saw tracks in the snow that I believe to be fox going to the back of the trap set; then around to the front -- missing the trap pan by about two inches. After seeing the tracks I moved one of my other traps ( I had caught two possums and one rabbit in this trap, not exactly what I was trying to catch) to the back of the set. I have heard that trap wise animals will come over the top of the set so hopefully I will get another chance at the that fox I caught.

Promising Tracks

Well, today was the first really good day that I have had a chance to see tracks in the snow. As I checked my traps today, I saw many raccoon traps, and one fox track. One of the raccoon tracks went right to an old tree that looks like it is hollowed out, so I moved one of my traps to near that tree. The fox tracks went just inside the woods following the edge of the field by were I have a hay set made.

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The next day unfortunately there was nothing in my traps. But I did fine tune where the trap by dead tree was, looking at the tracks I moved it up hill some and a little closer to a tiny stream.

I have a total of three traps that I own and have set, but after seeing all the raccoon tracks I am thinking a buying more traps. I already have at least six+ spots picked out where I would put more traps.

Cable Restraint Course

I took my cable restraint course yesterday.

They gave me one cable restrain (we used them to make some sets out in the field for the instructors to look at to see how well we set them up), a manual on cable restraints, the pa hunting trapping digest (like I did not get one when I got my license), and a temporary card saying I completed the course that is good for 90 days (it might have been 60 I forget). The game commission is supposed to issue a replacement card for my temporary card. It cost $15 to take the course (the course is mandatory if I want to use cable restraints). It went from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, while four hours my seem like a long time, the time passed rather quickly.

I missed four questions on my test (but I still passed), but I think would have done better if I had enough time to read the manual they gave me. I guess maybe if I have showed up before 9:00 am instead of 9:01 am I would have had time to look it over.

After the course a guy demonstrated trapping with steel traps (this has nothing to do with the course). One of the sets he showed was a hay/straw bale put out in a field by itself. Then you put your trap next to the bale, spread some straw from the bale over the dirt spot, where your trap is, so that is looks like it just kind of fell out of the bale. Next you dig a hole (like a dirt hole set up) under the bale in front of your trap. Put some bait/scent or some thing down the hole, and dribble some fox or coyote urine on the bale above the hole.