PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Editors note: The attached video is from June 15.
The Pennsylvania Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) will have permits on sale to encourage antlerless harvests.
These permits will allow the Department of Conservation and National Resources (DCNR) and private landowners to more effectively manage white-tailed deer populations as well as curb damage to forests and crops.
The DCNR is offering hunters 30,024 permits in 104 units, totaling more than 1.3 million acres.
"Habitat conditions guide all of DCNR's DMAP applications," said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. "DMAP permits remain an important tool upon which state forest and park managers rely heavily for continued sustainability of state plants and forests."
Hunters can obtain permits directly from license issuing agents or the Pennsylvania Game Commission website.
DCNR's goals for DMAP are as follows:
- Promote a diverse, healthy natural habitat that supports wildlife diversity and healthy deer populations;
- Provide additional hunting opportunities;
- Establish and maintain regeneration to support sustainable forestry practices with minimal need for deer fencing; and
- Promote a healthy, sustainable forest and native, wild plant communities.
Twenty-six state parks will also be participating in the program this year.
Applicants for DMAP permits can find DCNR tract locations and maps, availability numbers, past hunter success rates, and other information on this interactive map.