Pa. Game Commission Discusses Low Deer Population

The Pennsylvania Game Commission held in open house in Richland Township on Saturday to discuss many subjects, including the dwindling deer population.

Years ago, there was an overpopulation of deer in the state, so the state Game Commission asked the public for their opinion on what to do. That's when the state Game Commission came up with goals, including reducing human/deer conflicts, improving the health of the ecosystem, maintaining a healthy deer herd and providing the public with the deer management tools they need to achieve their land use objectives.

The Game Commission's Chris Rosenberry said in order to achieve these goals the deer population is going to decrease in the short term.

Hunters at the open house said the Game Commission needs to decrease the number of deer tags given out, and the change deer and buck season.

Most hunters said they struggle finding a deer when they are out hunting now, when just a few years ago, they'd come across dozens of deer in a day.