Published: October 05, 2008 12:18 am            

Juniors get their shot at pheasant

The Pennsylvania Game Commission will begin stocking 15,090 pheasants this week to support the special youth season for junior license holders, which runs from Saturday through Oct. 18.

The allotment is part of the 100,170 pheasants that are to be released this fall across the state for small-game season. The 10-county Southwest Region, which includes Cambria and Somerset counties, is to receive 19,260 roosters and 5,440 hens.

The regular season on pheasants runs from Oct. 25 through Nov. 29.

The total represents a significant cut in the number of pheasants the game commission produces.

Game commission Executive Director Carl Roe said the curtailment was necessary because of the agency’s dwindling finances.

“Based on agency’s budget cuts first implemented in the 2004-05 fiscal year and carried forward since, we reduced our pheasant propagation program by 50 percent,” he said in an official announcement. “Reducing the pheasant propagation program has saved the agency more than $1 million. Without a hunting license fee increase, we expect to continue producing at the 100,000-bird level.”

Stocking for the youth hunt is to begin on Thursday on public hunting areas listed on pages 26 through 28 of the Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations, which is given free to each hunting license buyer.

In Cambria County, birds for the youth hunt are to be stocked on a reclaimed surface mine on State Game Land 79 near Vintondale and on State Game Land 108 near Prince Gallitzin State Park.

In Somerset County, birds will be stocked on State Game Land 82 near Callimont, on State Game Land 228 near Central City and at the Kimberly Run Environmental Area near Somerset.

The game commission has also set aside 1,890 pheasants to be used by clubs sponsoring mentored-youth hunts on Oct. 11.

        

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