Hunting in Pennsylvania: 9 Things for Landowners to Know About Hunting on Private Property

Pennsylvania landowners who want to open their land to hunters can find a lot of help from the state's Game Commission's Hunter Access Program.This program has opened more than 2.5 million acres in nearly every county in the state to hunting since it was established in 1936. Here are some facts all landowners should know before allowing hunters set foot onto their land for hunting purposes.

ALERT: Should Obama Have More Control Over Guns? Vote Now

1. Landowners with at least 50 undeveloped acres can participate in the Hunter Access Program. The game commission agrees to help the landowner make the land suitable for hunting, and the landowner makes a well-marked part of property available for hunting for at least five years.

2. The Pennsylvania Landowner Liability Act limits liability towards persons entering their land for recreational purposes such as hunting.

VOTE NOW: Is Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf Doing a Good Job?

3. The game commission provides law enforcement patrols to deter lawbreaking, littering, dumping, and use of all-terrain vehicles, and post signs to indicate safety zones where occupied dwellings are to be avoided. These patrols are year-round, and are stepped up during hunting seasons.

4. The game commission provides free seedlings to plant as wildlife cover and food. These can be especially helpful in turning irregular terrain unsuitable for farming into areas that will attract wildlife.

5. The game commission also provides advice on soil conservation and wildlife management. This includes farming advice as well as how to manage the land being hunted.

6. There also is a game commission program for landowners who want to provide land where a species in decline can be fostered, leading to future populations that can be hunted.

7. Written permission is not required to hunt on private property, but hunters do need spoken permission prior to coming on the property, according to Barry Leonard, an information and education supervisor with the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

8. Pennsylvania landowners may legally kill game any time of the year if it is destroying their cultivated crops, fruit trees, vegetables, other livestock, poultry or beehives on their land. State law requires them to report the killing immediately to the state game commission.

9. If the destructive animal is classified as threatened or endangered, the landowner must try to trap and transfer it, and the game commission should be contacted to help in this effort.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

URGENT: Do You Support Obama's Plans for Stricter Gun Control? Vote Now

Related Stories:

• Hunting in Alaska: 5 Animals Designated Nongame, Endangered,
Threatened, and Protected Species

• Hunting in Alaska: 7 Things to Know Before Applying for a Hunting Permit for Adults