A22-Lancaster FamUng, Saturday, September 21, 1991
FRANKLIN (Venango Co.)
With deer populations exceeding
management goals in areas of
Pennsylvania, farmers sometimes
find it necessary to shoot deer for
crop damage. The Pennsylvania
Game and Wildlife Code provides
for just such action by qualified
farmers who make their livelihood
from agriculture.
“Crop damage will vary from
one farm to the next,” said John
Reese, a Crawford County farmer.
“One farmer may not have that
much damage to his crops while
the farmer m the next township
has extensive crop damage. We
welcome deer hunters but they
haven’t been able to thin the herd
enough in this neighborhood, so
we have to shoot deer when exten
sive crop damage is actually hap
pening. This is often in the sum
mer and early fall.”
Larry Harshaw is the northwest
icgional director for the Pennsyl
vania Game Commission. Over
the years he has seen many exam
ples of crop damage by deer. “We
support the right of qualified far
mers to shoot deer for crop dam
age to protect their livelihood as
long as they follow the proper
rules. Good farmers are kept very
busy with their work. They usual
ly don’t shoot deer unless it’s the
last straw. And most of them
cooperate with us to be sure the
deer don’t go to waste. Thus, we
are able to give most of the crop
kill deer to a family that can use
the meat,” said Harshaw.
“I feel we have reached a point
where we are all working in the
same direction. Years ago there
were those who looked dimly
upon farmers shooting deer for
crop damage. Surely by now peo
ple realize the impact excessive
deer damage can have on a farm
family income. Recently farmers
have been working with us to
direct hunter’s to crop damage
areas, not just during the special
extended deer season, but even
during antlered and antlerless sea
son,” he said.
“I’m a farmer and I don’t dis
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Deer Damage More Crops
like deer,” said Doug Gilbert,
president of the Crawford County
Chapter of the Pennsylvania Far
mers Association. “We all like to
hunt deer. We like to see good
deer hunters on our property. Fact
is, the problem of 100 many deer is
often caused by nearby property
that’s posted. The deer seek shel
ter on posted property by day and
feed on our farm crops by night,”
he said.
“While most of the damage to
my forage crops occurs this time
of year, there are deer feeding in
my fields every night of the year,”
Gilbert said.
Alan Dambach, a Beaver Coun
ty nurseryman, said, “When we
get snow cover, we really get
problems. At our nursery, the
shortest crop is four years (for
sythia and arborvitea) and our
longest crop is 13 years (Colorado
Spruce). So the deer and I coexist
for a lot of seasons before I
harvest my nursery crop.”
According to Lorraine Yocum,
law enforcement supervisor, “The
Game and Wildlife Code provides
for qualified persons to shoot deer
for crop damage. Those eligible
arc the farmer, the family mem
bers in his household, and
employees who work for the far
mer in his agricultural activities.
Deer may be shot any time day or
night, from a vehicle while upon
the property where the damage is
occurring,” she said.
“After the animal is killed, the
entrails must be removed and a
report made to an officer of the
commission within 24 hours. If
the property is open to public
hunting, the farmer may retain the
meat from one deer for home con
sumption. All other deer must be
turned over to the commission
officer. The meat of the deer
turned in is given to residents of
Pennsylvania. Those receiving the
deer for consumption are to be
issued a required permit similar to
those for a road killed deer. Head,
hide, and antlers from all deer shot
for crop damage are collected by
the Game Commission,” she said.
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John Reese, a Penn State gradu- not an avocation,” said Reese. “If property. I would prefer that they
ate in agriculture, has invited peo- we lose money due to crop dam- thin the deer herd during hunting
pie on tours to look at crop dam- age, it has impact on our family season, so we don’t have a conti
age in his fields. “People have to income. nuing problem during the next
realize that farming is a vocation, “We invite deer hunters to our growing season,” said Reese.
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