In life and in politics, sometimes truth can be stranger than fiction. Recently, Ms. Cindy Adams Dunn was appointed “Interim” Secretary of DCNR while a search is being conducted for a permanent, hopefully, competent individual. A more unacceptable choice to PA’s sporting class cannot be conceived. As the original architect of the current “kill the deer” program” and the “Queen of the Biodiversity Heresy”, Ms. Dunn should have been handed her walking papers by the new administration, not a temporary or possibly, permanent promotion.

Who could forget Ms. Dunn’s two-day seminar on biodiversity in the late 1990’s blaming deer for every known environmental problem existing in the Commonwealth? Let us also not forget the “million dollar debacle”, which followed shortly, thereafter. Audubon, with Ms. Dunn as their Executive Director, put-up a million dollars for deer studies, which ultimately concluded deer are the scourge of the Commonwealth. What a surprise. Audubon and Ms. Dunn steadfastly refused for years to reveal who donated the million dollars to them.

After a few years of demonizing deer, Ms. Dunn was ultimately offered a position in DCNR. Scuttlebutt says Audubon could no longer afford her and it was time for former Governor Rendell to pay her back for the wonderful job she did rolling-over the Game Commission making certain there was only one acceptable future for PA’s whitetail—death.

Interestingly, Ms. Dunn’s replacement at Audubon was Tim Schaeffer. After he trashed deer for a few years, he was also offered a state position, but this time at the PA Fish and Boat Commission. Oh, the sacrifices some people will make for a career in public service are simply amazing.

Just in case you haven’t heard the latest studies reveal that annihilating our deer herd neither increased desired regeneration nor created forest biodiversity, but who cares? An agenda is an agenda and as long as the state continues to deposit those checks in your account, you might as well continue to beat the drums. Is this a great country or not?

In John Eveland’s four-part document retracing the history of our current deer management program, he names about 25 players who brought us to this point. Frankly, they all should be terminated from public service. They shoved down our throats an anti-deer, anti-hunting agenda and in the process the worst scientific fraud in the history of the Commonwealth. The deer program has failed miserably and Cindy Dunn and Audubon were the architects.

However, let us give the new Governor the benefit of the doubt for the moment. Perhaps, he was not aware of the baggage Cindy Dunn carries. Perhaps, he has an ace up his sleeve that we don’t know about. The coming weeks will reveal the final story.

In the interim, we, the sporting class of PA are not happy with this interim appointment. Cindy Adams Dunn needs to ride off into the sunset with the rest of the Rendell Administration. The voters are tired of obvious, agenda-driven bureaucrats maintaining their jobs to thwart the will of the people for another four or more years. USP Board of Directors

Are there better ways to manage our deer resource and all of our precious wildlife? Of course, there are and we don’t have to look very far to find examples. As one looks around the country at other states, near and far, one realizes that many of our current problems existed in other states, but were resolved over the past twenty years! Unfortunately, the PGC is still resisting basic changes that are practiced in other states as a matter of routine. In actuality, this is core of USP’s efforts, bringing the PGC into the 21st century and making our state competitive with the other major hunting states around the nation.

For example, many states still manage deer by county. Additionally, a state park may be a DMU (deer management zone) within that county to insure harvests are neither too small nor too great. Wisconsin and Michigan have over 100 DMU’s with New York being close to that number. Some states will split a county into two DMU’s with different doe allocations, all in an effort not to under-harvest or over-harvest.

Some states do a game take survey every year in an effort to make their harvest estimates as accurate as possible. A state cannot estimate their overall herd size without having accurate harvest numbers. For certain we know some states still use check stations to compile accurate harvest data to protect their credibility as deer managers and answer the questions and complaints surrounding deer hunting results. The PGC has resisted these and similar efforts for 50 years!

I can think of one state that has forestry policies declaring the number of trees and variety of species desired on their state lands. This was done to prevent foresters from converting their states into tree farms, in our case a hardwood monoculture. Does PA have these policies in place? No, our foresters just scream every year they are not getting the desired regeneration and the deer must die. Frankly, calling our management polices, wildlife and forestry, scientifically and intellectually bankrupt is too kind.

These are just a few examples of how PA and the PGC are still living in the 1950’s. I have had respected deer biologists tell me that quality wildlife managers do not want to work in PA. The conditions are too political and they cannot utilize their degrees. Interesting.

As you can see USP has their work cut out for them. We certainly have enough to do in Harrisburg to educate our legislators and PGC Commissioners. However, there is another way to shorten this process. We can clean house at Elmerton Ave. and bring in qualified, caring people who want to bring the PGC and PA into the 21st century.

Members of USP, pat yourself on the back. A few months ago, we sent a letter asking for donations to our legal defense fund. You responded quickly and generously. We thank you very much. I would like to share a note that came with one of the donations. It read in part “This donation is in memory of my father, Arthur Gavlock. He fought long and hard against the PGC for the preservation of the deer herd and his private property rights in regard to the elk. He was an avid and successful hunter and it has been disheartening to him to see the deer herd decimated.” Art, we are still fighting. If you have not donated yet, please consider giving what you can. Send your donations to: USP – Att: N. Charles Bolgiano – 824 Dorsea Road – Lancaster, Pa 17601.

Winter sportsmen shows, meetings, and working with legislators have and will keep us quite busy this winter. The Bloomsburg Show (Jan 27-30), Harrisburg (Feb 5-13), Pittsburgh (Feb 16-20), Philadelphia (Feb 17-20), Mifflinburg (Feb 19-20), Altoona (Feb 25-27), Erie (Mar 4-6) are where we will be. PGC meetings are Jan 30-Feb 1. USP meetings are the S.E. Regional on March 19 in Leola and the Spring Membership meeting on March 26 in Milesburg.

We hope you all had a good hunting season this past year. From reports that we got from members around the state, although turkey hunters encountered lots of turkeys, they were upset with the season dates. Bear hunting was good, but deer hunting was in the crapper, again. Will there be any changes proposed at the PGC meeting in January? First up to bat is the PGC staff followed by the Commissioners and hitting third will be the USP Lawsuit. Stay tuned.

The above is where I ended my original article before our lawsuit got thrown out of court. When that happened, we held the printing and made some adjustments to W&W. So now, I will add some more information brought forth about deer management at the PGC meeting.

First up was the PGC deer project leader. He offered to the Commissioners that he wants them to pass the same seasons for deer hunting as last year. In other words, “stay the course”. The PGC is obviously satisfied with our low deer numbers and are obviously willing to keep losing hunters every year.

Up second were the Commissioners and they were put between the proverbial rock and a hard place. They wiggled out by proposing to change three more management units to bucks only for the first 5 days of rifle season. They made no mention if they intend to increase, decrease, or maintain current deer numbers. That my friend is the real issue that has to be addressed by these Commissioners.

Our lawsuit was third and was filed not only because we have a difference of opinion with deer management, but because the PGC broke the law. Twenty days before our trial date in court, Judge Barry Feudale basically ruled that the PGC has wide discretionary powers and cannot be beat. He decided that not only would he not pitch to us, but he decided to throw us out of the game. Right now we are working on an appeal. We will get back in the game.

To say the Board of USP is appalled at Senior Judge Feudale’s decision would be a massive understatement. The PGC’s request for summary judgment had been denied previously by elected Commonwealth judges. What Judge Feudale regurgitated in his decision was the same old PGC rhetoric USP has heard throughout this three year fiasco of litigation. Actually, one could debate if the PGC and Assistant Attorney General wrote this decision. The Judge took me to task personally for my critical remarks of the PGC program over the last ten plus years. I would be more than happy to sit with Judge Feudale and explain the origin and reasoning of my criticisms anytime he has the time.

It appears that the PGC and Judge Feudale are trying to establish that the PGC’s discretion in deer management is absolute and can not challenged. The last time I checked this is America and citizens challenging government policies is as fundamental as our right of free speech. Furthermore, the PGC has used repeatedly the absence of a Constitutional right to hunt as an excuse why they are exempt from litigation.

This case may end up in the PA Supreme Court. USP believes all hunting in the Commonwealth is in jeopardy if the reasoning Judge Barry Feudale stands unchallenged. USP hopes our legislators agree. Rest assured, USP has not yet begun to fight. JJS

The USP’s Spring Meeting will be held on March 26, 2011 at the Quality Inn in Milesburg, PA. Take Exit 158 off Route 80 and go north on PA 150 for about 1 mile. Lunch will be served at 12:00 noon. All concerned sportsmen are invited. The General Membership meeting will be 1:30 PM to 5 PM.

Agenda talk is everywhere these days. It seems like everyone has an agenda. Lately, strong personal agendas by government agency employees have become obviously apparent. Our taxpaying citizens are loudly rejecting personal agendas by public employees. We want to see government employees do their jobs and leave their personal agendas at home. Injecting one’s personal agenda into their government job leads to the bizarre decisions and chaos we see emanating from government. We are looking to our legislators to correct this scenario.

With that said, does USP have an agenda? We think not and here’s why. For almost thirty years USP has been embroiled in the issues of our times. For thirty years USP has monitored the decisions and policies of the Game Commission, Fish Commission and DCNR. Most often, it is the PGC that is continuously mired in controversy. USP’s opinions of our agency policies have never been driven by an agenda. USP seeks to uncover and only put forth the truth, an endeavor government agencies and their employees do not appreciate. We ruin their fun of pursuing an agenda. The truth is a criticism that is impossible to overcome.

USP’s efforts in deer management would be a classic example. USP seeks accurate harvest numbers and accurate herd numbers. Is this the pursuit of an agenda? Not at all. It is the pursuit of the truth. The PGC always defends their deer management by venturing into the discussion of our forested habitats. Let’s be honest. Our forests are pathetic, pounded by acid deposition and poor forestry practices for fifty years. Is that statement the pursuit of an agenda? Once again, not at all, just a statement of facts that our agencies refuse to concede.

“Deer destroy forest regeneration and forest biodiversity” is another example of agenda politics, which USP has challenged with the truth. The latest studies reveal that killing deer to almost non-existent levels does not increase biodiversity or regeneration. The absence/presence theory is junk science and only advocated by those with an anti-deer agenda. That again, is simply the truth.

This will be an interesting year in the life of the PGC, USP, our Commissioners, our legislators and our new Governor. With a lawsuit breathing down their backs, will the Commissioners change the course of history and rid us of agenda-driven PGC employees? Will our legislators and our new Governor assist or disrupt USP’s efforts to finally correct deer management? Through it all USP will remain true to its’ mission. USP will relentlessly pursue the truth.

I can't help wonder today, as Tom Corbett holds his hand on a Bible owned by William Penn himself, will Governor Corbett recognize the negative economic impact on the Commonwealth that decimating our deer herd has resulted in. On the heals of an article printed in the St. Mary’s Press about the closing of Smith's Sport Store after 87 years in business, citing the recent drop in deer hunters as a primary cause, owner Jeff Buchhiet states; “Hunting has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, but it's been on a fast-paced change in the last five”.

As a concerned hunter and small business owner myself , I recognized this scenario over 3 years ago and circulated petitions amongst business owners in the towns of Tionesta and Tidioute and was assisted by Rocco Camas who did the town of Bradford. The petitions identified the drop in hunters, as directly connected to the deer reduction management plan initiated by The Pennsylvania Game Commission and resulted in hurting businesses that depended on that segment of customers for a significant part of their sales. Every business owner that was approached signed the petition and thanked us for circulating it! These petitions were given to some

legislators and the outcome of the petition effort was also expressed to Carl Roe of the PGC. In both cases, as we all realize, nothing was done, or more importantly no one even cared!

The Executive Staff at the Agency is so consumed in their science, they are unapproachable to consider modifications in the parameters to deer management, as not to bankrupt sporting and business interests, or should I say business interests outside of forest industry concerns. It is also sad the Board of PGC Commissioners does not have the fortitude to do more than end up continually split down the middle and not stand up against the staff with measures that would be substantive toward stopping the madness. The agency as a whole is too self-centered to realize Unified Sportsmen filed our lawsuit not in ignorance or with malice, but to represent our members, affected businesses, the hunting heritage of PA and all PA sportsmen. USP will not cower or settle for less than what is needed to completely correct this injustice. We know our tenacity in legislative and legal pursuits will eventually be part of what brings the PGC toward any remediation measures.

In conclusion, we need Governor Corbett's economic recovery plan to include supporting a complete overhaul in deer management and the recognition of who and what caused this travesty of unjust economic demise in the first place. Anything less will enable those few responsible to continue their agenda and further drag down the Commonwealth, the hunting industry, as well as the PGC itself! Legislation should soon follow.

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. -Arthur Schopenhauer

Mr. Doug Heath of Rochester NY is the winner of Steve Mohr's Island Hunt that USP gave away at the Harrisburg Sport Show. Compliments of:

Dr. Chris Rosenberry gave his usual deer management presentation at this January’s PGC Commissioner meeting. He allotted a portion of his talk to the subject of the “deer model” that he is using to manage deer.

The Wildlife Management Institute’s (WMI) Deer Audit of Feb. 2010 concluded that the PGC’s deer model was not reliable and needed revision, but they didn’t say what revisions were needed. Before Gary Alt, the deer model utilized was providing reliable information that could be used to determine how many antlerless permits should be issued to maintain population stability in the herd. Once antlered restrictions came on board, this deer model was no longer applicable. The USP knew this was the case and the PGC attempted to modify the SAK model that Bill Shope (as deer manager prior to Alt) used successfully throughout the MSY years of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Rosenberry said that PSU in 2005 revised the model to account for Antler Restrictions (AR), however the WMI Report in 2010 criticized the model, which Rosenberry referred to as the PA-SAK Model. Rosenberry said that the PGC made the changes in PA-SAK that the WMI Report suggested and that is what they are now using. The WMI Report found the PGC’s model unresponsive to various inputs due to bias and as such unreliable to determine how many antlerless permits to issue annually. Rosenberry mentioned that there are two ways to determine deer population numbers…one is the Conceptual Model (what is seen) and the other is the Mathematical Model (PA-SAK). While the PA-SAK Model doesn’t give accurate data, Rosenberry said that ASSUMPTIONS are used to fill in the gaps. He didn’t discuss how or what assumptions were made, but it reminds me of the term used in the Deer Audit, namely the “data was sometimes biased”. Rosenberry emphasized that they don’t need absolute numbers and depended on their ability to determine “population trends” that they tracked. He added, “more consistency leads to more confidence in results” referring to Annual Hunter Survey data and other data sources. The emphasis that Rosenberry gave to the model during his presentation led me to believe he was rehearsing his court testimony.

Let’s summarize. We had a reliable SAK Model (Sex Age Kill) in play before AR turned it sour after AR’s went into effect (2002)…..then the Model was revised by PSU in 2005, but still found unreliable by WMI in 2010 in their Deer Audit Report. Dr. Rosenberry now expects us to believe his latest modification will finally get us back to a reliable model, which we had long before the onset of this current deer management program.

Editors Note: I read the entire WMI Deer Audit Report a number of times and do not recall a suggested model modification authored by WMI. Let us be very factual. There is no existing, industry reviewed and approved deer model when AR’s are in place. It does not exist. True SAK models are based on hunters harvesting the first deer they see, buck or doe. AR’s prevent hunters from acting in such a way, so the final harvest is not always representative of the actual herd dynamics. Furthermore, if Dr. Rosenberry did recently modify the model, he would now need to go back to 2005 and recalculate harvests and herd dynamics for the past five years. If he took the time to do this, he would realize what we have long known—our deer herd is at dangerously low levels. JJS

On Jan 31, 2011 Dr. Christopher Rosenberry at the PGC Meeting gave a presentation on Deer Management. He said that there are 70,000 deer in WMU 2G and not 20,000 that some others are claiming. Seventy thousand equates to 17 DPSM and not 5 DPSM, which doesn't constitute a huntable population.

The number 70,000 doesn't represent what residents and sportsmen report they see as their Conceptual Model estimate for 2G or what DCNR said it was from data collected using FLIR analysis.

Chris Rosenberry depended on an estimated number and made the assumption that there were 70,000. That number is unrealistic when used to justify so few bucks that are harvested in 2G each year, namely a few less than 1.5 bucks PSM. A herd of 70,000 provides about 17,000 bucks in 2G of which about 10,000 are available for harvest and 7,000 left over for the next year that were not harvested. Of these, about 3,600 survive that meet antler restrictions requirements and are 3 1/2 year old or older.....the real trophies that sportsmen want. In reality, there are so few 3 1/2 year old or older bucks harvested that the PGC doesn't bother to categorize them anymore. One has to ask what happened to this class of trophy deer that survived and didn't show up in the harvest results as trophy deer. Are they the ghosts that are still roaming our big woods?

Prolific poacher and brother face prison

HARRISBURG — A Dec. 11 poaching incident has two Lebanon County brothers facing possible prison sentences, including one who has the unfortunate distinction of being the first individual to be charged with felony counts under a new Game and Wildlife Code penalty structure that took effect in September, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission officials.

Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer Derek Daly charged William M. Kirkwood, 50, of Camp Strauss Road, Bethel, with unlawfully killing seven deer in 2010 and four deer in 2009, fleeing an officer and trespassing, among other things, for which he faces total fines and penalties of up to $64,000 and 10 years in prison. WCO Daly also charged Kirkwood’s brother, Theodore P. Kirkwood, 54, of Heilmandale Road, Lebanon, for aiding and abetting his brother, fleeing an officer and trespassing, for which he faces total fines and penalties of up to $5,000 and nine months in prison.

All charges were filed on Tuesday before District Judge Michael Smith in Cleona.

The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." -- Albert Einstein

USP supports the PGC’s efforts in pursuing poachers and applauds those who came forward to report this activity. USP will try to follow this story and report the outcome. We thank the Daily Item for the brief intro we used to report on this story. JJS

Please forward new memberships and club memberships to USP, 530 4th Ave., Sutersville, PA 15083

“Hunters will be forever judged by their compassion for the animals they hunt”. JJS

The First PA Chapter of Hunters Helping Kids and the Unified Sportsmen of PA 2^nd Annual Hunting and Fishing Expo will be held on March 5 & 6, 2011 at the Buchanan Valley Fire Co., 1180 Buchanan Valley Rd. (PA Route 234),

Kayne Robinson, Executive Director
NRA General Operations joined Unified Sportsmen of PA as a Life Member!

The next two years will be very expensive for USP to fight the battle to save hunting. It would be a grave error to get disgusted and give up the fight. USP can only continue with financial support from its existing members, by recruiting new members and fundraisers. History will record this period as pivotal in the survival of our grand tradition of deer hunting. Do what you can, give what you can and encourage others to help the cause. When we win this war, all will have earned the title, PA Heroes of Hunting. History will be kind.

It would be a large step in the right direction if all search warrants by the PGC would be approved and issued by our county District Attorneys. This would give our District Attorneys a chance to look at each case and see if these warrants are justified and necessary. Too many of these search warrants in the past have been carried out in a high-handed method that was unnecessary and unprofessional. Someone needs to take the incentive and look at these warrants first on a case by case basis to see how important they actually are before issuing them.

Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman announced that county court rules are being changed; therefore, the PGC cannot obtain search warrants without first seeking approval of the DA’s office. As a result, Lancaster County President Judge signed off on the revised rules proposed by Stedman. If this can be done in Lancaster County, it should be done in every County in PA.

We all know of cases in PA where these search warrants have been carried out on people that were not necessary and handled in a very unprofessional and threatening manner. This would all change if these warrants could be looked at first by professional individuals. There is room for discretion in law enforcement, when in fact, they would not be doing their job if every case was treated exactly the same regardless of the unique circumstances.

Instead, each case must be treated based on the specific facts, relevant law, as well as the goals of the investigation. The best guiding principle for law enforcement is to do the right thing for the right reason.

Editors Note: There is an inconsistency in the law that needs to be addressed. When an individual kills wildlife protecting himself or his property, district magistrate cannot decide these cases. Such cases are a question of Constitutional rights. However, district magistrates are authorized to issue search warrants, which also require a legal understanding of an individual’s Constitutional rights. The above author is correct in his reasoning. Search warrants should only be granted by District Attorneys who possess a full understanding of a citizen’s Constitutional rights and the law.

All of the initiatives mentioned in the previous W & W are alive, well and very much needed. The problem for this issue is the limited space remaining. With the disappointing showing by our Commissioners at this last PGC meeting and the lawsuit set-back, USP’s legislative initiatives have become even more important. USP’s plan has been twofold, the lawsuit to correct deer management while promoting curative legislation, so we don’t have to sue the PGC again.

For example, HB 1214 (last session) limiting a Commissioner’s term to four years may be rapidly becoming a necessity. If the Commissioners are going to continue to cave to the bizarre policies of the Executive Staff, it would be best if they leave us in four, not eight years.

HB 474 (last session) requiring PGC Commissioners to make decisions based on best management practices equally considering science, recreation and economics is critical legislation. With this bill in place we may not have had to sue the PGC. We need this bill to give the PGC Commissioners some cover that recreation and economics are valid considerations when designing seasons and bag limits.

New legislation providing a process by which sportsmen have a vote, that’s right, a vote, on who will be their next Commissioner is equally critical. Hunters have paid the bills for over 100 years and we don’t have a single word to say about who will be our next Commissioner. We find out quick enough, actually at their first meeting when they vote to kill our deer.

On the flipside of that scenario, we need legislation to protect outspoken Commissioners. Who could forget what happened to George Venesky for not agreeing with the current deer program? Removal of Commissioners should require a 2/3 majority vote in the Senate and maybe the House, too. For a Governor to act unilaterally, uncontested, intimidates the Commissioners.

One method of stopping the deer slaughter is to move to a one deer per hunter per year scenario. The deer resource is only so big, so why have one hunter kill four deer in a season and the next hunter claims he didn’t even see a deer. Think about it.

Last, but possibly the most important piece of legislation USP can pursue this year is the “Sportsmen’s Reduction in Government Cost Act” conceived by USP member Dennis Wydra. While the need has been discussed by many Mr. Wydra put it in words. The PGC needs to be removed from the “Commonwealth Attorney’s Act” and finance their own legal defense. They are an independent agency that raises their own revenue with millions in gas revenue potential. It is absurd for the people of PA to pay the PGC’s legal bills because they can’t manage deer or any other resource in a credible, competent manner.

Important Contact Info

If you feel the urge or need to vent, below are the critical people to contact.

Chairman, House G & F Com.—State Rep. John Evans, 717-772-9940, jevans@pahousegop.com

Chairman, Senate G & F Committee—Senator Rich Alloway, 717-787-4651, alloway@pasen.gov

PGC Commissioner Tom Boop, 570-286-6701,

tboop@verizon.net

PGC Commissioner Gregory Isabella, 215-336-1710,

secommissioner@aol.com

PGC Commissioner James Jay Delaney, 570-825-4424,

pgcdistrict7@aol.com

PGC Commissioner Ron Weaner, 717-677-9120,

pgc6@superpa.net

PGC Commissioner Ralph Martone, 724-652-9315,

nwcommissioner@comcast.net

PGC Commissioner David Schreffler, 814-784-0044,

dschreff@state.pa.us

PGC Commissioner David Putnam, 717-480-2283,

nccommissioner@gmail.com

PGC Commissioner Bob Schlemmer, 724-327-1649,

rwspgc@aol.com

A very wise man once said “it is absurdity to expect change from people who will not accept change”. That pretty much sums up our situation. From the time Carl Roe became Executive Director and Dr. Chris Rosenberry became the deer project leader, the sporting class of this state has been screaming for change in the deer program. That request has been met by the literal stonewall resistance of Carl Roe, Chris Rosenberry and Cal DuBrock. This is PGC Executive Staff and the core of the “kill the deer” team at the PGC.

“Who is driving this freight train” is a rhetorical question asked by many in the past six years. Speculation has run the gamete. “It’s the car insurance companies...it’s the foresters...it’s the environmentalists...it’s the anti-hunting whackos...and it’s Governor Rendell are the common responses. However, does it really matter? For six years Carl Roe has been driving the freight train with DuBrock and Rosenberry stoking the fire. Do we really care whose pulling their chains?

How about the possibility it is the US Fish and Wildlife Service who is really pushing Carl Roe’s buttons. There are lesser deer reduction programs going on in other states. Wisconsin hunters are screaming bloody murder at their DNR. NY, WV and Ohio all embraced deer reductions in some capacity. The deer management war is alive and well in Michigan. It could be a coordinated effort by the groups mentioned above or is it a bigger evil...the federal government? Considering the length and severity of this program one has to be suspicious of all the potential players. Once again, do we really care? We are 600,000 strong in this state and our combined strength exceeds any lobbyists’ money or special interest agenda.

I have watched this deer management program play-out for more than ten years and studied the PGC for fifteen. Something is terribly wrong with the system and seriously wrong with the players. It is Carl Roe out front for the past six years as the leader of this anti-deer movement. It is Carl Roe that becomes belligerent and even combative with our legislators when he is questioned about deer management. It is Carl Roe that challenges our Commissioners in Executive sessions usurping their authority and demanding that deer management stay the course. It is Carl Roe that has convinced the Commissioners not to speak civilly with USP about the pending deer management litigation.

Perhaps, all of the above are just excuses for a deer program that is inexcusable.

After all, it is completely natural and human to try to find reasons for the inconceivable and bizarre. How about this angle? It is really all about Marcellus gas. It is about clearing state land of deer and then, clearing out the hunters who use this land. It’s about eliminating the competition for land usage by hunters, the original and true conservationists.

Let’s be honest. The PGC has been protecting resource extractors for 50 years and the hell with the deer. The PGC has known about acid rain since the 1960’s and did nothing, protecting the coal industry. They have catered to the forestry industry, blindly, never questioning their antiquated science. And now, it is the PGC running point for the gas industry clearing the land of competitive hunters.

With all of that said, all of the above really doesn’t matter. What is the definition of insanity you ask? It is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. It is time for USP to turn to the courts to settle the long-running deer and forestry disputes. It is time for USP to adopt an entirely different strategy to deal with the PGC’s lack of integrity. But most of all, it is time to fire the Executive Staff so we can begin an era of honest reform.

“We all have a fundamental decision to make. Should our wildlife policies be subservient to our forestry practices or should our forestry practices be subservient to our wildlife policies”. JJS

If You Haven’t Attended a USP Monte Carlo Night, you are missing a real treat.

The tickets are $100.00 each, and this may seem a little rich for your blood.

The USP will be holding a South East Regional Meeting on Saturday, March 19, 2011 starting at 11:00 AM with a social hour and a light lunch followed by a General Meeting to discuss anything related to hunting, fishing, trapping, property rights and Marcellus Gas. We are planning on having our local politicians there as well. Members please come out and bring a guest and get free food and find out what is going on.

The meeting will be held at the War Memorial Building on Rt. 23 in Leola, Pa. The location is three miles east of Rt. 30 on the right side of Rt. 23. That evening we will be holding our 15th annual Monte Carlo Night. More information is available in another area of this publication.

If you need any more information or have questions please call Pete Kingsley @ 717-687-9244