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Rifle Season Starts In Western Pa.; 11-Pointer Bagged 1st Day
Hunters Encouraged To Donate Extra Deer Meat
POSTED: 8:49 am EST December 1,
2008
UPDATED: 7:11 pm EST December 1,
2008
PITTSBURGH -- Thousands of hunters were in the wooded hills of western Pennsylvania for the start of rifle deer season on Monday.John Smith, of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, said no accidents or serious injuries were reported. He said there were no problems with the weather conditions, although snow would have been better for tracking deer.WTAE Channel 4 Action News reporter Jennifer Miele said Westmoreland County hunters got an 11-point buck near Youngwood, and there was an 8-pointer reported in Unity Township.
Smith said the game commission encourages hunters to donate any meat that they aren't going to eat. The program is called "Sharing the Harvest," and it can be anything from a small amount of venison to a whole deer.
(Related: How To Donate) "If you want to donate the whole deer, usually there is a $15 co-pay, and most of that has been picked up through the years from church organizations, sportsman's organizations, so it actually costs the hunter zero," said Mark Zimmerman, of Hoffer's Packing in Cook Township.On Sunday, the manager of a local Gander Mountain store said hunters were stocking up on gear and the store sold out of hunting licenses over the weekend.But overall, Smith said license sales are slightly down this year -- possibly because of the economy. He said the price of a license will stay at $19 until at least 2010."Probably, there will be a license increase coming, but we just don't see it coming right around the corner," Smith said.Officials remind hunters to take extra batteries for their cell phones and radios. Another tip is to get your rifle sighted before heading into the woods. Here are some other previous stories and resources:
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(Related: How To Donate) "If you want to donate the whole deer, usually there is a $15 co-pay, and most of that has been picked up through the years from church organizations, sportsman's organizations, so it actually costs the hunter zero," said Mark Zimmerman, of Hoffer's Packing in Cook Township.On Sunday, the manager of a local Gander Mountain store said hunters were stocking up on gear and the store sold out of hunting licenses over the weekend.But overall, Smith said license sales are slightly down this year -- possibly because of the economy. He said the price of a license will stay at $19 until at least 2010."Probably, there will be a license increase coming, but we just don't see it coming right around the corner," Smith said.Officials remind hunters to take extra batteries for their cell phones and radios. Another tip is to get your rifle sighted before heading into the woods. Here are some other previous stories and resources:
- Licensed Deer Processors Listed Online
- Team 4: Where Not To Hunt
- Game Commission's Deer Hunting Web Page
- Hunter Education | Safety
- November 9, 2007: It's Back: WTAE Channel 4's Top 10 Deer Hunting Spots For 2007
- November 30, 2004: 20-Point Deer Bagged On 1st Day Of Season
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