Agricultural Deer Program Changes Adopted

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has adopted four changes to the agency’s agricultural deer control permit program, which allows farmers to address deer damage through hunters harvesting additional antlerless deer on enrolled farms and in longer hunting seasons. The program aims to expand accessibility to agricultural deer depredation programs and provide opportunities to hunters.

Most notably, the rule limiting hunters to four agricultural deer permits, also known as “ag tags” or “red tags,” to harvest antlerless deer for any particular property is removed. Additionally, the time frame during which the tags can be used is more than doubled. A brief closure will be held during the peak of fawning season in spring and early summer.

With ag tags now permitted during regular deer seasons, hunters using those tags will be limited to using the sporting arms allowed in those seasons. Otherwise, hunters may use any lawful sporting arm.

Finally, those who apply to enroll their farms in the program will be required only to certify they are the owner or lessee of both the agricultural interest adversely affected by deer damage and the hunting rights to be covered by the permit. Previously, to be eligible, applicants had to supply a deed or a lease agreement.