A Rainy Morning On Dewey Road

Mature Bull-Herding Cows In Falling Rain

Looking back 2015 was certainly a good year for elk and whitetail deer photography in many ways, while in other ways it brought disturbing changes--especially to Pennsylvania Elk Country, but for today we will strive to focus on the positive.

It was raining lightly on the morning of September 30th, and a large herd of elk was feeding across the road from the ponds on Dewey Road. A large number of elk watchers  and photographers were there when we arrived shortly after 8:00 and my brother and I soon joined in. The bull shown above was there along with  some satellite bulls.  This was possibly the largest bull seen at the Gilbert Farm Viewing Area this year and he was usually somewhere in the Dewey Road area during the two weeks I was there. This is also the bull that was in the video clip I posted recently.

Roaring A Challenge

The bulls are so impressive that we often focus much of our efforts on photographing and filming them, but it is also good to photograph the cows and calves as well. It was especially noteworthy today that one of the calves still had the spotted, summer coat and was small compared to the other calves so it was evidently born much later than normal.

Spotted Calf In Late September

Calf - Normal September Coat

All too soon the elk rut was over and now the year is over. I look forward to the photo and filming opportunities that 2016 will hopefully bring, bur as for the mature bull--he will not be back next year as he was killed during elk season.

All photos posted today were taken with the Canon 5D MK III and the Canon 600mm F4.

Originally published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

PGC Discusses Plans For Woodring Farm

Woodring House: Photo by W.Hill

After the dedication of the new viewing area last Friday, the Pennsylvania Game Commission invited attendees to a press briefing at the Woodring Farm, which was purchased last year by The PGC. Commission with substantial financial assistance from The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

At the briefing,  PGC Northcentral Regional Director, Barry Zaffuto set forth the plans for the property, which include a headquarters building, roadside elk viewing, and a The Woodring Farm Hiking Trail, a 1/4 mile trail, which officially opened that day.  The Trail is just past the Woodring House to the left and leads to a scenic overlook 1/4 mile away.

Woodring Farm Hiking Trail: Photo by W. Hill

Below is the video of Regional Director Zaffuto's speech.


NCR Director Zaffuto Speaks At Woodring Farm from Willard C. Hill on Vimeo.

After Mr. Zaffuto spoke I&E Supervisor, Doty McDowell  announced the PGC fall schedule of events for the viewing areas and mentioned that on Saturdays there will be organized trail hikes on The Woodring Farm Hiking Trail.. He went on to mention that a web cam was installed to view the elk.  He would not reveal the exact location--except that it was nearby.  You may view the Elk Cam by going to the PGC Website and click on Elk Country Live Stream

At this point Mr. McDowell asked if there were any questions and LMO Colleen Shannon spoke up saying, "Representative Gabler just asked a question and it is very important to understand--this is still State Game Lands, so this is all land that can be hunted, there's nothing special about this as far as being restricted to hunting". McDowell then took over answering Representative Gabler's concerns and pointed out that the trail hikes stop on October 3rd this year, which is the first day of archery season.  He went on to state, "this land was purchased for the sole purpose of hunting and trapping so we want to keep that at foremost".  Below s the video.


NCR I&E Supervisor McDowell Explains Woodring Property Is Open To Hunting from Willard C. Hill on Vimeo.

In the clip below Mr. McDowell goes on to explain that it is only organized trail hikes that will end.  You will still be permitted to walk the trail during hunting season.


Clarification Of Trail Use During Hunting Season from Willard C. Hill on Vimeo.

After the presentation, were  were invited to follow Game Commission Officers to the scenic overlook.

Overlook At Woodring Farm: Photo by W. Hill

It seems that this area is being developed to divert attention somewhat away from the Dewey Road area, but it is unclear just how well some of this is going to work. Some are predicting this will result in this area becoming tightly restricted also. It will be interesting to see how things shake out as the peak of elk viewing season arrives.

Originally published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill. 

Northcentral Regional Director, Barry Zaffuto Explains PGC Vision For Winslow Viewing Area

Today we will continue with coverage of the dedication ceremony at the Winslow Hill/Gilbert Farm Viewing Area by presenting the speech given by the Director of  The Northcentral Region of The Pennsylvania Game Commission, Barry Zaffuto.

PGC Northcentral Region Director: Barry Zaffuto

First I will present an overview of his speech and then follow with some exact quotes from Mr. Zaffuto, which will be followed by a video of the entire speech which is just over four minutes in length.

He began by discussing how elk viewing in this area began and I personally recall this period of time well as I began going there in 1995. At that time The Gilbert Farm was private property and people pulled to the side of the road and watched elk in the meadows. The photo below is a frame-grab from video shot in September of 1995.

Gilbert Farm In 1995 Taken From Saddle-Video Still Capture

 This was the same general area in September of 2013, with the area where the buildings once stood being just off the right lower corner of the photo.

Gilbert Farm 2013 Taken From Saddle

Zaffuto tells how that after the PGC acquired the property, the viewing area was developed in response to people arriving and included widening the shoulder of the road and dumping stone, etc. to make it more stable.  He points out that DCNR established several viewing areas, the most important of which was Elk Country Visitor Center, . This resulted in drastically increased visitation to the area and the Dewey Road area became unacceptably congested.

Mr. Zaffuto became regional director three years ago and was extremely interested in the elk herd.  He visited the hill not wearing a uniform and circulated among the public, observing the situation, and chatting with the public.He mentions that some of the major concerns were the congestion, with it sometimes taking over and hour to get off of the hill during peak use times, elk viewers by the roadside having to listen to idling diesel engines, and people stopping in front of houses and yards and parking in yards.

At this point I will post a direct quote from Zaffuto's speech, which explains very clearly the goals of the PGC for this area.

“This Location where we are continued to be the heart of elk viewing, where the herd is most viewed, and people are coming—something had to be done, The other big thought was there was too much interaction between elk and people, too many people were getting close they were following them around, too much habituation. So while we provide for the visitors we had to account for the interaction between people and elk so last year many of you know we started with the trail system and the horses and the bikes and the hikers and the restricted areas and we got that started to try and make that separation, the elk will get used to seeing people at the viewing areas and on the roads, but if you step off of the road we want them to raise their heads and say why are you where you are not supposed to be”

I am hesitant to post video as it can be off-putting for those with a relatively slow internet connection ( I am one of those) as the video will frequently hang on the first viewing--it helps to view it in SD, but then the quality suffers severely.  For that reason I have enabled viewers to download the video by following the link to the Vimeo page where it is posted.  For best viewing experience I recommend that you download it in 1080p or 720p.  The 1080p version is over 400MB in size and requires awhile to download, while the 720p is a good compromise, as it still gives good quality, and the download size is about 75MB and takes much less time to download.  Save it to your computer and then view it in either Windows Media Player or Apple Quicktime Player.  For whatever reason it is a bit dark in Windows Media Player and looks better in Quick Time, but enough of the technical talk--here is the video.

PGC Northcentral Director Barry Zaffuto Speaks At Dedication Of New Winslow Hill Viewing Area from Willard C. Hill on Vimeo.

Feel free to share the video.

Originally published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Importan Questions Answered About Gilbert Farm Viewing Area

PGC Northcentrail Information & Education Supervisor Doty McDowell  Speaks At Dedication

Yesterday morning as I traveled to Benezette to attend the dedication ceremony for the new viewing area on Winslow Hill,  I pondered the issues facing the agencies that control the vast public lands that comprise much of the elk range and how the attempt to resolve these issues effect persons such as I who view the situation from the perspective of a serious wildlife photographer and student of nature. This was foremost in my mind today as I would soon be attending the dedication of facilities that will significantly change wildlife viewing at the most popular elk viewing destination in Pennsylvania, an area where I have spent the vast majority of my time in elk country. As I drove I mentally compiled a list of several questions and concerns I  have heard from other photographers in face to face discussions, and commentary on the internet..

Land Management Officer Colleen Shannon was on the scene when I arrived.  As she is the supervisor of the crew that maintains the game lands on Winslow Hill I approached her with my concerns.

Land Management Officer Colleen Shannon

Many have expressed concern that the designated viewing area just off of the new parking lot is not large enough to hold the number of people that usually watch the area during the peak of the rut.  We were initially assured at a meeting with the PGC in early April that one would still be allowed to park along the old portion of Dewey Road and to stand there and photograph wildlife in the meadow, but as the project progressed it became clear that this was not likely the case so I asked LMO Shannon to address this.  She firmly stated that no parking or standing by the roadside will be permitted in this area of Dewey Road and that the signs have been ordered to post this restriction. According to her, the new viewing area provides a much better view of the area (from now on when I refer to viewing area in reference to this particular spot it is the area behind the stones in the photo below).  A primary goal of the project is to  isolate the public from the elk for safety reasons and to prevent habituation. The elimination of parking and standing along Dewey Road is part of the drive to end close-up elk viewing and to further encourage visitors to view from a distance.

Viewing Area

I asked if it would be permissible to stand outside the stones if that area is the viewing station is full  and it seemed one will be permitted to stand on the grass as long as they  are on the correct side of the Restricted signs, but I would not count on doing so until we see how things shake out during the peak period of the rut.

I also hoped to identify exactly who was responsible for the actual location of the boundaries of the restricted area in the saddle and asked Officer Shannon if she would clarify whether the boundaries were set at the state level (Harrisburg) l, the regional level (Jersey Shore) or the land management group level.  The answer as I understood it was that she and the elk biologist, Jeremy Banfield,  set the boundary lines working in conjunction with the Northcentral regional office of the PGC.

The purpose of this question was to determine if there was a possibility that a group of photographers could work together with the PGC in adjusting the boundaries to make The Saddle more usable to them while still conforming to the PGCs overall goals for the area.  I pointed out as an example the designated trail that goes into The Saddle and back to the area where the last pile of earth was before reclamation was complete. Naturally the road makes a convenient boundary, but allowing users to step a few  yards out of the road to the north would enable them to see the ridge to the north, which they cannot do at present. Shannon responded that," The Saddle is for elk and not for people", and went on to explain that the main concerns in setting up the restricted zone were safety and the habituation of elk. She further explained that on two instances last fall they had seen bulls chasing cows through groups of people and this could not be tolerated.   She went on to say that they didn't want people on top of the hill in The Saddle at the scenic lookout as there is often a lot of elk there and they don't want people interacting with them and don't want the people at the viewing area at the Gilbert Farm having to see all of the people on top of The Saddle.

I asked if we could expect the restricted areas to increase in size in the next few years and the answer was that if the current restrictions do not solve the problem there will be more.  She also told me that the original proposal was for a larger area to be restricted, but this was not adopted.

The official program began at 1:00 and featured a variety of speakers including, PGC Executive Director Matt Hough, and Northcentral Region Director, Barry Zaffuto.

Regional Director Zaffuto dealt with the history of how the viewing area on Dewey Road evolved over the years and went on to discuss in detail PGC concerns and goals in reference to the habituation of elk, which will hopefully be the subject of another post in the near future.

Originally published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

New Winslow Hill Viewing Area To Be Dedicated

New Winslow Hill Viewing Area-Gilbert Farm

Regular readers of this blog are well aware of the changes to the elk viewing areas on Dewey Road and it seems likely that by this time many will have traveled there to view them personally. At any rate, on Thursday August 27^th I received the following Pennsylvania Game Commission News Advisory pertaining to the dedication of the new facilities.

PA Game Commission News Advisory

For Immediate Release
August 27, 2015

New Elk and Wildlife Viewing Area to be Dedicated

The Pennsylvania Game Commission will dedicate the new Winslow Hill Viewing Area at a ceremony to be held on site Friday, Sept. 4 starting at 1 p.m.

Following the dedication, Game Commission representatives will kick off the fall viewing season by announcing plans for additional public facilities, as well as their fall program schedule centering on elk and wildlife viewing. Game Commission Executive Director R. Matthew Hough said the facilities and activities underscore the tremendous and growing interest in viewing wildlife, particularly elk.

In 2014, over 400,000 wildlife enthusiasts came to the Winslow Hill portion of State Game Lands 311 and the nearby Elk Country Visitor Center to view elk. This was a higher number of visitors than anyone predicted, and well more than existing facilities were designed to accommodate. Due to a need for improved viewing platforms, additional parking and safer traffic patterns, the Game Commission contracted the Larson Design Group, of Williamsport, to design a safer and more efficient wildlife viewing area.

Directions

From state Route 555 in Benezette, turn onto Front Street, then turn right onto Winslow Hill Road. Follow Winslow Hill Road approximately 2.5 miles. The dedication will take at the Winslow Hill Viewing Area off Dewey Road.

*************************** 

For the remainder of today's post I will share some photos and a bit of analysis of the situation. Of course this is written from the perspective of a serious wildlife photographer and most of the input I have heard is from others of a similar bent.

In the past, large numbers of elk enthusiasts parked in the pull-off along the edge of Dewey Road that stretched from the end of the tree line that ran along the right of the road to the site where the Gilbert house and barn used to stand. Many set up lawn chairs, cameras, spotting scopes, etc and spent an entire morning of evening there as the photos below show.

Elk Viewing Dewey Road-2009

The Gilbert Meadow-Taken From Road-bank

Most I have talked to are concerned that visitors will be required to stand in the gravel covered area behind the stones shown in the first photo, which would not be sufficient to contain a large number of people-- especially those with tripods, etc. set up. The photo below is taken from standing in the viewing area and looking down Dewey Road on August 18^th and shows what happened to the area where the vehicles are parked in the photos above. 

Former Parking Area-From New Viewing Area

At the time there were not any No Parking Signs along Dewey Road in that area, but the roadway is only just possibly wide enough for a single line of vehicles to park along the field and if that is allowed there would be little room to maneuver around them on foot. There is a berm or bank that runs the entire length of the road in this area that ranges from about knee to waist-high, if I recall correctly. One could stand there with a camera and tripod and successfully photograph elk in the meadow, but the big question remains if this will be allowed. It only takes a short time for No Parking or No Standing signs to be erected and they could well be there even as I am writing this, or at any time in the future. Even if one can stand here, the days when one could pull-in and set up a lawn chair with a good view of the meadow seems to be a thing of the past which is especially devastating to those with physical infirmities that could not handily walk to the viewing “platform”.

There is either a parking area or a turn-around spot where the Gilbert house used to stand (no actual parking area signs were there on the 18^th, but there was an informational kiosk such as usually erected in parking lots). Restricted signs are posted around this in such a manner that one cannot, however, see into the field without walking up the hill along Dewey Road to do so.

Parking Lot-Turn-around At Gilbert House Site

It will be interesting to see how the area is posted and the rules are enforced for the peak period of the September rut. I will wait until I see how this shakes out before forming a definite opinion, but at this point I can't help but think this appears to have been designed for casual tourism where the visitor stops by Elk Country Visitor Center, then drives up the hill or travels by tour bus, walks to the viewing area, snaps a few photos with their cell phone camera, then turns and walks away. There seems to have been little to no consideration for the needs of the serious wildlife enthusiast.

Originally Published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

The Passing Of Ralph Harrison

Legendary Pennsylvania Elk advocate, Ralph L. Harrison, 87, of , Dents Run, died Wednesday, July 22, 2015, at his home after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

I first learned of Ralph from Billie Cromwell, the PGC Game Lands Maintenace Supervisor for Fulton County, who was my foreman at the time.  Billie shot a significant amount of the video footage for the rut portion of The Pennsylvania Game Commission's film, "Pennsylvania Elk: Reclaiming The Alleghenies" and  met Mr. Harrison sometime during this period.  The film featured an interview with Mr. Harrison.  This was my first exposure to him and  and I was impressed with his knowledge and low-key unassuming manner.

I first met him sometime in the late 1990s. During the elk rut that year, Billie Cromwell and I  walked far back in the mountains one evening to a food plot the elk were using heavily and the air resounded with the bugles of several bulls as darkness closed in.  We were walking back to the vehicle in the moonlight when we saw a dog standing in the roadway and a man sitting on the road bank.  It turned out that this was Ralph Harrison, sitting there in the moonlight listening to the bulls bugle, with his dog along for company and as protection if he unexpectedly came upon a bull while walking in the darkness. Within the next year or so I was in the same area once again and Ralph came by.  This time we had a long conversation and this led to many more meetings and discussions about wildlife conservation and elk in particular over the remainder of his life.

Mr. Harrison was an Elk County native and resident of Dent’s Run. He was born there in 1928 and  lived there most of his life except for a stint in the military. Ralph went to work for what was then know as the Department of Forest and Waters in 1951 and worked for them for the next forty years, although the agency changed names over this period. It would take a book to cover his life and in fact Ralph has written several, the latest being on the history of the Quehanna Wild Area..

Mr. Harrison never had an official job in elk management. There was no big title, just a simple love and respect for the animals, which led him to go above and beyond the call of duty and dedicate his life to them. He saw the  elk population grow from less than twenty to the 900-1000 of today. Although he would never claim responsibility, he was an important factor in this increase. Like many true experts, he professed to know little about elk, and was not a self-promoter, but rather tried to give as much credit as possible to others.  He will be deeply missed.

Originally Published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Consturction Continues At Gilbert Farm Viewing Area

I arrived in Elk Country last week to find construction going full bore on the new parking lot atop Winslow Hill at the Gilbert Farm Viewing Area.  Thanks to photos posted on Facebook by Tom Dorsey and others and verbal reports from Ron, "Buckwheat" Saffer and Billie Cromwell, what I found was not a great surprise..  The first photo posted below is taken from Winslow Hill Road going north up the hill.  I was standing in Winslow Hill Road at the point where the new Dewey Road branches off from Winslow Hill Road.  Where the equipment is parked is just in front of the old parking lot.  At the time this photo was taken, construction netting was across the new section of road at both ends and also along the entire frontage with Winslow Hill Road.

New Dewey Road And Parking Lot Construction

Billie Cromwell reports that he was there on the day the hard surface was torn up.  A big dozer arrived with a scarifier attached to the blade and in a short time the blacktop was removed.  This section of Winslow Hill Road is now a narrow gravel road for the time being.  Below is the view looking up the hill with the old parking lot being on the left.

Winslow Hill Road

In the photo below I am standing in old Dewey Road and looking up the new portion of the road which was fenced off at that time.

New Dewey Road

 I was somewhat surprised to find that the old portion of Dewey Road was still there and was still being used  when I arrived, but I suspect that situation will change soon if it has not already as by Thursday the workers were spreading a coat of gravel on the new portion of the road, which seemed to indicate they were getting it ready to use in the near future.

Old Portion Of Dewey Road Still In Use Last Week

Spreading Gravel At Winslow Hill-New Dewey Rd Intersection

Below is a photo of the intersection of the old portion of the road with the new.  As I understand it the old portion will be covered over and landscaped into the new viewing area.

Intersection Of Old And New Portions Of Dewey Road

Spreading Gravel On New Portion Of Dewey Rd

It will be interesting to see what this all looks like when it is completed and how it impacts the elk viewing experience.  An important concern to many is whether parking will still be permitted  along the portion of Dewey Road that will travel along the meadow to where the old farm house used to be.  If parking is not permitted it is at least hoped that people will still be allowed to stand along the side of the road where the current parking strip is.  If this is not permitted and one must remain in the viewing area at the top of  the hill if they wish to watch this portion of the meadow it will effectively ruin elk photography at this spot.

Originally published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Saddle Becomes Restricted Area on June 1st

Paul Staniszewski informed me today that he checked The Saddle area out this morning and the signs are now in place declaring it a restricted area from the first day of June until the first day of archery season.

PGC Restricted Area Sign: Photo Courtesy of Paul Staniszewski

According to Paul,  access beyond the main road that circles the area in nonexistent. One of my favorite areas in The Saddle is the very top, which is a superb scenic overlook.  At this point it looks as though access will be denied to this area as well, although I see very few people in that spot during the summer months and it cannot be claimed that the area is overused during this period or that harassment of elk is a problem.

PGC Road To Top Of Saddle Closed To Public-Now Part of Restricted Area: Photo Courtesy of Paul Staniszewski

PGC Designated Trails Sign: Photo Courtesy of Paul Staniszewski

 Below is a  a map that is part of a Brochure Published by the Pennsylvania Game Commission entitled "Equestrian Trail State Game Lands 311. The Saddle Area is in the lower left quadrant of the map. I have indicated where I think key areas are  by placing a red dot and writing in red type so the "Test Hill", Top of Saddle", etc. notations are mine.  I must emphasize I may be mistaken about these locations.  One may download the entire brochure by following this link.http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=607724&mode=2 and looking for SGL 311.

Map Of  SGL 311 by PGC-Designations In Red Text by W. Hill.

I will try to get more detailed information within the next few weeks and keep readers updated as more information becomes available.

A special thanks to Paul Staniszewski for this report.

Originally published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Major Changes To Winslow Hill Viewing Areas Part 2

In the last post I discussed the changes coming to the Dewy Road area.  Today we will deal a bit more with that before dealing with some information about the new PGC viewing area located on the Maynard Woodring Farm and now often referred to  as "The Woodring"

First off- it seems I created some confusion with  the photo below, which has the placard for designated routes for horse and bicycle riders super-imposed over a scene of elk grazing in the Saddle in what will now be a restricted zone from approximately the beginning of June until the end of September.  Since a silhouette of a person on foot is not included in this sign, some have taken this to indicate that hiking, photography,etc. will still be allowed as usual, but that is not the case. 

The key point is that the Saddle will be a restricted area and as such will likely  be plainly marked with the same type of  signs that are found at the Gilbert Farm Viewing Area and are seen attached to the fence in the photo below. I would expect these signs to be placed along both sides of each designated trail in the Saddle.  The downside to this is that it further detracts from the natural look of the area. It is possible they will add a silhouette of a person walking  to the placard shown above, but it may simply go with separate signage stating that all must remain in the designated routes where they pass through a restricted area.  If an area is not designated and posted as a restricted area, then it may be accessed on foot, while horse and bicycle riders must remain on designated routes anywhere on State Game Lands, which is what the sign above is primarily intended to address.

Restricted Area Signs-Porcupine Run/Winslow Hill Viewing Area-Gilbert Farm

I also have a bit of information on the new PGC Viewing Area at the Woodring Farm along Winslow Hill Road.   At present it seems that the meadow directly across Winslow Hill Road from the Woodring house is to be a restricted area.

New Restricted Area

Woodring House

It is not clear if the meadow directly to the right of the house and shown in the photo below, will be a restricted area or not, but I would expect it to be one.

This Meadow Will Likely Be A Restricted Area

A viewing platform is to be built at a scenic overlook on the property, with access by a hiking trail. I have been told that at this point the entire property will not be restricted to the extent the Saddle will be, but that can change at any time.

Woodring Overlook

It is hoped that this viewing area will draw some of the pressure from the Winslow Hill-Porcupine Run Viewing Areas and it should help to a certain extent, but with steadily increasing elk related tourism it seems likely that there will also be more restrictions as time passes.

Originally published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Major Changes Coming To Winslow Hill Viewing Areas

Major changes are coming to the Porcupine Run-Winslow Hill Viewing Areas, with construction of a new parking lot and the relocation of a portion of Dewey Road scheduled to begin on April 27, 2015. The project has been scaled back somewhat from what was originally planned and restrooms will not be built at this time.  The primary purpose of this is to improve traffic safety  as the current entrance to Dewey Road is located on a sharp curve with limited visibility to the south. Also the parking lot along Winslow Hill Road has unregulated access to the road over a significant distance, which increases the chance of collisions..

Winslow Hill Road- Dewey Road Entrance To Left

Parking Lot Along Winslow Hill Road

The new parking lot is to be just in front of the old one.  The upper portion of Dewey Rd will intersect with Winslow Hill Rd somewhere near or past the end of the old parking lot shown in the photo above. To access the new parking lot one will travel a short distance on Dewey Rd to the entrance.  Provisions will be made to gate the parking lot and close it to the public when desired. There are currently no plans to close Dewey Rd at any time as it is a public Township Road, which provides access to multiple landowners as well as the large area of State Game Lands 311 at the end of Dewey Rd.

As important, or perhaps more important to many is the decision to add the area known as "The Saddle" to The Restricted Area beginning June 1, 2015.  This effectively means that from that date The Saddle is to be posted with restricted area signs the same as the areas along Dewey Road and users will be required to follow the designated routes, which will be the same or much the same as the trails that were established for horse and bicycle riders.  This is effective until the last Saturday in September or the first day of archery  deer season.  I am not completely clear on this point, but it  should be posted plainly on the restricted area signs.

All Users Will Be Required To Stay On Designated Routes During Restricted Period

 Officials point to increased visitation to the area and pressure on the resource as reason for the changes.
In 1998 there was an estimated  72,000 visitors to  Pennsylvania Elk Country, while in 2014 it was reported that over 400, 000 people passed through Elk Country Visitor Center. In light of increased traffic and congestion on Winslow Hill and the drastic increase of use of the Dewey Road--Saddle Area in particular, The Pennsylvania Game Commission began placing more emphasis on controlling secondary users such as horse and bicycle riders last year, when designated routes for horse and bicycle riders  were plainly marked  and an extensive public relations campaign was implemented to make the public aware of the regulations.

Actually State Game Lands regulations have required for many years that horses and bicycles be used only on designated routes unless one is actively engaged in legal hunting or trapping.  It is also illegal to ride  a non-motorized vehicle, conveyance or animal from the last Saturday in September until the third Saturday in January, and prior to one hour after close of lawful hunting hours for spring turkey season from the second Saturday in April through the last Saturday in May, inclusive, except on Sundays or while lawfully engaged in hunting, trapping or fishing.

Most are aware of the recent attempt on the part of certain members of the PGC board of commissioners to ban all secondary users from the SGLs during the period of time that horses and bicycles are banned, but I have been told that at this point it doesn't seem likely  this will happen and that  nature enthusiasts will be permitted to walk anywhere in The Saddle from the end of the restricted period until the next June, but one would do well to remember that anything can change at any time.

Test Hill-Former State Forest Land  runs along edge of meadow to right

At this point it is not completely clear just where the designated routes will be, but generally speaking they will be much the same if not the exact same as they were  last year.  An important point to remember is there is no longer any State Forest Land in The Saddle (many will recall the white boundary markers that are plainly visible along the edge of the woods on Test Hill once the foliage is gone and not as noticeable along the entire lower edge of The Saddle). This land was acquired from DCNR by the PGC as part of a lands trade and is now part of SGL 311 and as such may be restricted to what extent the PGC may decide.

I hope to discuss this a bit more as well as deal with more changes that are coming in another post  in the near future.

Originally published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Special Elk License Auctions And Raffle Further Explained

Much Of Raffle And Auction Proceeds Are Used For Elk Management And Habitat Enhancement

Since it seems likely that many readers do not return to a post to check the comments on subsequent visits to the blog,  I am basing today's post on two comments that were made on the last post.

Woody Meristem has worked over forty years in managing natural and  human-modified ecosystems and also photographs wildlife and wildflowers. He is the author of the " In Forest and Field" Blog

Woody commented, " It's hard (impossible?) to defend auctioning a public resource to the highest bidder when so many folks of ordinary means will never get a chance to obtain a permit -- not to mention that the raffle raised more money."

Extensive Funding Is Required To Maintain Food Plots

 Jack Manack of Elk County Outfitters responded as follows,

Willard and readers,

Recently on a hunting website the talk of "Governors Tags" came up and many voiced similar opinions as Woody above did. In stead of retyping or rewording my response I cut and pasted it here. I apologize if it repeats some of the stats that Willard covered in his post.

I have had the opportunity to share a camp and spend time with the last four out of the total six hunters that have had the PA Conservation tag, plus the KECA raffle tag winner. I admit when the tag was first introduced in 2009 I had mixed feelings and didn't know what to think. I soon realized that any hesitations I had to these types of tags were my own problems and nothing more.

This past year the Keystone Elk Country Alliance got their own tag and decided to raffle it off. I agree that this is a great way to have this type of tag, and as was proven, it is also a great way to raise funds for a great cause. The fact that almost $160,000.00 was raised in four weeks is unbelievable. Everybody at Elk County Outfitters enjoys chasing the elk around every fall, enjoys all the people that we have met and gotten to be friends with, but most of all we enjoy the elk range and the area surrounding it. We don't just hunt elk there. We hunt deer, turkeys, bears, coyotes, and so on. The list is almost as long as the species of animals that benefit from the money raised to improve the habitat. That is why we donated the guiding, meals, lodging, etc to go along with that tag. We felt like that was a small way to give back for all of the enjoyment we get out of the area year round.

The elk hunt is constantly under scrutiny and attack, not all of it comes from non-hunters either. The other side of the hunting debate has an extremely loud voice and like it or not extremely deep pockets. When an organization like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation gets awarded a tag like this, before you complain remember that just in Pennsylvania alone they have completed 351 conservation projects with a combined value of over 22 million dollars. So if they want to take that tag and auction it off to the highest bidder, don't get upset about it. Try to remember who the real winner is. It's the sportsman of PA. But maybe that is why some are upset, because they don't fall into that group.

I for one want to thank the organizations that help conserve, improve, and keep the great tradition that is hunting going forward. Whether someone buys a general hunting license, a single raffle tag, or a conservation tag for a couple hundred thousand dollars they are contributing toward the betterment of hunting and they should be thanked not insulted.

Jack Manack
Elk County Outfitters

My Response

First off, I would like to say I thank both gentlemen for their comments and to try to clarify who is responsible for the way licenses are issued and who decides if a raffle or an auction will be used to award special licenses.

Personally I do not like the idea of auctioning tags, but I do not consider that this auction  reflects negatively on The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation nor does the fact that KECA tag is raffled off reflect bring either credit or discredit to that organization as the method is proscribed by State Law.

 In this case  HB 2169 amended Section 2706.2 of Title 34(Game Law)  of The Consolidated Pennsylvania Statutes to re-authorize the original special conservation tag and establish the raffle.

First it establishes how the normal licenses issued each year shall be awarded and it plainly states,  "The commission shall hold a random drawing of applications for the issuance of elk licenses under this subsection at the Elk Country Visitor Center in the Township of Benezette."

 The Special Conservation Tags

The Auction

Next it establishes that the PGC is authorized to auction off a special license to hunters interested in the opportunity to hunt one elk subject to the following:
(1) One license shall be auctioned annually.

(2) The auction shall be open to residents and

nonresidents of this Commonwealth.

(3) The commission may, under 62 Pa.C.S. Pt. I (relating

to Commonwealth Procurement Code), contract with a wildlife

conservation organization to implement and conduct the

auction. The commission shall promulgate regulations for the

use of the license, remitting funds to the commission and

conduct of the auction.

(4) [The contracted organization shall retain no more

than 20% of the proceeds from the auction.

The Raffle

Special-license fundraiser.--In addition to any other elk license provided for under this section, the commission may hold a special-license fundraiser for hunters interested in the opportunity to hunt one elk, subject to the following:

(1) The commission may enter into a contract with a

Pennsylvania-based nonprofit organization whose primary

mission is the advancement of education, stewardship and

habitat for the elk population in this Commonwealth and that

is a participant in a public-private partnership for the

management and operation of the Elk Country Visitor's Center

in Benezette Township, Elk County, to auction or raffle one

elk license annually.

(2) The entity which contracts with the commission under

paragraph (1) may conduct a fundraiser for the opportunity

for interested hunters to purchase the elk license. The

fundraiser shall be open to all residents and nonresidents of

this Commonwealth who wish to obtain the license. The

subsequent use of the license must meet Federal and State

hunting regulations.

 (3) The entity which contracts with the commission under

paragraph (1) may retain administrative costs associated with

the auction.

(4) The proceeds remaining after retention of
administrative costs under paragraph (3) shall be returned to
the commission and shall be used pursuant to the contract
under paragraph (1) in a manner consistent with the

commission's elk management plan. 

The Bottom Line

In the interest of brevity I have left out some parts that are not really of interest to our discussion here so I suggest that you read the actual law if you so desire.  The main points I take away are:

• The Organization auctioning the tag may retain up to 20% of what the tag brings for their own use and may also retain administrative costs, which are agreed on in advance to the tag being awarded to the organization. 
•  In the instance of the raffle- KECA retains only the administrative costs which again are agreed upon in advance of the raffle.
• RMEF returned all moneys earned from the 2014 auction to the PGC for use in elk management and habitat development.

 Originally Published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Special Conservation Elk License-2015 Pennsylvania Elk Tag Brings $52,500

Special Conservation Licenses Target Mature Bulls

Pennsylvania offers two special conservation elk licenses, which are issued each year in addition to the normal allocation of  tags. One is auctioned off by a conservation organization, while the other is raffled-off by The Keystone Elk Country Alliance. Both enable the holder to hunt for elk in any elk management unit open to elk hunting for approximately 60 days beginning in early September.

Originally there was one of these licenses which was called a "Governor's Conservation Tag", "Special Conservation Tag" or some combination or variation of these phrasings. Leading up to the first modern day elk season in 2001, the  Game Commission Elk Hunt Advisory Committee Report recommended one special elk license for wildlife conservation organizations to auction as a concept for promoting the hunting of Pennsylvania elk, but it was not implemented at that time as it was determined that this needed prior approval from the legislature.

Rep. Marc J. Gergely (D-Allegheny) introduced House Bill 747 to grant the Game Commission authority to provide one antlered elk license to a wildlife conservation organization to auction. Of the auction proceeds, up to 20 percent were to be retained by the wildlife conservation organization and the rest turned over to the Game Commission for elk management. This was signed into law on Oct. 9, Act 101 of 2008 (Source PGC News Release #017-09).

The first tag was auctioned off in 2009 by the National Wild Turkey Federation and sold for $28,000 at its' national convention in Nashville, Tennessee, in February of 2009. The successful bidder was Jim Nyce, of Green Lane, Montgomery County, who took a 6x6 bull on Oct. 14, in Benezette Township, Elk County. The decision to award the tag to the NWTF caused a great deal of controversy at the time as many thought that The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation would be a more appropriate organization to auction an elk tag and many were disappointed as they expected the tag to sell for much more.

The tag was awarded to the RMEF in 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015. This year's auction yielded a record high of $52,500 for a Pennsylvania bull elk.

 Below is a list of the years the auction has been held  and the  amounts of the successful bids.

2009	National  Wild  Turkey Federation	$28,000.00
2010	Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation	$ 35,000.00
2011	Safari club International	$ 29,000.00
2012	Eastern Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation	$ 37,500.00
2013	Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation	$ 40,000.00

                                                    
             2014                 Rocky Mountain                $41,000.00

                                        Elk  Foundation  
        

Source: 2009--2013-PGC PROJECT ANNUAL JOB REPORT-Elk Research/Management-

Elk Population Survey/Elk Harvest Management-PERIOD COVERED: 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014-

Auctioning organization and wining bid for the Pennsylvania elk special conservation tag, 2009-2013 Prepared by Jeremy Banfield, Eric Perlock, and Christopher Rosenberry-Date: 27 June 2014.

The 2014 Data is from a 08/13/2014  RMEF Press Release-RMEF Elk Tag Raises Record $41,000 for

Pennsylvania Conservation:

                          

There  almost was no auction in 2014 as it is usually held early in the year, but the law authorizing the special conservation tag expired and it was not until July 9, 2014 that  HB 2169, which reauthorizes the Special Elk License, was signed into law.  This left only a short time to hold the auction so It was conducted online from July 31, to August 5th. . HB 2169 also expanded the special license concept to provide an additional tag for auction or raffle by the Keystone Elk Country Alliance (KECA), the organization that manages the Elk Country Visitors’ Center in Benezette, Elk County.

This year the tag was sold for $52,500 on Jan. 31, at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation's  Hunters Rendezvous Auction, at which several special elk licenses were auctioned off to raise money for conservation. To learn  more about this read PGC News Release #009-15.


While the auctioning of tags has won wide acclaim as a fundraising method, it has also attracted criticism as favoring the wealthy over the average hunter.

According to the Census Bureau, the median household income for Pennsylvania is $ $52,548, and $45,767 for Elk County. Per capita income is listed as $28,502 for Pennsylvania  and  $23,738 for Elk County. All figures are in 2013 dollars. Source: United States Census Bureau Quick Facts .  When one considers this, it is not hard to figure that very few working class people can compete for these tags as a tag is likely to go for more than what one can earn in a year.

The second license as raffled off by the Keystone Elk Country Alliance avoids much of this stigma as almost anyone can afford to participate with chances costing $25 each, or six chances for $100 in the 2014 drawing.  Those who are successful in either the auction or the raffle are also required to buy the either a $25.00 resident ($25.00) or non-resident ( $250.00) elk hunting license in addition to a general hunting license, which was $20.70 for a resident adult or $101.70 for an adult non-resident license in 2014.

It is especially noteworthy that the raffle raised almost $160,000, which is about three times as much as the auctioned tag brought.

While most of the News Release is devoted to the auction, Executive Director Matt Hough is quoted near the end as saying,  “The opportunity to hunt Pennsylvania’s elk only tells part of the story,” Hough said. “Every year, thousands visit the elk range to learn about elk and to see these majestic animals up close."

“Pennsylvania’s elk certainly are something to get excited about, and tens of thousands of people are showing they understand that,” Hough said.

The release goes on to point out that," the Rocky Mountain Elk (RMEF), which has about 11,000 members who are Pennsylvanians, has been an important partner to the Pennsylvania Game Commission for many years. Since 1991, the foundation and its partners have completed 351 conservation and hunting-heritage outreach projects in Pennsylvania, with a combined value of more than $22.6 million."

"RMEF has made 10 land acquisitions that have opened or secured public access to 8,546 acres on Pennsylvania’s elk range, and has been involved with land-enhancement projects on the elk range that total another 7,064 acres."

From my perspective this brings us back to the controversy that raged recently about banning access to State Game Lands "SGLS" during significant portions of the year to all but those actively engaged in hunting or trapping. To their credit it seems that many PGC officials do not want this to happen, but some seem to be determined that some version of this will be passed in the future..  At this point the Agency should be reaching out to both their core constituency of hunters and trappers and to the non-consumptive users of public lands as well,  with a view toward managing the wildlife and wild-lands of The Commonwealth for the benefit and use of all who enjoy our wonderful wildlife heritage..

Originally published at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.