Roe also emphasized senior lifetime hunting and furtaker license holders, as well as senior combination license holders, must renew their licenses at this time. While senior lifetime license holders need not pay a license or transaction fee, they must obtain the current year's license and harvest tags.
While the 2012-13 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest regulations booklets won't be available until the week of June 18, a complete version of the publication will be posted on the agency's website. Those who purchase their licenses prior to delivery of the digests can return to the issuing agent of purchase and obtain a copy once the digests arrive in the store.
For the 2012-13 license year, all fees are the same as they have been since 1999. There is a 70-cent transaction fee attached to the purchase of each license and permit, which is paid directly to Active Outdoors, the Nashville-based company that runs PALS. Returning PALS customers are encouraged to provide their Customer Identification Number (CID) to speed up processing.
'PALS enabled the Game Commission to modernize the licensing system and improve security,' Roe said. 'To ensure faster processing, personal information is now recorded through a Pennsylvania driver's license scan. This eliminates data entry; provides a more secure, reliable and accurate means to gather and store license holder records; and eliminates license buyer duplicity.
'For all these reasons – and more – the Game Commission has eliminated paper applications. Nonresidents can purchase licenses through any of these venues, but the system cannot scan out-of-state driver's licenses.'
Roe noted that all license-issuing agents now are part of an integrated, real-time, cyber network that allows them to offer some specialty licenses that prior to 2009 could not be provided by all issuing agents under the old license system.
'All license agents now can issue senior lifetime licenses; reduced fee military licenses; Mentored Youth Hunting Program permits; elk drawing applications; bobcat and fisher permits; even resident landowner reduced-fee hunting licenses and Deer Management Assistance Program Harvest (DMAP) permits,' Roe said. 'Hunters also can purchase the special spring gobbler license, which allows them to harvest a second gobbler in the 2013 spring gobbler season.'
There are certain deadlines for some of these licenses and permits that hunters and trappers will need to keep in mind. Specifically, the deadline to purchase a bobcat or fisher permit is Dec. 14; and a 2013 second spring gobbler license is April 26.
Bear licenses must be purchased by Nov. 16 in order to participate in the early bear seasons and the statewide firearms bear season; but licenses will go on sale again from Nov. 22 to 25 for those seeking to participate in the extended bear seasons that run concurrent with all or portions of the first week of the firearms deer season in certain areas of the state.
Also, the application deadline to be in the public drawing for a 2012 elk license is Aug. 26; the public drawing will be held on Sept. 14.
'Hunters and trappers need to remember these deadlines if they're not purchasing these licenses or permits when they buy their general hunting or furtaking licenses,' Roe said. 'Otherwise they may miss their opportunity to purchase one of these licenses or permits before the deadline passes.'
Roe also noted, as originally envisioned by the U.S. Congress and the Pennsylvania General Assembly, PALS enables the agency to suspend issuing licenses to those, who through court order, have had their hunting license privileges revoked for failure to pay child support.
Roe reminded hunters that, under state law, only Pennsylvania County Treasurers may issue antlerless deer licenses. However, thanks to PALS, county treasurers now may issue an antlerless deer license for any WMU, so long as its allocation isn't sold out.
Applications for the regular round of antlerless deer licenses for residents begins July 9, and nonresidents can apply beginning July 30. An antlerless license application will be printed with every general license purchased, and an application also will be available in the 2012-13 Hunting and Trapping Digest for the first and second round of unsold antlerless deer licenses. The first round of unsold antlerless licenses will begin, for residents and nonresidents, on Aug. 6, and the second round of unsold antlerless licenses will begin on Aug. 20.
Except for Wildlife Management Units (WMU) 2B, 5C and 5D, hunters may only apply for one license during each application period. Hunters applying for antlerless licenses in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D may apply for an unlimited number of antlerless deer licenses – however, the longstanding limit of three applications per envelope remains in effect.
'Hunters must use pink envelopes to mail antlerless deer license applications to the county treasurer's office of their choice to process the applications and mail back antlerless deer licenses,' Roe said. 'Hunters will have the option of listing their first, second and third WMU preferences for doe licenses on their applications. Treasurers will fill the highest WMU preference listed by the hunter. This option will eliminate reapplication for a doe license if your first WMU preference – or second – is sold out. However, hunters do not need to list alternative WMUs if they only plan to hunt in one specific WMU.'
A list of the mailing addresses for the 65 county treasurer offices that issue antlerless deer licenses is included in the 2012-13 Digest, which is provided to each license buyer. More details on the new procedures for applying for a doe license can be found in the Digest, which will be posted in the right-hand column of the agency's website by June 11.
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