PGC Meetings Sunday January 24th is the 1st day of the January 2010 PGC Meetings in Harrisburg. We need to have a very large turnout at this meeting, The PGC must hear from everyone regarding their failed deer management. Please plan to attend and participate. And, also encourage ALL of your sportsmen friends to do the same. Yes, a ride to Harrisburg is not convenient, but the future of deer hunting is at stake. Let's set aside the inconvenience and the expense and instead let's consider this to be a "must do" activity. We have just experienced the worst deer hunting season in memory. Grumbling among ourselves will not accomplish anything. The PGC must have a waiting list of signed-in speakers that will be overwheming if we expect to get their attention. Speaking time is generally limited to 5 minutes. Most of us could not vent everything in 5 minutes, but that's part of the PGC's game. When you sign-in, do so as an individual... not as a representive of the USP. The PGC may limit organizational participants to just one (1) from each organization. Regards, Bill Miller The PGC Meeting Preliminary Agenda: Board of Game Commissioners to meet on Jan. 24-26, 2010 The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners will hold its first meeting of 2010 on Jan. 24, 25 and 26, in the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters, 2001 Elmerton Ave., just off the Progress Avenue exit of Interstate 81. A copy of the agenda for the meeting will be posted on the agency's website prior to the meeting. On Sunday, Jan. 24, beginning at 1 p.m., the Board will hear public recommendations for 2001-11 hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits. Doors will open at noon. Individuals interested in offering public testimony - limited to five minutes -- may begin to register at noon on a first-come, first-to-speak basis. On Monday, Jan. 25, the Board will gather any additional public comments and hear Game Commission staff reports beginning at 8:30 a.m. Doors open at 7:45 a.m. Registration for those interested in offering public testimony - limited to five minutes - also will begin at that time. On Tuesday, Jan. 26, beginning at 8:30 a.m., the Game Commission will take up its prepared agenda to, among other things, give preliminary approval to hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2010-11. Doors open at 7:45 a.m. Antlerless deer license allocations for the 2010-11 seasons will be presented for the Board to consider at its meeting in April. Harvest results from the 2009-10 deer seasons will be announced in mid-March. Also, on Jan. 26, the Board will set its other meeting dates for 2010. USP Membership Center at Jake’s Sunoco in South Williamsport on Route 15. Unified Sportsmen of PA Legal Defense Fund Financial donations in support of the lawsuit will be greatfully accepted. Please make check payable to: USP and send your donation to: Dr. N. Charles Bolgiano 824 Dorsea Road Lancaster, PA 17601 For USP Membership information. Call John Johnson at 717-657-6264 Click here to print legal defense fund donation form.

About USP The USP has served the grassroots sportsmen of Pennsylvania by representing tens of thousands of sportsmen for regulatory relief and legislative help. Without your continued support, the Unified Sportsmen would not be recognized today as the most influential sportsmen's organization in Pennsylvania. For this reason, we ask that you continue to support USP efforts to defend and promote our rights of hunting, fishing, trapping and shooting. These are difficult times for our nation and state. They are also difficult times for sportsmen in Pennsylvania. We need to be united to exercise vigilance against those who intend to treat our sports as mere secondary items of importance. Why Join the Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania? Unified Sportsmen is leading the charge to pass HB 1512, which will guarantee the future right of all Pennsylvanian’s to hunt, fish, shoot, and trap. Unified Sportsmen is strongly opposed to any merger of the Fish and Game Commission into one organization, and will continue to fight for the independence of our state agencies. Unified Sportsmen is leading the opposition to the Game Commission’s massive deer reduction plan by adapting the following positions: Pennsylvania’s deer population is grossly overestimated by the PGC. The PGC does not have a credible system for determining deer harvests, and consequently does not have an accurate count of how many deer actually exist in the Commonwealth. There is a major discrepancy between the number of deer on private land vs. public land, as we continue to reduce an already depleted herd on public land while private land is the source of our over-population problems. The buck to doe ratio is not nearly out of balance as the PGC claims. Antler Restrictions have been found to be detrimental to the deer herd in other states, and there is no reason to believe it will be successful here. The existing deer management plan is devoid of desired deer population numbers, and is instead basing the appropriate number of deer on subjective evaluations such as the existence of desired plant species. Unified Sportsmen has challenged the Game Commission to improve the habitat on State Game Lands to sustain hunt able game populations, instead of managing primarily for timber. Unified Sportsmen believe that our youth are the future of hunting, fishing, and trapping, and every effort should be made to enhance their opportunity. The Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania is a thriving organization looking to expand our membership as we seek to represent what we perceive to be the voice of Pennsylvania’s sportsmen. We welcome members as well as influential people from around the state to attend our semi-annual meetings, and offer their input on current issues. We publish a bi-monthly newspaper, Pennsylvania Woods & Waters, which is mailed to members, Legislators, and Government agencies to keep the public abreast of sportsmen’s issues. We also maintain a lobbyist in Harrisburg to take issues to our legislature when warranted. The USP believes that being politically correct is counter-productive to the quality of hunting, fishing, shooting, and trapping. Our Officers and Directors are all unpaid volunteers who are free to speak their minds without jeopardizing alliances with other factions within our state. If this sounds like an organization that represents your interests and beliefs, we would appreciate your support. Please contact our Membership Division at 717-651-6669 or visit our Membership Application page for our joining options. Our Mission The purpose of the Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania is to bring attention to important issues relating to hunting, fishing, trapping and shooting. To promote and maintain high standards in conservation of our natural resources. To cooperate with State and Federal agencies and all sportsmen organizations to protect and achieve needs of both wildlife and sportsmen. To defend our heritage right to hunt, fish, trap, and to protect our Constitutional Right to keep and bear arms. To promote programs to educate the public about hunting, fishing, trapping and shooting for all future generations. Being the largest independent statewide sportsmen organization in Pennsylvania, we can accomplish a lot with just a small amount of money. All of the USP officers are highly motivated, interested, knowledgeable sportsmen and all are non salaried. Even our professional full time lobbyist in Harrisburg is a non salaried officer. However even the USP can not perform miracles, and cannot exist without you as a member.

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Another Disappointing Deer Season?

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