For landowners who are reluctant to allow hunting on their property, Senate Bill 648 sponsored by Pennsylvania Senator Alloway, now protects them from liability for actions of others.

The Bill received final passage on May 8 by a vote of 49-0. It amends the Game and Wildlife Code (Title 34) to ensure landowners who allow hunting on their property to not be subject to prosecution for Code violations committed by the hunters whom the landowner has allowed to hunt. The Bill also states that they shall not be liable for any unlawful acts committed by that person so long as no fee, payment of gratuity is paid.

Hopefully, SB 648 will open up more private land for hunters who were, in the past, not allowed hunting privileges for fear of liability be it for an illegal shooting or even falling out of a tree stand.

"It's a long time coming and SB 648 states it the way it should be and should have been across the board. It's about time hunters take responsibility for their action, not the landowner," says Bob Danenhower of Bob's Wildlife Taxidermy in Orefield and an avid hunter who himself hunts private land.

Danenhower adds, "Once a hunter gains hunting access, he should respect the landowners property by closing gates, not littering and returning the favor by helping the farmer on his farm or landowner in cleaning up downed trees and other chores. And it's not considered gratuity if the hunter gives the landowner some wild game meat he harvested from his land."

On other hunting news, the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs has supported Rep. Deborah Kula's proposed legislation that would restrict the length of and changing the start date of antlerless deer seasons.

Rep Kula states in a prepared PFSC release, "In the near future I will introduce legislation that will restrict doe (antlerless deer) season to only three days, and only permit its commencement after the conclusion of rifled buck (antlered deer) season."

She goes on to say, "For decades, this is how deer season was structured in Pennsylvania. The separation of one for doe season – created an air of excitement and maximized hunter participation. Unfortunately, much of that excitement and participation has disappeared, along with the deer, due to the lumping together and overlap of those seasons by the Game Commission."

"In accordance with our great hunting tradition, this rewind simply makes sense. From a tangible aspect, starting doe season later and only after buck season is over, will enable doe deer to be more elusive, creating a more challenging hunt while helping to cultivate the overall deer population."

She adds, "Hunters who I have spoken with want to return to the days of years gone by where deer sightings were much more plentiful and doe season was its own special occasion. This legislation will do just that," she opines.