If you’re a hunter and overlooked it, Monday, July 11, was the first day to submit your application for an antlerless deer license. And when you do, the Pennsylvania Game Commission advises to closely follow the application instructions and to pay attention to key dates because there have been some changes in the process.

The one change this year is that nonresidents may apply for an antlerless license beginning July 18, a week after sales to resident hunters. This is shorter than previous years when nonresident weren’t permitted to apply until the third week of sales.

Additionally, licenses have gone up by 20 cents due to a contract extension to continue the Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS) who administers the automated site. As such, resident applicants must now make their checks or money orders out for $6.90 for each license applied for. The application fee for nonresidents is $26.90 per license.

According to the PGC, there are 748,000 antlerless licenses being made available statewide. This is, says the agency, a slight increase over last year’s allocation. It was added that the license allocation in 21 of Pennsylvania’s 23 WMUs has held steady or decreased this year and that the statewide allocation has been reduced significantly in recent years. If you’re interested in the allocation numbers, as well as the sellout dates that took place in 2015, check the 2016-17 PA Hunting & Trapping Digest.

Insofar as remaining licenses, residents and nonresidents may apply for a second license beginning Aug. 1, and a third license Aug. 15. Of course all applications must be mailed in the proper pink envelope provided at time of purchasing the general hunting license. And as usual, applications may be mailed to any county treasurer’s office with the exception of Philadelphia and Lehigh counties. There was a proposal to allow sportsmen to purchase licenses and antlerless licenses similar to the way automated fishing licenses are purchased. But so far the proposal is in limbo.

In most parts of the state, hunters are limited to purchasing a total of three antlerless licenses except in WMUs 2B, 5C, and 5D where an unlimited number of licenses can be obtained. If licenses remain, over-the-counter sales begin Aug. 22 in WMU’s 2B, 5C and 5D, and Oct. 3 in all other WMUs, says the PGC.

GAMO ACQUIRES DAISY

“Be careful or you’ll shoot your eye out.”

That famous line in the Christmas Story TV movie will live on forever as will (hopefully) Daisy.

As announced on The Outdoor Wire, Gamo Outdoor USA has purchased Daisy and its recognized brands of air guns and accessories.

The famed Daisy got its start way back in 1886 and is the world’s oldest and largest manufacturer of air guns. The company has been accredited with introducing more young shooters to shooting fun and shooting safety. And that includes this formerly young shooter as well. In fact, I still have my Daisy Red Ryder BB rifle that should be a collector’s item since its 63 years old and still shoots, albeit with a lot less power.

Gamo manufactures and markets a diverse portfolio of outdoor sporting goods under such names as GAMO and their high-powered pellet air rifles, BSA Optics, Laser Genetics, Aftermath and is the distributor of BSA Guns and Joker Knives. Gamo’s parent company is New York-based private equity investment firm BRS.