Who's Gonna Fill Our Boots?

Emphasizing the role and responsibility of all Pennsylvania hunters to continue the work our ancestors left behind

By: Jennifer Guerriero

If you’ve never heard the song, “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes” by George Jones, you are most certainly missing out. A ballad that reaches deep into the roots of country music and encourages listeners to reflect on the artists who shaped country music long ago.

I recently heard this very song, seated at the table of my family’s tiny hunting camp nestled deep in the Pennsylvania wilds. As I peered up at the bunk bed where our boots are neatly tucked I noticed a pair that is crumbled over and collecting dust. Not far from these boots hang a faded orange hat, a button-down shirt and work pants; all items that belong to the very man who introduced me to hunting, my Gramps.

As we enter two of the most popular Pennsylvania hunting seasons (bear and deer rifle), consider the following:

• Who taught you how to hunt?

• Who paid for your hunting license?

• Whose hand-me-downs did you wear?

• Who drove you to your hunting location?

• Who provided meals?

STAKEHOLDERS

The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) marketing strategy has shifted to incorporate more social media campaigns to catch the eyes of younger, potential hunters. Increased use of video reels, and references to movies like “Mean Girls” to appeal to younger [female] hunters are applaudable efforts however we may be excluding critical demographics.

We cannot dismiss, disregard, and especially not discriminate against our primary sources of recruitment, retention and reactivation (the 3R’s); these sources being our middle-aged and senior hunters.

There have been a series of changes that have impacted Pennsylvania hunters such as the removal of the popular small-game Saturday, banning rifles for fall turkey and unquestionably the most controversial change, moving the deer rifle opener from Monday after Thanksgiving to Saturday.

MINORITY WINS?

The decision lacked both justification and buy-in. There was no biological basis and the data collected by the PGC showed that hunters strongly preferred the opener to remain as Monday.

When the PGC Board voted to change the opener to Saturday, they voted in alignment with the minority. Is the PGC Board too elite to follow the voting process where the majority wins?

The reality is that hunting license sales continue to decrease year after year. You might argue that this is occurring nationwide and my response to you would be, “Yes, but have we accelerated the decline in Pennsylvania”? Derek Stoner, PGC Hunter Outreach Coordinator predicted that any gains from this change would be offset by losses from those who may protest the change. A wise prediction, indeed, that has been proven over time.

A PATH FORWARD

It takes courage to right the wrongs but PGC leadership needs to take thoughtful action:

• Make justifiable changes backed by research, data and hunter input.

• Support the 3R’s by engaging all demographics including middle-aged and senior hunters.

• Vote in (not appoint) the members of the PGC board of commissioners to ensure the voices of the hunters are heard and acted upon.

• Focus on deer management which continues to rank of highest concern in hunter surveys.

• Last and most critical, revert the rifle deer opener back to Monday; the data certainly supports it.

If we act now and quite simply do the right thing, we might have a chance at moving past this 6-year conflict and diminish the risk of further damage to our sport.

After all, who’s gonna fill our boots?