Rep. James Malone, D-Lititz, is pictured during an October event in the state Capitol.

There are no shortage of ideas floating around Harrisburg to increase the number of young hunters in the state.

The newest idea comes from House Rep. James Malone, D-Lititz, who is circulating a co-sponsorship memorandum for legislation he is drafting that will make first-time hunters eligible for a free antlerless deer tag that is valid for one year after completion of a state Game Commission Hunter-Trapper Education Course. Malone said Pennsylvania has the second-largest number of licensed hunters in the country, with more than 840,000 hunting licenses sold – but those ranks are decreasing over time.

“However, hunter participation has declined in recent years,” Malone said. “Affordability has become a challenge for many new hunters as the cost of hunting equipment and materials rise. Further, due to the decline in hunters, deer populations across the state have grown beyond what our environment and communities can support. Damaged crops put our farms at risk, and overgrazed forests threaten habitats for all species of wildlife. Higher deer populations are also causing more animal/vehicle collisions on our roads, with 150,000 claims each year, the highest number of any state in the nation. As fewer young people join our ranks of hunters, these problems will likely grow with the next generation.”

The state Game Commission took action in November with its own program to allow all mentored hunters – including those under the age of 7 – to get big-game harvest tags with their permits.

The mentored hunting program allows young and inexperienced hunters to hunt under the guidance and supervision of a mentor if they obtain a permit and follow all program requirements. The measure still needs final approval in January.

Under the present system, most mentored hunters receive antlered deer, fall turkey and spring turkey harvest tags with their permits, but mentored hunters who are younger than 7 when they obtain their permits do not, according to a state Game Commission news release. If a mentored hunter under 7 harvests an antlered deer or turkey, they must receive the appropriate big-game harvest tag from their mentor, meaning the mentor needs a valid tag to take them hunting. That can create challenges for mentors who accompany more than one child throughout the big-game hunting seasons. Furthermore, mentors who transfer their harvest tags to a successful mentored youth sacrifice their own ability to lawfully hunt for and harvest the species for which the tag was issued. Some believe this is unfair to mentors, who play a vital role in recruiting new hunters to carry on the hunting tradition and continue the important work of managing wildlife populations.

Commissioner Bob Schwalm, a dedicated advocate for youth hunters, and a mentor himself, pointed out the benefits of providing young hunters with opportunities.

“By introducing a youngster to hunting and conservation – before the distractions of school, organized sports and video games – I believe we can recruit lifelong hunters,” said Schwalm, of Bethlehem. “As a lifelong mentor, I can assure you it requires a great deal of time and effort to prepare a young hunter before heading out on a mentored hunt. We need to thank those mentors by allowing them to keep and use their own tags, not penalize them for their continued dedication and support of conservation in Pennsylvania.”

House Rep. Charity Krupa, R-Smithfield, recently introduced House Bill 1915 to establish a Youth Antlered Deer Hunting Day prior to the regular firearm season each year. Krupa said her proposal could overlap with the existing youth antlerless season. Pennsylvania currently has two pathways for young hunters, the mentored youth hunter programs for ages 7-12 and 12-16 for unlicensed hunters, and junior licensed hunters for those ages 12-16. Each licensed mentored youth hunter and licensed junior hunter would be eligible for one tag to be used in the new Youth Antlered Season in addition to their existing tag during the regular season.

Krupa’s bill has seven Republican co-sponsors and has been referred to the House Game and Fisheries Committee, where it has sat since Oct. 1 with no action.

“It is extremely important to encourage, educate, and involve our youth in Pennsylvania’s outdoor heritage – including hunting, trapping, and wildlife conservation,” Krupa wrote in her co-sponsorship memorandum. “By designating a dedicated day or days for young hunters to pursue antlered deer early in the season, we can provide a unique and memorable introduction to hunting that fosters future generations of responsible sportsmen and women.: