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State Representative 

Scott Hutchinson’sSpecial Report for Hunting and Fishing

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDHARRISBURG, PAPERMIT NO. 432

Legislation Furthering Second Amendment Rights

Signed into Law‘Castle Doctrine’ reinforces individual’s right to defend themselves against intruders LegislationIco-sponsoredpermittinglaw-abidingcitizenstouseforce,includingdeadly

force,againstanattackerintheirhomesandanyplacesoutsidetheirhomeoroccupiedvehiclehasbeensignedintolaw. Thislegislation,commonlyknownastheCastleDoctrine,betterclariestheuseofdeadly

forceindefenseofselfandotherswithinanindividual’sresidenceoroccupiedvehicle.Itcreatesinlawapresumptionthatanattackerorintruderintendstodogreatbodilyharm,andthereforeforce,includingdeadlyforce,maybeusedtoprotectoneself,one’sfamilyandothersinthefaceofanattackwhileathomeorinanoccupiedvehicle.Thepresumption

alsoappliesifapersonistryingtounlawfullyremoveanoccupant,againsttheoccupant’swill,fromahomeorvehicle. Thepresumptionwouldnotapplyifthepersonenteringahomewas:

Anotherresidentofthehome.

Alawenforcementocer.

Aparent,grandparentorotherguardianremovingachildfromthehomeorvehicle.

Also,thepresumptionwouldnotapplyifapersonwasusingtheirhomeorvehicletofurthercriminalactivity.Thislawdoesnotendorseorsanctionunlawfulaggression,nordoesitapplyifthepersonenteringyourhomeisanotherresidentoralawenforcementocer. Thelegislationalsooersspecicprotectionagainstcivilliabilityforthelawfuluseof

forceinself-defense. ThegovernorsignedtheCastleDoctrineintolawasAct10of2011onJune28.

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Pennsylvania Game

Commissionwww.pgc.state.pa.us

Fish and Boat Commission

www.fsh.state.pa.us 

Department of Conservation

and Natural Resources

www.dcnr.state.pa.us  

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicewww.ws.gov

National Rie Association

www.nra.org

SPORTSMEN’S

web links

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Game Land Shooting Range Permits RequiredAsofApril1,theGameCommissionwillberequiring

usersofstategamelandshootingrangestopossesseitheravalidPennsylvaniahuntingorfurtakerlicenseorpurchaseaGameCommission-issuedrangepermit,whichwillcost

$30peryearforresidentsandnonresidents. TheGameCommissionhasmadenumerousimprove-

mentstoits29stategamelandshootingranges,suchasleadremediation,safetybarrierreconstruction,shootingrangeredesignand

relatedprojects.Persons16yearsofageandyoungerproperlyaccompaniedbyalicensed

orpermittedperson18yearsofageorolderareexemptfromtherangepermitrequirement,andeachlicensedhunterorrangepermitholdercanhaveone

guest.Fortherstyear,permitswillbeeectivefromApril1,2011,untilJune30,2012.Aftertherstyear,eachpermitissuedwillbevalidfromJuly1untilJune30.

Permitswillbeavailablethroughthecommission’swebsiteatpgc.state.pa.us.Followingthepurchase,whichwillrequirepaymentbycreditordebitcards,

adown-loadablepermitwillbeprovidedandcanbeprintedonahomecom-puter.PermitswillalsobesoldbycreditcardonlyattheGameCommission

headquartersinHarrisburgandinthecommission’ssixregionaloces.

2010-11 Deer HarvestAccordingtothePennsylvaniaGame

Commission,huntersharvestedanesti-mated316,240deerinthestate’s2010-11seasons,anincreaseof2percentfrom

thepreviousseasons,whentheharvestwas308,920.Hunterstook122,930antlereddeer

inthe2010-11seasons,anincreaseof

13percentfromthepreviouslicenseyear’sharvestof108,330.Also,huntersharvested193,310antlerlessdeerin2010-11,whichisadecreaseof4percent

fromthe200,590antlerlessdeertakenin2009-10.

Mentored Youth Hunting

Legislation Signed Into Law

OnJune24,legislationcreatingamentored

youthhuntingprogramwassignedintolawas

Act9of2011.

 ThelawpermitsthePennsylvaniaGame

CommissiontoenactregulationsforaMentored

YouthHuntingProgram(MYHP).Thisincludesallowingthetransferofcertaintagsorpermits

fromalicensedmentorhuntertoayouthhunter

participatingintheMYHP.

 Thelawlimitsyounghunterstooneanterless

deerlicenseineachlicenseyear.Also,thelaw

reducestheagerequirementforanindividual

toreceiveafalconrypermitwasreducedfrom

16to12yearsofage.

 TheMYHPwascreatedin2006to expand

youthhuntingopportunitiesandpromotehunt-

ingsafetyforhuntersundertheageof12.Thegoalistoinstillaloveoftheoutdoors,toincrease

interestinhuntingandtoprovidehuntingexperi-

enceatanearlyage.

Game Code Violations,

Poaching Law Penalties Increase

UnderAct54of2010,nesandpenaltiesforanumberofGameandWildlifeCodeviolationssignicantlyincreased.Finesforillegallykillinggameorwildlife;knowingly,intentionallyorreck-

lesslyattempting,aiding,abetting,orconspiringinthekillingofwildlife;illegallysellinggameoranimalparts;andtrespassingwhilehuntingareallalsoincreased.Finesandjailtimeforviolationsincrease,asdoestheduration

ofsuspensions,denialsandrevocationsoflicenses.

New Law Increases Penalties or

Boating Under the Inuence

Anewstatelawincreasesthelegalpenaltyforahomicidecaused

bysomeoneoperatingawatercraftwhileundertheinuenceofdrugsoralcohol.Act33of2011bringsthepenaltyfordrunkenboatingthatresults

inahomicideinlinewiththepenaltiesforvehicularhomicidescaused

bydriverswhoareundertheinuenceofdrugsoralcohol. Thenewlawchangesthepenaltyforhomicidebywatercraftwhile

undertheinuencefromathird-degreefelonytoasecond-degreefelony.

 ThelegislationwassignedintolawonJuly7.

www.RepHutchinson.com

REPRESENTaTivE ScOTT HuTcHiNSON

HARRISBURG OFFICE:

Room152,MainCapitolBuilding

POBox202064Harrisburg,PA17120-2064

(717)783-8188FAX:(717)705-1945

e-mail:shutchin@pahousegop.com

LOCAL OFFICES:

302SenecaStreetOilCity,PA16301(814)677-6363

(800)645-0281(TollFree)

FAX:(814)676-1653

42913thStreet,SuiteBFranklin,PA16323

(814)437-2110FAX:(814)437-4819

Legis ative Update  www.RepHutchinson.com

Deer Herd Management Court Case Dismissed

AcourtcasebroughtbytheUniedSportsmenof

PennsylvaniaagainstthePennsylvaniaGameCom-missionhasbeendismissedbyCommonwealthCourt. Thesuitallegedmismanagementofthedeerherd.

 ThedecisionbySeniorJudgeBarryF.FeudalewashandeddownFeb.8.Forthepastdecade,theGameCommissionwasworkingtostabilize

thenumberofdeersothatitalignedwiththeavailablehabitat.

 Theopinionsaidthecasewasunfounded,withoutexperttestimonytobackupmismanagementclaims,andconcludedthatthestate’sdeerpopulationwasnotbelowsustainablelevels,asthelawsuitsuggested. Theopinionrecognizedthatdeermanagementisdiscretionary,notan

exactscience.