By Walter F. NaedeleInquirer
Philadelphia Enquirer
The Pennsylvania Game Commission gave preliminary approval yesterday to use of an ancient spear-throwing weapon to hunt deer, beginning this autumn.
Spokesman Jerry Feaser said the commissioners would take a final vote on the atlatl at their quarterly meeting on April 17-18.
The atlatl, pronounced AHT-laht-l, is a two-foot-long wooden pole which, when wielded like a lacrosse stick, releases a six- to seven-foot spear.
The unanimous vote of the eight commissioners rejected a staff recommendation, released by the commission on Jan. 10, to deny the use of the atlatl to hunters.
"The staff is not convinced," the recommendation had stated, that an atlatl "in the hands of the average hunter, possesses sufficient lethality to ethically and humanely harvest a deer in Pennsylvania."
But in a telephone interview yesterday, commissioner Stephen L. Mohr said his staff had opposed the weapon "without seeing physical evidence of the competency of the atlatl."
"The staff was going by printed material," Mohr said.
"At least one of the commissioners has witnessed the capability of the atlatl - I, myself."
Though he never has used it, Mohr said that a few years ago, at a private hunting ground, he saw a hunter kill a wild boar with an atlatl.
State regulations do not apply to private sites, he said.
Heidi Prescott, senior vice president of campaigns for the Humane Society, said yesterday that her agency was "surprised" by the commission's vote because it "flouted recommendations of the staff."
"What are they going to do," she said of hunters' using the ancient weapon, "run around in loincloths killing animals with spears?"
She said the Humane Society would lobby state lawmakers to prevent the licensing of the atlatl.
"The Pennsylvania legislature does not want Pennsylvania to be the laughingstock of the country," she said.
Fewer than 100 hunters are likely to use the atlatl, Mohr said, compared with the 855,000 licensed to hunt in the 2005-06 season.
"The only people that I can see that would take this weapon into the field to harvest are those who have already mastered it," Mohr said.
A Lancaster County farmer who represents 11 counties on the commission, Mohr said all hunting seasons and all bag limits would be decided in April.
Earlier this month, Gary L. Fogelman, president of the 30-member Pennsylvania Atlatl Association, said the number of hunters "would be minuscule."
In other action yesterday:
The commissioners postponed final approval of the 2006-07 hunting seasons until the April meeting, saying that more harvest data would be available then.
For the first time in years, a fight for the presidency of the Board of Game Commissioners was played out in public, with repeated 4-4 votes over several hours before Roxane Palone of Greene County settled for vice president, giving Thomas Boop of Northumberland County the top post. Gregory J. Isabella of South Philadelphia was elected secretary.
It was unclear last night whether the delay in setting harvest seasons or the protracted election signaled a change in direction for deer management, one of the most divisive issues of the last several years. Some hunters have pushed the commissioners to roll back expanded seasons that they believe resulted in an overharvest for several years. Boop has been their strongest supporter on the commission.
Crossbows were given final approval for use in turkey seasons statewide, beginning this spring. Crossbows currently are allowed during all deer seasons in urbanized Southeastern Pennsylvania, where rifles are prohibited, but are restricted in most of the state. The restrictions are expected to be reexamined in April.
Contact staff writer Walter F. Naedele at 215-345-7768 or at wnaedele@phillynews.com. Inquirer staff writer Don Sapatkin contributed to this article.
For discount sporting goods visit: http://www.rifles-n-rods.com
Philadelphia Enquirer
The Pennsylvania Game Commission gave preliminary approval yesterday to use of an ancient spear-throwing weapon to hunt deer, beginning this autumn.
Spokesman Jerry Feaser said the commissioners would take a final vote on the atlatl at their quarterly meeting on April 17-18.
The atlatl, pronounced AHT-laht-l, is a two-foot-long wooden pole which, when wielded like a lacrosse stick, releases a six- to seven-foot spear.
The unanimous vote of the eight commissioners rejected a staff recommendation, released by the commission on Jan. 10, to deny the use of the atlatl to hunters.
"The staff is not convinced," the recommendation had stated, that an atlatl "in the hands of the average hunter, possesses sufficient lethality to ethically and humanely harvest a deer in Pennsylvania."
But in a telephone interview yesterday, commissioner Stephen L. Mohr said his staff had opposed the weapon "without seeing physical evidence of the competency of the atlatl."
"The staff was going by printed material," Mohr said.
"At least one of the commissioners has witnessed the capability of the atlatl - I, myself."
Though he never has used it, Mohr said that a few years ago, at a private hunting ground, he saw a hunter kill a wild boar with an atlatl.
State regulations do not apply to private sites, he said.
Heidi Prescott, senior vice president of campaigns for the Humane Society, said yesterday that her agency was "surprised" by the commission's vote because it "flouted recommendations of the staff."
"What are they going to do," she said of hunters' using the ancient weapon, "run around in loincloths killing animals with spears?"
She said the Humane Society would lobby state lawmakers to prevent the licensing of the atlatl.
"The Pennsylvania legislature does not want Pennsylvania to be the laughingstock of the country," she said.
Fewer than 100 hunters are likely to use the atlatl, Mohr said, compared with the 855,000 licensed to hunt in the 2005-06 season.
"The only people that I can see that would take this weapon into the field to harvest are those who have already mastered it," Mohr said.
A Lancaster County farmer who represents 11 counties on the commission, Mohr said all hunting seasons and all bag limits would be decided in April.
Earlier this month, Gary L. Fogelman, president of the 30-member Pennsylvania Atlatl Association, said the number of hunters "would be minuscule."
In other action yesterday:
The commissioners postponed final approval of the 2006-07 hunting seasons until the April meeting, saying that more harvest data would be available then.
For the first time in years, a fight for the presidency of the Board of Game Commissioners was played out in public, with repeated 4-4 votes over several hours before Roxane Palone of Greene County settled for vice president, giving Thomas Boop of Northumberland County the top post. Gregory J. Isabella of South Philadelphia was elected secretary.
It was unclear last night whether the delay in setting harvest seasons or the protracted election signaled a change in direction for deer management, one of the most divisive issues of the last several years. Some hunters have pushed the commissioners to roll back expanded seasons that they believe resulted in an overharvest for several years. Boop has been their strongest supporter on the commission.
Crossbows were given final approval for use in turkey seasons statewide, beginning this spring. Crossbows currently are allowed during all deer seasons in urbanized Southeastern Pennsylvania, where rifles are prohibited, but are restricted in most of the state. The restrictions are expected to be reexamined in April.
Contact staff writer Walter F. Naedele at 215-345-7768 or at wnaedele@phillynews.com. Inquirer staff writer Don Sapatkin contributed to this article.
For discount sporting goods visit: http://www.rifles-n-rods.com