New opportunities may be coming for disabled hunters

Posted on: September 1, 2017 | Bob Frye | Comments

Not this fall, but soon.

Disabled hunters who need a little extra help getting around the woods may have more options.

After roughly two years of review and debate — within the agency, with the Department of Justice and among the public — the Pennsylvania Game Commission is poised to consider new rules aimed at giving disabled hunters get better access to state game lands.

Right now, hunters with a permanent disabled persons permit can get permission to use an all-terrain vehicle on certain state game lands roads.

That’s not always enough, said Pete Sussenbach, director of the commission’s bureau of habitat management.

“We all know, that for a hunter who is truly disabled, it’s a challenge to get on that ATV, shift it, and do all the things necessary to get back in and hunt safely,” Sussenbach said.

Most game lands roads are open only to foot traffic.

Hunters with a disabled persons permit are allowed to access some game lands roads that are otherwise closed to traffic.
Bob Frye/Everybody Adventures

So, at their September 25-26 meeting, board members will look at a proposal allowing for the use of “OPMDs,” or “other-powered mobility devices,” and UTVs, or utility terrain vehicles.

Together, that would take in things like electric scooters and golf cart-like vehicles.

All would have to meet certain requirements to qualify.

Those specifics are still being discussed among staff. But it might be that they could be no more than 65 inches wide, weigh no more than 1,200 pounds and be capable of traveling no faster than three miles per hour. There would also be limits on how loud they could be.

Those limitations are meant to offer protections, Sussenbach said.

“We don’t want there to be any negative environmental impacts. We don’t want there to be any negative impacts for other hunters,” he said.

But, he believes, it’s possible to do all that while helping disabled hunters who need it.

“That person is not being given any advantage over other hunters,” Sussenbach said. “But this does level the playing field for that person. These vehicles are just meant to replace their legs.”

“I think that’s a good solution,” said commissioner Dave Putnam of Centre County.

Commission president Brian Hoover of Chester County supports the proposal, too. That’s especially so because of all the new electric-powered devices coming out, he said.

“There’s a lot of technology coming out now because our population as a whole is aging,” he noted. “I think we’re going to see a lot more of that. We have to adapt somewhat to it.”

Just what roads disabled hunters could access is still to be determined.

Two options are under review.

The commission could limit hunters to existing disabled access roads, Sussenbach said. It might also, though, go to a system whereby disabled hunters could ask for permission to use specific roads, he added.

In that case, a disabled hunter would petition the commission for access to a road. The commission would examine the road and determine whether it could be negotiated safely and whether allowing any type of vehicle on it would have negative impacts.

Some “roads,” for example, are really “linear food plots” in which the commission has invested lots of money.
Sussenbach said he would not want driving on those roads.

But if a hunter wants to get behind a gate on a road that can handle the traffic, perhaps allowing that makes sense, Sussenbach said.

“It would give them other opportunities,” he said.

If given preliminary approval by the board later this month, the rules change would still need final approval. That won’t before January, at the earliest.

That means the rules wouldn’t go into effect before fall of 2018.

But it’s a start, Sussenbach said.

Putnam called it a good one.

“I think it’s a very good, flexible policy. You might find you have to adjust it later. But it was a very difficult, challenging problem to solve,” he said.

“But I think you really captured what you need to.”

Sussenbach said the rules will succeed if they allow hunters experiencing physical challenges to stay in the game.

“Hopefully we can keep these guys out there hunting, enjoying our tradition with their friends and families. And at the same time, protect and safeguard the game lands, which obviously are very important to us,” Sussenbach said.

Access for other hunters

What about hunters who are aging and, while not disabled, not as fit as they once were?

The Game Commission may eventually offer them help, too.

Pete Sussenbach, head of the agency’s bureau of habitat management, said staff is discussing what he termed “game retrieval roads.”

Right now, hunters who shoot a deer or bear – no matter how big it is or how far away — have to drag it to the lot where they’re parked.

With game retrieval roads, hunters would drag the animal just as far as that road. Then, they could go get their vehicle and drive it back.

Driving on the roads for any other use would remain prohibited, Sussenbach said.

There’s no guarantee the commission will in fact designate such roads, he added. There’s no timeline either.

The one thing that is certain is that no such roads will be designated by this fall’s hunting seasons, Sussenbach said.

“We’re just looking at it as a possibility going forward. We’re looking to see if we can maintain the integrity of the game lands while accommodating an aging hunter population,” he explained.

Commissioner Dave Putnam thinks the idea has merit. It would do a lot to get hunters into more remote areas, he suggested.

“You’re going to get better use of those areas,” He said. “I know myself, I’ve got a line. I’ll shoot a buck past that line, but I’m not shooting a doe back there.”

Sussenbach agreed, and said such roads could really help hunters in archery season.

He’s had times himself, he said, when he’s killed a deer three miles from his vehicle, right at dusk. That’s meant a hike to his vehicle to get a cart, a return to the deer, then a return to the vehicle.

The result was a long, exhausting night, he said.

“If I know all I’ve got to do is get my deer a quarter mile to a main road, then I can drive in and get it, I think there’s a lot of value to our hunters there,” he said.

Commissioner Brian Hoover agreed.

“I’m glad we’re looking at that,” he said.

Bob Frye is the everybodyadventures.com editor. Reach him at 412-838-5148 or bfrye@535mediallc.com. See other stories, blogs, videos and more at everybodyadventures.com.

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