Subject: Sunday Hunting

President Boop, Commissioners, Executive Director Roe, Commission staff, I am Henry Karki.  I currently serve as Chairman of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau State Wildlife Committee, and also serve on the Board of Directors for Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is a statewide general farm organization representing more than 43,000 farm and rural families in the Commonwealth. On behalf of Farm Bureau, I want to thank you for this opportunity to offer testimony today.  I also am a member of, but am not representing the NRA, Ducks Unlimited, and Castlewood Rod and Gun Club. I own and operate a beef farm in Lawrence County.
As Chairman of the Farm Bureau Wildlife Committee, I continually hear from farmers about their wildlife related problems and concerns. This year we had large numbers of bear damage reported, including a number of areas where bear have rarely or never been a problem. With these new problem areas and with the most recently reported bear harvest statistics, we have a heightened concern about the problems that bear may pose for farmers and landowners in the future, and believe the bear population needs more serious monitoring.
Coyotes also have been problematic for farmers. As in many previous years, the Department of Agriculture’s $20,000 fund for coyote damage was exhausted last year by summer. We are encouraged by actions by this Commission’s policy on cable restraints, and your public relations campaign efforts to direct hunters to locations where game animals and furbearers are likely to be found. Although these measures are positive, we are concerned that these steps may not effectively address what appears to be a rapid increase in coyote populations, based reported occurrences of predation and coyote sightings.
We are encouraged by your proposed expansion of doe season in WMU’s 2B, 5C and 5D with an early archery season in September. We desperately need all the available tools and imaginative programs possible in these areas to curb damage and disease from white tailed deer. Please vote favorably on that provision.
Landowner liability has also become a major concern to farmers. Members at our November Annual Meeting were quick to address the issue and pass policy supporting legislative solutions. This is a priority issue for Farm Bureau. We must prevent liability issues from causing the loss of long-term and developing relationships between farmers and hunters. Farmers, who provide the majority of land access for hunting, should not have to worry about jeopardizing or losing their home and farm because they allow access to hunt. Farmers should not fear being held liable for accidents that are beyond their control and caused by the actions of someone else on their property.
Please continue to use science to base your decision-making. We ask that
concurrent seasons continue, and season lengths not be reduced. We believe that
 “Seasons and Bag Limits” need to be a constant for staff to be able to accurately
measure the affects of other adjustments in their management of the commonwealth’s
wildlife resources. Especially where deer management is concerned, it is important that
this Commission not make dramatic changes to the seasons and bag limits.
Thank you for allowing me to address you today. We have seen many program improvements recently that I believe have been helpful in addressing wildlife problems on farms. We encourage you to continue to improve flexibility to programs that mutually benefit farmers and hunters.