Some hunters and trappers may be permitted to pursue bobcats in parts of southwestern Pennsylvania beginning in October.

	HUNTING SEASONS 2004/05 The following are the dates for proposed 2004/2005 hunting seasons in Pennsylvania. Dates are 2004 unless noted. Squirrels: Oct. 9-15 (Junior hunters only) Squirrels: Oct. 16-Nov. 27; Dec. 13-23; Dec. 27-Feb. 5, 2005 Ruffed Grouse: Oct. 16-Nov. 27; Dec. 13-23; Dec. 27-Jan. 15, 2005 Rabbit: Oct. 23-Nov. 27; Dec. 13-23; Dec. 27-Feb. 5, 2005 Pheasant: Oct. 9-11 (Junior hunters only) Pheasant: Oct. 23-Nov. 27; Dec. 13-23; Dec. 27-Feb. 5, 2005 Wild Turkey: Oct. 30-Nov. 20 (Wildlife Management Units 1A, 2A, 2B, 2D, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C, and 4E); Oct. 30-Nov. 13 (WMUs 1B, 2C, 2E, 4A, 4B, and 4D) Spring Gobbler: April 23, 2005 (Junior hunters only) Spring Gobbler: April 30-May 28, 2005 Black Bear: Nov. 22-24 (see digest) Elk: Sept. 20-25; Nov. 8-13 Deer, archery: Oct. 2-Nov. 13; Dec. 27-Jan. 15, 2005 Deer, antlerless: Oct. 21-23 (statewide, junior and senior hunters only) Deer, antlerless: Oct. 16-23 (muzzleloader) Deer: Nov. 29-Dec. 11 (antlered or antlerless statewide) Deer, flintlock: Dec. 27-Jan. 15, 2005 Bobcat: Oct. 16-Feb. 19, 2005 (WMUs 2C, 2E, 2F, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D)

At its meeting last week, the Pennsylvania Game Commission gave preliminary approval to the state's fifth bobcat season in modern times, and proposed expansion of bobcat hunting and trapping into Wildlife Management Units 2C and 2E. Those units comprise heavily forested reaches of the Allegheny Mountains stretching from Clearfield County, southwestward through Somerset and Fayette counties to the state border.

In 1970 bobcats were designated a protected species in the state but the Game Commission authorized a season in northcentral and northeastern Pennsylvania beginning in 2000. Since that time, interested hunters and trappers have competed in a lottery drawing for a limited number of bobcat permits.

Hunters and trappers took 58 bobcats in 2000, 146 in 2001 and 137 in 2002. Bobcat kill figures are not complete for the 2003-04 season because the hunt extends through mid-February. Bobcats prefer remote mountainous regions, with rock outcrops for denning sites, an apt description of much of the proposed expanded hunting and trapping zone. They hunt mice, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits and other small mammals, as well as birds, amphibians and fish.

"Southwestern Pennsylvania has had a thriving population of bobcats for many years," said Dr. Matthew Lovallo, Game Commission fur bearer biologist. "This expansion in the size of the territory open to bobcat hunting and trapping will not alter the Game Commission's conservative harvest objective of 175 animals."

The Game Commission initiated a bobcat live-trapping, tagging and release research project in Fayette, Westmoreland and Somerset counties in 1996. Commission officers captured and tagged numerous cats but the project was cut short two years later due to a funding shortfall. Lovallo, however, said the Commission has tracked the number of road-killed bobcats since 1986 and collected carcass data on sex, age and reproductive potential. He said the highway data suggests a steady increase in the bobcat population.

Commissioners are expected to grant final approval to the southwestern expansion of the bobcat season at their April meeting. Applications for bobcat permits will be available in the 2004/2005 Hunting and Trapping Digest, or at the Game Commission's web site at www.pgc.state.pa.us.

The bobcat season is proposed to run from Oct. 16, 2004, to Feb. 19, 2005. Only one bobcat per season may be taken, and hunters and trappers must possess a special bobcat permit.

Commissioners also gave preliminary approval to an early elk hunting season, scheduled for Sept. 20-25. If the proposed regulations are approved, hunters would be allowed to apply for both the September and November seasons, but could submit only one application for each.

"Farmers are suffering severe crop damage, and rather than shoot the elk for crop damage, they would like to allow hunters an opportunity to harvest these animals," said Vern Ross, Game Commission executive director. "Farmers have told us that the elk remain in their fields through the fall and do extensive damage to their crops. Only after farmers harvest their crops do the elk leave the area, which is before the regular elk season. This early season will help alleviate the damage elk are doing to these farmers' crops and provide a unique hunting opportunity when bull elk are bugling."

Commissioners will determine the number of elk licenses to be available for the 2004 seasons at the April meeting.

Judging from Game Commission proposals advanced last week, deer seasons will change little from those held in 2003. Commissioners have proposed a two-week concurrent season for antlered and antlerless deer, an October antlerless season for junior and senior hunters, an October muzzleloader antlerless season and the traditional fall/winter archery and after-Christmas flintlock seasons.

Wildlife Management Unit 2B (Allegheny County and surrounding parts of Beaver, Butler, Westmoreland and Washington counties) will also likely host an extended antlerless deer season Dec. 27-Jan. 15. Antler restrictions are proposed to continue as administered last year.

Commissioners did, however, propose a significant change to the Deer Management Assistance Program, which provides land owners opportunities for additional antlerless deer hunting on their properties. If approved in April, DMAP will be available to all landowners (including posted land) except those who charge a fee to hunt. Last year only lands enrolled in a Game Commission public access program were eligible for DMAP, but farm organizations have pushed strongly to expand the program.

Land owners enrolled in DMAP issue coupons to hunters, which can be redeemed for antlerless licenses from the Game Commission. DMAP licenses are not included in the original antlerless license quota for a particular Wildlife Management Unit.

An extension of the bear season was also proposed for a large area of eastern Pennsylvania. If approved in April, hunters with a bear license could take a bear during the first week of deer season (Nov. 29-Dec. 4) in WMUs 3D, 4C and parts of WMUs 4E, 3B, and 3C.

The board's next meeting, at which it will consider final approval of hunting proposals for 2004, will be held April 19-20 at its headquarters at 2001 Elmerton Ave. in Harrisburg.