In some states it's not required to pin hunting licenses in the middle of the back. But that's been the fashion in Pennsylvania since licensing started here.

This year, that line was left out of the "Hunting and Trapping Digest," leaving some observant hunters and trappers wondering where to pin their tags.

The answer is, hunting licenses must still be displayed on the back while in the field.

But that could change. The Game Commission has lent its support to House Bill 460, a proposal by Rep. Neil Goodman (D-Schuylkill) that would remove the statutory requirement that licenses must be displayed while hunting. If passed, hunters could carry their licenses undisplayed with other ID.

The "Digest" omission wasn't an accident. Game Commission executive director Carl Roe said that at publication time some members of the agency were convinced HB 460 would be enacted before the July 1 start of the license year. To avoid publishing potentially conflicting information, they decided to circumvent the license display issue by intentionally not mentioning it.

Whoops.

"License buyers do need to remember that the digest is not the 'Game and Wildlife Code' or its attendant regulations, and should not be considered final on legal interpretation," said Roe, in a written statement. "In printing the digest, the agency simply summarizes the more important and frequently misunderstood hunting and trapping regulations."

We'll keep you posted on House Bill 460.

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners will meet Oct. 5-6 at the Holiday Inn Philadelphia Stadium, 900 Packer Ave., Philadelphia. The agenda will be posted prior to the meeting on the agency's Web site, www.pgc.state.pa.us.

Members of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Fisheries Committee will receive details of the agency's new strategic plan for trout management when the board holds its fall quarterly meeting Oct. 5-6 in Harrisburg. Also on the agenda will be several Erie County property matters, American shad and river herring creel limits, and a vote on adding the salamander mussel to the state endangered species list.

The non-profit youth mentorship program Family Tyes will hold its annual class on steelhead fishing Oct. 7-11 at Harrison Middle School, 129 Windvale Drive, Whitehall. Members only, membership is $20 per year, $40 per family. Fly tying materials and tools included. Details 412-600- 9788.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.