In a joint effort to address concerns and reports of increased deer pressure on agriculture crops across the state, a joint town hall meeting was held on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show to discuss crop damage caused by deer and other wildlife.
The meeting was led by an expert panel consisting of Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding, Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Chris Hoffman, and Hunters Sharing the Harvest Executive Director Randy Ferguson.
“Pennsylvania’s wildlife belongs to all citizens of this great Commonwealth,” said Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith. “With habitat loss, crop depredation, and other wildlife challenges that are facing us, it is vital that we work together to find a solution that is agreeable to everyone and keep hunters on the front lines of managing healthy wildlife populations.”
This meeting was part of a continuing conversation between these stakeholders, some of which arose during last year’s legislative push to remove the broad prohibition on Sunday hunting to allow the Game Commission to regulate Sunday hunting completely. Farmers in many cases depend on hunters to manage deer on their properties and limit crop losses, in turn providing hunters with opportunities to hunt and fill tags. It’s a mutually beneficial solution.
“We are thankful for the partnership between the agriculture and hunting communities to find beneficial solutions that allow farmers to better control the deer population and give hunters access to the sport,” said Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding. “It’s also important for us to remember that hunters play a pivotal role in providing lean protein through Hunters Sharing the Harvest. It’s our hope that new solutions for helping to control the deer population on agriculture lands will result in an increase in contributions of venison to Hunters Sharing the Harvest.”
“Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is excited about the opportunity to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Hunters Sharing the Harvest as we continue to work to find adequate solutions for our farmers to mitigate crop damage on their farms,” said Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Chris Hoffman. “We look forward to continued collaboration on these issues and we are looking to bring other stakeholders to the table to be part of the conversation as we work toward a meaningful solution.”
The Game Commission offers programs to help farmers and landowners better meet their deer-management goals. Some allow hunters to obtain additional tags or hunt in longer seasons. That can mean more meat in the freezer and increased donations to Hunters Sharing the Harvest, a program that provided more than 261,000 pounds of healthy venison to hungry Pennsylvanians last year alone.
“Crop damage by deer is a significant problem for Pennsylvania’s farmers. Hunters harvesting those deer with Ag Tag and DMAP permits represent a dual solution for farmers and for those struggling with food insecurity,” said Randy Ferguson, executive director of Hunters Sharing the Harvest. “With increased funding, strategic and tactical support from the state’s agriculture community, state agencies, the legislature and other stakeholders, HSH can continue offering the mechanism that channels those hunter-harvested deer into the Commonwealth’s charitable food system.”
Those wishing to view today’s discussion can access the video under the Live tab on the Game Commission’s YouTube page.