PA QDMA / Pa Deer Assoc. Whitetail Aging and W/T, Bear and Elk Scoring & Record Keeping Program

Added: 2008-10-27

Partners : Boone and Crockett Club Pope and Young Club North American Shed Hunters Club National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association PA Game Commission Pa Chapter of the Quality Deer Management Association PA Deer Association Penn State University Experimental Forest Various outdoor show promoters across the state Concept : The program uses official measurers from the various national record keeping organizations and official and apprentice measurers from PA QDMA and PDA who are trained by B&C and P&Y official measurers to score PA big game species (W/T, bear and elk). PA QDMA/PDA apprentice and official measurers are also trained by wildlife biologists to age whitetails for inclusion of age data into our records system. We intend to work with the PA Game Commission to continue and to carry out the PGC’s big game records system and to tie as much data as possible to age class of harvested animals. Events : The PA QDMA State Chapter and Local Branches and PDA organize and host whitetail jawbone aging and bear, elk and whitetail scoring events at various outdoor shows and similar venues across the state. These are not “big buck contests”. Rather, they are educational events intended to gather biological data and educate the public. A donation of $2 for jawbone aging, $10 for scoring by PA QDMA/PDA measurers and/or $15 by scoring by an official B&C, P&Y, NMLRA, or NASHC measurer is requested to cover costs; however, the donation also enters the trophy owner in a random drawing for various prizes….Entry of any head or rack, large or small, and entry of any jawbone, buck or doe, earns the same number of tickets and the same chance to win any of the prizes….The prizes are an inducement for participation, not an inducement for cheating in order to win prizes. To maximize public interest and benefit to show promoters, participants are given an extra ticket for each day of the show they leave their trophy to be displayed. Participation in the event gives measurers an opportunity to educate participants on antler development by age classes, how to age bucks in the field, the importance of passing up younger bucks, the importance of doe harvest, and how not to harvest button Bucks while harvesting does….the biological basis for hunter participation in deer herd management. Training : Apprentice candidates must be members of QDMA or PDA and must attend one full day training session designed and instructed by experienced wildlife biologists and official B&C and/or P&Y measurers. In addition, apprentice measurers must agree to help PA QDMA/PDA age and score at a minimum of three events during the three years immediately following their training in order to maintain their apprentice status and must fulfill that commitment in order to attain official measurer status. Apprentice measurers must be supervised by official measurers during their apprenticeship in order to complete their training. Official measurers must actively participate in the aging and scoring program in order to maintain their OM status. Benefits of the program : National Record Keeping Organizations (B&C, P&Y, NMLRA, NASHC) -Gain public exposure and education regarding their organizations and programs -Increased membership through increased visibility and public understanding -Gain a ready pool of trained and experienced measurers for their next OM class -Greater participation in their individual record keeping programs Official B&C/P&Y/NMLRA/NASHC Measurers -Opportunity to see and score larger numbers of record –class heads and racks -Reduced pressure to measure smaller trophies (QDMA/PDA scorers can handle those) -A ready group of apprentice measurers to help them score -Opportunity to learn whitetail aging techniques -Opportunity to work together, fellowship with and learn from other OM’s -Opportunity to learn through teaching -Free membership with full benefits in QDMA and PDA -A free annual week-end at the PSU Experimental Forest Lodge PGC -Continuance of their big game records program without cost to the agency -A trained and experienced cadre of measurers to work with the agency -Additional age/antler data -Increased access to and opportunity for partnership with partnering organizations -Better educated hunters and general public -Increased participation in management by hunters and the general public PA QDMA/PDA and PA QDMA Branches -Free entry into outdoor shows and events (in exchange for aging/scoring) -Income generation from aging and scoring -Opportunities to partner with other organizations, agencies and the public -Opportunities to “give something back” to their membership…training and experience -Opportunities for increased numbers of active members PA QDMA/ PDA membership -Opportunity to learn through participation -Increased knowledge and understanding of big game biology -Opportunity to serve…to “give something back” to the public and to their organizations PA Hunters and the General Public -Easy access to aging and scoring information -Increased educational opportunities -Opportunities to win prizes Outdoor Show Promoters -Increased public interest in and attendance at their shows -Increased opportunity for PR and advertisement -Increased vendor participation at their shows (partner organizations and agencies; many vendors bring trophies to be scored)