Pennsylvania panel urges broader use of hunting tools, processing capacity to curb crop damage from deer

A panel at the 109th Pennsylvania Farm Show on the state’s deer population and crop damage outlined existing state programs, near-term regulatory changes under consideration by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and practical barriers — especially access to processors and privately posted land — that limit farmers’ ability to reduce herd density.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding said the problem is widespread: "we've got an overabundance. We've got a density issue. We've got, you know, concerns about, deer populations," and urged cooperation among landowners, hunters, the Game Commission and the agricultural community.

Why it matters: farmers across the state told panelists they are losing yield and, in some cases, income because deer are feeding in and moving between fields, especially where neighboring parcels are posted against hunting. Panelists said addressing the problem will require changing some regulations, expanding harvest opportunities where appropriate and strengthening the local processing capacity that turns harvested deer into food for donation.

Game Commission tools and near-term rulemaking

Steve Smith, executive director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission,…