Representative Cooper’s resolution urges municipalities to open land to hunters to curb suburban deer conflicts

Representative Cooper told the House Game & Fisheries Committee that growing deer populations are causing widespread problems in suburban and rural communities and urged use of existing programs through the Pennsylvania Game Commission to reduce conflicts. She cited a 35% rise in reported deer-vehicle collisions from 2015 to 2024 and said that higher tick populations and property damage are harming residents and farmers.

Cooper said the resolution is not about promoting hunting “for its own sake” but about practical, community-driven management. She highlighted pilot programs connecting trained, vetted hunters to landowners, and said regulated hunting with greater land access is a time-tested, cost-effective tool for restoring balance to deer populations. “We already have proven effective tools managed through the Pennsylvania Game Commission to restore balance,” she said.

Committee members praised the resolution’s focus on land access and safety, while some questioned the breadth of the statistics and cautioned that deer issues are not uniform across the Commonwealth. Chair Maloney and others said taxpayer-funded municipal land should be available to sportsmen within established safety zones. The committee took a voice vote and, the chair said, recorded no negative responses; the committee reported the resolution as committed.

The resolution asks municipalities, landowners and farmers to consider participating in Game Commission programs that facilitate lawful hunting access and to coordinate with the Commission on deer-management efforts. The committee did not adopt new regulations or direct agencies to change seasons or bag limits.

The committee’s action was procedural: it reported the resolution as committed and will send that recommendation to the next stage of legislative consideration.