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House committee reports bill to allow baiting to attract deer for removal on private property
Summary
The House Game & Fisheries Committee voted to report HB 2440, which would authorize the Pennsylvania Game Commission to permit baiting to attract deer on private property for removal; members debated disease risks, permit limits and fairness to hunters before the measure passed out of committee.
Representative Brett Mahaffey urged the committee to advance House Bill 2440, saying the measure would give the Pennsylvania Game Commission a tool to manage overpopulated deer herds, protect crops and reduce disease risk on private property. "We're the state. We own these deer," Mahaffey said during his presentation of the bill.
The bill, which Paul, the committee reader, summarized as an amendment to Title 34 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to authorize the Game Commission to permit baiting to attract deer for removal on private property, prompted sustained debate. Supporters said baiting is already used in the Collar Counties and can be targeted by biologists to areas in need. Representative Mirsky confirmed the authorizing language is enabling and that permits would be determined by biologists and issued on a year-to-year basis.
Opponents and cautious members raised concerns about disease transmission, fairness among hunters and community perception. "The Game Commission has always 1000% against baiting any wildlife," Chair Maloney said, warning that baiting could spread disease and provoke neighbor disputes. Committee members also pressed for clarity on how many permits would be issued and whether permits could create competitive advantages among neighboring landowners.
An amendment from Chair Maloney (A03179) addressing Game Commission commissioner selection was offered but rejected by the committee after debate and a roll call vote. After further discussion about implementation, permit limits and the scope of private-land authorization, the committee held a roll call and voted to report HB 2440 out of committee. The clerk announced the bill passes and will be reported for further consideration.
The committee did not set a final statutory text beyond the summary read for the record; members said additional debate and possible amendments may occur later in the process. The next procedural step is committee reporting, after which the bill would move toward floor consideration.
