Pa. Landowners Could Get More Time to Apply for DMAP

Landowners could get two additional months to apply to enroll their properties in the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP).

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners on Jan. 23 voted preliminarily to extend the annual application deadline from May 1 to July 1.

Many DMAP landowners consider the May 1 application deadline too early because it does not allow adequate time to collect post-winter data, analyze it and incorporate those findings into their applications. A later deadline would allow landowners more time to prepare and submit applications.

The proposal will be brought back to the April meeting for a final vote.

“This change represents a win-win for hunters and landowners,” said Executive Director Bryan Burhans. “It affords landowners additional time to enroll, which will increase the number of properties participating in the program. As a result, hunters will have more properties and tags available to assist landowners in controlling deer populations.”