PENNSYLVANIA (WHTM) — The Pennsylvania Game Commission has announced that the state’s Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) is available on state game lands for the first time for the 2023-2024 hunting seasons.

The commission says that through the program, hunters can get permits that allow them to harvest antlerless deer on specific properties where the permit was issued. The program has been around for many years but was only offered on other public and private lands to help homeowners to achieve land use goals and to slow the spread of chronic wasting diseases.

Forest management conducted on state game lands is intended to create the best variety of habitats for wildlife. But Game Commission Forestry Division Chief Paul Weiss said overbrowsing attributable to deer is limiting the success of those efforts.

“We cannot successfully re-establish new age classes and get them through to maturity if we cannot get the seedlings beyond deer browse height,” Weiss said.

Hunters can help control deer in those situations, Weiss said. But by excluding state game lands from DMAP in the past, those hunters often had the incentive to hunt elsewhere.

According to the commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which manages state parks and forests, also uses the program.

State Game Lands that will be offering DMAP this season include the following, as quoted in the release:

Northwest Region

  • SGL 24 – Forest/Clarion
  • SGL 29 – Warren
  • SGL 54 – Jefferson
  • SGL 74 – Clarion/Jefferson
  • SGL 86 – Warren
  • SGL 143 – Warren
  • SGL 283 – Clarion/Jefferson

Northcentral Region

  • SGL 30 – McKean
  • SGL 34 – Clearfield/Elk
  • SGL 37 – Tioga
  • SGL 75 – Lycoming
  • SGL 78 – Clearfield
  • SGL 90 – Clearfield
  • SGL 94 – Clearfield
  • SGL 100 – Centre/Clearfield

Northeast Region

  • SGL 12 – Bradford
  • SGL 13 – Sullivan (part)
  • SGL 36 – Bradford
  • SGL 57 – Wyoming (part)
  • SGL 66 – Sullivan/Wyoming
  • SGL 123 – Bradford
  • SGL 206 – Luzerne
  • SGL 219 – Bradford
  • SGL 289 – Bradford

For more information, such as the total number of DMAP permits available and the number remaining for sale, are available by clicking here.

DMAP permits for the 2023-24 deer seasons go on sale at 8 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 14.