{"id":712012,"date":"2025-01-16T06:07:43","date_gmt":"2025-01-16T14:07:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=712012"},"modified":"2025-01-21T07:42:12","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T15:42:12","slug":"pennsylvania-game-commission-maps-hunting-habitats","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/pennsylvania-game-commission-maps-hunting-habitats","title":{"rendered":"Managing Pennsylvania\u2019s Wildlife for Hunters and Healthy Habitats"},"author":671,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[35392,490912,326542,295052],"industry":[],"esri-blog-category":[478412],"esri_blog_department":[478222],"class_list":["post-712012","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-enterprise-gis","tag-game-commission","tag-hunting","tag-pennsylvania","esri-blog-category-wildlife","esri_blog_department-conservation-and-environment"],"acf":{"video_source":"","video_start":"","video_stop":"","short_description":"The Pennsylvania Game Commission manages hunting seasons through the lens of GIS, offering hunters maps and monitoring game species.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Right","content":"The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) has undergone a digital transformation, embracing enterprise GIS for statewide dashboards for hunters and better management of game species.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Pennsylvania uses GIS to map and manage species' health and conduct wildlife management projects.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>A GIS-based app informs hunters of changing conditions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Maps of wildlife management units guide the practices of multiple departments as well as residents.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"In Pennsylvania, where roughly 1.5 million white-tailed deer roam, the hunting seasons running from September to January is based on firearm type.\r\n\r\nHunting is big in Pennsylvania. In fact, every Pennsylvanian has state game lands within a 20-minute drive of their home. The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) manages the state\u2019s 1.6 million acres open to the sport. Hunters can view interactive maps and dashboards on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pgc.pa.gov\/InformationResources\/Pages\/Social-Media.aspx\">PGC app<\/a> or website to see when and where to hunt, state regulations, and how to report their harvests.\r\n\r\nStaff at PGC keep this information accurate and widely available using geographic information system (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/what-is-gis\/overview\">GIS<\/a>) technology. With GIS as part of its larger IT enterprise, data flows easily from apps to maps to dashboards.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe used to just have a list of Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) and a black and white map,\u201d said James Whitacre, GIS Services Division chief at PGC. \u201cNow we have <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/7d3ebe86eb4348f1b8ec9d5ada5a5ca7\/page\/Turkey\/\">harvest dashboards<\/a> for the four big game animals of deer, turkey, elk, and bear to keep track of what hunters are taking. We have a <a href=\"https:\/\/pagame.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/webappviewer\/index.html?id=c9c7c8912356450fa77fc34d30b131fb\">hunter notification map<\/a> they can use to stay in touch with changes and plan their hunting and recreating.\u201d"},{"acf_fc_layout":"gallery","gallery_images":[712122,712072,712132]},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h3><strong>Determining Zones to Manage Wildlife<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nIn addition to big game, the agency uses GIS to manage hunting zones and habitats for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pgc.pa.gov\/HuntTrap\/Law\/Pages\/SeasonsandBagLimits.aspx\">a long list<\/a> of small game, furbearers, and migratory birds. It regulates different seasons for hunters using rifles, bows, traps, falcons, and muzzleloaders\u2014a throwback to pilgrim times.\r\n\r\nHunters have a significant impact on the state\u2019s economy with purchases of guns, ammunition, clothing, and other equipment. Hunting license fees and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fws.gov\/program\/wildlife-restoration\">wildlife restoration grants<\/a>\u00a0fund the maintenance of healthy forests.\r\n\r\nTo keep wildlife and human activities in balance, PGC biologists analyze species numbers, hunting impacts, and disease mortality using GIS. The PGC also uses GIS to identify areas critical for conservation and to implement conservation plans and policies.\r\n\r\nThe PGC modernized its maps in the mid-2000s, examining research and statistics using GIS. They determined large-scale WMUs based on habitat and human-related land characteristics. Other considerations included human population density, public\/private land ownership, recognizable physical features such as major roads and rivers, and land use practices such as agriculture, timber, and development."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":712142,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"The management units largely line up with habitat and species variability. The new system simplified areas to be monitored from as many as 67 units down to 21. This made it easier for hunters to access information and collect and analyze data for management recommendations. A constant flow of data helps the Game Commission guide periodic reviews of WMUs.\r\n\r\nThe PGC creates species-specific maps to guide where to hunt depending on what the agency is managing. For instance, hunters have 23 WMUs to choose from for deer\u2014delineated based on deer population and the capacity of the land to support it. Deer thrive in Pennsylvania, and the state has the highest deer hunter density of any state, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/deerassociation.com\/deer-reports\/\">National Deer Association<\/a>.\r\n<h3><strong>Making Changes Based on the Latest Data and Science<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nPGC teams adjust management practices inside each WMU based on the latest knowledge about how animals behave, their lifecycles, and habitat conditions. As part of the modernization effort, they focus on creating one authoritative GIS dataset across the state that each region can edit in a central place.\r\n\r\n\u201cOne of the reasons we always struggled with central data is that we're a distributed workforce,\u201d said Daniel Jones, GIS project manager at PGC. \u201cWe have six regional offices, 40 habitat crew offices across the state, lots of home offices, and biologists that are working in remote locations. So being able to tie all that data together into a central data source was always really a challenge for us, and it impacted data quality for decision-making.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe shift to mobile devices and apps has helped accelerate data access and knowledge sharing. Statewide GIS services have consolidated local data to ensure transparency and awareness of trends.\r\n\r\nFor instance, the PGC combats invasive species and improves forest health with prescribed fires on nearly 20,000 acres of state game lands each year. GIS is integral to planning and implementation phases. Because this data originates in GIS, it can be easily transferred to apps for those conducting each burn and to the public.\r\n\r\nBird nest boxes provide another work-in-progress example. The PGC manages a network of more than a thousand across the state, placed in sites suitable for foraging by different species. Field crews added each box to the map to help ensure they are maintained and cleaned after each nesting season.\r\n\r\nNest boxes also act as a data collection point to monitor species\u2019 health or improve distribution. The PGC added nest boxes for barn owls to reintroduce them to their natural range, and for American kestrels to monitor their health and declining population.\r\n\r\nAn app-based approach guides each foray into the field and informs an ecosystem-level awareness of how each species is faring.\r\n\r\n\u201cGetting tools into the hands of our field staff who know and can share the boots-on-the-ground information is critical,\u201d Whitacre said. \u201cIt also aids researchers who are going out to make observations and do any sort of monitoring.\u201d"},{"acf_fc_layout":"gallery","gallery_images":[712102,712092,712082]},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h3><strong>Projects to Make Improvements<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nWhile the PGC focuses primarily on bird and mammal species, staff work closely with other state agencies that also focus on conservation and the environment. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission manages fish, reptiles, and amphibians. The Department of Environmental Protection manages water quality.\r\n\r\nThe Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources oversees habitats, with forest and parks divisions tasked with managing one of the largest public forest land expanses in the eastern US and more than 100 state parks.\r\n\r\nThe PGC takes on projects to support these other agencies. A recent project, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pgc.pa.gov\/Education\/Our%20Neck%20of%20the%20Woods\/Pages\/Creating-Healthy-Stream-Crossings-to-Benefit-All-Wildlife-.aspx\">Aquatic Organism Passage program<\/a>, converts a large number of culverts into bridges. Culverts work well to divert stormwater and keep roadways clear, but they cut off the movement of aquatic species. Bridges restore streams to their natural state and improve connectivity for fish and other aquatic animals.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe put a lot of funding into that, even though fishing is outside of our realm, because it increases the overall value of that recreational space for hunting and fishing,\u201d Whitacre said.\r\n\r\nThe PGC\u2019s habitat crews are also involved in restoring lands reclaimed from old strip mines and other industrial activities.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe use GIS to plan how to properly restore habitat,\u201d Whitacre said. \u201cWe determine whether to rebuild a forest or create a grassland.\u201d\r\n<h3><strong>Encouraging Hunters to Manage Wildlife Sustainably<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nWhen a deer population grows too large, they can overgraze an area and disrupt ecosystems. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/rewilding-scottish-highlands\/\">This happened in Scotland<\/a> to the point where fences were needed, and trees and plants had to be reintroduced to the landscape. Hunting can prevent such problems.\r\n\r\n\u201cHunting is a sustainable practice if it\u2019s done correctly and managed well,\u201d Whitacre said. \u201cThere are plenty of people in Pennsylvania who rely on a yearly harvest, and we rely on hunters to manage species numbers and their impacts.\u201d\r\n\r\nTo encourage potential hunters and ensure the sport continues, organizations such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.backcountryhunters.org\/mentoring\">Backcountry Hunters &amp; Anglers<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/ruffedgrousesociety.org\/hunter-mentor-program\/\">Ruffed Grouse Society<\/a> have invested in marketing efforts.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s a priority for us too to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pgc.pa.gov\/InformationResources\/GetInvolved\/GetStartedHunting\/Pages\/default.aspx\">recruit the next generation of hunters<\/a>,\u201d Jones said. \u201cNot only a younger generation, but a more diverse population of hunters, including women and minorities who historically weren\u2019t involved in hunting. We have different mentored programs, going into the inner cities to get people involved in hunting.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe state\u2019s GIS app is helping, particularly for those who didn\u2019t grow up hunting. On dashboards, hunters can see trends and learn where other hunters are succeeding. The app sends alerts to hunters about what to be on the lookout for and places to avoid\u2014such as areas scheduled for prescribed burns.\r\n\r\n\u201cWhen the snow melts and the trees haven't greened out yet is when we have an opportunity to burn. But that happens at the same time of year when hunters are trying to get out in the woods after being cabined up all winter,\u201d Jones said. \u201cWith the hunter notification app, we can share where we\u2019re going to burn so they can plan accordingly.\u201d\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLearn how<a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/environment-natural-resources\/focus-areas\/land-and-wildlife-management\"> conservation organizations use GIS to streamline natural resources management<\/a>."},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Center","content":"<h2><strong>Addressing Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nPost pandemic, people are increasingly concerned about diseases being spread by animals. The deer population, for instance, has contributed to an increase in Lyme disease because deer transport ticks that carry the disease.\r\n\r\nThe PGC works with researchers looking at disease trends, with such things as white-nose syndrome in bats and a new troubling issue of rabbit hemorrhagic disease that could impact the state\u2019s abundant snowshoe hare population. This research relies on location data to understand the conditions and how diseases are spread.\r\n\r\nOne of the big wildlife health issues in Pennsylvania and other eastern states is chronic wasting disease (CWD), which attacks the spine and brain of deer. CWD is a prion disease, like bovine spongiform encephalopathy (also known as mad cow disease) in cattle. Prions create a chain reaction that makes sponge-like holes in the brain. CWD prions can live in the environment and stay valid for years or decades. They can travel through waterways and be transferred through saliva or urine. As deer population increases, so does the likelihood that CWD will be transmitted.\r\n\r\n\u201cRight now, the method we use is to reduce deer numbers in areas where they\u2019re affected,\u201d said Daniel Jones, GIS project manager at the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC). \u201cWe allocate more licenses and tags for antlerless deer in those areas.\u201d\r\n\r\nCWD threatens hunting in Pennsylvania and across the United States.\r\n\r\n\u201cOne of the interesting things about CWD that I find just crazy is that it has an incubation period of one to two years before the deer even show any symptoms. Then when they show symptoms, they're dead within weeks,\u201d said James Whitacre, GIS services division chief at PGC. \u201cThat presents a particular problem because it is spread and goes undetected for so long. That infected deer has already been a vector, spreading the disease, long before it passes away.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe PGC has GIS-driven workflows to map and analyze CWD, and <a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/ddfce74f89d24a91b116a84ddf126ac6\">shares information with the public using a map-based story<\/a>. Hunters can test the deer they've taken, and deer found on roadways are tested. The results of tests are posted on a <a href=\"https:\/\/pagame.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/b3c0fd44cc5944ebbc2229ede897b2ae\">public CWD dashboard<\/a>.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt's a transparency thing,\u201d Whitacre said. \u201cWe have a heat map of where the positive deer have been found. And we have a whole system of disease management areas that we manage.\u201d","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":712062,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/pagame.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/b3c0fd44cc5944ebbc2229ede897b2ae"}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Managing Pennsylvania\u2019s Wildlife for Hunters and Healthy Habitats<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Pennsylvania Game Commission manages hunting seasons through the lens of GIS, offering hunters maps and monitoring game species.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/pennsylvania-game-commission-maps-hunting-habitats\" \/>\n<meta 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