09/07/2026
Who here has signed up for and completed the testing for Pennsylvania’s Certified Hunter Program?
A few months ago, I talked to a guy who had applied and completed the testing. Just talking to him made the program sound like a really great idea. The testing and requirements are pretty extensive:
• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Have purchased a Pennsylvania hunting license in 4 of the last 5 license years and have successfully completed Hunter-Trapper Education (HTE).
• Have no Game & Wildlife Code violations within the past 3 years and no convictions resulting in a license revocation within the past 10 years.
• Pass a criminal background check.
• Pass the Certified Hunter Program Written Exam.
• Pass the Certified Hunter Program Shooting Qualification.
• Sign and comply with the Certified Hunter Program Agreement.
• Be committed to helping Pennsylvania landowners by harvesting antlerless deer where wildlife damage is occurring.
If I didn’t already have places to hunt, I would definitely consider this program.
This program is more like an agricultural damage tag hunt than a trophy hunt. The goal is to help manage deer numbers and reduce wildlife damage. If you’re only interested in shooting a buck and aren’t helping harvest does, this probably isn’t the program for you.
From what I understand, if you build a relationship with the farmer, you and the landowner can also come up with additional agreements between yourselves. For example, access for hunting other species could potentially be something you discuss directly with the landowner.
Honestly, I think this is a win for everyone. Hunters get access to places to hunt, farmers get help managing deer and reducing damage, and removing deer from these properties can potentially benefit neighboring properties as well by changing deer movement.
Who here has gone through the application and testing process? I’d love to hear what you thought about it! 🦌
