With the sale of 2010-11 Pennsylvania hunting licenses now underway, the Pennsylvania Game Commission reminds those hunters applying for the drawing to receive an elk tag of a regulatory change that was approved by the board of game commissioners. With the change, any unfilled antlered or antlerless elk license awarded for an annual elk season to be valid for taking either an antlered or antlerless elk anywhere within this Commonwealth outside of the elk management area during any designated extended elk season following the regular elk season.

"From time to time, elk wander outside the boundaries of the area in which the Game Commission is attempting to contain them," PGC executive director Carl Roe said. "Because of elk-human conflicts, we do not want to have elk establish populations in areas outside a certain area, so for this reason, we want to allow elk license holders who have not taken an elk during the regular season to be able to participate in an extended season to target elk that have gone outside the elk management area."For 2010 the regular elk season will be held, Monday-Saturday, Nov. 1-6. Those with an unfilled tag can hunt in the extended elk hunting period, Monday-Saturday, Nov. 8-13.In addition to the Special Conservation Tag, which will auctioned at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation annual banquet, the board approved an elk allocation of 17 antlered and 33 antlerless elk licenses to be awarded at a public drawing in September. Applications for the elk drawing are now being accepted through Aug. 27 for a non-refundable resident fee of $10.In 2008, the Special Conservation Tag was created by Act 101, and under the law, the PGC is authorized to provide one antlered elk license to a wildlife conservation organization to auction. Of the auction proceeds, a maximum of 20 percent may be retained by the wildlife conservation organization and the rest is turned over to the PGC for elk management.In related action, with the PGC continuing to update and implement the elk management plan, the board approved regulatory changes to address a somewhat confusing aspect of elk management policy. Under the proposal, terms such as "elk management area" and "elk hunt zones" will be clarified in the management plan and regulations.Under the regulatory change, "elk management area" will be defined as that portion of Wildlife Management Unit 2G in McKean, Potter, Tioga, Elk, Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming, Clearfield and Centre counties, bounded on the north by Route 6, on the east by Route 287, on the south by Route 220 and Interstate 80 and on the west by Route 219.Also, "elk hunt zones" will be comprised of areas as established by the executive director on an annual basis prior to the opening of elk season. The divisional line between two or more elk hunt zones shall be the center of the highway, natural watercourse, other natural boundary or marked boundary.********Pennsylvania Game Commission executive director Carl Roe announced that the board of game commissioners will hold its upcoming quarterly meeting Monday and Tuesday, June 28 and 29, in the auditorium of the agency's Harrisburg headquarters at 2001 Elmerton Ave., just off the Progress Avenue exit of Interstate 81, Harrisburg.On Monday, June 28, the Board will gather public comments and hear Game Commission staff reports beginning at 8:30 a.m. Doors will open at 7:45 a.m. Registration for those interested in offering public testimony - limited to five minutes - also will begin at that time.On Tuesday, June 29, beginning at 8:30 a.m., the Game Commission will take up its prepared agenda, which will be posted on the agency's website prior to the meeting. For those unable to attend, the Game Commission will Web cast Monday's staff reports and Tuesday's meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m. An icon will be posted on the agency's Web site at

www.pg.state.pa.us to access the webcast.Roe also announced the minutes from the board's April 20 meeting were posted on the agency Web site and can be viewed by clicking on the "Resources" section in the menu bar under the banner, then select "Reports/Minutes," followed by "Commission Board Meeting Minutes," and then choose "April 2010 Minutes."*******Today's guest of Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association member Doyle Dietz on "Experience the Outdoors," from 7:30-8 a.m. on Oldies 1410-AM is Andy Bensinger of Pennsylvania Deer Recovery. A rebroadcast will be heard Sunday from 9:30-10 a.m. on WMGH, 105.5-FM, and is available on the Web at

www.wmgh.com by clicking on the "Experience the Outdoors" link.*********A 3-D course is open for public use from dawn to dusk at Bear's Head Sportsmen's Association, Delano, located off Exit 134 of Interstate 81, daily through Saturday, Oct. 23. Donations are accepted and for information call the clubhouse at 570-467-0331 or e-mail

docblazer@verizon.net.**********"Summer DiscoverE Day Camps" for children between the ages of 4-13 will be held this summer at Beltzville State Park, Lehighton. Registration is underway from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Beltzville's Environmental Interpretive Center at the cost of $35 per child and $17.50 for each additional child in a family. For information, call the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks at 1-888-PA-PARKS or Beltzville State Park at 717-558-2711.**********A trap shoot will be held, Thursday, June 24, beginning at 6 p.m., at Orwigsburg Gun Club, Gun Club Road, off Route 443 East, Orwigsburg. For information, e-mail

jafone@comcast.net.*********Beltzville State Park will hold its annual Get Outdoors PA Demo Day today with the assistance of staff from Northeast PA Kayak School. They will offer a skill-building and safety course for kayakers of all levels and a second course specifically for experienced paddlers.Staff from Eastern Mountain Sports will be at Pine Run boat launch with a variety of kayaks for participants to try and will give a free demonstration on kayaking gear. Pre-registration is required, and for information; contact Stephanie Strub at sstrub@state.pa.us or 215-453-5015.**********This year's Empire State Lake Ontario Tournament dates have been announced. Here is the schedule: Summer, through Sunday, July 18; Fall, Friday, Aug. 20-Monday, Sept. 6. For information and registration, access on the Web at

www.loc.org or call (888) 733-5246.********Schuylkill Spurs Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation meets, Thursday, July 1, Aug. 5, beginning at 7:30 p.m., at West Penn Archery, South Tamaqua. For information, call Kevin Titus at 570-668-5903.Schuylkill Trout Unlimited will hold a pig roast, Saturday, July 24, from 2-7 p.m., at Bulls Head Road, Pottsville. For reservations, call Bruce Schneck at 717-647-4362 or Randy Emerich at 570-622 1252.This year's "Gunmakers Fair" will be held Friday-Sunday, July 23-25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily, at Dixon Muzzleloader Shop, 9952 Kunkel's Mill Road, Kempton. For seminar schedule and information, access on the Web at

www.dixonmuzzleloading.com

http://www.dixonmuzzleloading.com/ or call the shop at 610-756-6271.This year's "Lehigh Valley Hunting and Fishing Extravaganza" will be held Friday-Sunday, Aug. 27-29, at Kempton Fairground. For information, contact Bob Danenhower at 610-398-7609 and

bobstaxidermy@ptd.net mailto:bobstaxidermy@ptd.net or Rick Weaknecht at 610-683-7405 and

pahunter2005@hotmail.com mailto:pahunter2005@hotmail.com .