At the recent quarterly meeting of the Pennsylvania Game Commission in Wilkes-Barre, the board of game commissioners gave preliminary approval to a regulatory change to enhance accountability for the public landowners seeking to enroll in the Deer Management Assistance Program.

Under the new regulations, all public landowners will be required to provide an approved deer management plan along with their DMAP application.The regulation also proposes to advance the application date one month earlier to allow staff adequate time to review and process DMAP applications in a timely manner, as well as notify applicants about permit availability prior to the issuance of regular antlerless licenses.As a result of this action, the board also directed staff to publicize the new application process and earlier dates for landowners to apply in early 2011.Also at the meeting, the board announced that it had taken a notational vote, Aug. 17, giving final approval to issue 2,761 DMAP antlerless deer coupons to private landowners who are not enrolled in any of the agency's public access programs for the 2010-11 seasons.**********Susquehanna River fishing guide Rod Bates is 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; Sunday, from 9:30-10 a.m., on WMGH, 105.5-FM; and on the Web at

www.wmgh.com by clicking the "Experience The Outdoors" link.**********A trap shoot will be held Thursday, Oct. 21, beginning at 6 p.m. at Orwigsburg Gun Club, Gun Club Road, off Route 443 East, Orwigsburg.For information, e-mail

jafone@comcast.net.**********Schuylkill County Trout Unlimited meets Tuesday, Oct. 26, beginning at 7 p.m., at Yorkville Fire Company, South 20th and West Norwegian Sts., Pottsville.For information, call Randy Emerich at 570-622-1252 or access on the Web at

www.schuylkilltu.org.**********A "Monster Rockfish Tournament" will be held Saturday, Oct. 30, from 5 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., out of Solomons, Md.For information and registration, access on the Web at

www.MonsterRockfishTournament.com.**********Schuylkill Spurs Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation meets Thursday, Nov. 4, beginning at 7:30 p.m., at West Penn Archery, South Tamaqua.For information, call Kevin Titus at 570-668-5903.**********Columbia County Open Buddy Bass Tournament will be held Sunday, Nov. 7, from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Williamsport Linden Access Area on the Susquehanna River.For information, call tournament director Mike Monico at 570-752-3223.**********First Frontier Militia, the muzzleloader arm of Bowmanstown Rod and Gun Club, will hold muzzleloader shoots on the following dates: Sunday, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bowmanstown Rod and Gun Club is located on Gun Club Road, off Route 248, Bowmanstown.For information, call Roger Fisher at 610-377-2812.