The Pennsylvania Game Commission announced at its quarterly meeting in January that it is planning on making some significant changes in the 2019-20 hunting seasons.

One of the new changes that had been proposed is the changing of the first day of rifle season from the Monday following Thanksgiving to the Saturday after the holiday. This would allow three Saturdays of hunting to Pennsylvania hunters and add an additional day of deer hunting for a 13-day rifle season.

The additional deer hunting opportunity will shorten the after Thanksgiving fall turkey season by two days as well. The first Monday holiday for school districts will now be under scrutiny as all youth will have a chance to participate on the opening Saturday and this may change some school calendars which traditionally gave students the first Monday off from school.

There was also a proposal to allow semi-automatic rifles for hunting big game in Pennsylvania and this would have covered deer, bear and elk hunting. The proposal went nowhere and was dead in its tracks and was never brought before the Board of Commissioners.

Most hunters polled about this issue did not favor the use of semi-automatic rifles, which are allowed in other states for hunting. Proponents of their use argued that there is no significant safety risk in allowing these rifles by reviewing the data in the other states that permitted their use.

The requirements for wearing fluorescent orange were reviewed as well and a plan to simplify the wearing of the orange vests and hats has been proposed. Archers will not be required to wear fluorescent orange while hunting deer or bear in archery seasons. The proposal would also eliminate fall turkey hunters from wearing orange while hunting as well.

Regular deer, bear and elk rifle hunters are required to continue wearing 250 square inches of fluorescent orange. Small game hunters will be required to wear orange as well as coyote hunters and wood chuck hunters (orange caps at all times). Hunters after crows, doves, waterfowl, spring turkey and flintlock hunters are not required to wear Fluorescent orange during their hunts.

Any hunters using ground blinds or huts are required to display a band of orange around their blind or tree near them to warn off other hunters.

Just for the record, I will continue to wear orange in and out of the woods until I reach my stand or hunting area safely. No crow, dove or turkey was ever worth trading a life for a mistake shooting of a firearm.

Someone was really making a lot of noise for this to be even on the agenda. I believe it is more likely due to a citation for fluorescent orange violations issued by the PGC than anything else.

The bear season has received a major overhaul as well with changes by expanding the mid-October muzzleloader and special firearms season to include bears statewide. So, folks, that means you can hunt bears and antlerless deer at the same time with the proper licenses.

The statewide bear archery season will also be expanded to two weeks immediately following the muzzleloader season for bear.

Elk hunters who are fortunate enough to draw the elusive PA elk tag will find that they will also have expanded opportunities to hunt elk with a September archery season and a January antlerless season as well.

In many of the elk hunting zones, the hunt can be more challenging than you could expect. The PGC Commissioners will have a final approval vote at their next quarterly meeting held on April 8 and 9.

The Gun Show Season is under way and some upcoming shows are being held at the Kittanning Twp. Fire Department on Feb. 9-10. The Clintonville VFC show will be held on Feb. 16-17. Rocky Grove VFD will hold its show March 9-10 and the Scott Twp. VFD will have its show March 16-17.

All applicable federal, state, and local laws will be enforced. Until we meet again, its time to get outside for some fresh air and do take advantage of the warmer weather, that we are experiencing thanks to our friend Phil!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle