If ever there was a time when Pennsylvania hunters needed to read the Hunting and Trapping Digest, this would be it. Major changes have occurred and they could affect the way you do business in Penn's Woods.

Everyone should know that the Pennsylvania Automated Licensing System for buying hunting and fur taker licenses is fully operational. The system has been in place since last year and pretty much makes buying licenses a snap.

It comes out looking like a yellow laminated ticket with added length for each additional tag you buy. I even submitted an elk application when I bought my license

But I've got one word of caution: You must know the elk unit that you prefer to hunt when submitting the application with the license purchase.

The antlerless deer application also is preprinted with all of your data on it. You just need to fill in your choices of WMU's. The application are to be mailed to the proper county treasurer no earlier than Monday for the first round of license sales.

A Saturday opener for bear season is now in effect. The traditional three-day season has been adjusted for all of us who work or head out of state for deer openers.I really like the change because I always had to choose between bear and deer openers and now I can take the Saturday hunt and do both.Archers have a statewide bear season from Nov. 15 to 19. The Nov. 20 opening day for rifle and the Nov. 22 and 23 hunt will be a great change for camp goers as well.

The fall turkey season will have a split season in 2010. The first week will be from Nov. 13 to 19, then a new traditional hunt will take place from Nov. 25 to 27, which covers Thanksgiving through the Saturday before rifle buck season.That week always was a dead time reserved for sighting in rifles and checking deer stands. Now we can multitask and get in some fall turkey hunting as well..

Perhaps one of the broadest changes in Pennsylvania Game Commission policy is in trapping seasons and buying licenses.The bobcat license is now available to all trappers and hunters when they buy their standard licenses. The catch is that the season has been shortened, but the lottery system is no longer in effect.In addition, Pennsylvania will have its first fisher trapping season in modern times. The fisher is a species that is seldom seen outside of some heavily forested regions and is regulated to one fisher per license year. The season runs from Dec. 18 to 23 and you must obtain a specific fisher permit.

The PGC continues to offer youth hunting opportunities and the mentored youth hunting program for those under 12.The youth hunting opportunities are for junior license holders ages 12 to 16. They include seasons for squirrel, rabbit, pheasant season, antlerless deer, spring gobbler and waterfowl.The mentored youth hunt was created so that a youngster under the age of 12 can gain hunting experience and learn the tradition while under the direct supervision of a mentor who is licensed and at least 21.Remember, all youngsters planning to participate in the mentoring program must obtain a permit for $2. The youth must follow all of the same hunting laws and the mentor is held responsible for any violations and in seeing that only one firearm or bow is in their possession.There you have it, a brief screening of the new hunting regulations and season changes.But get the digest and read it thoroughlybefore heading into the field.