The Pennsylvania Game Commission's mentored hunting program is designed to introduce youths and adults to the sport.
Participants in a prior mentored hunt at Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Monroe and Northampton counties gather for a group photo. The program's upcoming archery hunt is set for Nov. 14-15, 2025, followed by a firearms hunt Dec.
12-13.At one time, the idea of developing special programs to introduce people to the sport of hunting would have been unfathomable in Pennsylvania. But as society has changed and fewer people are heading afield in the pursuit of game — oftentimes because they don’t have a mentoring family member or other direct pathway into the sport — fish and wildlife agencies have needed to get creative in how they recruit new hunters.The program began in 2019, when the manager at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia reached out to the Game Commission and Quality Deer Management Association — now the— to offer opportunities to residents of that urban area to learn to hunt while helping to control the burgeoning deer population. The program was part of the NDA’s Field to Fork initiative, a food-focused program designed to introduce adults from non-hunting families to the sport. In the Lehigh Valley region, the Game Commission partners with the staff from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’sIt includes an archery hunt set for Nov. 14-15, followed by a firearms hunt Dec. 12-13. Both hunts will take place despite the government shutdown. Michael Horne, the refuge manager for the Lenape National Wildlife Refuge Complex that includes Cherry Valley, Shawangunk Grasslands, Wallkill River and Great Swamp refuges, pointed out hunting is one of the priority public uses of the refuge system. Mentored hunting opportunities have been offered at one or more of the four refuges he oversees for about 15 years, he said. “Beyond that, many members of my staff, including myself, are avid hunters who value conservation our hunting heritage and have a deep interest in sharing those experiences with others who may not have had the same opportunities to get into hunting or have challenges that might prevent them from hunting currently,” Horne said. “We mentor new hunters from all walks of life including youth, urban dwellers, veterans, disabled and folks who haven’t gone since they were kids looking to get back into it. All are welcome.” Griffin Caruso is photographed with a buck harvested during a mentored hunt. In the 1970s and ’80s, Pennsylvania sold close to or more than a million hunting licenses annually, with the peak coming in 1990 when 1,163,758 licenses were sold. However, over the past three decades hunter numbers have continued to slide. In 2024, 767,079 licenses were sold, a decline of 34% from 35 years ago. While the sample size is small, the results of mentored hunt efforts continue to show positive results in recruiting new hunters to the sport — including many unlikely to have tried it otherwise. Kligge noted an NDA survey showed that 80% of Field to Fork mentored hunt participants continued to hunt after taking part in the program. Mock said approximately 400 mentees have participated in the PGC’s mentored hunts since 2019, with many continuing to enjoy the pursuit. “Looking at license sales data, we are happy to note that roughly 54% of last year’s participants purchased a hunting license this year, indicating that many participants continue hunting after participating in the program,” he said. “In addition, this year we had 16 former participants return to assist as mentors on one or more of our mentored deer archery hunts at John Heinz or Benjamin Rush State Park , which is a great indicator that participants leave our program feeling confident in their skills and ability to hunt on their own.”Country music megastars team up to keep iconic outdoors brand aliveIf you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our
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