Semi-Auto Rifles and Air Guns are NOT legal in Special Regulations Areas per the PGC

[Remington788]

As was pointed out in another thread, there is a conflict in the Hunter Trapper Digest between the Whats New section and the Special Regs section. I wrote the PGC to get clarification.

Please help clear up some confusion for me. Page 8 of the Hunting Trapping Digest states "Semiautomatic rifles and air guns now can be used for hunting small game and furbearers statewide, and there is no magazine restriction for either. These arms remain prohibited for hunting big game. Please check the small game section of this digest for the caliber requirements."

Page 39 (Special Regulations Area) states “Small Game, Furbearers & Crows, Arms & Ammunition
Manually operated or semiautomatic shotguns plugged to a 3-shell capacity; manually operated 22-caliber or less rimfire rifles and; and bows and crossbows. Buckshot it not permitted.”


These statements contradict each other. Can I use a semiautomatic rimfire rifle to hunt for small game in the Special Regulations Area?


PGC Response think you will find this information from a recent news release helpful:
AMENDMENT ADDRESSES SPECIAL REGULATIONS AREAS

Air guns, some semiautomatic rifles could become lawful hunting arms within Special Regulations Areas.



When the Pennsylvania Game Commission in April approved the use of semiautomatic rifles and air guns for hunting small game and furbearers, the provision could not be extended to the state’s Special Regulations Areas, which are covered under a separate section of the law.

But a measure preliminarily approved today by the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners would allow hunters and trappers within Special Regulations Areas also to use semiautomatic rifles and air guns.

Only rimfire ammunition would be allowed when hunting or trapping with semiautomatic rifles in Special Regulations Areas, based on the proposal, which is scheduled for a final vote at the September meeting.

Special Regulations Areas include all of Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, and Ridley Creek and Tyler state parks during special controlled hunts.

Hunters within Special Regulations Areas must follow different guidelines than in other parts of the state, and are limited to using manually operated rimfire rifles, shotguns, muzzleloading long guns and archery equipment.

The amendment would add air rifles to that list, and lift the requirement that rimfire rifles be manually operated.

Air guns would need to be between .177 and .22 caliber when used within Special Regulations Areas to hunt small game, woodchucks or furbearers, based on the preliminarily approved measure.

Semiautomatic rifles would need to be .22 caliber or less to hunt small game, woodchucks or furbearers within Special Regulations Areas.

If the measure is adopted at the Sept. 26 meeting, it likely would take effect sometime in November or December.

Regulatory changes become official upon their publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, which usually takes about six weeks from the time a board approves such a change.

http://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Game-C...spx?newsid=136

[bigandy1966]

So lovely that the PAGC is soo efficient in updating the game digest. But Thanks for that information.

[jthrelf]

So... A large chunk of the beginning of small game season. Awesome.

[SgtRecon]

Our lovely Game Commission, they can certainly over complicate even the simplest of things, While I'm no conspiracy tin hatter, I believe they are making it so complicated and confusing as possible. This is so they can start fining hunters as fast as they can write them up, and they will use this as a way to end the semi auto thing all together forever. I'm amazed you have to go to friggin page 46 of the handbook to find legal arms for a major change to the regs, yes it is stated in the changes for the season section in the front ,but not covered in detail.

I know of many folks who do not read the handbook, there will be many violations due to people hearing the gun shop gossip and not reading the actual rules. This whole semi auto thing is set up for faliure by the PGC

[Remington788]

I think this is made worse by thier decision not to print the Digest.
While I agree with the decision not to print it (I read it online anyway), they should have waited a year or given everyone a notice of the changes with their licenses.


Yes I bet they will be giving out a lot of violations this fall

[jthrelf]

I think this is made worse by thier decision not to print the Digest.
While I agree with the decision not to print it (I read it online anyway), they should have waited a year or given everyone a notice of the changes with their licenses.


Yes I bet they will be giving out a lot of violations this fall

Judging by the responses, it seems like game wardens don't often give you a break for confusion with laws?

[jthrelf]

Any update on this?

[TooBigToFit]

Any update on this?

http://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Game-C...spx?newsid=155

Approved, but you're going to need to wait 6-8 weeks to show up in the Pennsylvania Bulletin before you can go out there with your semi.

[jthrelf]

Thanks that's what I was checking up on. What's the Pennsylvania Bulletin and where do you read it?

[Hodgie]

I think this is made worse by thier decision not to print the Digest.
While I agree with the decision not to print it (I read it online anyway), they should have waited a year or given everyone a notice of the changes with their licenses.


Yes I bet they will be giving out a lot of violations this fall

What was the reason they stopped printing it?