the safest type of hunting is small ground game like rabbits because shots are always directed toward the ground and are close range. Hunters that show proper consideration for their host’s property are next permitted to hunt birds like pheasants, doves, and grouse. Spent shot raining down on the farmer’s house, barn, or outbuildings is a fast ticket to being escorted from the property with no return ticket. Like a parent grooming a youngster into more responsibility, the farmer may eventually permit the hunter to use high-powered rifle or shotgun slugs for deer hunting. Does your camp have any sort of “getting to know you” procedure like this? Both parties can benefit if the relationship is grown carefully and in mutual respect. Pennsylvania prohibits “. . . hunting for, shooting at, chasing, or disturbing wildlife within 150 yards of any occupied residence, camp, industrial or commercial building, farm house or farm building, or school or playground without the permission of the occupants.” (Emphasis added.) As the landlord, you have the authority to abridge this rule, but at the same time, you have the responsibility to provide clear and definitive guidance to hunters using your property. So along with the map that shows your property boundary, your hunting guests should receive a map that clearly defines where you will allow hunting and where it is prohibited. For example, camp’s horses may not be on the property offseason, and this may be the ideal time to take hole-digging groundhogs from the pasture. Your barn’s hayloft could provide excellent shelter for the sportsmen/ women, but only you can grant that permission. At the same time, the camper cabin village may NEVER be a good place to hunt (even for damaging vermin like porcupines and groundhogs), and a map that clearly shows the limits of the 150-yard safety zone makes the rules for using the property clear. Why not put up temporary or unobtrusive posts to define your safety zones? Fluorescent surveyor’s tape on the perimeter of trees will also help make sure that the property’s being used as you intend. Finally, your camp must have written, hard-and-fast procedures for your hunting guests and your staff. Everybody has to know the rules of the road, and there can be no mistake on what those are or what the consequences are for violating them. Beyond that, your camp is already probably a legal entity of some sort, and extra coverage for the business just makes sense. These procedures go hand in hand with the relationship building described previously, but they provide an extra step in formalizing how things are to work. Among other things, your camp should provide: • A written permit to hunt issued to each hunter that lists the hunter’s name, an expiration date, and any restrictions (such as “no weekend hunting”). The hunter should be required to carry it whenever hunting on the property. • Instructions on who to contact to arrange hunting dates and locations on the property. The camp should maintain a list of who’s on the property all the time. • Instructions on what to do if there is any sort of accident, such as property damage or an injury. • How to interact with other people on the property, hunters and non-hunters alike. For example, invited guests may encounter someone on the property who is NOT invited. Whether they’re tracking wounded game or outright trespassing, your guests should know what the camp’s policy is and what you want to happen if they encounter that sort of situation. Stewardship includes wise and careful use of all of the resources your property has to offer, and that might include hunting and trapping. By planning for and actively participating in how that affects your property, hunters and non-hunters alike can enjoy the beauty of camp all year long. Rick Stryker is a professional engineer with a particular passion for helping camps with infrastructure, planning, and regulatory issues. He can always be reached at campfc@ptd.net or 570.828.4004. ACA Camp third Page Ad - Pest Heat Sept - Oct_1.pdf 1 7/18/2011 9:48:25 PM CAMPING magazine • November/December 2013 15
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