Just in time for the statewide regular firearms deer season opener, Dr. Gary Alt, a well-known Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife biologist talks about his career with the agency.
Dr. Alt is a Pennsylvania native and a lifetime deer hunter. In fact, he got out of his tree stand to do this podcast interview. He hunts deer six weeks in the fall but he thinks about deer every week of the year. His greatest memories of his father, grandfather and son all include hunting whitetails.
Dr. Alt began his work with the Pennsylvania Game Commission in the late 1970’s as a bear biologist to conduct research on the bear population and continued in that role for 22 years.
He then served the agency as the whitetail deer biologist for five years, where he led efforts to balance the deer herd with habitat by increasing antlerless permits and reducing the mortality of immature bucks by instituting antler restrictions.
He shares his perspective on deer and the enormous impact they have in our society in Pennsylvania. From our forests, to agriculture, to people, there are very strong opinions on deer management, which has historically made deer management here in the Keystone State difficult.
Dr. Alt retired from the Game Commission in the early 2000s. Today’s he is still researching bears across the globe and also works with the Pennsylvania Wildlife Leadership Academy as an instructor and curriculum developer.
Always learn something new listening to Gary. The different perspectives that have to be balanced was considerably greater than I thought. Thanks Gary for the dedication to learning and perseverance to implement change based on science. It sure wasn’t an easy road but the results speak for themselves.
We are shooting bigger buck’s. But we’re shooting 1 1/2 year old and yearling doe why don’t you fix that problem.
In Arkansas you are instructed not to handle fawns… Guess it’s ok in Pennsylvania.
Because Gary Alt doesn’t give a shit about a healthy deer herd, he gives a shit about insurance lobbyists and politicians. He almost single handedly ruined deer hunting for hundreds of thousands of PA deer hunters.
Pa hunters are beholding to you and the great job you did while working at the Game Commission.
Thank You Paul Bradley
Hey, Gary. Missed you this fall but looking forward to 2023 in NE PA. Rob
THANK YOU GARY ALT for what you have done for Pennsylvania’s deer hunting. We are reaping the benefits now for your efforts. It was truly ignorance on the behalf of many for the death threats and everything else that you had to endure. Once again THANK YOU!
Gary Alt almost single handedly ruined deer hunting in PA. State Farm, Progressive, Erie, and the rest should thank him very much for unnecessarily dropping the herd to pathetically few deer and improving their profits. However, from a hunters perspective, that man is Satan. It boggles my mind how many hunters listen to what he says and turn a blind eye to the fact that what we see IRL is virtually the opposite. The most common dumb thing people tend to say is “thanks, we shoot bigger bucks now.” DUH! If you’re not allowed to shoot little bucks then the only ones being shot are bigger. IRL However, there are fewer large buck, fewer overall bucks, fewer deer, and pathetically bad genetics for 2 reasons. 1.) The only 1yo bucks shot are the ones with favorable genetics. 2.) The pitiful small doe to buck ratio means dominant mature bucks are the ones competing to breed does, while the weak and small are the ones actually breeding them. Gary Alt is an egotistical jackass whose reasoning behind decisions about deer herd control are flawed, foolish, deceitful, lobbyist driven, unconcerned with actual healthy deer population, anti-conservationist, political garbage. He is not a hero he’s the devil of the religion that is pa deer hunting tradition. 21 years of shit, thanks Gary
Not everybody could get a grip on what you were doing back then. But you knew! And today, my son is having the best deer hunting of his life because the decisions that you made thank you,