Gross sales of antlerless deer looking licenses in Pennsylvania had been obtainable on-line for the primary time this yr. And like many new initiatives, it had a bumpy begin, with lengthy waits and crashes being widespread complaints.

“It had been that antlerless licenses had been required, below state regulation, to be issued solely by county treasurers,” mentioned Travis Lau, communications director for the Pennsylvania Recreation Fee. “That is the primary yr that the brand new regulation was in place, the place antlerless licenses might be bought by means of any license issuing agent, together with the web licensing system.”

That on-line system was flooded with customers when the primary spherical of license gross sales started, with greater than 4 instances the variety of tags bought on June 26 in comparison with the primary day of gross sales in 2022. Greater than 160,000 licenses had been bought on the primary day, which was greater than the primary 13 days of gross sales final yr mixed.

READ MORE: Searching license gross sales debacle taught Pa. Recreation Fee some classes

“It was the primary yr of a brand new course of, and there wasn’t any pre-existing gross sales information that indicated, ‘Hey, for those who look forward to a license, you’re certain to get one’,” Lau mentioned. “Nobody might guarantee hunters that they might wait.”

Virtually a month later, with the second spherical of gross sales are set to start at 8 a.m. on Monday, the info is in. And there was no must rush to get your subsequent looking license — at the least, in a lot of the state.

Pennsylvania is split into 23 wildlife administration items, or WMUs. And all hunters within the state want a license for the WMU wherein they’re looking. Within the first spherical, just one license was obtainable for every hunter. When the second spherical begins, it is going to open up hunters for an extra license, permitting them to hunt in a second WMU.

Every WMU has a set variety of licenses obtainable as decided by the Pennsylvania Recreation Fee, relying on the variety of deer in every. The WMUs, and the variety of remaining licenses in every, might be seen on the Pennsylvania Recreation Fee’s web site.

Within the overwhelming majority of WMUs, Lau mentioned, 1000’s of looking licenses are nonetheless obtainable – state residents should pay $6.97, whereas the price for nonresidents is $26.97. As spherical one remains to be open, hunters – each residents of Pennsylvania and non-residents – can nonetheless purchase their first looking license in 22 of the state’s 23 WMUs, in the event that they haven’t already. So for these hoping to hunt in a lot of the state, there was no must rush to purchase their first license.

Nonetheless, for those who needed to get a looking license in WMU 2G – situated within the north-central a part of the state, which incorporates Cameron and Lycoming counties and parts of McKean, Potter, Tioga, Elk, Clearfield, Centre and Clinton counties — then speeding was considerably justified, as a result of all 35,000 licenses are gone at this level.

Equally, WMU 1B – the northwest nook of the state, together with Erie and most of Crawford counties – has solely 636 licenses overlooked of 37,000 as of July 20. WMU 4C, which stretches throughout Dauphin, Schuylkill, Luzerne and Carbon counties, has about 530 remaining, and WMU 3A alongside the north-central border of the state has fewer than 500.

The 19 different WMUs, although, have a lot.

“In all places else, as of proper now, does have some licenses,” Lau mentioned. “And lots of of them have 20, 30, 40, 50,000 licenses.”

Anybody who needs to select up their second looking license when the second spherical begins most likely doesn’t need to hurry, Lau mentioned, offered they aren’t attempting to get their second license in one of many three WMUs the place the stock is low. And that will all come right down to a matter of geography, and the way far a hunter is keen to journey.

“I suppose that there are some hunters which can be versatile, and keen to journey to a different place to hunt in the event that they’re if their most popular unit is bought out,” Lau mentioned. “I’m certain that occurs. However on the similar time, there there are these hunters on the market that basically solely hunt at their cabin or at their farm. So that they’re actually solely keen on getting an antlerless license for that one WMU the place they hunt.”

If there may be one other rush when the second spherical of gross sales start, will the Recreation Fee’s web site be prepared? The quick reply from Lau is, “I don’t know.”

“We’ve been in contact with the licensed vendor … who manages the positioning, and had expressed curiosity in doing no matter we are able to when it comes to upgrades to make it quicker,” Lau mentioned. “We had been informed we had been restricted in what we had been in a position to do with out rebuilding your entire website, which isn’t an choice within the quick time period.”

Whereas the Recreation Fee is hoping that sure enhancements can be carried out earlier than Monday, there have been no actual ensures that at the least a number of the similar issues gained’t come up if there’s a rush like in spherical one.

However demand shouldn’t be more likely to be practically as excessive for the second spherical, Lau mentioned. Many hunters possible solely purchase a single license, he mentioned, which means that far fewer can be lining as much as purchase a second one. And as WMUs promote out, the demand for these areas will likewise disappear.

So finally, in case you are out there for a second license in one of many WMUs with a lot left, Lau’s recommendation is to attend. And the extra individuals who wait, the extra easily it is going to go for these individuals who do need the licenses in WMUs which can be scarce.

“I believe, for those who’re keen on getting a second license in a type of WMUs [with few licenses left], they’re gonna go fast,” Lau mentioned. “So I believe that your greatest technique is, for those who’re shopping for on-line, attempt to get in line early.”

To register or order an antlerless deer looking license, go to the Hunt Fish PA web site.