“Crop damage is a problem nationwide, it depends where you are,” said Andy Bater, a Centre County resident and Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Wildlife and Fisheries Committee chairman.

Some areas have problems with feral hogs, he said, adding “we have problems with deer and bear in Pennsylvania.”

Pennsylvania ranks as one of the nation’s top states suffering from crop damage directly tied to wildlife, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture.

The USDA estimates the state saw more than $20 million in losses on corn in 2017 — the highest reported number in the nation. That same study showed that Pennsylvania farmers suffered more than $15 million in losses to soybean crops in 2017.

Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Wildlife and Fisheries Committee chairman Andy Bater testifies before the state Senate. Bater said he has traveled the state to see the damage done to crops by deer. “I have done an outreach tour followed up with many conversations with the legislature. We are trying to determine the magnitude, how big of a deal it is,” he said. Courtesy photo

White-tail deer are the biggest problem in the local area, said Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Vice President Tommy Nagle of St. Augustine.

“I have had crop damage on my farm, mainly in corn, soybeans and alfalfa,” he said, noting that every farmer has a certain amount of crop damage.

Most farmers understand the importance of wildlife and are sportsmen themselves, Nagle said, but finding a way to balance wildlife with successful crop farming is tough.

“The problem is the damage is tens of thousands of dollars and that is an economic hardship,” he said.

Yahner Brothers Farm, Patton, has experienced significant damage, to the point that there are fields they no longer use for corn or soybeans because of the deer.

“We can only grow wheat or oats on those,” said co-owner Marty Yahner, president of the Cambria County Farm Bureau.

Bater, whose farm is near Port Matilda, has experienced crop damage on his own property, where he has 50 acres fenced in, predominantly to protect natural areas for endangered warblers that come each summer from South America.

Bater has been growing switchgrass for 15 years, noting that deer don’t eat it, but the deer have destroyed the forest areas.

He put an 8-foot deer fence around his farm, and while a few jump the fence, “it’s better to have a couple rather than 20.”

The state Game Commission has programs available for farmers that help cut down on the deer, Yahner said.

“Farmers and their family and their employees can kill wildlife for crop damage at any time, but farmers are extremely busy and need to get a little sleep, so that is sometimes not an option,” he said.

One fix is the deer depredation program where farmers — with the approval of the Game Commission — can get two special shooters to kill deer. The culled deer are then given to the Game Commission, which, in turn, gives them to food banks and the Hunters Sharing the Harvest program, Yahner said.

Another program, the Ag tag program, allows farmers to give certain hunters special permits to kill deer at different times of the year.

Yahner thinks the Game Commission should give hunters a larger allocation of deer tags — without the hunter having to pay more fees — in areas of the state where deer damage is the worst.

Yahner sees this is a possible solution as there seem to be fewer hunters who really want to hunt.

“Hunting is vital to managing deer populations,” Nagle said, adding the state farm bureau aims to work with fellow stakeholders to promote hunting and the environmental benefits it brings.

“Doing more hunting is the best way for wildlife management,” Bater said. “We’re trying to encourage more people to take up” the sport.

Meanwhile, the farm bureau is taking steps to find a multi-pronged solution that can make a positive impact for farmers.

Bater said he has traveled the state to see the damage and the issues.

“I have done an outreach tour followed up with many conversations with the legislature. We are trying to determine the magnitude, how big of a deal it is,” he said.

While more data is needed, he said “there is so much damage, we need to facilitate more hunting.”

More Sunday hunting may be in the works as the state farm bureau will support hunting on Sunday if multiple policy priorities are included in the legislation.

State Sens. Greg Rothman and Elder Vogel plan to introduce a package, “Hunting for Crop Damage Solutions,” Nagle said. “They’ve listened to our concerns and this legislation reflects that. We’re also working with the Game Commission to educate our members on programs that are currently in place.”

Some policy priorities include allowing farmers to send deer harvested for crop damage directly to a processor without having to wait for Game Commission action; the creation of an agriculture access list which connects farmers seeking hunters to help with crop damage mitigation; creating an at-large seat on the Game Commission to be filled by someone who is selected for their knowledge and experience within the agricultural community; and increased penalties for trespassing while hunting.

“Sunday hunting is something we have traditionally opposed,” Bater said, but the farm bureau could support it as a measure for wildlife management.

“We still technically oppose it but if enough positive things happen, the farm bureau would be in favor of Sunday hunting,” he said.

However, Nagle said Sunday hunting isn’t the singular fix for the problems farmers face regarding crop damage.

“Essentially, we acknowledge its potential to be part of the solution,” he said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.