| Pennsylvania Game Commission | |
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| Jurisdiction: | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
| Headquarters: | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| Employees: |
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| Budget: | $266,532,308 Fiscal Year 2022 |
| Chief1 Name: | Steven Smith |
| Chief1 Position: | Executive Director |
| Chief2 Name: | David Mitchell |
| Chief2 Position: | Deputy Executive Director |
| Chief3 Name: | Deana Vance |
| Chief3 Position: | Deputy Executive Director |
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| Footnotes: | [1] |
The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) is the state agency responsible for wildlife conservation and management in Pennsylvania in the United States. It was originally founded years ago and currently utilizes more than 700 full-time employees and thousands of part-time and volunteers in its official mission to "manage and protect wildlife and their habitats while promoting hunting and trapping for current and future generations."[2]
In the late 1800s as a result of deforestation, pollution and unregulated hunting/trapping, wildlife decreased in population and diversity. The wildlife, then-commonly referred to as "game," was to be protected by establishing the Game Commission in 1895 by the state Legislature. It was—and still is—funded primarily through the sale of licenses, State Game Land natural resource revenue, and a federal excise tax on guns and ammunition.[3]
The main workforce of the Pennsylvania Game Commission are Game Wardens, formerly known as Wildlife Conservation Officers (and originally Game Protectors).[4] Game Wardens serve as sworn law enforcement officers for wildlife crimes, enforcing the hunting/trapping and conservation laws. They patrol the Pennsylvania State Game Lands and teach hunter-trapper education courses as well as providing many other educational opportunities for the Pennsylvania public, including wildlife programs for schools and community organizations.[5]
Initial training for Game Wardens occurs at the Ross Leffler School of Conservation in Harrisburg. New recruiting classes are formed when positions open up, which is normally every 2nd or 3rd year. Classes are usually kept below 30 students. Training is an 11-month program in Law Enforcement, Natural Resource Management, Wildlife Management, and other subjects.
Deputy Game Wardens are part-time, whereas State Game Wardens are full-time, career-oriented positions. Serving as a Deputy does not lead to promotion into a State Game Warden position. Deputies function in all phases of Game Commission activities and assume the powers as authorized by the Game and Wildlife Code, subject to limitations established by Commission regulations and operating procedures.[6]
Deputies are commonly involved in: law enforcement patrols and investigations, answering complaints and calls for service, nuisance wildlife control, hunter-trapper education classes, educational programs, and assisting other agencies.[7]
Since the establishment of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, eleven Game Wardens have died while on duty.
| Game Protector | L. Seeley Houk | March 2, 1906 | Shot by leader of a organized crime ring in Hillsville while issuing a game citation. | [8] | |
| Deputy Game Protector | Charles Beecham | November 4, 1906 | Shot attempting to arrest a man near Scranton for hunting on a Sunday. | [9] | |
| Game Protector | Joseph McHugh | November 7, 1915 | Shot while searching for poachers in Carbon County. | [10] | |
| Field Superintendent | Elias W. "Woody" Kelly | August 10, 1919 | Struck by train in Warren County while inspecting state game preserves. | [11] | |
| Chief Game Protector | Joseph H. Kalbfus | August 10, 1919 | Struck by train in Warren County while inspecting state game preserves. | [12] | |
| Deputy Game Protector | Darrell S. Solida | December 6, 1931 | Shot while investigating an illegal deer kill near Troutville. | [13] | |
| Game Protector | Walter M. Middleton | December 1, 1935 | Vehicle accident while en route to assist other officers during deer hunting season. | [14] | |
| Game Protector | John B. Ross | July 18, 1942 | Boat capsized while rescuing citizens of Port Allegany during flood. | [15] | |
| Game Protector | Robert E. Zimmerman | May 13, 1957 | Vehicle accident en route to a Divisional Office | [16] | |
| Land Management Officer | Woodrow E. Portzline | October 24, 1973 | Heart attack while investigating reports of trespassing and poaching at a farm. | [17] | |
| Wildlife Conservation Officer | David L. Grove | November 11, 2010 | Shot in Freedom Township, Adams County while investigating reports of ongoing nighttime shooting and poaching. | [18] |