The new antlerless license process in Pennsylvania launched Monday morning, but the Somerset County Treasurer called it an “epic failure”.
Many looking to buy their licenses online reported extremely long wait times. Would-be hunters took to 6 News’ Facebook page to share screen shots of their virtual place in line -- some showing more than 100,000 customers ahead of them.
Somerset County’s treasurer Tony DeLuca voiced frustrations over how the game commission rolled out the new system. He said he felt they didn't test it or practice with local treasurers’ offices to work out potential problems.
“First of all we’d like to apologize,” said Seth Mesoras, Pennsylvania State Game Warden. “Give it some time and be patient.”
The game commission said it seems like the system was slowly coming back online throughout the day. They said if you live in an area where you don't expect licenses to sale out in the first round, consider coming back at a later time.
“It’s an epic failure on the game commission, they let everybody down today,” DeLuca said.
Monday marked the day the Game Commission said hunters can purchase their antlerless license through the mail like usual or they can now go to a hunting store as well as online.
“This year there’s been a change in the antlerless license process,” said Travis Lau, the Communications Director with the PA Game Commission.
Lau says the biggest change to this hunting and trapping season is exactly how and when hunters can purchase their antlerless deer licenses.
“There was a change in the law in the previous year that allows for antlerless license sales to be sold not only by County Treasures, but anywhere that hunting licenses are sold including online,” Lau added. “Previously antlerless license sales began a couple weeks after general license sales and the application for antlerless licenses was through the mail.”
Lau spoke to 6 News prior to licenses going on sale. He said, “we built in some safeguards that are intended to prevent the system from crashing, but the more people that are trying to buy licenses the slower it will go, and we know that going in.”
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