DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Game Commission is ending its deputy game warden program, eliminating 145 positions after more than a century of service.

The program will officially end Sept. 1.

The decision came as a surprise to many of the deputies who said they received little explanation about why the program was being eliminated.

“It was just completely out of the blue. We had no idea that this was going to happen,” said Kale Geiswite, a deputy game warden who has served for 10 years.

Geiswite said deputies had been asking questions of their leadership for months and had heard some rumors about changes to the program.

Then, he said, the deputies received the email notifying them the program was ending:

Effective Tuesday September 01, 2026, the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Deputy Game Warden program will be ending. Deputies have been a part of the Pennsylvania Game Commission for 123 years. Coming to this decision was very difficult and was not reached without intense consideration. However, cessation of the program is a natural evolution of modern professional conservation law enforcement. Current Deputy Game Wardens are required to return all issued equipment to their respective regions by Thursday October 01, 2026. Thank you for your service and dedication.

“I looked and it was one short small paragraph email just saying ‘hey thank you for your service this was a hard choice and you know, turn all your stuff in in two weeks’ – and we’re like what the heck happened?” said Geiswite.

Geiswite said the way the decision was communicated was particularly frustrating.

“It’s insulting that a state agency can treat us that way and get rid of you with the click of a button,” he said. “It’s pretty poor and it’s very demeaning.”

Why is the Game Commission ending the program?

The Game Commission said it wants to focus on its full-time, professional State Game Wardens. The following statement was sent to CBS 21 by the spokesperson, John Buffone.

The decision was based on how we believe law enforcement services can most effectively be delivered going forward, and that means an emphasis on our full-time, professional State Game Wardens. Deputies were not full-time employees, and the deputy program is fundamentally different from our full-time State Game Warden complement. To compare; Game Wardens are empowered to enforce Title 18 Crimes Code violations and any other violation of PA statute which is a misdemeanor or above, deputies are not able to enforce anything except Title 34 Game and Wildlife Code.

The commission pointed to six consecutive cadet classes, which it said is the most consecutive classes in agency history. It also said it now has more full-time game wardens than at any other point in its history.

But Geiswite said deputies also became a familiar face for people in their communities.

“We were the ones that are out there doing the programs for the Scouts of America, we’re the ones doing church programs and wildlife education and National Night Out,” Geiswite said.

He said he worries those community connections will be lost.

“The most unfortunate part of this whole thing is that our citizens of the commonwealth are not going to be as well represented or as well supported as they were with us on the roster,” he said.

Gary Fisher, who has spent 18 years as a deputy game warden, also said he believes deputies deserve a clearer explanation.

“They’re not giving us a reason as to why,” Fisher said. “I feel there’s more to it than what they’re letting us know.”

Fisher said the people who rely on the Game Commission deserve to understand why 145 deputies are being removed from the program.

“I feel the people – the citizens, the sportsmen, the ones that pay the agency’s bills – I feel they’re entitled to a reason why they’re axing 145 guys and girls for doing the job,” Fisher said.

Commission has $504 million fund balance

The Game Commission ended the 2024-25 fiscal year with a $504.3 million fund balance, according to its annual report.

CBS 21 asked the Game Commission whether its financial position played a role in the decision to eliminate the deputy program.

The commission said it did not.

“The decision to end the Deputy Game Warden Program had nothing to do with the Commission’s finances. It was not a budget-cutting measure,” said Buffone.

Deputies upset over how they found out

For Fisher, the way the program was eliminated is just as frustrating as the decision itself.

“I would’ve thought they gathered us all up together and did it in person,” Fisher said. “But they’re cowards in the way they did it.”

The Game Commission said deputies must turn in their state-issued equipment by Oct. 1.

The agency’s deputy game warden webpage is no longer available.

The commission said any current or former deputy who wants to continue with the agency can apply to become a full-time State Game Warden.

However, that process can take about a year.