Imagine a time when only a few hundred whitetail deer roamed the woods and fields of Pennsylvania. That was the reality in the early part of the 1900s in Pennsylvania. Then, compare that with today when there are hundreds of thousands of deer in the state.

A number of wildlife species like deer, elk, bald eagles and carrier pigeons were close to or were wiped out completely due to destruction of their habitat or over hunting.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission came into existence in 1895 to preserve and manage the state's wildlife.

A new museum that opened last month-- the Pennsylvania Conservation Heritage Museum -- located at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Visitors Center near Kleinfeltersville -- chronicles that history.

Brian Collett, an education specialist at the museum sat down with Smart Talk to describe the history and the museum.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.