When it comes to hunting in Pennsylvania, this year has some of the most changes in recent history with Sunday hunting, elk licenses and an overlapping rifle deer/small game season.
With hunting licenses going on sale June 22, there are a variety of things to know and to mark on your calendar.
One of the biggest changes with the Pennsylvania Game Commission involves being able to hunt on Sundays. All hunting seasons, except for migratory game bird seasons, include all the Sundays within them. For example, the two-week rifle deer season, which opens the Saturday after Thanksgiving, now for the first time includes three Sundays.
In 2025, the state legislature dropped the ban on Sunday hunting and 13 Sundays were included in the fall season. Between 2019 and 2024, there were only three Sundays for hunting in the fall.
When hunting on private land on Sundays, the Game Commission recommends hunters carry written permission from the landowner. The agency reports the requirement within state law for hunters to carry written permission when hunting private land on Sundays has been lifted.
Deer hunters won’t be alone in the woods this rifle season. Squirrel, ruffed grouse, rabbit, pheasant, bobwhite quail and woodchuck seasons are remaining open for the first time during the regular firearms season.
If you are lucky enough to get a deer, know that the regulations that limit where a deer can be transported have been eliminated. You can haul a deer where you prefer, even in a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Area. However, statewide, the high-risk for disease transmission parts of the carcass like the head and spine need to be disposed of properly, like through a commercial garbage service.
If you don’t field dress your deer in the woods, the spleen, which can also spread CWD, will need to be disposed of properly, too. The high risk parts can’t be disposed of on the landscape except at the harvest site.
If you hunt deer in southeastern Pennsylvania, the regulations for baiting deer in the Southeast Special Regulations Area now include federal lands.
With hunters being able to hunt Sundays in the 2027 spring gobbler season, the agency removed the ability to purchase a second spring turkey tag. The change was made to see how Sundays impact the harvest total. Hunters can hunt May 1-31 for a bearded bird.
Antlerless deer tags
When hunting licenses go on sale June 22 at sports shops, county treasurers and online at huntfish.pa.gov, hunters are guaranteed the ability to purchase an antlerless deer license in the region they desire if they buy it before 7 a.m. July 13. Nonresidents are eligible to buy a doe tag starting July 13.
There’s a record allocation of 1,469,000 antlerless deer licenses for this hunting year. No Wildlife Management Units have a decrease in doe licenses for this year and half of them have an increased number.
For additional antlerless license purchases, the second round begins July 27, the third round begins Aug. 10 and the fourth round begins Aug. 24. At that time hunters can possess up to six antlerless tags. In southeastern Pennsylvania in WMUs 5C and 5D, hunters can have a personal limit of up to 15 antlerless deer licenses.
Elk license lottery
If you thought about elk hunting in Pennsylvania, improvements have been made to benefit residents.
The agency is requiring everyone who enters the elk license lottery to already own a Pennsylvania general hunting license. In past years, hunters, including those who live across the United States, didn’t need to possess a general hunting license to purchase a chance for an elk tag. The allotment for elk licenses is also being capped at 10% going to nonresidents.
This year, 155 elk licenses (80 antlered, 75 antlerless) have been allocated across the four seasons. That number is up from 140 elk licenses last year.
There’s now a fourth hunting season in early October to give those hunters a chance to see elk bugling during the rut. The January elk season has been moved to later in the month to avoid conflicts hunters have with the holidays.
The cost is also less to apply. In past years, hunters could pay $11.97 for a chance at each of the three seasons, for a total of $35.91. This year, for $11.97 a hunter can apply for up to five opportunities for either a bull or cow in the hunting year. The deadline to apply for the elk license lottery is 11:59 p.m. July 12. The winners will be announced July 25 during the Elk Expo in Benezette.
Mentored youth licenses
If you have a child who is ready to hunt in the mentored youth seasons, big game harvest tags are now issued to mentored hunters under 7 years old. In the past, mentored youth tags for deer, bear and turkey only went to youth who were at least 7. Adults could transfer their tag to those under 7.
Black bear hunting
Black bear hunters will also see some changes. The black bear check stations will only be open the first two days of the regular firearms season and select days of the extended season. On other days of the bear seasons, hunters will call the Game Commission to have a staff member examine their harvest.
The archery bear season has been expanded in Wildlife Management Units 3C and 3D in an effort to reduce bear-human conflicts in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Waterfowl
Geese hunters are receiving more opportunities this year.
The Game Commission reports there are two significant changes to Pennsylvania waterfowl seasons this year.
First, in the Atlantic Population Zone in southeastern Pennsylvania, the length of the regular Canada goose season has increased from 30 days to 45. The daily bag limit has increased from one bird to three birds.
The other change involves the start and end dates of the light goose regular season. In both, goose zones have shifted later and a decision on whether a conservation season will be held will be made at a later date.
Other migratory game bird seasons are similar to last year’s seasons. This includes Sundays remaining closed to migratory game bird hunting. The agency worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on setting seasons for migratory birds.
Mark your calendars
Here are the dates to mark your calendars for this year’s deer, bear and elk hunting seasons in Pennsylvania.
Deer hunting
Ag Tag season for antlerless deer runs Aug. 1-April 15.
Archery season statewide for both bucks and does is Oct. 3-Nov. 20 and Dec. 26-Jan. 24. In WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, archery has expanded opportunities between Sept. 19-Nov. 27 and Dec. 26-Jan. 24.
Muzzleloader for antlerless deer is Oct. 17-25.
Special firearms season for antlerless deer is Oct. 22-25 for junior and senior hunters, mentored hunters, active military and persons with a permit to use a vehicle as a blind.
Regular firearms season is Nov. 28-Dec.13.
Flintlock season is Dec. 26-Jan.24.
Extended firearms season for antlerless deer is Dec. 26 to Jan. 24 for DMAP areas, Dec. 26-Jan. 18 for WMUs 4A,4C,4D and 5A, and Dec. 26 to Jan. 24 for WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D.
Bear hunting
Archery season is Oct. 17-25, except for WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, where archers can hunt Sept. 19-Nov. 27, and in WMUs 3C, 3D, and 5B, Oct. 3 to Nov. 20.
Muzzleloader season and special firearms seasons are Oct. 22-25.
Regular firearms season is Nov. 21-24.
Extended bear seasons are Nov. 28 to Dec. 13 in WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D, and Nov. 28-Dec. 6 in WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C, 4E and 5A.
Elk hunting
Archery season is Sept. 12-27. The first regular season is Oct. 3-11, the second regular season is Oct. 31-Nov. 8. and the third regular season runs Jan. 9-17.
