The statewide firearms deer season concluded on Saturday, but hunters and trappers still have a mixed bag of seasons in which to participate.
Depending on date and Wildlife Management Unit, seasons will open for deer, snowshoe hare, ruffed grouse, squirrel, cottontail, pheasant, coyote, fisher, bobcat, beaver and other furbearers, crows, doves and waterfowl.
Small game seasons
Small game seasons are slated for:
Squirrel, Dec. 10-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 23;
Rabbit, Dec. 10-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 23;
Deer seasons
The statewide late archery and flintlock muzzleloader deer seasons run concurrently from Dec. 26-Jan. 12.
Deer hunters in WMU 2B, 5C or 5D may choose:
To hunt antlerless deer with any legal sporting arm from Dec. 26-Jan. 26, or
An extended archery season for antlered or antlerless deer from Jan. 14-26.
Flintlock muzzleloader season participants may harvest an antlerless deer with a WMU license, DMAP permit or a general hunting license deer harvest tag.
During the late season, antlered deer may be taken only by bowhunters and flintlock muzzleloader hunters who possess an unused general hunting license deer harvest tag.
Hunters using archery or muzzleloader licenses and hunting with those special sporting arms are not required to wear fluorescent orange.
However, they are encouraged to do so, especially when hunting in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, where an antlerless season for limited-range firearms users also will be in progress.
Hunters using conventional firearms in those WMUs must wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange.
Furbearer hunting
Furbearer hunting seasons continuing through the winter months include:
Furbearer trapping
Furbearer trapping seasons include:
Beavers, Dec. 26-March 31 (bag limits depend on WMU;
Mink and muskrats, until Jan. 6;
Raccoons, skunks, opossums, foxes, coyotes and weasels, until Feb. 17;
Trappers also may use cable restraints for foxes and coyotes from Dec. 26-Feb. 17, providing they have passed a mandatory cable restraint certification course.
Bird hunting
Dove season runs Dec. 26-Jan. 5. Hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset, and the daily limit is 15 birds.
Waterfowl hunters have plenty of hunting opportunities to pursue from December into April. Hunters may take Canada geese and white-fronted geese during the following upcoming seasons:
Atlantic Population Zone, Dec. 13-Jan. 26;
Southern James Bay Canada Goose Hunting Zone, Dec. 10-Jan. 18; and
Resident Canada Goose Zone, from Dec. 11-Jan. 15 and Feb. 1-28.
The regular snow goose season runs until Jan. 26 in the Atlantic Population Zone; until Jan. 18 in the Southern James Bay Zone; and until Feb. 28 in the Regular Population Goose Zone.
For the snow goose conservation hunt, hunters will need to obtain a free special permit in addition to other waterfowl-required federal and state licenses.
Bag limits for the conservation hunt are 25 daily and no possession limit.
The seasons for the conservation hunt are:
Jan. 28-April 26 in the Atlantic Population Zone;
Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers may be hunted in the Lake Erie Zone until Dec. 29; in the North Zone, until Jan. 5; in the Northwest Zone through Dec. 14; and in the South Zone through Jan. 15.
A season for male and female pheasants will be open from Dec. 10-24 and Dec. 26-Feb. 2 in WMUs 1A, 1B, 2B, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4D, 5C and 5D.
For other rules, bag limits and information, read the hunting digest that accompanies each license purchase or visit the Game Commission's website at www.www.pgc.state.pa.us.
