Sunday, Nov. 17
Sunday, Nov. 24
Sunday, Dec. 1
LIMIT OF ONE ANTLERED DEER (1) PER LICENSE YEAR, AND ONE ANTLERLESS DEER (1) FOR EACH ANTLERLESS LICENSE OR PERMIT
Antlered & Antlerless
Oct. 5-Nov. 22
Dec. 26-Jan. 20
Sept. 21-Nov. 29
Dec. 26-Jan. 25
Antlerless Only
Oct. 19-26
Oct. 24-26
Junior & Senior license holders, Mentored permit holders, active-duty military and persons with permit to use a vehicle as a blind
Nov. 30-Dec. 14
Jan. 2-20
License Requirements
A general hunting license is required to hunt in any season.
One antlered deer per license year can be taken with a general hunting license.
An unused, antlered deer harvest tag from a general hunting license can be used to take an antlerless deer during the after- Christmas flintlock muzzleloader season.
This is the only season in which the antlered tag can be used for antlerless deer, and each participant in the flintlock muzzleloader season must have a muzzleloader license in addition to a general license.
A muzzleloader license also is needed to participate in the October muzzleloader season for antlerless deer.
With the lone exception of the flintlock muzzleloader season, each hunter must possess an antlerless deer license or DMAP permit in order to hunt or harvest antlerless deer. One antlerless deer may be taken with each valid license or permit.
Statewide, each hunter is limited to holding a maximum of six unfilled antlerless deer licenses. Hunters who obtain six antlerless licenses may apply for and obtain additional licenses as they harvest antlerless deer and report them, so long as licenses remain available. While Pennsylvania residents in most WMUs are guaranteed an antlerless license for an 11-day span, after this period, and in general, sales of antlerless licenses end when the total number of licenses allocated for that WMU is expended.
The Special Firearms season for antlerless deer is open to junior and senior license holders, mentored hunters, active-duty military and certain disabled persons. Resident and nonresident hunters who hold a valid hunting license or qualify for fee exemptions, and who are 65 or will reach their 65th birthday in the year of the license application, are eligible to hunt in the season.
Participants in any archery deer season must possess an archery license in addition to a general license, or a combination license that includes archery privileges.
After harvesting a deer, a hunter must detach the deer harvest tag from his or her license, fill it out using a ballpoint pen and securely attach it to the deer’s ear. Be sure to use the correct tag and be careful not to attach the actual hunting license. The harvest tags have animal icons on them.
There are two holes in the center of the tag that can be punched to insert a string, twist tie or safety pin.
Deer must be tagged before the carcass is moved.
The tag must remain attached to the ear until the animal is processed for consumption or prepared for mounting. When submitting a sample for CWD testing, the completed harvest tag should remain with the head. The harvested deer carcass can still be transported for processing once the head has been submitted for testing. All high-risk parts must be removed before the carcass is transported out of any CWD Disease Management Area or the Established Area, unless destined for a cooperating processor or taxidermist. The bar code on the right edge of the tag should be positioned near the ear tip, unobstructed, so Game Commission personnel can scan it if the deer is documented as part of work to calculate the annual statewide deer harvest.
Hunters sometimes ask why a harvest tag must be attached to a deer’s ear rather than an antler or some other part of the animal. Requiring that deer be tagged in the ear ensures that the tag stays with the head and valuable scientific information can be collected.
If tagging on the antler were allowed, harvest-tag information for bucks largely would be unavailable to Game Commission researchers, since antlers typically leave the butcher shop with the hunter.
