All Special Regulations Area counties are now contained within the Wildlife Management Unit system. Seasons and antler restriction requirements are based mostly on these units and general deer seasons. However, certain laws and regulations in regard to arms and ammunition still apply to specific counties in Special Regulations Areas.
Manually operated or semiautomatic shotguns plugged to a 3-shell capacity; manually operated or semiautomatic .22 caliber or less rimfire rifles; manually operated .22 caliber or less rimfire handguns; and bows and crossbows. Buckshot is not permitted. A manually operated or semiautomatic air rifle or manually operated air handgun that propels a single-projectile pellet or bullet for small game in calibers from .177 to .22. For woodchucks and furbearers, air guns must be .22 caliber. BB ammunition cannot be used. In Special Regulations Areas, bottlenecked centerfire cartridges are prohibited. Coyote and woodchuck hunters can use centerfire straight-walled cartridges in rifles and manually operated handguns. In Philadelphia County, only bows and arrows, crossbows, air rifles and shotguns are permitted. Centerfire, single-projectile ammunition is prohibited in these areas.
Species, arms and ammo vary from park to park within the Special Regulations Areas. Additional guidance for those that permit hunting, as well as contact information for all parks, can be found on each park’s webpage. Go to www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks, select Find a Park, select a park, on the park’s webpage click the hunting icon at the top for park specific information. If there is no hunting icon at the top of the page, hunting is not permitted in that park.
A baiting permit no longer is needed when using bait to hunt deer on private property in the Southeast Special Regulations Area. However, other requirements remain. Bait must be shelled corn or proteinpellet supplements only, corn may not contain any additives; bait accumulation must not exceed 5 gallons at any time; bait only can be used from two weeks before the opening of the first deer season to the close of the last deer season; automatic mechanical feeders must be used; and feeders must distribute bait during hunting hours, no more than three times a day. Landowners and hunters need to ensure bait sites comply with regulations.
Manually operated or semiautomatic .22 caliber or less rimfire rifles and manually operated .22 caliber or less rimfire handguns. A manually operated or semiautomatic air rifle or manually operated air handgun in calibers from .177 to .22 that propel a single-projectile pellet or bullet. BB ammunition cannot be used.
Oct. 19-26
Oct. 24-26
Junior, senior license holders, Mentored permit holders, disabled person permit holders, and PA residents serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces
Nov. 30-Dec. 14
WMUs 2B, 5C & 5D: Dec. 26-Jan. 25; Other WMUs Dec. 26-Jan. 20
WMUs 2B, 5C & 5D: Dec. 26-Jan. 25
WMUs 2B, 5C & 5D