License Buyers Should be Aware of the Following Changes.
Most resident hunters are guaranteed this year to get an antlerless deer license, as long as they buy it prior to sales opening to nonresidents July 8. An antlerless license is not guaranteed for Wildlife Management Units 1B, 2G and 3A, but licenses for these WMUs are going on sale first, on June 24, before the June 27-July 8 period for guaranteed licenses. As in the past, hunters cannot purchase more than one antlerless license per round of sales. The sales schedule and more details on this process can be found on the Antlerless Licenses pages. Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) permit sales once again start in the third round of antlerless license sales, which begins Monday, Aug. 12 at 8 a.m. The October muzzleloader bear season has been shortened to three days to reduce harvest rates on female bears and thereby promote stabilization of the bear population. The season runs concurrently to the October special firearms season for antlerless deer and bears. An extended firearms season for antlerless deer will be held Jan. 2-20 in WMUs 4A, 4D and 5A, running concurrently with the final two weeks of the flintlock and late archery deer seasons within those WMUs. Chronic Wasting Disease is present in these WMUs and extended seasons are being offered to help meet deer harvest goals there. Wearing fluorescent orange is recommended when not required, but those participating in the flintlock and late archery seasons are not required to wear orange. Hunters taking part in extended firearms seasons must meet the 250-square-inch fluorescent orange requirement. Mentored hunters of all ages are now eligible to hunt in the early October pheasant season segment, known best as the Junior Hunt. Pheasant permits are required. Fall turkey season length has increased in 11 WMUs and WMU 5A, which was previously closed to fall hunting, will be opened for a three-day season. Season length will be reduced in WMUs 3D and 4C. Elk license applications are due by July 14 for the July 27 drawing. In total, 140 elk licenses (65 bulls and 75 cows) will be awarded by lottery across three seasons. Dogs no longer may be used to hunt furbearers during Pennsylvania’s regular firearms deer and bear seasons. The change does not impact the lawful nighttime hunting of furbearers during open seasons. Bobcat hunting and trapping will be opened in WMU 2D. Fisher trapping will be increased by one week in all WMUs open to fisher harvest, allowing for concurrent fisher and bobcat trapping seasons. Furtakers should note that when measuring foot-hold and body-gripping traps, the jaw-spread is the width or the distance between the striking bars of the trap when it is set. This measurement includes the outside measurement of the jaw striking bar and cannot exceed 6.5 inches. Hunters now can use the Electronic Duck Stamp, or E-Stamp version of the Federal Duck Stamp, throughout the waterfowl seasons. Bag limits have changed for sea ducks. Only four sea ducks (eiders, scoters and long-tailed ducks) may be taken daily as part of the aggregate six duck limit. Ice-eaters, electronic devices that disturb water to melt ice and prevent ice formation at waterfowl hunting sets, now are lawful to use. The chance to hunt wild pheasants in Pennsylvania could be coming to all hunters. Pennsylvania has two Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas (WPRAs). In previous years, wild pheasant youth hunts have occurred in the Central Susquehanna WPRA. A new regulation would make all permitted pheasant hunters eligible to hunt if a season is opened, something that will be determined later this year, following data collection within the WPRAs. Pennsylvania once again has wild bobwhite quail following the release of wild birds at the Letterkenny Army Depot Bobwhite Quail Recovery Area. There is no hunting in this area, though put-and-take hunting opportunities for captive-reared quail remain elsewhere. Since last year, the Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Management Area was dissolved in Fayette County following 12 consecutive months without detection of the RHDV2 virus.
TRAVIS LAU
Editor
ROBERT D’ANGELO
Associate Editor
LORI NEELY MITCHELL
JACOB DINGEL
Cover Photo
PRINTED BY:
Indiana Printing & Publishing Co.
The Game and Wildlife Code protects all of Pennsylvania’s wildlife. The code classifies wildlife as follows:
Black bear, cottontail rabbit, elk, squirrel (red, gray, black and fox), snowshoe hare, white-tailed deer and woodchuck (groundhog)
Brant, bobwhite quail, coot, gallinule, geese, grouse, merganser, mourning and Eurasian collared dove, pheasant, rail, snipe, swan, wild ducks, wild turkey and woodcock
Badger, beaver, bobcat, coyote, fisher, mink, muskrat, opossum, otter, pine marten, raccoon, red and gray fox, striped skunk, weasel and porcupine
Bear, elk, white-tailed deer and wild turkey
Game birds and game animals not classified as big game
Wild mammals not classified furbearers or game animals (For example, chipmunks are protected)
Wild birds not classified game birds
Protection is removed from wildlife, except migratory birds, big game and threatened or endangered species, when personal property, other than an agricultural crop, is being destroyed or damaged. Wildlife may be taken only by the owner or person in charge of the personal property affected. Wildlife taken to protect personal property must be surrendered to a Game Commission representative.
This digest is not the Game & Wildlife Code or its attendant regulations, and should not be considered final on legal interpretation. The Game & Wildlife Code can be viewed in full at www.pgc.pa.gov by clicking on “Hunt & Trap,” then “Law.” Questions about laws can also be directed to the Centralized Dispatch Center at 1-833-PGC-HUNT or 1-833-PGC-WILD.
