Pennsylvania hunting season commences; here's all essential information

In Pennsylvania, the 2025-26 hunting season has commenced on September 1 with the opening of dove and early Canada goose seasons, marking the unofficial start of the hunting season. Here's a round-up of some significant changes and updates for this year.

The state Game Commission has expanded the fall hunting season by adding 10 Sundays, from Sept. 14 through Dec. 7, except for migratory bird hunting. However, state parks will not be open to general Sunday hunting beyond the three Sundays that had previously been approved - Nov. 16, 23, and 30. Sunday hunting is now legal in Pennsylvania, except for migratory bird hunting, which is governed under federal rules.

Canada goose hunting in the Atlantic Population Zone will last 30 days, with a one-goose-per-day limit. The reduced bag limit for Canada geese is due to a decade-long declining trend in Atlantic Population Canadas.

For deer hunting, the statewide archery bear season has been cut to just one week, running Oct. 18-25. The extended firearms antlerless deer season will be open on all Deer Management Assistance Program properties statewide from Dec. 26-Jan. 24.

Program properties are individual parcels enrolled by the landowner in a program to reduce deer numbers on that property to meet specific management goals. Management unit-specific antlerless licenses can be used on program properties in the extended season if the management unit where the program property is located is open to late doe hunting. To hunt the extended doe season on program lands, hunters must have the required permits.

Snowshoe hare numbers in Pennsylvania have been on a slow but steady decline, and the Game Commission has set a season limit for hares at three. The season only lasts six days, from Dec. 26-Jan. 1, and the bag limit remains at one per day. Starting this year, if a hunter takes three hares in three days, they have to quit hunting hares.

Ten management units still had antlerless licenses remaining for sale as of late last week: 2B, 2C, 2E, 4A, 4B, 4D, 4E, 5A, 5C, and 5D. The management unit with the most tags remaining was 4A, with 42,479, and the unit with the least remaining was 2E, with 2,555.

In the upcoming special hunting year, Sunday hunting is allowed in certain state parks of Germany, including the Müritz National Park and the Bavarian Forest National Park. This marks a change from previous years, where only three Sundays were open for hunting in state parks in Pennsylvania.

Remember, the official start of the license year is July 1. Stay informed, stay safe, and enjoy the hunt!