14-04-2025
PA Game Commission finalizes 2025-26 seasons, bag limits
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — Hunters and trappers can now take a look ahead at what's to come with the finalization of the 2025-26 seasons and bag limits.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has finalized everything, including a few changes from last season. Among the changes are two to the after-Christmas firearms season for antlerless deer, one to statewide archery bear season, and one to the season limits for snowshoe hares.
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After-Christmas extended firearms season
The extended firearms deer season will be open on all Deer Management Assistance Program properties statewide from Dec. 26-Jan. 24, 2026, with participating hunters needing a valid permit for the property.
An extended firearms deer season to run Jan. 2-19, 2026 will be held in Wildlife Management Unit 4C, where Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was recently detected.
Bear archery season
The archery season (and only the archery season) will be shortened to one week. The season this year will take place from Oct. 18-25. The only exemption is for WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D which will retain their longer formats.
Snowshoe hare trapping limits
There will be a season limit of three hares per hunter. The reduction protects against overharvest in isolated segments of the hare population.
Along with the changes the Game Commission announced that there will be 1,312,000 antlerless deer licenses available for the 2025-26 season, which is an increase from the previous year. There will also be 140 elk licenses.
A full list of bag limits and dates for this year's hunting and trapping can be found on the Pennsylvania Game Commission website.
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